Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET, the Washington Redskins have a chance to redeem themselves in front of their home FedEx Field supporters when they play the Green Bay Packers. Last week against the Indianapolis Colts in their season home opener, the Redskins as favorites laid an unexpected egg that led to boos and second-guessing of the play calling.
All of that disenchantment can be laid to rest entering a bye week with a solid showing and win against the 1-0-1 Packers.
After coming off an impressive 24-6 win in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, the Redskins were looking to start the season off on a bright note and show the football world that they are a different group from years past.
Now, the Redskins must prove that against Aaron Rogers and a Packers team that has Super Bowl aspirations. This will be a good barometer to gauge exactly what the 2018 Redskins should be even though it’s just Week 3.
The Redskins enter the game as three-point underdogs.
Washington must get back to putting the ball in the hands of the running back tandem of Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson. After rushing for 180 plus yards versus the Cardinals, the duo was held in check last week against the Colts. The Redskins inability to get going on the ground severely limited their potential in other facets of the offense. A healthy dose of running plays even if they don’t work early should be a big part of this weeks game plan for Washington.
Redskins vs. Packers: the statistical comparison
Redskins quarterback Alex Smith could never get into a rhythm last week against the Colts and was under heavy pressure for most of the game. Washington will have to take shots down the field to keep the Packers defense honest and not allow Smith to be under constant duress.
On defense, the plan is simple for the Redskins. They must put pressure on Rogers and keep him from getting to his spots within the pocket. Rogers can beat defenses any many ways. If the former Cal star is able to set his feet and get comfortable it could be a long day for the Redskins.
The Burgundy and Gold’s defense has been one of the NFL’s best to start the season. They rank No. 1 in overall defense and against the pass (161.0 yards per game) compared to the Packers rank of 11th in passing yards per game (277.0), so something will have to give on Sunday.
Washington is not as bad as they looked last week but are they much better than their Week 2 showing?
The Redskins have familiarity against the Packers which should go a long way to having success in the game.
Washington should be able to run the ball against the Packers 18th ranked run defense. Doing so should open up things for Smith to take more chances down the field.
A Redskins win over Packers would …
A healthy run/pass balance as seen in Week 1 and a stellar defensive effort could propel the Redskins back into the win column.
On the young season, I’m 1-1 after last weeks unexpected loss. This game say’s Packers in a lot of columns, but I don’t think the Redskins are as bad as they looked last week. I also don’t think the coaching staff will get outcoached and out-schemed again.
For another week I’m taking the Redskins in a hard-fought game.
Final score: Redskins 23 – Packers 20