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3 Keys to victory for Redskins Week 3 battle with Oakland Raiders

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 26: Running back Jonathan Williams #40 of the Buffalo Bills runs the ball while defensive end Preston Smith #94 of the Washington Redskins defends during the game between the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills at FedExField on August 26, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Bills 21-16. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 26: Running back Jonathan Williams #40 of the Buffalo Bills runs the ball while defensive end Preston Smith #94 of the Washington Redskins defends during the game between the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills at FedExField on August 26, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Bills 21-16. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Michael Crabtree #15 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates with Marshall Newhouse #73 and he Crabtree scored a touchdown against the New York Jets at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Michael Crabtree #15 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates with Marshall Newhouse #73 and he Crabtree scored a touchdown against the New York Jets at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

2. Take Michael Crabtree out of the game

Some may be surprised that Michael Crabtree is the receiver listed here. Isn’t Amari Cooper the No. 1 receiver on the Raiders? Technically speaking, yes. But Crabtree has a strong rapport with Carr and is a guy who he relies on in critical situations.

So far in 2017, Crabtree has 12 catches for 163 yards and a league leading three touchdowns. Granted, all three scores came against the lowly New York Jets, but the point is that Crabtree is actually Carr’s preferred target.

That said, taking Crabtree out of the game could rattle Carr early on. If the Raiders quarterback doesn’t have his security blanket early on in the contest, then he may be forced to target Cooper, who figures to have a tough battle with Josh Norman. And after his top two receivers are taken out, the Raiders will be even less capable of moving the ball downfield.

To take Crabtree out, the Redskins are going to need a big performance out of Bashaud Breeland. After struggling in 2016, Breeland has looked great through two games as a starter in 2017, and he is definitely back to the form that he held before the arrival of Norman. Perhaps he just needed to adjust to his new role.

If Breeland can cover Crabtree well and limit him, the Raiders stellar passing attack may not look so stellar on Sunday night. The Redskins have the secondary talent to stay competitive with the Raiders passing weapons. It all depends on whether or not the unit shows up in the team’s primetime matchup.

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