After the Washington Redskins 24-3 defeat to the New York Giants Sunday, running back Chris Thompson was distraught and on the verge of tears.
The sting of a fourth consecutive defeat to open the 2019 season was weighing on the running back.
"We're 0-4 in a terrible situation right now. I just feel like we're a better team than this, honestly. And it's just frustrating sometime that we're just not putting it all together and missing some plays, missing some opportunities here and there," Thompson told The Sports Junkies during his weekly appearance Tuesday, presented by Steamfitters UA Local 602.
When asked if this was the lowest it has been during his time in Washington, Thompson didn't take long before responding: "I mean we're only four games in, but I just believe this is just the lowest."
"Just looking back at games and, you know how we lost them, especially Week 1 being up 17-0 and then losing that one. Starting out so bad last week against Chicago, just basically giving up that great field position, and having four turnovers in the first half. It's just super aggravating. And then we got the Super Bowl champs coming in," Thompson said.
Thomson said the tough task was laid before them in April when the schedule was released: "It only gets harder as our season goes on, we have a tough schedule. And guys knew and understood that having three of our four games being division games early on, that as y'all all know, must-wins," he said. "Just having a start like this, it's super frustrating. I want to get it right because I think everybody as a whole deserves better: players, staff, scouting, everybody, media, everybody, the fans, everybody. Everybody deserves better.
"And we know the work that we put in during the week and just to go out and miss the opportunities that we have out there, it's frustrating. And I'm not one, obviously, I'd be the first to tell you that I don't do every single play perfectly, so that's me included in that. As a group, as a whole, we just gotta find a way to be more consistent and that's really the key."
With the poor start, much of the scrutiny falls on head coach Jay Gruden's shoulders. Thompson, who spoke up for Gruden last week, said while it falls on the coach there's a lot of it that's on the players.
"I think he's a great guy for the players. I believe he's a players coach," Thompson told 106.7 The Fan. "Like I've said a lot before when you look at the film and stuff, and we realize, everything, obviously it falls on the coach, he's gonna take it, he's gonna say it's his fault everything like that. But it's a lot of it that's on the players.
"There's opportunities out there where he calls up great plays and we just don't maximize on the opportunities. It ends up, obviously, looking bad on him."
After Dwayne Haskins entered the game, Thompson said the Skins offense "all (tried) to rally around him and make him feel good, try to get him in a good groove."
"Going forward we don't know what's gonna happen coming this Sunday," Thompson added. "If we still are going with Dwayne, we're going to do everything we can to make sure he's confident in us and everything that we can do to help him look good. He made it know he's gonna give those 'opportunity balls' to the receivers and stuff. We just have gotta show him during the week that we're gonna catch those passes from him."
When asked about the pros and cons of starting Haskins, Thompson said inexperience of the rookie can be considered a con, but had several pros: "I think he has a great arm, for the most part, I think he has a great feel for the game, too," he said. "And I believe he's super confident in his game, so moving forward as he gets comfortable in the playbook I think he's gonna be great."
Who does Thompson guess will start Sunday vs. the Patriots?
"Whichever man is ready," Thompson said on 106.7 The Fan.
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