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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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LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 16: Defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne #95 of the Washington Redskins sacks quarterback Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets in the first quarter of a preseason game at FedExField on August 16, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 16: Defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne #95 of the Washington Redskins sacks quarterback Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets in the first quarter of a preseason game at FedExField on August 16, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

Redskins defense vs. Broncos offense

On the defensive side of the ball, the Redskins will get a good chance to battle the Broncos offense under Case Keenum. Keenum will have a few solid receiving weapons at his disposal as he looks to rekindle the magic he harnassed in Pat Shurmur’s Minnesota offense last season. So, that should test the Redskins defense well.

The best battles to watch on defense will come in the secondary. Washington has Quinton Dunbar and Fabian Moreau set to be first-year starters, but they had up-and-down performances against the Jets. They will probably get to face Emmanuel Sanders and Courtland Sutton a fair amount, and those two former SMU products will challenge them with speed and contested catch ability.

If Moreau and Dunbar can lock down these two guys, then the Redskins defense should be in great shape to kick off the season. If they can’t, it may end up being a more closely matched game than it should be, and it could be a rough start to the season for the team’s young secondary.

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In the Redskins defensive front, the team will be looking to repeat their dominant performance in the early going against the Jets. Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen looked like a terrific tandem, and they will have a chance to go after a veteran quarterback who might have better pocket presence than Sam Darnold does at this point in his career. Factor in Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith on the edges and this unit could compete for a few sacks at the very least.

In the running game, rookie Royce Freeman will continue to challenge veteran Devontae Booker for playing time in the backfield for the Broncos. The Redskins front should be able to slow both down thanks to their improved play at nose tackle (Payne, Tim Settle).

Overall, the Redskins seem to have a distinct advantage on defense. Keenum has weapons, but the Redskins just have a strong unit that is looking hard to beat. Unless they can exploit weaknesses at corner, expect the Broncos to struggle against the new and improved Redskins.

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