The Washington Redskins are taking on the Arizona Cardinals in the first week of the 2018 NFL season. Here’s an in-depth look at the matchups to watch and a score prediction for the game.
It’s finally here. After a long offseason full of free agency, the draft, OTAs training camp, the preseason, and finally, roster cuts, the Redskins season is here. This Sunday, the Redskins will take on the Cardinals in the first action of the 2018 NFL season.
In the opener, the Redskins will take on an experienced squad that is entrenched in a period of change. With the retirement of Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer, the Cardinals have a new head coach/QB duo in Steve Wilks and Sam Bradford. They will try to lead the veteran-laden Cardinals back to the playoffs and use the same formula as the regime before them. That includes a balanced offense and strong play from the defense.
While the Cardinals have a plan, they still project to be a very good matchup for the Redskins. Their weaknesses happen to fall in areas that Washington can exploit, and there’s a good chance that the team will be able to notch a road win and give Jay Gruden his first opening-day win as the Skins head coach.
Of course, before we get to that point, it’s important to take a deep dive into how exactly these two teams matchup and what the areas to watch in Sunday’s game will be. Oh yeah, a score prediction is never a bad thing either, so we threw in one of those just for fun.
Without further ado, here’s an in-depth preview for how the Skins will stack up with the Cardinals in the ’18 opener.
Redskins offense vs. Cardinals defense
The Redskins new-look offense will get their first regular season test in Phoenix. After playing sparingly during the preseason, the starting unit will come into the game healthy with the exception of the loss of rookie Derrius Guice. The reason they sat starters was to preserve them for the opening week, and they will have a chance to see action against the Cardinals.
Notably, this will be Alex Smith‘s first chance to impress the Washington faithful. Smith has been one of the more accurate passers in the NFL, and that will come in handy against this solid and well put together Cardinals defense. Smith’s accuracy will help to open up some options for the receivers, and he will almost certainly be more accurate than Cousins was in openers (as he threw five picks in three season openers as a starter).
That said, the Cardinals will have a major advantage on one side of the field, as they will have a chance to use Patrick Peterson as a No. 1 corner. Right now, it’s unclear which Redskins receiver Peterson might shadow, but he will certainly limit either Josh Doctson or Paul Richardson. The other cornerback spot, likely to be manned by Jamar Taylor, will be more susceptible to allowing big plays.
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With the uncertainty about who Peterson will cover, it seems that Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed will get a lot of targets. Both will be working over the middle of the field where the Cardinals are a bit weaker after releasing star safety/slot corner Tyrann Mathieu. Both could be in for solid performances, so they will have the best chance to start the season strong. This will be the biggest area to watch in Sunday’s game as if Smith can get the ball to these two, the Redskins offense should move the ball pretty well.
On the ground, Adrian Peterson figures to be the lead back, but the team will use a committee approach for most of the day. Chris Thompson will work as the main back on passing downs while Samaje Perine and/or Rob Kelley will be mixed in throughout the day. The Cardinals, however, have a solid run defense, so it may be tough for the piecemeal Redskins running game to get a lot going in Sunday’s contest.
The other key player to watch is Chandler Jones. The Cardinals star edge rusher will give the Redskins tackles a tough test, so Morgan Moses and Trent Williams need to be at their best. They almost always are though, so Jones will hopefully be limited by this.
Overall, the Redskins have a good chance to fare well on offense in Week 1. They still have to execute in certain areas and hopefully, they will be able to get their run game going at least a bit, but they should have a slight edge over the Cardinals defense for now.
Redskins defense vs. Cardinals offense
On the defensive side of the ball, the Redskins should also be set up for success. Sam Bradford is the Cardinals quarterback and while he’s very accurate, he won’t be a big-time playmaker. And because of the offensive line that’s in front of him, he may be forced to throw the ball away early and often.
The No. 1 matchup to watch in this game is the Redskins defensive line against the Cardinals offensive line. The D-line is arguably the most talented position group for the Redskins, and Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Ryan Kerrigan, and others will do a lot to pressure Bradford. The Cardinals have improved their interior O-line, but D.J. Humphries is still a weak spot at left tackle while Andre Smith is merely a veteran right tackle who could struggle against the Redskins youth.
If the Redskins can get pressure on Bradford, they will disrupt the passing game. Josh Norman should be a solid matchup against Larry Fitzgerald and will at least be able to cap his upside. With the Cardinals lacking a true No. 2 receiver, Greg Manusky can focus on taking Fitzgerald out of the game plan.
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The two weapons that the Skins defense needs to be careful of are Ricky Seals-Jones and David Johnson. The team struggled to cover tight ends last season, so Seals-Jones could have a chance to exploit the middle of the defense, which has largely remained unchanged. If he has a great game, the Redskins may have more trouble containing the passing game than initially anticipated.
As for Johnson, he’s a do-it-all running back who seems bound to put up big numbers against the Redskins defense. Even with an improved defensive line and run defense, Johnson will still be a big threat out of the backfield as a runner and a receiver. The goal for the Redskins should be to limit him, but stopping him altogether might be a bit difficult.
Overall, it seems like the Redskins have a slight edge on the Cardinals offense. They matchup well, and if they can get a strong pass rush going in Arizona, they will throw the offense out of rhythm and then will only have to worry about Johnson for most of the afternoon.
Score prediction
It may take the Washington offense a bit of time to get going, but it seems that they are finally in position to win an opener under Jay Gruden.
With Smith’s accuracy, the offense should avoid turnovers. They will be able to move the ball consistently and while they won’t always score, they’ll have a good chance to stay competitive with the Cardinals.
On defense, the keys are to get pressure on Bradford and to limit Johnson. If those two things can happen, then the team should be a shoo-in to win. But even if only one happens, the Redskins should remain competitive and will have a great chance to emerge victorious on the road.
It also helps the team’s cause that Steve Wilks will be coaching his first NFL game. Wilks projects to be a solid coach, but there might be some game-day jitters that could have an impact on the results of this contest. Either way, expect Washington to emerge with a victory and start the season with a winning record.