The Redskins are making a quarterback change. The Mark Sanchez-era is over just after it got started, as the team will start Josh Johnson moving forward, coach Jay Gruden announced after the game (link via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk).
Sanchez played awfully and put up zero points by the time he was benched, tossing two interceptions. Johnson came into the game and immediately provided a spark, leading two scoring drives and putting 16 points on the board to make the loss slightly less lopsided. Redskins players immediately responded to and rallied around Johnson, so the permanent switch to him isn’t a surprise.
Incredibly, Johnson hadn’t thrown a regular season pass since 2011 when he was suddenly thrust into the game. Johnson was only signed off the street less than two weeks ago after Colt McCoy‘s season ending injury, so his play was impressive. Johnson, who had been all set to join the San Diego Fleet of the upstart AAF league before getting the call from the Redskins, completed 11 of 16 passes for 195 yards, one touchdown and an interception, good for 12.2 yards per attempt.
Sanchez was six of 14 for 38 yards and two interceptions, including a pick-six, before exiting. He also struggled mightily last week when he came on in relief of McCoy on Monday Night Football. The Redskins’ season is quickly circling the drain after a surprising 6-3 start as they’ve been crippled by injuries. While still technically alive in the NFC East race, their playoff hopes have rapidly diminished, but perhaps inserting Johnson into the lineup can create some momentum and help them finish strong.
Butt fumble ended before it began….sad
A team that surrenders 40 unanswered points to the Giants has obviously called it quits. Redskins tank from here on and try to improve their draft position for next season.
kaep could take the skins to the playoffs
Don’t you have some dead horse to beat?
I thought Kaep was a dead horse.
Perfect DFS buy low lol
Sanchez played badly? WHO woulda thunk it?!?!?
Sanchez playing at all in NFL is exhibit #1 in Kaepernick collusion case against NFL!!! He was Nathan Peterman in disguise!!! Truly awful that an NFL team would rather give up their season by signing such a stiff like Sanchez rather than a decent QB like Kap!
he played well..granted the bar wasn’t set high by Sanchez
I’m almost shocked they didn’t take a chance on Bo Levi Mitchell. Guy you won multiple grey cups in Canada, was a great college QB, has been playing football not sitting around and more importantly, isn’t Sanchez.
Unbelievable that the Redskins didn’t pick up Bo Levi Mitchell or Colin Kaepernick. Redskin management lucked out that Josh Johnson seems to be a considerably more capable quarterback than anticipated. With the loss to the Giants, the Redskin season effectively ended.
If the Redskins were to pick up a good quarterback (i.e. Colin Kaepernick who was the only one playoff capable NFL quarterback really available), they should have done so the day Alex Smith went down. Everyone in the building knew McCoy was made of glass (why he’d never permanently held a starting job).
In fairness to Sanchez, Redskin receivers dropped three very catchable balls from him and at least one interception was a deflection from what should have been a sure catch. The stink of death is on Sanchez. No one on the Redskins seemed to want to play with him or for him.
Time for the Hefty Lefty!