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Redskins vs. Broncos: Offense and defense matchups, score prediction

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 24: Wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins rushes for a touchdown in front of free safety Bradley Roby #29 and inside linebacker Todd Davis #51 of the Denver Broncos after catching a second quarter pass at FedExField on December 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 24: Wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins rushes for a touchdown in front of free safety Bradley Roby #29 and inside linebacker Todd Davis #51 of the Denver Broncos after catching a second quarter pass at FedExField on December 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 05: Running back Rob Kelley #20 of the Washington Redskins runs back to the sidelines after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on November 5, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Redskins won 17-14. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 05: Running back Rob Kelley #20 of the Washington Redskins runs back to the sidelines after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on November 5, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Redskins won 17-14. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Redskins offense vs. Broncos defense

In the third preseason game, we can expect to see more than one drive of Alex Smith, but the real focus of the contest will be at the running back position.

With Derrius Guice out for the year, Samaje Perine and Byron Marshall out with ankle issues, and Martez Carter being waived, the Redskins only have three healthy RBs on their roster. They are Rob Kelley, Kapri Bibbs, and Chris Thompson. The lattermost player on that list has yet to play this preseason and has said that he won’t be 100 percent recovered from his broken leg until November, a year after it happened. While Thompson will be able to play through it, he won’t see many snaps in the preseason. He will only see a dozen or so as he tries to get tuned up for the regular season.

Against the Broncos, Kelley is going to have a chance to make a case to be the starter while Bibbs will have a shot at proving he should make the roster. Kelley is already favored to be the starter by Gruden, and while Perine has more upside and better vision than the bruiser, it seems that Kelley will be given a chance to be the leader in the backfield. If he can start strong against the Broncos, that will do a bit to quell the concerns of his inability to get going early and generate enough positive yardage to keep the chains moving.

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The Broncos have a stout defensive front, especially in the wake of Bradley Chubb‘s addition. They should clog running lanes and really make Kelley work to find yards. If he can prove to be creative, that would be a good sign for the Redskins, who are still searching for a silver lining after the Guice injury (though some think that silver lining could be Perine).

Meanwhile, in the passing game, the Skins will go up against a very good secondary led by No. 1 corner Chris Harris. That will give Smith a test as he looks to develop chemistry with his new receivers. It would be nice to see Smith lead a touchdown drive or two in the series he plays, so it will be interesting to see if he can figure out how to beat the Broncos defense.

The best way to do that may be to target Jordan Reed/Vernon Davis over the middle of the field. That said, Smith has great field vision and likes to spread the ball around, so expect an evenly distributed workload for the receivers.

Finally, the offensive line will also get a big test in this game. The aforementioned Chubb will team with Von Miller, Shane Ray, and Shaquil Barrett to try and create chaos in the backfield. Morgan Moses and Trent Williams (if he plays) should have a chance to stop these top edge rushers, and that could be the best battle to watch on Friday night.

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