Having passed the halfway point of the 2019 regular season, Redskins.com is taking a look back at which players have made the most positive impacts. Here's who we came up with:
Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin
After being the 12th wide receiver taken in the 2019 NFL Draft, Terry McLaurin has been one of the best rookie wideouts in the NFL this season. He currently leads the Redskins with 32 receptions, 498 receiving yards and five touchdowns and is the only rookie in Pro Football Focus' top 25 wide receiver rankings (he came in 13th).
"It's rare that you can step into the National Football League and have the type of production that he's had so soon and so early in the season," interim head coach Bill Callahan said after the Miami game Oct. 13, when McLaurin scored two touchdowns in a 17-16 triumph. "So, yeah, we're fortunate to have him and just hope it continues for him. He's having a heck of a year so far."
Safety Landon Collins
The Redskins have gotten all that they had hoped for after signing Landon Collins to a six-year, $84 million deal last March. In addition to leading the team with 78 tackles (52 solo), the three-time Pro Bowler has been praised for his leadership on and off the field.
"I love the way he leads our team," Callahan said. "Every day he comes to work, he's focused, he works hard, he's diligent, he's smart, he's tough and he's physical. He has the things that we want to be as a team."
Punter Tress Way
Tress Way is having a career year in his sixth season with Washington. In nine games, the Redskins reigning Special Teams Player of the Year has averaged 48.4 yards per punt -- a personal best and second in the NFL to only Arizona's Ryan Winslow. He's also had 17 punts downed inside the 20-yard line — which is tied for sixth-best in the league — and has not had a kick blocked.
Running Back Adrian Peterson
Peterson struggled to get things going on the ground through five weeks, netting just 98 yards on 40 carries. But since Callahan became the Redskins' interim head coach and preached a commitment to the running game, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer has flourished. Fresh off an 108-yard performance against the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 13, Peterson has amassed 383 rushing yards on 75 touches over the past four games.
"He is a walking Hall of Famer; first ballot, no doubt in my mind," McLaurin said of Peterson. "It is pretty cool to be in my rookie year and to be walking with a guy like that. I remember coming in the first day and saying, 'That is Adrian Peterson.' He is such a good teammate and such a great leader. He gives me a lot of confidence as a rookie to go out there and be successful. I am glad he got to be honored in a place where he did so much."
Defensive End Matt Ioannidis
Ioannidis has built on a strong 2018 campaign, already recording a career-best 38 total tackles (22 solo) and a team-high 4.5 sacks.
"Every year I've been around [Matt Ioannidis] he's gotten better and better everyday," said defensive lineman Tim Settle. "He emphasizes his errors, he emphasizes on the little things he does wrong. He wants to perfect his craft, perfect his technique...He's a good example of who to play after and who to play behind."
Honorable Mention: Cornerback Quinton Dunbar
Having missed the majority of 2018 with a leg injury, Quinton Dunbar has been impressive in his return to the Washington secondary, leading the team in interceptions (3) and recording 28 total tackles (24 solo). For his efforts, Dunbar was named Pro Football Focus' top cornerback with a rating of 91.3 prior to Sunday's loss in Buffalo.
"He's good at what he does," rookie cornerback Jimmy Moreland said of Dunbar. "He knows the position very well, and he played the receiver position, so he knows what to expect. That's why he's turning out to be one of the best cornerbacks right now."
