Perine Improving With Experience

Samaje Perine was one of two fourth-round draft picks for the Washington Redskins and a welcomed addition to a backfield that lacked a hammer type-option. Perine has enough athleticism to also run multiple concepts for Washington.

- Chris Russell

Inside zone, outside zone, power – the Redskins are varied in their running attack and Perine can do it all.

How consistently can he do it was and still is the question for the Redskins as he wraps up his rookie year.

Washington needed to force-feed Perine faster than they would have ideally liked because Robert Kelley was hurt much of the season before placed on injured reserve after the Minnesota loss. The need to rely on Perine became even more so after Chris Thompson was lost for the year in a brutal loss at New Orleans.

Yet, the Redskins and Jay Gruden’s staff must remember Perine is still raw – and that’s not even the most pressing issue.

Before we get there, it’s important for Perine to gain trust with not only the coaching staff but his teammates. A way to do that? Back-to-back 100-plus yard efforts in New Orleans and against the New York Giants on a short week. Perine averaged 5.1 yards (23 carries for 117 yards) with a touchdown and a 30-yard gallop up the middle on an inside zone run in that crushing defeat to the Saints and then followed that up with an efficient 100-yard performance on Thanksgiving against New York.