Previewing The Washington Redskins vs. Pittsburgh Steelers In NFL Week 1
The Washington Redskins are going to be playing in their season opener on Monday Night Football. Will the team be able to start the season with a win?
It is finally here. The regular season is upon us. In less than one week, the NFL will be in full swing and 16 games will have been played across the league. The Washington Redskins will have a marquee matchup to start the season. They are taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first game of a Monday night double header. The game will be at 7:00 p.m., and it should be a very entertaining contest.
The Steelers are projected to be one of the best teams in the AFC, and they should be a great first test for the Redskins defense. The team features one of the best passing attacks in the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger is an elite quarterback and Antonio Brown is the best receiver in the league. Though the team will not have Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton should have an impact in his stay. Rookie slot man Eli Rogers could see some targets as well. The unit should have some success, but they could end up being limited by the Redskins improved secondary.
Josh Norman will lead the charge for the unit as he will try to lock down Brown. This will be an excellent matchup to watch, as it will feature the best receiver in the league versus one of the top corners in the league. Whoever ends up having the advantage in this battle will have a huge advantage in the game. Elsewhere, Bashaud Breeland will likely be on Wheaton, and that should be a matchup that he can handle. DeAngelo Hall will also be crucial to take away the deep ball. Perhaps his ball hawk abilities will allow him to intercept a pass in the contest. This is especially likely to happen if Roethlisberger tries to force a ball to Brown if the Redskins double cover him.
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While those battles will be very important for the Redskins to win the game, they do have an advantage at the rush linebacker positions. Simply put, the Steelers did not do a good job of replacing Kelvin Beachum when they lost him in free agency. The team is expected to start Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle. He could struggle when he faces Ryan Kerrigan. Kerrigan is an absolutely terrific edge rusher and he should be able to use his strength and quickness to get around the big bodied Villanueva.
The team will also have Preston Smith working the other side. He may be able to beat right tackle Marcus Gilbert with his speed and athleticism. If the two can keep Roethlisberger under pressure during the game, the team will be in good shape. At least Kerrigan will be able to do that and that will be a major assist for the team.
In terms of the run game, DeAngelo Williams will be carrying the load with Le’Veon Bell suspended. He should be able to perform well enough, but if the passing game does not play up to their standards, he may find the lanes a bit more clogged than usual.
On the offensive side of things, the Redskins seem to be in better shape than their opponent. The team has a passing attack that should be prolific against the Steelers mediocre secondary. DeSean Jackson will have an advantage over William Gay while Pierre Garcon should be able to see some success against Ross Cockrell. Even if one of them gets shut down, Jamison Crowder should be able to wreak havoc from the slot position against the younger defensive backs on the Steelers roster.
And do not forget Jordan Reed. The veteran tight end could also have a big game, though he will have a tougher time getting open against some of the Steelers athletic linebackers. Kirk Cousins will have an easy time finding open men because of the plethora of talented options he has at his disposal.
Admittedly, the Redskins may have a tough time running the ball. Matt Jones is coming off of a shoulder injury and the Steelers have a lot of athletic linebackers. Ryan Shazier and Lawrence Timmons should do fairly well in run support. That may be troublesome for the team’s running game.
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Fortunately, the offensive line will have an advantage against the Steelers. The Steelers lack potent edge rushers, so Trent Williams and Morgan Moses should be able to give Cousins plenty of time to throw. If the line can also open up some holes in the Steelers defense, that would be helpful as well. It would allow the team to run a more balanced and less predictable offense.
At the end of the day, this game is going to be a toss-up. Still, I like the Redskins chances. They are an underrated team heading into the season. They may put themselves right back at the top of the league with a Monday night win.