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Redskins vs. Saints: 5 keys to victory on Monday Night Football

By Kyle Hundley

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) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 09: Wide receiver Paul Richardson #10 of the Washington Redskins on the sidelines during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. The Redskins defeated the Cardinals 24-6. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 09: Wide receiver Paul Richardson #10 of the Washington Redskins on the sidelines during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. The Redskins defeated the Cardinals 24-6. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

No. 1 – Redskins must take chances early with a couple of deep balls

Taking chances early will keep the Saints’ defense honest and prevent them from stacking the box against Adrian Peterson. Alex Smith did not take many chances deep downfield the first couple weeks. This changed when he hit Paul Richardson on a deep ball on the first drive of the Green Bay game. It set the tone for the rest of the game.

By taking these chances downfield, it forces the safeties to stay back. The likelihood for a pass interference call is increased as well. This will also make it much easier for Adrian Peterson when looking for running lanes, and the tight ends on crossing routes, or when Jamison Crowder is looking for a soft spot in the zone defense. Paul Richardson has the type of game-changing speed that defenses must honor, and another quick score off a deep ball is precisely what Washington needs to get off to a strong start.

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