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Redskins vs. Saints: Week 5 offense and defense matchups, score prediction

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks to quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at FedExField on September 16, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks to quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at FedExField on September 16, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins drops back to pass against the Green Bay Packers in the first half at FedExField on September 23, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins drops back to pass against the Green Bay Packers in the first half at FedExField on September 23, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Redskins offense vs. Saints defense

This week, the Redskins offense should have an easy time attacking the Saints defense. Simply put, the Saints secondary has been dreadful this year, and they have struggled to contain most opposing passing attacks. And even though the Redskins haven’t been strong in that area, this could be a breakout week for their top weapons.

The Saints biggest weaknesses on their defense come at the No. 2 and nickel cornerback roles. Ken Crawley has struggled this year while P.J. Williams has performed poorly in place of the injured Patrick Robinson. That said, Marshon Lattimore is still one of the best corners in the game, and it seems likely that he will be able to shut down one of the Redskins receivers.

It seems unlikely that Josh Doctson is going to suit up this week, and that will make Jamison Crowder and Paul Richardson the top targets for the offense. In all likelihood, Richardson will draw Lattimore in coverage while Crowder looks to find open space over the middle of the field from the slot. This could be a big Crowder day, so keep an eye on him to produce and see a lot of targets from Alex Smith.

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Elsewhere, Jordan Reed will also work the middle of the field, and he should find success there as well. The Saints just haven’t been great against any receiving weapons this year, so the Redskins will need to try and exploit this and perhaps take a different approach than the methodical, run-based offense that the team seemed to prefer in the first few weeks of the season.

Speaking of the ground game, Adrian Peterson gets his second revenge game in the first five weeks, as he takes on a New Orleans team that traded him midway through last season. However, the Saints have one of the better run defenses in the league, allowing an average of 79.5 yards per game, good for third-best in the league. So, that may slow him down a bit.

If that happens, expect Chris Thompson to get a bit more involved as a pass catcher out of the backfield. He’s been one of Smith’s top targets to start the season, so he will play a role for the team. Plus, he performed relatively well against the Saints last year before suffering a season-ending leg injury in that contest.

Overall, the Redskins have the advantage on the Saints defense — provided that their passing game shows up. The Saints are just that bad against passing attacks this year, but expect Jay Gruden and the ‘Skins to take advantage of that.

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