How the Redskins stack up against their final 5 opponents
Week 16 vs. Denver Broncos
The Broncos are very out of sorts right now. They are on a six game losing streak and have almost entirely fallen out of the playoff chase. Part of the problem for the team is that they can’t find a quarterback to lead the team. They have tried Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler this season, but neither have proven to be quality options. In Week 12, they are going to test Paxton Lynch. The former first rounder has upside, but he is also largely unproven.
The Broncos will know what they have in Lynch as they test him in the coming weeks. However, it’s highly unlikely that he will be able to do much in his first start of 2017. After all, the Broncos were having trouble at quarterback, so they wouldn’t have waited this long to use him if he was doing well in practice.
So, on defense, the Redskins should have the advantage in this game. However, their offense may have trouble going against the strong Denver defense.
This year, the Broncos defense has continued to be one of the best in the league. They are allowing the third fewest yards in the league, sitting at 283.2 per game, and they rank top five in both pass and run defense. Von Miller leads the strong pass rush while Aqib Talib and Chris Harris will help lock down the Redskins receivers.
To win this game, the Redskins will need to find a way to manufacture offense. Their best bet will be to get their tight ends involved in the offense. Despite their defensive prowess, the Broncos one weakness is covering tight ends. Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed, if healthy, would have to work the middle of the field and then possible open things up for Jamison Crowder out of the slot. This would be a good plan of attack.
This looks like another win for the Skins. The Broncos are fading fast, and they may start planning for next season in the near future if they are guaranteed to miss the playoffs. Thus, the Skins have more to play for in this affair and should take care of business at home.