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Redskins vs. Falcons: 5 players to watch in Week 9

By Jacob Camenker

GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 09: Tight end Jordan Reed #86 of the Washington Redskins reacts after scoring a four-yard touchdown during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 09: Tight end Jordan Reed #86 of the Washington Redskins reacts after scoring a four-yard touchdown during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 28: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins congratulates players Kapri Bibbs #46 and Paul Richardson #10 of the Washington Redskins after a touchdown in the first quarter against the New York Giants on October 28,2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 28: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins congratulates players Kapri Bibbs #46 and Paul Richardson #10 of the Washington Redskins after a touchdown in the first quarter against the New York Giants on October 28,2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Adrian Peterson will likely get a lot of attention at the running back position, and rightfully so. The future Hall of Famer has had a resurgent season and is coming off a 150-plus yard outing against the Giants in which he helped the Redskins to control the clock. He’ll be looking for a repeat performance against what has mostly been a weak Falcons run defense.

That said, the lightning to his thunder, Chris Thompson, seems unlikely to suit up this week. Thompson is dealing with a rib injury that could keep him out of this game and possibly future affairs too. Rib injuries are all about pain management but because Thompson is a smaller back, he’s more prone to injury/re-injury. Thus, sitting him would be sensible.

If Thompson does sit out, Kapri Bibbs would be the next man up at RB, and he would bear watching. Sure, a majority of the workload will still go to Peterson, but Bibbs would take over as the receiving back. And against the Falcons, that could make him a solid performer.

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This year, the Falcons haven’t covered running backs well in the passing game. They have given up two 100-plus yard games to Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara, and also have given up some serious yardage to James Conner and Saquon Barkley. Bibbs isn’t anywhere near the player that those guys are, but the point is that the Falcons can be beaten by backs through the air.

Bibbs’ best skill is his ability to turn screen passes into big gains. He has great patience and solid burst, and that allows him to frequently rip off big chunks of yardage. We saw it against the Cowboys, and that could be in the cards against the Falcons as well.

Bibbs will be fun to watch on the field either way. He’s a fan favorite and a playmaker. If he and Peterson can do a lot of damage, the Redskins offense should be clicking on all cylinders, and that would certainly be a major positive for their unit.

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