Yet entering Sunday’s game against San Francisco, Armstrong is just another struggling element of a struggling offense. He suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 at Dallas. He sat out the next two games. He has all of five catches for the season. The longest of those is 18 yards, nearly two yards below his average last season.

“It’s kind of frustrating,” Armstrong said this week, before quickly recalibrating. “It’s really frustrating that you aren’t able to really get on top of defenses and take advantage that way.”

Armstrong’s problems, though, are indicative of an offense that, as the midpoint of the season approaches, is solidifying its standing as one of the NFL’s worst. Through seven games, Washington has shown almost no big-play capability. The Redskins have just two pass plays of at least 40 yards, the longest a 45-yard toss from Rex Grossman to wide receiver Jabar Gaffney in a Week 6 loss to Philadelphia. Just two teams have failed to complete at least one pass longer than that.

Go deeper. Redskins wide receivers have just five receptions of 25 yards or longer — three by Gaffney and one each by Terrence Austin and Santana Moss, currently out because of a broken hand. Only one team, Minnesota, has fewer long completions to wideouts. The trickle-down is felt throughout an offense that this week faces a San Francisco defense that is the best in the NFL against the run.

“It’s tough to make long drives down the field when you move five yards at a time,” offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “You’ve got to get some big plays in there to get points. We weren’t able to get those last week, and I think that’s one of the main reasons we struggled.”

In that 23-0 loss to Buffalo, quarterback John Beck took several shots downfield and completed none of them. He threw four balls in Armstrong’s direction. Armstrong finished without a catch. That feeling he had those first few weeks of 2010, when he surprised almost everyone? It’s gone.

“I think people kind of know what I’ve been able to do for our team last year,” Armstrong said, “and they’re probably just saying, ‘All right, when he’s out there, let’s back up a little bit and make sure he doesn’t beat us that way.’ ”

Redskins coaches believe that’s just part of the equation.

“Anytime you’re banged up and you have a pulled hamstring and all of a sudden your speed is not there, and you’ve got to get back into football shape, and [the opponent is] much more aware of his speed and [he’s facing] a little bit more bump coverage — it’s a combination of those things,” Coach Mike Shanahan said. “He’s feeling better right now, so he’s more in football shape so he’s got an opportunity now, more so than over the last few weeks.”

One thing Armstrong doesn’t have is the comfort level Moss provided by catching balls underneath. Last week against Buffalo, Gaffney and Armstrong were the starting wide receivers, with Donte Stallworth, Niles Paul and Austin also active. Moss’s absence, which might last another month, can affect them all.

“When people would focus on covering Santana with two people, that would leave the other receiver one-on-one, and you were able to take advantage of that other DB,” Armstrong said. “Now defenses have a little bit of a different plan when Santana’s out. We just got to find a way to take advantage of that.”

Kyle Shanahan said some of the deep balls were open against Buffalo. “The ones we’ve had,” he said, “we’ve missed.”

Perhaps this week that will change. The 49ers’ defense is a huge reason they’re 6-1, but just four teams have allowed more pass plays of 25 yards or more than San Francisco’s 17.

“Hopefully, eventually something will break and everything will line up,” Armstrong said. “All the stars will align, and we’ll be able to get a deep pass on somebody.”

Read More: Santana Moss (WR – WAS), Santonio Holmes (WR – NYJ), New York Jets, Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins opened the 2011 NFL free agency by re-signing wide receiver Santana Moss, but it appears they are still looking to upgrade the wide receiver position. Despite keeping Moss, they are still chasing New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes, according to multiple reports.

First, CSN Washington’s Rich Tandler reports that the Redskins are still chasing Holmes, based on his reports.

I have been hearing that the Redskins signing of Santana Moss will not preclude the Redskins pursuit of Jets free agent receiver Santonio Holmes.

Later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter, in a radio interview and on SportsCenter, suggested the same thing, saying the Moss signing did not impact the Redskins’ pursuit of Holmes. However, he also said that the Jets are hoping to keep Holmes, and he expects a deal between Holmes and the Jets to be completed later Wednesday.

For more on NFL free agency, visit our StoryStream listing key 2011 NFL free agents the Redskins could target. For all your NFL free agency rumors, visit that StoryStream. Also, be sure to check out SB Nation’s Redskins blog Hogs Haven.