Tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET, the Washington Redskins have a chance on primetime television (ESPN) to show the country if they are true contenders in the NFC East and NFC conference when they take on the 3-1 New Orleans Saints. The Redskins will have to do so on the road in a very hostile and noisy Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The venue is one of the loudest and toughest places to play in the NFL.
A win by the Redskins would strengthen their grip on the NFC East division that right now looks to be not as good as originally thought. Washington could essentially give themselves a two-game cushion over the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles with a victory.
Washington (2-1) has another chance to redeem their national brand after blowing the opportunity the first time they had the chance earlier in the season. After coming off an impressive 24-6 win in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, the Redskins were looking to show the football world that they were a different group from years past but failed when they inexcusably played flat in a Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Redskins rebounded in a Week 3 dominating win over the Green Bay Packers.
Now coming off of a bye week, which Redskins team will show up in New Orleans?
The Redskins enter the game as six-point underdogs.
As has been the case in their two wins this season, Washington must put the ball in the hands of the running back tandem of Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson. In both wins for the Burgundy and Gold, the team surpassed the 100-yard mark.
The Redskins will need quarterback Alex Smith to put pressure on the Saints defense by looking downfield when the chance arises and also by making plays outside of the pocket.
On defense, the Redskins have to find a way to get to Saints Pro Bowl signal caller, Drew Brees. Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky’s unit must find a way to make life uncomfortable for Brees and do it early and often. Last year, the former Purdue star orchestrated one of the Saints best come back wins of all-time against the Redskins.
This year, however, the Redskins defense is ranked at the top of several defensive categories. They rank No. 1 in overall defense, No. 1 against the pass (187.3 yards per game) and No. 6 against the run (90.7 yards per game).
Washington’s No. 3 ranked rushing attack (137.7 yards per game) must establish itself against the Saints No. 3 ranked run defense (79.5 yards per game) in order to give themselves a realistic chance to win. The Redskins would be wise not to try and get into a pass-happy shootout with the No. 4 ranked Saints offense (418.2 yards per game).
On the season, I enter the contest with a record of 2-1 with my only loss being the shameful performance against the Colts.
Although the Saints should get an emotional lift from the return of running back Mark Ingram who was serving a four-game suspension by the league, the Redskins are equipped to leave with a big win. Having played New Orleans close last year should give the Redskins confidence that the task in the ‘Big Easy’ is not insurmountable.
Turnovers and which team imposes their will in the trenches will be the two determining factors in the game.
The Redskins are a much improved physical team and have a quarterback in Alex Smith who historically doesn’t turn the ball over. These two factors bode well for success.
Again, I’m going with the Redskins to pull off the mini-shocker and defeat the Saints in a game that could come down to the final drive.
Final score: Washington 24 – New Orleans 23