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Five bold predictions for Redskins vs. Bengals in NFL preseason Week 2

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 17: Running back Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball in the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field on December 17, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 17: Running back Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball in the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field on December 17, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 19: Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins is tackled by Manti Te’o #51 of the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 19: Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins is tackled by Manti Te’o #51 of the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

4. Samaje Perine scores twice

Much was made of Perine’s performance in the first game of the preseason. Some say that he lacked the burst and vision to make plays in the contest. Others said that they weren’t pleased with his performance in pass blocking.

But if you look back at the game, Perine was actually solid. He had a key block in pass protection that allowed for one of Case Keenum‘s better throws of the evening. And while he didn’t find much running room against Cleveland, he was running behind a woeful offensive line that could barely block against some of the Browns’ starters. So, it’s understandable that he would struggle given those circumstances.

The Redskins figure to continue to give Perine extra work during the preseason, as Derrius Guice still isn’t cleared to play while Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson will be limited. So, Perine figures to get a lot of chances to carry the ball and prove that he belongs on this roster.

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Given that Perine has received rave reviews from coach Jay Gruden this year, he has some expectations to live up to. So at some point, he will have to perform well in the preseason and this matchup with the Bengals should be a good chance to do that.

The Bengals lack talent at the linebacker position, so Perine may be able to find some space beyond the defensive line and break some solid runs. And if the team gets close to the goal-line, the big, bruising back should be a match for the Bengals’ defensive line and could manage to get into the end zone. If he can have a two-score game, that could go a long way to solidifying his roster spot.

The Redskins aren’t likely to score a lot in this game. But if they do, expect it to have something to do with Perine’s ability to get into the end zone.

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