Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Five bold predictions for Redskins vs. Cowboys in NFL Week 2

By Jacob Camenker

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 22: Linebacker Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Redskins reacts after a sack in the first half of an NFL preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 22: Linebacker Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Redskins reacts after a sack in the first half of an NFL preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 08: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Redskins catches a touchdown pass in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 8, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 08: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Redskins catches a touchdown pass in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 8, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

5. Terry McLaurin held to just 30 receiving yards

Everyone is excited about how Terry McLaurin performed in the season opener. And rightfully so. The third-round rookie had a great outing in his first NFL game, grabbing five passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. He could’ve had an even better game had Case Keenum not slightly overthrown him on another deep pass.

That said, McLaurin’s speed caught the Eagles’ secondary by surprise. That won’t necessarily be the case in Dallas. They have seen what he can do, and they will be ready to guard him. That could limit his deep-ball upside, especially if the Cowboys put the hyper-athletic Byron Jones on him in this contest.

McLaurin still was able to find pockets of space and make some nice catches in the short and intermediate range last week. So he will still have a chance to make some plays. But with the Redskins likely to focus more on the running game throughout the game, McLaurin’s opportunities in that area could be a bit more limited, as the ‘Skins may look to send him downfield more on play-action if Adrian Peterson can run well against Dallas.

It’s possible that McLaurin could have another good game to kickstart his career. But it’s more likely that the rookie receiver will perform inconsistently, especially if he becomes the focal point of Dallas’ pass defense. That’s not a knock on McLaurin, and it’s actually more of a nod to his overall effectiveness.

I could regret this pick, but I’ll say that McLaurin will have 30 or fewer receiving yards against the Cowboys. This could easily be wrong, but I’m just not sure I’m confident that McLaurin will be able to repeat his strong performance from the opener.

Home/Commanders News