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Bob McGinn
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By BOB McGINN
The NFL schedule labels it as a road game but the Green Bay Packers’ appearance Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., might turn out to be something of a home game.
Washington’s self-proclaimed 50-year streak of sellouts ended Sunday on a sunny 71-degree afternoon when the Redskins announced the crowd at 57,013 for the home opener against the Indianapolis Colts at their 82,000-seat facility.
When the Redskins played poorly in a 21-9 defeat, they were booed heavily. With Packers fans across the country forever looking for venues to crash,
FedEx could be teeming with green-and-gold Sunday.
It’s unclear if the Redskins players disliked the empty seats or the booing more. Running back Adrian Peterson said he has never heard boos at the opening home game in his 12-year career.
“I wouldn’t say it affects us as a team but I know we want to have our stadium packed out,” running back Chris Thompson said. “That makes us feel good. It makes us feel like we have the support in the DMV. For it to be as empty as it was, it was a little bit of a shock.”
The Redskins (1-1) permitted Andrew Luck to drive the Colts 75 yards in 11 plays for an opening touchdown. It set the tone for a sluggish performance, one that Redskins coach Jay Gruden never wants to see again.
“We have to figure out ways to boost these guys more in pre-game warmup and get them a little bit more energized,” Gruden said Monday. “Get the fans involved and get their adrenaline flowing.”
Owner Jack Kent Cooke brought the Redskins to Maryland in the mid-1990s after a 36-year run at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington. FedEx Field has expensive tickets, it’s a rather foreboding structure and traffic usually is a headache.
“The main thing we want to do, we want to get back the home-field advantage at FedEx Field,” said chief operating officer Brian Lafemina, one of owner Daniel Snyder’s top aides.
The Packers (1-0-1) are a three-point favorite but two executives in personnel for NFL teams saw the game as one-sided.
“I’ll say 31-14,” said one personnel man. “Maybe 24-14. I think the Packers should roll but it’ll be a little closer because they’re on the road.”
Another scout called it for Green Bay, 31-13.
“I bet the Packers are raring to get the salty taste of last week’s tie out of their mouths,” he said. “The only thing that saves the Redskins from getting beat worse is playing at home. Then again, their players are already criticizing their fans, so who knows how far south it can go?”
On offense, neither executive expects the Redskins to score enough to win. They’ve scored just three touchdowns in two games.
“Alex Smith can be a surgeon if you give him time to throw but injuries in the offensive line and lack of a potent running game should hamper that from happening,” said one personnel man. “(Rob) Kelley is on IR, Thompson can’t carry the load and ‘AP’ is over the hill.
“Andrew Luck, who is still feeling his way back, played well last week. Imagine what 12 (Aaron Rodgers) can do, especially with the lack of pass rush the Skins showed.
“Bottom line is that Green Bay always has a chance to win when 12 is playing and the Redskins really aren’t very good.”
OFFENSIVE SCHEME
Coordinator – Matt Cavanaugh (second year).
Key assistant coaches – Bill Callahan, assistant head coach/offensive line; Ike Hilliard, wide receivers.
Notes: Cavanaugh is coordinator in name only. Coach Jay Gruden, who has a 29-37-1 record since replacing Mike Shanahan in 2014, calls the plays. The Redskins had 429 yards, including 182 rushing, and 30 first downs in a 24-6 victory at Arizona on opening day. On Sunday, they were limited to three field goals and 334 yards in a 21-9 loss at home to Indianapolis. When the Redskins ripped the Packers, 42-24, in their last meeting (Nov. 20, 2016), offensive coordinator Sean McVay was calling the plays for an attack that gained 515 yards (8.3 per play). It’s a lateral style of running game with the zone read and jet sweeps built in.
What scouts said: “It’s an inside-outside zone run game. They’ll run naked boots and play-action off it. It’s been solid. Alex (Smith) can do that well.”
WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters – Paul Richardson (6-0, 180, 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash before the 2014 draft); Josh Doctson (6-2, 202, 4.48); Jamison Crowder (5-8 ½, 177, 4.44).
Key backup – Brian Quick (6-3 ½, 220, 4.54).
Notes: Having lost DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Ryan Grant since their last meeting with Green Bay, the Redskins added Richardson in unrestricted free agency (five year, $40 million, $20M guaranteed). He couldn’t stay on the field until his third season in Seattle and caught just 95 balls in four years. Now he has been playing with a bad shoulder. Doctson, a first-round pick (No. 22) in 2016, hasn’t done much, either. Crowder has been extremely productive (192 catches from 2015-’17) from the slot. When rookie free agents Trey Quinn and Cam Sims suffered season-ending ankle injuries in Week 1, the Redskins re-signed Quick last week before adding two more veterans, ex-Raven Breshad Perriman and ex-Cardinal and Viking Michael Floyd, on Tuesday. In two games the team’s wide receivers have just 18 catches for 173 yards (9.6) and no touchdowns.
What scouts said: “Richardson is their X (split end). He can stretch the field.” … “Doctson is more of a speed type who’s not a pure vertical threat but he’s good short to intermediate.” … “Crowder is a pure slot. He ran a reverse first play of the game Sunday and gained 25 yards. He showed speed to turn the corner. That was 25 of their 65 rushing yards against the Colts. He’s their gadget guy.”
TIGHT ENDS
Starter – Jordan Reed (6-2 ½, 245, 4.71).
Key backups – Vernon Davis (6-3, 244, 4.38); Jeremy Sprinkle (6-5, 252, 4.66).
Notes: Reed made the Pro Bowl in 2016 before missing 10 games in 2017 with assorted injuries. Davis, 34, played 26 snaps Sunday and Sprinkle, a fifth-round pick in ’17, played 13 supporting Reed’s 40. Davis entered 2018 tied for seventh all-time among TEs in TD catches with 60. He caught 44 and 43 balls in his two seasons for the Redskins.
What scouts said: “Jordan’s their guy. Vernon’s on the down slope of his career. Vernon works underneath. Really more of a move-the-sticks kind of guy.” … “They can put Jordan in space. He’s an athlete. He’s perfect for the boots, the nakeds. They can bring him on over routes and stretch the field. He’s a weapon.”
OFFENSIVE LINE
Starters – LT Trent Williams (6-4 ½, 320, 4.84); LG Shawn Lauvao (6-3, 308, 5.23); C Chase Roullier (6-3 ½, 310, 5.51); RG Brandon Scherff (6-4 ½, 315, 5.04); RT Morgan Moses (6-6, 335, 5.20).
Key backups – T Ty Nsekhe (6-8, 330, no 40); C-G Tony Bergstrom (6-5 1/2, 310, 5.20).
Notes: Williams was voted to the Pro Bowl in the last six seasons. He had a pair of false-start penalties Sunday against Indianapolis. Lauvao, a former Brown, has been starting since 2014 in Washington. He allowed two sacks Sunday. Moses, a third-round pick in ’14, has 35 3/8-inch arms and became a starter in ’15. Scherff, the fifth pick in ’15, made the Pro Bowl last year. When C Spencer Long departed for the Jets in March, Roullier moved in. A sixth-round pick from Wyoming in ’17, he started seven games as a rookie for an injured Long.
What scouts said: “Trent’s still talented, one of the top five tackles in the league. Not quite as disciplined as a player. Has false starts and little technique stuff.” … “Lauvao is a stop-gap veteran.” … “I kind of like Rouillier. He’s got a little toughness. He’s young but he looks like he’s going to be a solid starter. He’s got short-area quickness and ability to mirror. Not overly talented but he fits what they’re doing with that scheme.” … “Scherff is a little banged up but he’s tough. He’s at least top 10 in the league at his position, if not higher. Just what he brings in terms of toughness and physicality. Right guard is a perfect spot for him.” … “Moses is another vet. There are worst starting right tackles in the league than him. He’s solid.” … “The Colts got after them pretty good with stunts and twists and games up front.”
QUARTERBACKS
Starter – Alex Smith (6-4, 213, 4.73).
Backup – Colt McCoy (6-1, 210, 4.82).
Notes: When talks ultimately broke off with Kirk Cousins, the Redskins acquired Smith from the Chiefs on March 14 in exchange for CB Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick. Smith’s new four-year, $111 million deal with Washington contained $71M in guarantees. Last season, his fifth and last in Kansas City, Smith posted a career-best passer rating of 104.7. In 14 years for the 49ers, Chiefs and Redskins, his regular-season record is 89-63-1 and his passer rating is 87.6. He has never been voted to the Pro Bowl. His score on the Wonderlic intelligence test was 40. McCoy started 21 games for Cleveland in 2010-’11 but just four since signing with Washington in April 2014. His career record is 7-18 and his rating is 78.9.
What scouts said: “Alex is still adjusting to that system. He’s more focused on the short-area passing game as opposed to driving the ball downfield. He’s still accurate, still a functional starting quarterback in the league. He’s good. The Colts were able to pressure him and took away his intermediate to deep passing game by playing zone. He’s still athletic. He can buy time with his feet and extend plays. "
RUNNING BACKS
Starter – Adrian Peterson (6-1 ½, 220, 4.40).
Key backups – Chris Thompson (5-7 ½, 195, no 40); Samaje Perine (5-10 ½, 233, 4.61).
Notes: The Redskins planned to start rookie Derrius Guice, a second-round pick, but he blew out his knee in the exhibition opener. Dissatisfied with Rob Kelley, who had a career-high 137 yards against Green Bay in ’16, and Perine, who averaged just 3.4 in eight starts last season, Washington signed Peterson on Aug. 20. Peterson carried 26 times for 96 yards against one of his former teams, Arizona, on Sept. 9 but went nowhere (11-20) against the Colts. Kelley went on IR Tuesday with a toe injury. Thompson has been an effective third-down back since 2015.
What scouts said: “The Colts did a pretty good job bottling up Adrian. They made him string it out. He’s still a powerful guy. Doesn’t have the same top-end speed that he once had. Still a steady first- and second-down back.” … “Chris Thompson has got some stuff to him. He’s really good in the outside run game and being in space. He’s quick. He has burst and the ability to make people miss.
DEFENSIVE SCHEME
Coordinator – Greg Manusky (second year).
Key assistant coaches – Jim Tomsula, defensive line; Torrian Gray, defensive backs.
Notes: This is Manusky’s 11th season as an NFL defensive coordinator. He replaced Joe Barry in 2017 after previous coordinator stops at San Francisco (2007-’10), San Diego (’11) and Indianapolis (2012-’15). Manusky is known for pressure. Last year, his blitz rate of almost 38.3% led the league. He operates from a base 3-4 defense and, with all the blitzing, places his defensive backs in difficult man-to-man coverage. The Redskins ranked 32nd in rushing yards allowed (134.1) last year. Opponents have averaged merely 86.0 on the ground in the first two games.
What scouts said: “Manusky has always been a pressure guy. He’s OK. The Colts didn’t look threatened. He does blitz a lot but it almost gets to the point where it’s easily identifiable and you feel like you can pick it up. Or if you operate quickly you can get it out of your hands.”
DEFENSIVE LINE
Starters – LE Matt Ioannidis (6-3 ½, 305, 5.05); NT Da’Ron Payne (6-2 ½, 319, 4.96); RE Jonathan Allen (6-2 ½, 294, 5.01).
Key backups – DE Ziggy Hood (6-3, 305, 4.88); NT Tim Settle (6-2 ½, 328, 5.29).
Notes: Allen and Payne are almost two peas in a pod. Both played at Alabama, and Allen was the 17thpick in 2017 and Payne was the 13th pick in April. Ioannidis was a fifth-round pick in ’16.
What scouts said: “Ioannidis is a base left end in an odd front. Big, strong, tough, high energy, high effort. Gets sacks because of that. Won’t just wow you with his traits but he’s a solid starting level player in that (3-4) defense.” … “Payne is a monster against the run on first and second down as a nose. They don’t play him much as a nickel rusher. That guy’s got power.” … “Allen can play a 5 (technique), a 4, a 3. When they go nickel rush they put him at nose. He gave the Colts some trouble with that.” … “They’re pretty good in that front seven. That D-line’s pretty talented.”
LINEBACKERS
Starters – SOLB Preston Smith (6-5, 265, 4.78); SILB Mason Foster (6-1 ½, 250, 4.71); WILB Zach Brown (6-1 ½, 250, 4.46); WOLB Ryan Kerrigan (6-4, 259, 4.73).
Key backups – OLB Pernell McPhee (6-2 ½, 265, 4.88); ILB Josh Harvey-Clemons (6-4, 230, 4.75).
Notes: Brown, the Titans’ second-round pick in 2012, made 149 tackles for Buffalo in 2016 before signing an unrestricted deal with Washington in March 2017. Foster has started 78 games since 2011 for the Buccaneers and Redskins. Smith, a second-round choice in 2015, is a three-year starter with 20 ½ sacks. Kerrigan, the 16th pick in 2011, was voted to the Pro Bowl each of the last two years. He has 71 ½ career sacks. McPhee, the former Raven-Bear, has 31 sacks in eight seasons. Bad knees wrecked his ability to contribute more in Chicago.
What scouts said: “Kerrigan didn’t do much against the Colts but they gave some help with tight ends and it kind of neutralized him.” … “Preston Smith was another college defensive end (Mississippi State) who’s now standing up. He’s big, long, athletic, physical. He can be a handful when he’s by himself over a tight end that’s a smaller guy.” … “Anderson and McPhee are stereotypical (3-4) outside ‘sam’ backers. Big, tough, hard-nosed, pounder-type guys. Grinders.” … “Mason Foster is a little more athletic than I thought. He’s better against the pass. Gets his hands on some balls.” … “Zach Brown can still run. He can run gaps on run-throughs. He’s got range.”
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters – LC Josh Norman (6-0, 200, 4.61); RC Quinton Dunbar (6-2, 197, 4.45); SS Montae Nicholson (6-2 ½, 215, 4.47); FS D.J. Swearinger (5-10 ½, 205, 4.67).
Key backups – CB Fabian Moreau (6-0 ½, 200, 4.35); S Deshazor Everett (5-11, 195, 4.55).
Notes: Norman left Carolina after four seasons to sign a blockbuster deal (five years, $74.8 million with $50M guaranteed) with the Redskins in April 2016. Dunbar, an undrafted free agent in 2015, played off the bench for three years before becoming a starter this year. Nicholson started as a rookie after being taken in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. This is the fourth team in six years for Swearinger, a strong personality who can rub coaches the wrong way. He intercepted two passes (one easy, one hard) Sunday against the Colts. Moreau, the nickel back as a rookie, was a third-round pick.
What scouts said: “Norman’s still good.” … “Even though Dunbar is in Year 4 of transitioning from receiver to corner he’s not in the top half of the league at his position. He’s a solid player. He’s more of a press-man guy who has ball skills being a former receiver.” … “Swearinger is opportunistic. He loves to talk, he loves to chirp. Plays that physical role. He’s more of a strong safety.” … “Nicholson has speed and range but you can get him on double moves. He did the same stuff in college (Michigan State). He’s big and fast, and he’ll hit you. His instincts and his eyes have always been a little bit of a concern.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
Coordinator – Ben Kotwica (fifth year).
Personnel – K Dustin Hopkins (6-2, 203); P Tress Way (6-1, 216); LS Nick Sundberg (6-0, 256); KR Danny Johnson (5-9, 181, 4.47); PR Greg Stroman (5-11, 180, 4.49).
Notes: Hopkins has made four of five field goals. On Sunday, he made two and missed one from 49. In 2017, his third year in Washington, his season ended after eight games because of a hip injury. He was an 83.9% kicker entering 2018. The left-footed Way, the Redskins’ punter since 2014, is off to a shaky start (40.9 gross, 36 net). Johnson and Stroman are rookies.
What scouts said: “Hopkins hammers his kickoffs. He’s a good kicker.” … “Way is difficult because he’s a left-footed guy who can hammer it. That always poses a challenge if there’s any sort of wind or conditions because of the opposite spin. He’s good.” … “Stroman is pretty vanilla as a returner. He catches it and tracks it real easily. As a special-teams coordinator I wouldn’t say, ‘Oh my God, we can’t kick to him. Let’s hold our breath.’ Neither one of them.”
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The NFL schedule labels it as a road game but the Green Bay Packers’ appearance Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., might turn out to be something of a home game.
Washington’s self-proclaimed 50-year streak of sellouts ended Sunday on a sunny 71-degree afternoon when the Redskins announced the crowd at 57,013 for the home opener against the Indianapolis Colts at their 82,000-seat facility.
When the Redskins played poorly in a 21-9 defeat, they were booed heavily. With Packers fans across the country forever looking for venues to crash,
FedEx could be teeming with green-and-gold Sunday.
It’s unclear if the Redskins players disliked the empty seats or the booing more. Running back Adrian Peterson said he has never heard boos at the opening home game in his 12-year career.
“I wouldn’t say it affects us as a team but I know we want to have our stadium packed out,” running back Chris Thompson said. “That makes us feel good. It makes us feel like we have the support in the DMV. For it to be as empty as it was, it was a little bit of a shock.”
The Redskins (1-1) permitted Andrew Luck to drive the Colts 75 yards in 11 plays for an opening touchdown. It set the tone for a sluggish performance, one that Redskins coach Jay Gruden never wants to see again.
“We have to figure out ways to boost these guys more in pre-game warmup and get them a little bit more energized,” Gruden said Monday. “Get the fans involved and get their adrenaline flowing.”
Owner Jack Kent Cooke brought the Redskins to Maryland in the mid-1990s after a 36-year run at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington. FedEx Field has expensive tickets, it’s a rather foreboding structure and traffic usually is a headache.
“The main thing we want to do, we want to get back the home-field advantage at FedEx Field,” said chief operating officer Brian Lafemina, one of owner Daniel Snyder’s top aides.
The Packers (1-0-1) are a three-point favorite but two executives in personnel for NFL teams saw the game as one-sided.
“I’ll say 31-14,” said one personnel man. “Maybe 24-14. I think the Packers should roll but it’ll be a little closer because they’re on the road.”
Another scout called it for Green Bay, 31-13.
“I bet the Packers are raring to get the salty taste of last week’s tie out of their mouths,” he said. “The only thing that saves the Redskins from getting beat worse is playing at home. Then again, their players are already criticizing their fans, so who knows how far south it can go?”
On offense, neither executive expects the Redskins to score enough to win. They’ve scored just three touchdowns in two games.
“Alex Smith can be a surgeon if you give him time to throw but injuries in the offensive line and lack of a potent running game should hamper that from happening,” said one personnel man. “(Rob) Kelley is on IR, Thompson can’t carry the load and ‘AP’ is over the hill.
“Andrew Luck, who is still feeling his way back, played well last week. Imagine what 12 (Aaron Rodgers) can do, especially with the lack of pass rush the Skins showed.
“Bottom line is that Green Bay always has a chance to win when 12 is playing and the Redskins really aren’t very good.”
OFFENSIVE SCHEME
Coordinator – Matt Cavanaugh (second year).
Key assistant coaches – Bill Callahan, assistant head coach/offensive line; Ike Hilliard, wide receivers.
Notes: Cavanaugh is coordinator in name only. Coach Jay Gruden, who has a 29-37-1 record since replacing Mike Shanahan in 2014, calls the plays. The Redskins had 429 yards, including 182 rushing, and 30 first downs in a 24-6 victory at Arizona on opening day. On Sunday, they were limited to three field goals and 334 yards in a 21-9 loss at home to Indianapolis. When the Redskins ripped the Packers, 42-24, in their last meeting (Nov. 20, 2016), offensive coordinator Sean McVay was calling the plays for an attack that gained 515 yards (8.3 per play). It’s a lateral style of running game with the zone read and jet sweeps built in.
What scouts said: “It’s an inside-outside zone run game. They’ll run naked boots and play-action off it. It’s been solid. Alex (Smith) can do that well.”
WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters – Paul Richardson (6-0, 180, 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash before the 2014 draft); Josh Doctson (6-2, 202, 4.48); Jamison Crowder (5-8 ½, 177, 4.44).
Key backup – Brian Quick (6-3 ½, 220, 4.54).
Notes: Having lost DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Ryan Grant since their last meeting with Green Bay, the Redskins added Richardson in unrestricted free agency (five year, $40 million, $20M guaranteed). He couldn’t stay on the field until his third season in Seattle and caught just 95 balls in four years. Now he has been playing with a bad shoulder. Doctson, a first-round pick (No. 22) in 2016, hasn’t done much, either. Crowder has been extremely productive (192 catches from 2015-’17) from the slot. When rookie free agents Trey Quinn and Cam Sims suffered season-ending ankle injuries in Week 1, the Redskins re-signed Quick last week before adding two more veterans, ex-Raven Breshad Perriman and ex-Cardinal and Viking Michael Floyd, on Tuesday. In two games the team’s wide receivers have just 18 catches for 173 yards (9.6) and no touchdowns.
What scouts said: “Richardson is their X (split end). He can stretch the field.” … “Doctson is more of a speed type who’s not a pure vertical threat but he’s good short to intermediate.” … “Crowder is a pure slot. He ran a reverse first play of the game Sunday and gained 25 yards. He showed speed to turn the corner. That was 25 of their 65 rushing yards against the Colts. He’s their gadget guy.”
TIGHT ENDS
Starter – Jordan Reed (6-2 ½, 245, 4.71).
Key backups – Vernon Davis (6-3, 244, 4.38); Jeremy Sprinkle (6-5, 252, 4.66).
Notes: Reed made the Pro Bowl in 2016 before missing 10 games in 2017 with assorted injuries. Davis, 34, played 26 snaps Sunday and Sprinkle, a fifth-round pick in ’17, played 13 supporting Reed’s 40. Davis entered 2018 tied for seventh all-time among TEs in TD catches with 60. He caught 44 and 43 balls in his two seasons for the Redskins.
What scouts said: “Jordan’s their guy. Vernon’s on the down slope of his career. Vernon works underneath. Really more of a move-the-sticks kind of guy.” … “They can put Jordan in space. He’s an athlete. He’s perfect for the boots, the nakeds. They can bring him on over routes and stretch the field. He’s a weapon.”
OFFENSIVE LINE
Starters – LT Trent Williams (6-4 ½, 320, 4.84); LG Shawn Lauvao (6-3, 308, 5.23); C Chase Roullier (6-3 ½, 310, 5.51); RG Brandon Scherff (6-4 ½, 315, 5.04); RT Morgan Moses (6-6, 335, 5.20).
Key backups – T Ty Nsekhe (6-8, 330, no 40); C-G Tony Bergstrom (6-5 1/2, 310, 5.20).
Notes: Williams was voted to the Pro Bowl in the last six seasons. He had a pair of false-start penalties Sunday against Indianapolis. Lauvao, a former Brown, has been starting since 2014 in Washington. He allowed two sacks Sunday. Moses, a third-round pick in ’14, has 35 3/8-inch arms and became a starter in ’15. Scherff, the fifth pick in ’15, made the Pro Bowl last year. When C Spencer Long departed for the Jets in March, Roullier moved in. A sixth-round pick from Wyoming in ’17, he started seven games as a rookie for an injured Long.
What scouts said: “Trent’s still talented, one of the top five tackles in the league. Not quite as disciplined as a player. Has false starts and little technique stuff.” … “Lauvao is a stop-gap veteran.” … “I kind of like Rouillier. He’s got a little toughness. He’s young but he looks like he’s going to be a solid starter. He’s got short-area quickness and ability to mirror. Not overly talented but he fits what they’re doing with that scheme.” … “Scherff is a little banged up but he’s tough. He’s at least top 10 in the league at his position, if not higher. Just what he brings in terms of toughness and physicality. Right guard is a perfect spot for him.” … “Moses is another vet. There are worst starting right tackles in the league than him. He’s solid.” … “The Colts got after them pretty good with stunts and twists and games up front.”
QUARTERBACKS
Starter – Alex Smith (6-4, 213, 4.73).
Backup – Colt McCoy (6-1, 210, 4.82).
Notes: When talks ultimately broke off with Kirk Cousins, the Redskins acquired Smith from the Chiefs on March 14 in exchange for CB Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick. Smith’s new four-year, $111 million deal with Washington contained $71M in guarantees. Last season, his fifth and last in Kansas City, Smith posted a career-best passer rating of 104.7. In 14 years for the 49ers, Chiefs and Redskins, his regular-season record is 89-63-1 and his passer rating is 87.6. He has never been voted to the Pro Bowl. His score on the Wonderlic intelligence test was 40. McCoy started 21 games for Cleveland in 2010-’11 but just four since signing with Washington in April 2014. His career record is 7-18 and his rating is 78.9.
What scouts said: “Alex is still adjusting to that system. He’s more focused on the short-area passing game as opposed to driving the ball downfield. He’s still accurate, still a functional starting quarterback in the league. He’s good. The Colts were able to pressure him and took away his intermediate to deep passing game by playing zone. He’s still athletic. He can buy time with his feet and extend plays. "
RUNNING BACKS
Starter – Adrian Peterson (6-1 ½, 220, 4.40).
Key backups – Chris Thompson (5-7 ½, 195, no 40); Samaje Perine (5-10 ½, 233, 4.61).
Notes: The Redskins planned to start rookie Derrius Guice, a second-round pick, but he blew out his knee in the exhibition opener. Dissatisfied with Rob Kelley, who had a career-high 137 yards against Green Bay in ’16, and Perine, who averaged just 3.4 in eight starts last season, Washington signed Peterson on Aug. 20. Peterson carried 26 times for 96 yards against one of his former teams, Arizona, on Sept. 9 but went nowhere (11-20) against the Colts. Kelley went on IR Tuesday with a toe injury. Thompson has been an effective third-down back since 2015.
What scouts said: “The Colts did a pretty good job bottling up Adrian. They made him string it out. He’s still a powerful guy. Doesn’t have the same top-end speed that he once had. Still a steady first- and second-down back.” … “Chris Thompson has got some stuff to him. He’s really good in the outside run game and being in space. He’s quick. He has burst and the ability to make people miss.
DEFENSIVE SCHEME
Coordinator – Greg Manusky (second year).
Key assistant coaches – Jim Tomsula, defensive line; Torrian Gray, defensive backs.
Notes: This is Manusky’s 11th season as an NFL defensive coordinator. He replaced Joe Barry in 2017 after previous coordinator stops at San Francisco (2007-’10), San Diego (’11) and Indianapolis (2012-’15). Manusky is known for pressure. Last year, his blitz rate of almost 38.3% led the league. He operates from a base 3-4 defense and, with all the blitzing, places his defensive backs in difficult man-to-man coverage. The Redskins ranked 32nd in rushing yards allowed (134.1) last year. Opponents have averaged merely 86.0 on the ground in the first two games.
What scouts said: “Manusky has always been a pressure guy. He’s OK. The Colts didn’t look threatened. He does blitz a lot but it almost gets to the point where it’s easily identifiable and you feel like you can pick it up. Or if you operate quickly you can get it out of your hands.”
DEFENSIVE LINE
Starters – LE Matt Ioannidis (6-3 ½, 305, 5.05); NT Da’Ron Payne (6-2 ½, 319, 4.96); RE Jonathan Allen (6-2 ½, 294, 5.01).
Key backups – DE Ziggy Hood (6-3, 305, 4.88); NT Tim Settle (6-2 ½, 328, 5.29).
Notes: Allen and Payne are almost two peas in a pod. Both played at Alabama, and Allen was the 17thpick in 2017 and Payne was the 13th pick in April. Ioannidis was a fifth-round pick in ’16.
What scouts said: “Ioannidis is a base left end in an odd front. Big, strong, tough, high energy, high effort. Gets sacks because of that. Won’t just wow you with his traits but he’s a solid starting level player in that (3-4) defense.” … “Payne is a monster against the run on first and second down as a nose. They don’t play him much as a nickel rusher. That guy’s got power.” … “Allen can play a 5 (technique), a 4, a 3. When they go nickel rush they put him at nose. He gave the Colts some trouble with that.” … “They’re pretty good in that front seven. That D-line’s pretty talented.”
LINEBACKERS
Starters – SOLB Preston Smith (6-5, 265, 4.78); SILB Mason Foster (6-1 ½, 250, 4.71); WILB Zach Brown (6-1 ½, 250, 4.46); WOLB Ryan Kerrigan (6-4, 259, 4.73).
Key backups – OLB Pernell McPhee (6-2 ½, 265, 4.88); ILB Josh Harvey-Clemons (6-4, 230, 4.75).
Notes: Brown, the Titans’ second-round pick in 2012, made 149 tackles for Buffalo in 2016 before signing an unrestricted deal with Washington in March 2017. Foster has started 78 games since 2011 for the Buccaneers and Redskins. Smith, a second-round choice in 2015, is a three-year starter with 20 ½ sacks. Kerrigan, the 16th pick in 2011, was voted to the Pro Bowl each of the last two years. He has 71 ½ career sacks. McPhee, the former Raven-Bear, has 31 sacks in eight seasons. Bad knees wrecked his ability to contribute more in Chicago.
What scouts said: “Kerrigan didn’t do much against the Colts but they gave some help with tight ends and it kind of neutralized him.” … “Preston Smith was another college defensive end (Mississippi State) who’s now standing up. He’s big, long, athletic, physical. He can be a handful when he’s by himself over a tight end that’s a smaller guy.” … “Anderson and McPhee are stereotypical (3-4) outside ‘sam’ backers. Big, tough, hard-nosed, pounder-type guys. Grinders.” … “Mason Foster is a little more athletic than I thought. He’s better against the pass. Gets his hands on some balls.” … “Zach Brown can still run. He can run gaps on run-throughs. He’s got range.”
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters – LC Josh Norman (6-0, 200, 4.61); RC Quinton Dunbar (6-2, 197, 4.45); SS Montae Nicholson (6-2 ½, 215, 4.47); FS D.J. Swearinger (5-10 ½, 205, 4.67).
Key backups – CB Fabian Moreau (6-0 ½, 200, 4.35); S Deshazor Everett (5-11, 195, 4.55).
Notes: Norman left Carolina after four seasons to sign a blockbuster deal (five years, $74.8 million with $50M guaranteed) with the Redskins in April 2016. Dunbar, an undrafted free agent in 2015, played off the bench for three years before becoming a starter this year. Nicholson started as a rookie after being taken in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. This is the fourth team in six years for Swearinger, a strong personality who can rub coaches the wrong way. He intercepted two passes (one easy, one hard) Sunday against the Colts. Moreau, the nickel back as a rookie, was a third-round pick.
What scouts said: “Norman’s still good.” … “Even though Dunbar is in Year 4 of transitioning from receiver to corner he’s not in the top half of the league at his position. He’s a solid player. He’s more of a press-man guy who has ball skills being a former receiver.” … “Swearinger is opportunistic. He loves to talk, he loves to chirp. Plays that physical role. He’s more of a strong safety.” … “Nicholson has speed and range but you can get him on double moves. He did the same stuff in college (Michigan State). He’s big and fast, and he’ll hit you. His instincts and his eyes have always been a little bit of a concern.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
Coordinator – Ben Kotwica (fifth year).
Personnel – K Dustin Hopkins (6-2, 203); P Tress Way (6-1, 216); LS Nick Sundberg (6-0, 256); KR Danny Johnson (5-9, 181, 4.47); PR Greg Stroman (5-11, 180, 4.49).
Notes: Hopkins has made four of five field goals. On Sunday, he made two and missed one from 49. In 2017, his third year in Washington, his season ended after eight games because of a hip injury. He was an 83.9% kicker entering 2018. The left-footed Way, the Redskins’ punter since 2014, is off to a shaky start (40.9 gross, 36 net). Johnson and Stroman are rookies.
What scouts said: “Hopkins hammers his kickoffs. He’s a good kicker.” … “Way is difficult because he’s a left-footed guy who can hammer it. That always poses a challenge if there’s any sort of wind or conditions because of the opposite spin. He’s good.” … “Stroman is pretty vanilla as a returner. He catches it and tracks it real easily. As a special-teams coordinator I wouldn’t say, ‘Oh my God, we can’t kick to him. Let’s hold our breath.’ Neither one of them.”
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