Over the past season, the Washington Redskins have anxiously been awaiting the unveiling of a healthy Derrius Guice.
The second-round selection from last years NFL Draft had to patiently wait, watch, and rehab to get back on the field for live game action. In Atlanta playing in his first game back from tearing his ACL in the Redskins first preseason game last year against the New England Patriots, Guice looked anything but rusty.
The former LSU star ran decisively against the Falcons defense and turned a few heads in his debut.
On the evening, Guice would amass 44 yards rushing on 11 carries. He also pulled in one reception for four yards in sparking the Redskins to their first preseason win, 17-9.
On just his second carry of the game, Guice displayed a full arsenal of what he brings to the Redskins already talented RBs room which is led by future Hall of Famer, Adrian Peterson, and the versatile, Chris Thompson.
.@Redskins RB Derrius Guice came back looking STRONG in his first game since tearing his ACL a year ago. 💪
And wait until you see that stiff arm. @DhaSickest
The run showed why Redskins fans are excited to see what the second-year back can do when healthy. Guice showed the ability to bounce a play to the outside, stiff arm a would-be tackler and finish a run with power by running through a defender.
A healthy Guice gives the Redskins perhaps one of the best three-headed RB tandems in all of football.
The young back feels he is ready after a strong showing.
“I had to get my feet under me and get some contact to really see where I’m at because you know a lot of people throughout the past months and weeks have asked ‘how do you feel, do you feel healthy?” Guice said. “To be honest, you can’t really tell in practice because its no contact, you’re not getting tackled. All I’m doing is running straight ahead and cutting. You really know how you feel whenever you get hit. That’s the main thing, so me getting out there and getting my leg twisted and turned and hit, it really boosts that confidence. So I feel like I’m ready.”
Coach Jay Gruden was impressed with Guice’s performance and the importance of getting his young back a feel for live game action again.
“I think he did good,” Gruden said. “It was important to get him the ball. I wanted to get him quite a few touches. Try to get him some rhythm, sweat. He was hitting the ground, getting hit, tackled, protecting the football. Get him some balls out of the backfield. So I think it was a productive night for him. I think he looked like he was decisive in his cuts for the most part. He ran with some power at times. He moved the pile when it wasn’t anything there. So I was impressed standing there on the sidelines.”
If Guice is back and indeed ready, the Redskins offense just gained another weapon that could help elevate an offense in need of big-play performers.
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Redskins RB Derrius Guice: ‘I Feel Like I’m Ready’