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3 Keys to victory for Redskins in NFL Week 12 vs. Giants

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 15: Quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins looks on from the line of scrimmage against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at FedExField on November 15, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 15: Quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins looks on from the line of scrimmage against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at FedExField on November 15, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 29: Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan #91 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after sacking quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at FedEx Field on October 29, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 29: Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan #91 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after sacking quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at FedEx Field on October 29, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

3. Generate pressure with Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith

The Giants have a lot of weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball. One of the biggest ones may be at both tackle positions. Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith are going to have a shot to make a big impact on this game and change the outcome for the Redskins.

On the left side of the line, the Giants have Ereck Flowers. The former first round pick is a highly athletic player, but he’s raw and lacks the technique necessary to deal with pass rushers at the NFL level. Too often, he can’t get his feet to the right place and gets beaten because of his lack of understanding of the game.

Flowers figures to line up across from Smith quite a bit. Smith is similarly athletic and his long arms will give him a chance to get around Flowers easily. He can use his length to his advantage, and he will use his speed to get by Flowers and then he will try and use his long arms to get into Eli Manning’s face. This could cause Flowers to commit some holding penalties which would slow the offensive progress of New York.

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On the right side of the line, the Giants are without normal starter Justin Pugh. In his place, the team will start undrafted rookie Chad Wheeler. While Wheeler played well against the Chiefs last week, there’s no knowing if that will keep up. And this week, he will face a tough customer.

Kerrigan, one of the most underrated pass rushers in the league, has a great combination of strength and athleticism. He can use his bull rush abilities to push Wheeler back into Manning or get around him with the speed he possesses. It will be a headache for Wheeler to figure out his next move and that is an advantage for Kerrigan.

If the Redskins pressure Manning, then the veteran quarterback is going to struggle. He’s a statue in the pocket for the most part, so forcing him to move could give their defense the boost they need to win.

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