(Photo by Icon Sportswire)
33 years to the day of Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann’s gruesome knee injury, current Washington QB Alex Smith suffered an eerily similar fate against the Texans. He exited the game and it has been reported that he will miss the rest of the season.
Taking his place on Sunday was veteran Colt McCoy, who wasted no time making his present felt by throwing a touchdown on his first pass of the game. It was his first touchdown since 2015. McCoy finished 6-for-12 for 54 yards and the touchdown, good for a tidy 90.3 passer rating. He also rushed for 35 yards, picking up a few first downs with his feet and showing off the athleticism that made him such a hot commodity while at Texas.
So now, McCoy will lead the charge for the NFC East leading Redskins in their final five games. They square off against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, which is certainly not an ideal matchup for McCoy with so little time to prepare. After that they get the Eagles, Giants, Jaguars, Titans and Eagles once again.
Looking at the schedule, it’s hard to get too excited about McCoy going forward. The Eagles rank in the bottom half against opposing quarterbacks, which are his only appealing matchups. Jacksonville, Tennessee and even the Giants are all top ten defenses, making McCoy a risky option going forward.
Plus, the Washington offense is likely going to become more run-centered than they already are. Currently, the Redskins run the ball 43.39% of the time, the seventh highest mark in the league. Adrian Peterson will remain one of the most used running backs in the league, easing the pressure on McCoy but also limiting his fantasy value.
If you’re in a standard 10 or 12 team league, you can safely leave McCoy on the waiver wire – even if you lost Smith. However, two-QB leagues may want to consider adding McCoy as a potential streamer for his two starts against Philadelphia. Perhaps in another dimension where McCoy didn’t have a run-heavy offense and four matchups against very good defenses he could be more fantasy relevant. But for now, he’s a desperation streamer at best.