Redskins stock up-stock down vs. Bucs

The Redskins’ second through fourth teamers beat the Bucs’ second through fourth teamers 30-3 in the preseason finale on Wednesday.

But this was one of those rare games where individual performances mattered more than the final score. There were some jobs at stake and here is a look at some of the players who helped themselves during the game and some who hurt their cases for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Stock up

Brandon Banks—As my partner Tarik El-Bashir wrote, Banks both helped and hurt his resume. He caught a 47-yard pass from Kirk Cousins and blazed for 43 yards on an end around. Add in 66 yards in punt returns (on 5 attempts, 13.2 average) and you have 156 yards of field position and he didn’t even play the whole game. A dropped pass and a muffed punt were down moments but it seemed the good outweighed the bad.

Kedric Golston—If he was on the bubble, he worked his way off of it with a performance that included a sack for a loss of eight yards and two QB hurries.

Aldrick Robinson—He didn’t do much as a receiver as he didn’t catch a pass in limited action on offense. But he did return two kickoffs for an average of 33.5 yards. That could make him a valuable asset if the team does decide to part ways with Banks.

Bryan Kehl—Two times in the previous three games Kehl got two hands on an opponent’s pass and he had dropped both of them. But tonight he got his hands on one and not only did he hold on to it he showed good speed in returning the interception 43 yards. Add that to six tackles and a sack and you have a pretty good day.

Stock down

Anthony Armstrong—He did help his case by hauling in a 47-yard bomb from Cousins. But he probably needed more to get back into the discussion for a roster spot. That was his only real positive moment of the preseason. It may not be fair because he did miss some time with a shoulder injury but that is the way of the NFL world.

Terrence Austin—He was pretty much in the same boat as Armstrong, needing an impressive performance to get on the right side of the bubble. Two catches for 10 yards is not an impressive performance by any stretch. Austin needed to do more.

Niles Paul—He’s not on the bubble but he finished off a so-so preseason catching just one pass for six yards. Considering that Chris Cooley was released in part because the team felt that Paul could serve as the backup tight end, he could have quieted some critics with a better showing.

Tim Hightower—He was on the “did not play” list. His knee was still sore after he had five carries and a handful of other snaps against the Colts on Saturday. He’s only on this list because even though he looked good against the Colts tonight serves as a reminder that he’s still not back to anywhere near 100 percent.

Tomorrow: Tandler’s 53-man roster projection.

Comments

[Billy Crawford]

One fan's slanted views for anyone who's bored:
Briscoe - a "playa" and a player. Moneyball says ignore the off field issues and evaluate him only for what he has produced on the field, which is a lot given his limited snaps.

Banks - Let's not forget the fumble in the backfield. Do his yards make up for lack of ball security? (Muffed punt and fumble.)

Kehl - Up and Down all pre-season. He gets beat a lot.

Aldrick - Great separation on the tipped pass.

Niles Paul - Errrrgh. When you you going to start bringing it?

Reed Doughty - Amazing how fast a guy looks when he's out there with the 3rd stringers. The fans seem to hate him. But he'll be a Redskin this season.

Cundiff - Great leg on those kickoffs (one even hit the goal-post's cross-bar.) Not a gimme by any means, but I sure wish you could have made that 40+ yarder.