I don’t blame anyone for wanting to put Monday’s disappointing game in the rear-view mirror and moving on. It was an ugly game, that was there to be won but the Redskins couldn’t capitalize on the given opportunities. So here we are back at square one in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC East. With only four games left, each game is a must win.
This week the Washington Redskins travel to Chicago to take on the up and down Bears. A team that beat the Packers on Thanksgiving but turned around and lost to the 49ers. This is very much a game where both teams have been inconsistent, so it’s a bit of a mystery as to what we’ll get on Sunday.
“Code Red” is back in full effect.
Let’s take a look at the keys to the game and what it will take for the Redskins to get back on track.
Can the Redskins get a win on the road?
It’s no secret that the Redskins have been a completely different team on the road. Now granted, they’ve played some very good teams on the road such as the Patriots, Panthers, and Jets. But looking at the remaining schedule for the Redskins, 3 of the 4 games are on the road. The Redskins will need to win those away games or any shot of the playoffs is gone.
The interesting thing about the Bears is that every one of their games that they won was an away game. This game is in Chicago, so whoever wins will receive a win in a different type of fashion than they’ve had all year.
Be more aggressive on offense
I said last week it was important that the Redskins did not underestimate the Cowboys, but instead they OVERestimated them. The Redskins had the worst coached game that I’ve seen them have all season. Jay Gruden and Sean McVay played extremely conservative and missed many opportunities. Regardless, there was enough blame to go around.
In this game against the Bears, the Redskins are going against a defense that has been playing above their talent. They are an overachieving defense, but shots will be there to take. The Bears are allowing 210 yards of passing yards per game. Right now there isn’t a player in the Bears secondary with more than 1 interception. Keep an eye on former Redskins underachiever, Tracy Porter who has been playing well in Chicago.
It’s key that the Redskins take shots downfield with Desean Jackson and play to win, not take the safe road. The Redskins need to step up and play like contenders, because if we see an offense that looked like what we saw on Monday, this team is in trouble.
Running game needs to show up
Alfred Morris only played in the 1st quarter on Monday and Matt Jones wasn’t very effective either. Chris Thompson has a labrum tear in his shoulder, so his status is unclear. This offense seems to have pretty much zero faith in the run game at this point, but they are going to need to be more balanced. Gruden is abandoning the run far too early and putting too much on Kirk Cousins shoulders. A Quarterback’s best friend is a good running game, and luckily the Bears are giving up a lot of yards on the ground to opposing RB’s. Now would be a great time for Morris or Jones to get hot.
Penalty problems
The Redskins were penalized 9 times against the Cowboys alone. It’s been an ongoing issue with the Redskins, and the flags are coming at bad times in the game. Penalties are hurting this team and leaving points on the board. Obviously you can only control so much, and everyone can see that the football zebra’s have been out of control this year. Regardless, the Skins need to play sound football and not make mental errors. Lately they’ve made a trend of heading in the wrong direction, and that is no recipe for success. There is no secret formula on how to avoid them, play hard but play smart.
Pressure and hit Cutler
It’s important that the Redskins don’t give Cutler time to throw and get comfortable in the pocket. He’s been up and down at times, but he’s not having a bad season. He has twice as many TDs as he does INTs. He’s also completing 62% of his passes. Cutler plays his worst football when he’s under pressure and is forced to squeeze passes into a small window. I’m sure we’d all like to see another repeat 4 INT day for Deangelo Hall, who gave Cutler the worst game of his career in the NFL.
With injuries to both Jason Hatcher and Stephen Paea, it will be important for Joe Barry to step up and get creative with how to get to the QB. Luckily the Redskins have some nice depth on the DL, but Chris Baker and Ricky Jean-Francois will need to be solid. Also, it will be key that Ryan Kerrigan has a nice day and causes terror to that offensive line.
PROS
#1: Bears have just as much trouble winning at home as the Redskins do on the road.
#2: Bears defense is allowing 3rd down conversions 42.8% of the time. This could be a very important stat to keep an eye on.
#3: MLB’s (Compton/Foster) have been playing much better lately, which will be key against the Bears’ RBs.
CONS
#1: Matt Forte/Jeremy Langford are both solid RBs that could cause a serious issue against a shaky run defense.
#2: Alshon Jeffery is a very underrated WR in this league and is a major mismatch for the Redskins secondary.
#3: Jay Cutler‘s deep ball. Cutler has one of the strongest arms in football and will take some shots downfield.
The Washington Redskins vs Chicago Bears is this Sunday at 1pm EST on FOX
As always follow me on Twitter @anthonyraposa for all things Redskins as well as your news and outlook.
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