Okay, so I’ll provide 4 things that NEED to happen for the Redskins to win against the Jets tomorrow. I’ll be AT the game myself, so I won’t be Tweeting as usual during the game, but I’ll be up close behind the Redskins bench cheering.
My first key to victory is common thought for me… run the football. The Jets haven’t been outstanding against the run this year, although they will be tough when they get to hit Helu. This Redskins team also tends to run a little better against better run defenses, so committing to it should pay off.
Second, protect the football. The Jets get decent pressure, but they still don’t generate a lot of sacks, although they’ve gotten decent pressure over the last couple of weeks from Aaron Maybin. The offensive line hasn’t played great against 3-4 defenses yet, but if they’re sound and Rex trusts his pocket and doesn’t lock on to anyone out of desperation, the Redskins could find themselves having a helluva game.
Limit the Jets’ passing game. Sanchez is a beast in the clutch, and he can play in the 4th quarter with receivers in Holmes and Burress who show up in the 4th quarter. Conventional wisdom would suggest we’d see a lot of Hall on Holmes, but Hall has done well against taller receivers his entire career. Regardless, I think they need to just play sound and not bite on anything, and don’t give Holmes much underneath to work with. If they can make sound tackles when they DO give up a catch, and don’t let these receivers get extra yards, the job should be a lot easier.
Beat the Jets DB’s. Gaffney should have some success if he can stay away from Cromartie to make a catch and then make a move in the open field because Cromartie won’t tackle. I’d look to put Moss in the slot often to negate Revis’ strengths outside if he follows Moss, or to pick up the huge mismatch of Moss vs. Kyle Wilson. Fred Davis could have a huge game against these linebackers if he’s disciplined in his routes and timing and focuses on hauling in the catch, which should leave him 1-on-1 against a DB to pick up extra yards.
Bonus Key: Kyle Shanahan has to carry over what he was doing last week. We’re facing another zone/blitz defense, and we should take advantage of their aggressiveness. Quick pitches and screens could really get us some easy yards, and while it’s not easy to confuse Rex Ryan defenses, we could easily take control of this game by establishing the run game like last week to set up playaction. A commitment to the young playmakers on this team will pay off in the second half, and definitely in terms of their futures here in Washington. It starts with Kyle though, as he’s got to take what the defense gives HIM and not get carried away thinking this game is out of reach at any point.
As always, leave a comment or follow me on Twitter @Sean_Bishop. HailYeah!