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Five bold predictions for Redskins vs. Falcons in NFL preseason Week 3

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 15: Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Redskins sits on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals during a preseason game at FedExField on August 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 15: Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Redskins sits on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals during a preseason game at FedExField on August 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 15: Alex Erickson #12 of the Cincinnati Bengals returns a punt for a touchdown against the Washington Redskins during the second half of a preseason game at FedExField on August 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 15: Alex Erickson #12 of the Cincinnati Bengals returns a punt for a touchdown against the Washington Redskins during the second half of a preseason game at FedExField on August 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

3. The special teams don’t give up a return touchdown

This may be the saddest bold prediction I have ever written.

No, really. I’m serious. I’ve had some rough ones in the past, but the fact that not allowing a return touchdown is a bold prediction just depicts the state of the Redskins special teams.

In two preseason outings so far, the Redskins’ special teams have been poor at best. The kicking and snapping game have struggled and while Tress Way has punted the ball well, the return defense has been awful. And as a result, the team has surrendered two punt returning touchdowns, one in each game against the Browns and the Bengals.

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It’s clear that the Redskins are missing former special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica. The unfortunate irony of this situation is that the team is facing off against his new team this week, the Falcons. So, Kotwica may already know some of the ‘Skins’ weakness on that side of the ball, and he could try to expose it.

This is Nate Kaczor’s time to step up. It’s hard to have faith in him — his special teams units were bottom-five last year in Tampa Bay before he came to Washington — but if he can at least have his units put forth a better effort this week, that should stop some of the rumblings about how major the downgrade from Kaczor to Kotwica was.

This week should end the streak of the Redskins allowing a punt return touchdown, and their special teams in general will be solid. There will be no return TDs allowed by the team this week as they look to get back on track and get closer to the unit that finished as a top-10 group last season.

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