Redskins Realistic Predictions Week 7: Ready to get off the Tilt-A-Whirl?

2 of 7

I’m old enough to remember a time when the Redskins really struggled to pass protect against a bad Colts’ defensive line because of all the twists and stunts the Colts employed as part of their defensive scheme. So are most of the people reading this article, as that game was just about a month ago.

The Colts employ that scheme because they hired one of Rod Marinelli’s assistants, Matt Eberflus, as their defensive coordinator. The Redskins’ offensive line was fooled again by stunts and twists against Carolina, leaving Alex Smith with little to no time in the pocket on way too many pass plays last week.

I think Dallas has a better front seven than the Panthers and the Colts. If the Redskins don’t devise a much better plan to handle that action this week, Alex Smith is in for a really long day. I’ll be intently watching how the offensive line fares on Sunday.

More from Riggo's Rag

Given their personnel, I’d like to see the Redskins spreading out the Cowboys and running their offense out of shotgun a lot, to allow Alex to see the games happening in front of him and adjust accordingly.

I’d also like to see them experiment with Trent Williams at guard and Ty Nsekhe at left tackle. I think that would instantly clean up the left side and allow Roullier to return to his more natural position. That could feel like a desperation move, but if they care as much as the fans do about beating Dallas and taking a firm grip on the division, they’d give it a try.

Prediction: I don’t think they’ll be that bold. I think they’ll plod ahead with their same basic strategy, hopefully getting Lauvao back, and will slightly improve versus twists and stunts. While they won’t dominate Dallas’ front seven, I don’t think they’ll get dominated either. I don’t expect the game to be lost by our offensive line, but neither do I expect them to be a bright spot for the team this week.

Home/Commanders News