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Redskins vs. Vikings: Previewing Kirk Cousins’ revenge game, matchups to watch, more

By Jacob Camenker

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 20: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the start of the game aganist the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on October 20, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 20: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the start of the game aganist the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on October 20, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 20: Case Keenum #8 of the Washington Redskins throws a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in the game at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 20: Case Keenum #8 of the Washington Redskins throws a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in the game at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Redskins offense vs. Vikings defense

While Cousins’ potential to get revenge on the Redskins will be the main narrative of this game, it should be noted that Case Keenum has a chance for a revenge game as well. Keenum led the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game in 2018 before the Vikings replaced him with Kirk Cousins. The Vikings missed the playoffs in Cousins’ first year while Keenum has since been stuck on a couple of mediocre-to-bad teams that have gone a combined 7-17.

Keenum will want to show the Vikings that they made a mistake taking Cousins over him. Fortunately for him, he will have an opportunity to do that.

While the Vikings have a strong defense, their secondary has been suspect in recent weeks. Marvin Jones just caught a whopping four touchdown passes against them. So, while Bill Callahan may prefer to utilize a run-first offense, he may have to give Keenum some more chances to take downfield shots.

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The big matchup to watch in the passing game will be Terry McLaurin vs. Xavier Rhodes. McLaurin had his worst game as a pro last week, but that was no surprise given the horrible weather and the fact that the Redskins only threw 12 total passes against the 49ers. He still has the talent needed to make some big plays, and Rhodes is having a bit of a down year. If McLaurin can find ways to win and Keenum can get him the ball, he should have a big game.

Given that the Redskins are likely to pass a lot in this game, they’ll need another receiving option to step up. Perhaps Trey Quinn could find space over the middle of the field if tight end Vernon Davis still isn’t ready to go after suffering a concussion. But either way, with Chris Thompson unlikely to play for a second consecutive week, someone will need to be a short-to-intermediate target for Keenum.

Elsewhere, the run game might have trouble against the Vikings’ seventh-ranked run defense. They were able to find some space against the 49ers, who are tied with the Vikings for seventh-best in the NFL in run defense, but that was partially because of the weather and because they weren’t trailing by too much at any point during the game.

Against Minnesota, the Redskins may have a tougher time finding space. Big-bodied run stuffer Linval Joseph will plug up lanes while Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen occupy the edges to keep the tackles busy. Adrian Peterson will still be able to generate some yardage, but his performance will likely be closer to his pre-Week 7 performance than it is to his performance last week.

In truth, the Redskins need Keenum to play well to win on offense. That will require him getting the ball out quickly and targeting Terry McLaurin frequently. It will be a tough task, but it may be possible.

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