The Washington Redskins are taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 of the NFL season. Here are the bold predictions for that contest.
Week 15 of the 2018 NFL season is here, and with it is the matchup that everyone expected to see. The hapless Jacksonville Jaguars are taking on the Washington Redskins, who are on their fourth quarterback yet still could be in the playoff hunt if they can somehow notch a win. The Cody Kessler–Josh Johnson quarterback battle is one of the biggest headlines in this game.
Wait…did I really just write that? Man, the ’18 season has been a weird one.
At this point in time, only one team playing has playoff aspirations. And if you asked many before the season, they would have guessed that it was the Jaguars. But instead, it is somehow the Redskins. Johnson is going to have to do everything he can to give them a chance and possibly get them to the postseason as a six seed, but hope is bleak in Washington.
Either way, this game should tell us something about the team’s future, as their energy and effort level could go a long way to determining Jay Gruden’s job security. With that said, some crazy things could happen in this contest, so here’s a look at our bold predictions for Redskins vs. Jaguars in Week 15.
5. No Redskins RB averages more than 3.0 yards per carry
Since Washington’s Week 9 loss to the Falcons, their running game has mostly been in shambles. Adrian Peterson has had his moments, but excluding the 90-yard TD run he had against the Eagles, he is averaging merely 2.6 yards per carry in his past six games. And the rest of the team isn’t doing much better.
It’s abundantly clear that a big part of the problem here is the offensive line. The team is starting it’s fifth- and sixth-string options at the guard position while tackles Trent Williams and Morgan Moses have been banged-up in recent weeks. That lack of quality blocking has definitely had a major impact on the ability of the backs, but it’s also notable that the top backs have their own issues.
Peterson is starting to slow down as the season goes along and that is partially due to age. He is already 33, and he faded down the stretch last year for the Cardinals. He still has some nice runs in him, as evidenced by his solid ability at the goal-line and with the 90-yard score, but there are also a lot of plays where he just crashes into the line of scrimmage and can’t do much. Without better blocking, Peterson just can’t continue at anywhere near the torrid pace he started the year with.
Meanwhile, Chris Thompson has missed a lot of time with injuries this year. He’s great in space, but this offensive line can’t open that up for him. And also, the team is probably trying to avoid getting him too many touches between the tackles because of the rib injury he is dealing with.
With that said, it’s going to be hard for the Redskins backs to get going in this game. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them all average under 3.0 yards per carry. The run game is just virtually non-existent because of the offensive line problems and that is compounded by the minor issues each of the two top backs has had in the last couple months.
4. Redskins once again commit 10-plus penalties
In the last two games, the Redskins have committed 15 and 10 penalties respectively for a total of 25. That is an absolutely woeful number, and while some may blame officiating for a handful of the calls, it still speaks to one of the bigger issues with this Redskins squad. A lack of discipline.
This season, the Redskins have been very sloppy in losses. They tend to lack energy, effort, and attention to detail. If they want to somehow sneak into the playoffs with their fourth-string quarterback, that cannot continue. Unfortunately, I think that it will.
The Jaguars have some solid players on both sides of the ball that will make life difficult for the ‘Skins. With backups now playing bigger roles on the offensive line and a new quarterback and cadence in, it’s likely that Washington will have some more false start penalties. Additionally, they may get tagged with some holding calls, as the team’s beat up interior line will have to contain a solid Jacksonville front.
On defense, the issues aren’t quite as bad for the ‘Skins, as they match up okay with the Jaguars on that side of the ball. Still, the team has had issues with coverage in the middle of the field, so expecting a holding call or two out of the linebackers is well within the realm of possibility.
In short, this doesn’t seem like the game that the Redskins are going to break their 10-plus penalty streak in. More likely than not, Jay Gruden will once again be disappointed with the effort of his team, and the continued lack of discipline will raise concerns about the long-term viability of sticking with him as the team’s head coach.
3. Jamison Crowder has 10 catches, less than 50 receiving yards
With Josh Johnson at QB, I expect that the Redskins will look to get their middle of the field weapons involved. In this case, that would be Crowder and Vernon Davis (who will start in place of the injured Jordan Reed). While both will be heavily involved, it’s hard to imagine either doing too much for the offense.
Johnson looked good in the second half against the Giants last week, but two things must be taken into account. The first is that the Giants were already up big in the second half. They had no reason to do anything but try to run out the clock and while they allowed Johnson to move the ball, they really were just clinging on to their 40-point lead.
Also, Johnson had only been on the Redskins for mere days, and the Giants had little time to prepare for them. This time around, the Jaguars will be more than ready to deal with the dual-threat ability of Johnson.
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Throughout his career, Johnson has been an inconsistent passer. That said, the Redskins may look to get him involved in the short game early and often to just build up his confidence. That could involve frequently targeting Crowder in the slot, so Crowder should rack up receptions. That said, he may not be able to turn them into a lot of yards.
If Crowder was to catch 10 passes and only manage 50 or fewer yards, it wouldn’t be a surprise to me. He is the top weapon in the offense, and the Jaguars biggest vulnerability comes over the middle of the field. That said, if they key in on him, he can be rendered a non-factor in terms of yards.
In short, look for Crowder to be involved. But don’t expect him to be an explosive playmaker like he was late in the game against the Giants.
2. Redskins notch five sacks of Cody Kessler
Kessler has been the official starter in Jacksonville for the past two weeks. That should tell you just about how bad Blake Bortles was this season prior to being benched.
Kessler just isn’t much more than a limited backup option. He fits a West Coast style offense, but realistically, he can’t get the ball downfield very well. He only really utilizes the short game, and when the short options aren’t there, he tends to panic and doesn’t exactly know what to do.
That sounds like a recipe for success for the Washington front.
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The strength of the Redskins defense this season has been their pass rush. With the improved ability of the interior defensive line, the front has become a force and despite getting less edge pressure, the team is set up for success in this matchup.
Kessler is at quarterback, and the Jaguars have a banged-up offensive line that has been playing Ereck Flowers and Patrick Omameh, two Giants rejects, on the left side in recent weeks. Ryan Kerrigan should have a chance to own Flowers if he goes up against the former Giant. Meanwhile, on the interior, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, and Jonathan Allen will give the Jaguars front everything they can handle. And that may rattle Kessler and force him to make mistakes.
At the very least, the Redskins should notch a bunch of sacks against the Jaguars. Kessler has been sacked 11 times in three appearances this year, so expecting the ‘Skins to notch five is fair. If they can do that, they may do enough to keep themselves in the game — even if they struggle on offense.
1. Josh Johnson rushes for 125 yards, throws 3 picks
Johnson is going to get a crack at starting for the Redskins. When he came into the game last week in relief of Mark Sanchez, he looked pretty good and led a couple of scoring drives. That said, it’s tough to know what to expect from the veteran this week.
During his career, Johnson has never really been consistent as a passer. The Jaguars defense, though it hasn’t been as disciplined as it has been in years past, is still a strong unit, and their secondary is particularly good. Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye will do a lot to take away the receiving weapons for the ‘Skins, and that will force Johnson to scramble a bit.
Scrambling is something that Johnson does well. It also just so happens that the Jaguars have been one of the worst teams against scrambling quarterbacks this year, allowing massive games to Dak Prescott and Josh Allen on the ground. For that reason, Johnson could eclipse the 125-yard mark if he gets enough carries. Given the direction that the Redskins offense is trending in and the matchup, it may be in their best interest to roll out some designed QB runs and get him the opportunity to make plays with his legs.
Of course, Johnson will be forced to throw at some point in this game. And if he does, it could get ugly. The Jaguars ballhawks may be able to tag him for multiple interceptions and at the end of the day, it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to post three.
Expect a strange day either way for Johnson, as he could be a 100-plus yard rusher that also throws multiple picks. He’s basically the Redskins’ version of Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen — just without the long-term upside.