Redskins vs. Panthers: 5 players to watch in Week 6 of 2018
Montae Nicholson wasn’t very good against the Saints last week. Actually, that’s an understatement.
Nicholson was a problem spot against the Saints.
That’s better.
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Frankly, Nicholson didn’t have a good game on the field. He made too many mistakes in coverage, and he was also guilty of one critical play that I mentioned in my halftime takeaways from the contest.
"The worst penalty of the first half came on Montae Nicholson. After Ryan Kerrigan picked up his first sack of the season, Montae Nicholson unnecessarily laid out Mark Ingram after the play. There was no need for the senseless play, and the Saints would have punted if not for the penalty. Instead, they got a second chance and drove down the field to extend their lead to 13-3. It was inexcusable from Nicholson, and his teammates were clearly upset with him after his decision."
That’s just an unacceptable play from Nicholson, and it demonstrated immaturity on his end. And sure, it may have just been a heat-of-the-moment type error, but the game was so close when the penalty occurred. And that was one of the things that let the game get out of control.
This week, Nicholson is going to have to play smarter. He needs to know his assignment and try to make smart, instinctive plays. He certainly has a chance to bounce back, and perhaps if the team looks to simplify their coverage assignments to allow the DBs to make more plays and spend less time thinking about things to do, Nicholson will go back to performing at a solid clip again.