The time is here Redskins fans, onto week 3 of the preseason. This time the team is traveling up I-95 and taking on the Baltimore Ravens. Week 3 of the preseason is considered by many to be the most important game of the four preseason games. This is the game where we can expect to see the most action from the starters. So, let’s jump right into it.
The Quarterbacks
Many fans are split on who they think should be starting at Quarterback, but the one thing all fans can agree on is that they just want wins. Going into this week some could say this is the most important game of Robert Griffin III‘s career. Yes, it’s only a preseason game but if RGIII goes out on Saturday and has another bad night it’s fully expected that the fans will be at Dan Snyder’s house with fire and pitch forks. Also, if that is the case and Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy go out and continue to have strong outings than it will put Jay Gruden into a corner. Many fans were baffled by the fact that Gruden and Scot McCloughan both stressed that there would be an open competition at every position on the field and that the best man would start. However, that clearly wasn’t the case for the QB position. All that we can do is sit back and trust that the McCloughan knows what he’s doing and has a real plan for the future. I don’t think there is a better man out there for this job than McCloughan, and with that said he knows what he is doing. Like chess, you always think one move ahead. In this case, I would not be all surprised at all if McCloughan already has a plan (s) in place for this team next season, especially at the QB position.
The Offensive Line
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that last week the offensive line looked lost. Not taking anything away from Detroit because they played like it was a playoff game but it was a train wreck. It couldn’t be more obvious that this team is missing Trent Williams, who has a chance of playing on Saturday. On a positive note, the line didn’t look all that bad in the running game…where they struggled was in the passing game. How much of that was on the QB? How much of that was on how good Detroit was? That’s a debate that has been running wild for a week now, but there should be no question that we need to see improvement. Bill Callahan will have these boys ready by Week 1 against Miami.
Injuries
Every week the Redskins are having quality players go down with injuries. Just this week Junior Galette tore his achilles and is out for the year. Obviously it’s football and injuries happen but this team can’t afford to lose any more key players. The best ability is availability and this team needs it’s star players out there to be competitive. Let’s just hope and pray the team can get out of this game healthy and onto the last week of preseason.
Running Backs
It has become pretty clear that the Redskins plan to be a smash mouth football team this year, and rightfully so. Alfred Morris has been consistently one of the bright spots on the team and has never had less than a thousand yard season. Morris could easily have his best season as a pro this year. Matt Jones has been fire in the preseason and is getting high praise. McCloughan may have found a gem in Jones. The biggest thing to watch for with the RB’s is the third down back competition between Chris Thompson and Trey Williams. Both have had a solid preseason, so they aren’t making Gruden’s job easy on who to pick. Right now I would give the decision to Thompson, not to mention Thompson is also listed as the team’s new kick returner so I’m sure special teams could tip the hat on which RB fills that 3rd spot.
Momentum
It’s important that the Redskins starters go out and have a solid game. They are expected to play about 2 quarters. Next week against Jacksonville I wouldn’t expect much if any play time from the first team, so this sort of game is important not just for your confidence but also momentum going into week 1. The fans need to feel like there is some hope going into the season and something to hang their hats. The Ravens won’t make it easy, especially not the defense.
Washington Redskins vs Baltimore Ravens will be Saturday August 29 at 7:30 pm est. The game will be shown locally on CSN.
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
