The Washington Redskins are getting ready for a Week 1 clash with the Philadelphia Eagles. Here are the top players to watch in that matchup.
The NFL season is so close. With the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears in action on Thursday night, the season will be underway in short order. And when that happens, we can finally stop debating what will happen and actually see what is happening.
That will be especially true for the Washington Redskins. After an offseason of debate about who to start at quarterback, whether or not Trent Williams would report, and who would make the 53-man roster, we finally have our answers there. Now, all that’s left is to see how the team is going to play.
Washington’s Week 1 game will certainly be a tough one. They’re playing against the Philadelphia Eagles, who have been a playoff team in each of the past two seasons and figure to be a strong postseason contender for another year. The Redskins are on the road as well, so that will make their chances of winning more difficult.
Still, there will be plenty to look out for in the Redskins’ first preseason contest. They’ll certainly be getting a good, long look at (almost) all of their starters. But here’s a look at the top five players to watch in the team’s 2019 season opener.
5. EDGE Montez Sweat
Technically speaking, Sweat isn’t going to be the starter at the edge position right away. The team has Ryan Anderson listed as the starter, and that makes sense. Anderson has more NFL experience and is a terrific run stopper. So, the Redskins are opting to have him play across from Ryan Kerrigan to begin the season.
That said, Sweat should still see significant action. The long, athletic rookie will rotate in for Anderson on occasion and thanks to his long, athletic frame, he should be a strong pass rushing specialist for Washington.
Sweat is a well-rounded player, but it will be interesting to see how the rookie is able to fair against a seasoned NFL veteran like Jason Peters at left tackle. Peters has had some injury issues over the course of the past few years, but he’s still about as steady as they come. And he will use his technique to try and limit the talented rookie.
This game will tell fans a lot about Sweat’s upside and how the Redskins plan to use him. It will be intriguing to see if they opt to use him and Anderson equally or if they favor one over the other. Sweat should have a chance to make some plays if he doesn’t get a lot of attention, so we’ll have to see if he can get his first career sack in this contest.
4. WR Terry McLaurin
The Redskins don’t have a lot of proven options in the receiving corps. In fact, the five receivers on the roster not named Paul Richardson have combined for just 9 career catches.
So, yeah. The ‘Skins are going to need somebody to step up at the position. And that could be Terry McLaurin.
Though McLaurin only saw limited action in the preseason — he dealt with some minor injuries and the coaching staff elected not to rush him back — he did flash some solid ability. The third-round pick from Ohio State has very good speed and in the wake of Josh Doctson’s release, he will be a starter for the team. That will give him a chance to emerge as a weapon early in his career.
McLaurin’s first chance to break through will come against the Eagles. He will be going up against the corner duo of Ronald Darby and Sidney Jones while playing on the outside. And if the Eagles focus more on the more proven option in the passing game in Richardson, McLaurin could have a chance to find some open space.
Either way, McLaurin will be a player to watch for the Redskins. Fans didn’t get a long look at him during the preseason. So, they’ll want to see what his upside truly looks like in Week 1. Obviously, it won’t be a time to rush to judgment, but if McLaurin can get open and make some catches, that will at least build some confidence in his abilities.
Also, McLaurin is a good special teams player, so seeing how the Redskins plan to deploy him in that department will be fascinating.
3. CB Jimmy Moreland
The Redskins have a deep group of role players at the cornerback position and when all are healthy, choosing one to sit on game day will be difficult.
However, we can almost guarantee that they’ll never consider sitting Moreland after what he did in the preseason.
The seventh-round rookie from James Madison was one of the Redskins’ stars during the four-game preseason. He was constantly making big tackles and finding ways to create turnovers. Against Cleveland, he forced two fumbles that helped the Redskins stay in the game until the Browns pulled away later.
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Moreland could step into a bigger role on Sunday afternoon than originally expected. Fabian Moreau is dealing with an ankle/foot injury and seems like a longshot to play in that contest. That said, a void at the slot corner position has opened up. And Moreland filled in for Moreau during the preseason, so he could be the next man up there.
Moreland’s first NFL game will be a chance for him to prove that he deserves a big role from the outset. He’ll get a good test going against former Eagles first-round pick Nelson Agholor in the slot. Agholor has given the Redskins trouble in the past, so if Moreland can keep him in check, that would be a good sign for him.
That said, Moreland wasn’t always perfect in coverage during his preseason action, so there could be growing pains for him as well. But even if there are, his ability to force turnovers could create some opportunities for Washington. And if he can do that, the team will certainly take it.
2. LT Donald Penn
On Wednesday, it was confirmed that Trent Williams won’t be returning to the team for Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season. There has recently been some optimism that he could return to the squad “sooner rather than later”, but it remains to be seen when “sooner” actually is.
Hopefully, the former Oklahoma Sooner’s “sooner” is sooner than we’re anticipating. But at this point in time, anything is possible and much like the Le’Veon Bell holdout, this could drag on for quite a bit.
That will make the performance of Donald Penn critical. The Redskins added the 36-year-old tackle shortly into training camp amid issues at the position. He immediately was in the running to start in place of Williams and eventually won the job over the disappointing Geron Christian.
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Penn, 36, was still shaking off the rust during the preseason. He didn’t play much last year after suffering an injury and hadn’t been with a team until the Redskins elected to sign him. That caused him to have some up-and-down moments in the preseason, but his experience should give the team some confidence that he will be solid during the season.
Obviously, it won’t be the same level as Williams. But at least he’ll have a chance to function.
Penn’s ability to block could be the difference between making the left side of the line decent or a complete liability. Left guard Ereck Flowers had some nice moments as a run blocker in the preseason, but he was woeful in pass protection. If Penn can’t help make up for that, the Eagles will get a lot of pressure on Case Keenum. And that could make life difficult, even for a seasoned, veteran quarterback like Keenum.
Conversely, if Penn can block and give Keenum time to make throws, the offense could be a bit better than expected. That makes him one of the key players for this contest and one who the fans will want to watch closely during the 2019 opener.
1. RB Derrius Guice
We were excited to see him in his first preseason action after he missed more than a year with a torn ACL. But now, Guice will finally get a chance to play in a real, NFL game.
Guice’s performance is going to be critical for the Redskins. Jay Gruden essentially confirmed that the running offense will flow through Guice, so he could end up being the workhorse for the team. He’ll need to prove early that he can carry the team if they’re going to have a chance to win some games in 2019.
The Redskins are going to have to have a strong running game this year to stay competitive. Their passing game is simply in disarray, as they have very few proven receiving weapons and poor pass blocking on the left side with Trent Williams out. This will make life a lot more difficult for Case Keenum. And if they can’t stay ahead of the chains, teams will dial up quite a bit of pressure to make it even more difficult for him to get the ball to his unproven receiving corps.
Guice is the potential game-changer for the Redskins. He could end up being an X-factor and if he can be that dominant workhorse even behind a middling offensive line, that could make their offense click a bit more and give them a shot to win ugly.
His first chance to prove himself will be a tough one. The Eagles allowed the seventh-fewest rushing yards to opposing teams last season and added Malik Jackson to their defensive front. They should give Guice a tough test but if he runs well, that could be a sign of things to come from the young LSU product.