Redskins: Five bold predictions for the 2019 regular season
By Ian Cummings
No. 4 – Montae Nicholson leads the Redskins defense in interceptions
Less than a year ago, Montae Nicholson‘s future with the Redskins was in jeopardy. He’d been benched for Ha Ha Clinton-Dix earlier in the season, and in December, he was charged with misdemeanor assault after getting into a fight outside a bar. The Redskins placed Nicholson on the reserve list to close out the season, and entering the 2019 offseason, no one knew what would become of him.
As the offseason went on, however,r it became clear that Nicholson’s story was not one of tragedy, but instead one of redemption. The Redskins did not add a safety in free agency or in the NFL Draft, throwing in a vote of confidence for Nicholson, and Nicholson himself had the assault charges dropped just after the start of veteran minicamp.
Nicholson now has a new lease on life, and he looks better than ever. In a recent Richmond Times piece by Michael Phillips, Nicholson acknowledged the journey that’s brought him here. Among other things, he said he doesn’t go out anymore because of his two puppies, and he also brought up the impact that veteran Landon Collins has made in his short time in D.C., saying that “we’re on the same page, and when we get out to the field, it’s like we’re already in each other’s heads… It allows me to play faster and get the calls to the linebackers and cornerbacks faster.”
We saw glimpses of Nicholson’s chemistry with Collins, and how it allows him to react faster, when he snagged a deflected pass for a touchdown in Washington’s second preseason contest versus the Bengals. And now, as the regular season kicks off, we should see plenty more of that.
Nicholson is the unquestioned starter, with a newfound focus and drive for his role. He’s always been an elite athlete; 6-foot-2, 212-pound defensive backs aren’t supposed to have 4.4 speed and a 35-inch vertical. But Nicholson has both of those qualities, and now, he has his perfect compliment in Collins, a devastating box safety with adept mental processing.
As Collins’ rangy partner on the back end, Nicholson will feast on the pressure put on the offense by Collins and the rest of the front four. He’ll lead the team in the interception category, finally delivering on years of promise.