Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Redskins vs. Broncos: 3 keys to victory in Preseason Week 3

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 17: Outside Linebacker Preston Smith #94, linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons #40 and outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan #91 of the Washington Redskins celebrate after recovering a fumble in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field on December 17, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 17: Outside Linebacker Preston Smith #94, linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons #40 and outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan #91 of the Washington Redskins celebrate after recovering a fumble in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field on December 17, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 15: Cornerback Quinton Dunbar #47 of the Washington Redskins reacts after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 15: Cornerback Quinton Dunbar #47 of the Washington Redskins reacts after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

2. Cover Emmanuel Sanders well

Quinton Dunbar seems likely to draw Emmanuel Sanders on many plays this week. Demaryius Thomas is still the No. 1 receiver for the Broncos and he will probably be covered by Josh Norman most of the time when he’s on the field. As a result, Dunbar will draw the quicker Sanders, and that should give fans a good barometer of how Dunbar may play to start the season.

Sanders is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, but he still has good speed and athleticism. Dunbar, with his combination of length and receiver skills, should be able to stay with Sanders, but what I’ll be watching is to see how quick Dunbar can be. If he’s even a step slow when dealing with a guy like Sanders, that could be a red flag at what looks like the one potential weakness on the Redskins defense.

On a larger scale, if the Redskins are able to shut down Sanders, that will make Thomas the only proven offensive option. And Courtland Sutton may see action in the slot where Fabian Moreau could play against him, and that would be a good way to test the former third-round pick. If that’s the only consistent option for the Broncos first-team offense, it will make it difficult for them to consistently move the ball downfield.

Overall, the cornerback play will need to be watched this week, as it is one of the team’s most important position battles to keep an eye on. It will be intriguing to see exactly how the secondary can hold up in the second game since the release of Orlando Scandrick.

Home/Commanders News