Game Preview, Week 10: Washington at Lions
November 13, 2020
by Steve Thomas
Is Washington’s season effectively over already? At 2 – 6, you’d think so, but incredibly, the NFC East is so horrifically bad that they still have a fighting chance at winning the division. If that’s going to happen, this game in Detroit is basically a must win: Washington is in the soft spot in their schedule, and they need to win at least a couple games in this third quarter of the season. The Lions have had a tough but not disastrous year so far, but they’ve also played some good teams and haven’t been as big of a train wreck as in other seasons. Matthew Stafford is mostly what he used to be, which is a pocket passer with a cannon for an arm who can produce results. Fun random fact: Los Angeles Dodgers ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw was Stafford’s center during their freshman year in high school. But as to this game, the Lions have Washington’s former franchise back, Adrian Peterson, who strikes me as the type who will make a big effort to put the screws to the team that cut him. So, yes, this is just the Lions, but they certainly look at Washington as a weak-sister team they can beat, and they’re probably right. It’s very tough to have any faith whatsoever in Washington’s ability to win a game right now. Our game preview starts below.
Game time & location: Sunday, November 15, 2020, 1:00 p.m. ET, Ford Field, Detroit, MI; no fans
Television: FOX
Television announcers: Brandon Gaudin, Aqib Talib, Megan Olivi
TV broadcast map: click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Washington radio network: click here
Lions radio network: click here
Satellite radio: XM: 226 (Lions broad.) Sirius: 138 (Wash. broad); internet: 831 (Washington broad.)
Redskins roster: click here
Redskins depth chart: click here
Lions roster: click here
Lions depth chart: click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Lions: 28 – 14 (last 10: 5 – 5) (streak: 1 – 0)
Last meeting: W, November 24, 2019, 19 – 16
Early odds: Lions, -3.5
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Keep Matthew Stafford in check
Stafford is a bit older now, but he’s still that same Pro Bowl level quarterback that he’s always been, for the most part. If Washington doesn’t put some pressure on him, then Stafford will be able to take over the ballgame and move his team up and down the field. If there was a time for Washington’s supposedly vaunted defensive line to step up and get to the quarterback, it’s this week.
Don’t let Adrian Peterson and Swift go crazy
I’m sure that Peterson will be highly to have a big game against his old team, and Washington’s run defense frankly isn’t that good, so this becomes a big issue on Sunday. However, D’Andre Swift has actually been the more successful of the two this year, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Both of these players can cause big problems for a team with a substandard run defense like Washington. They will need to watch the interior gaps with Peterson and Swift on the field.
Be able to effectively run the ball
The Lions are a bad run defense. It just isn’t a strength of Detroit’s front 7. Dalvin Cook rushed for over 200 yards last week, and much of it was between the tackles. Unfortunately, Washington is mostly terrible at interior running, as the strengths of both of their running backs, Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, are in the passing game and more on the edges. Regardless, much like the Dallas game, Washington needs to figure out how to take advantage of another bad rushing defense in order to get their offense established early.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
Jonathan Bostic and Kevin Pierre-Louis vs T.J. Hockenson
Hockenson popped up on the injury report on Wednesday for a toe injury, so we don’t know right now how much that will limit him; however, assuming he plays at full strength, is a formidable tight end for a team that has historically been bad in this area. We’ve all seen many tight ends burn the Washington defense over the years. Many analysts had Hockenson as the #1 tight end in the 2019 class. He had a moderate rookie year in 2019, with 32 receptions for 367 yards, but he already has 34 receptions in 49 targets for 360 this season and is one of Stafford’s most important targets. Hockenson is also one of the people who made Washington’s Logan Thomas expendable in Detroit. The primary responsibility for Hockenson falls to the linebacker corps, specifically Jonathan Bostic and Kevin Pierre-Louis. I don’t have much faith that they are going to actually neutralize him, mind you, but this is absolutely one of key matchups in the game.
Montez Sweat vs. Taylor Decker
In this week’s Hog Sty game preview show, we discussed the need for a pass rush to help neutralize the pocket-bound Matthew Stafford. Nobody will be more important to this effort than Washington’s Montez Sweat, and his principal opponent will Lions tackle Taylor Decker. More than other games, Sweat needs to get home, so this matchup becomes of more critical importance than in other games. Keep an eye out on how well Sweat is doing against Decker, because it will likely be an indication on how successful Washington’s defense will be in this contest.
Cornelius Lucas and Morgan Moses vs. Romeo Okwara
Just like the Sweat – Decker battle is important to this game, the converse is also true. Washington quarterback Alex Smith doesn’t need to get hit any more than necessary. Okwara is Detroit’s leading pass rusher, with 5 sacks on the season so far. Lucas has filled in fairly admirably at left tackle, and Moses has obviously been a stalwart for many years. Together, they need to keep Okwara out of the backfield and off of Smith. This game is likely going to be decided in the trenches, and Okwara could end up playing a big role.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (active roster only) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
D – doubtful NL – not listed
| Washington | Lions |
| QB K. Allen, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | WR K. Golladay, hip; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| LB T. Davis Sr, NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: FP | TE T.J. Hockenson, toe; Wed: NL; Thurs: DNP; Fri: LP; game Q |
| RB A. Gibson, shoulder; Wed: DNP; Thurs: FP’ Fri: DNP | OL H. Vaital, foot; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| WR D. Inman, hamstring; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: O | DT N. Williams, shoulder; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: DNP; game: Q |
| WR J. Badet, hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; game: O | RB/WR J. Agnew, ribs; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| T G. Christian Sr, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | G J. Dahl, back; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| K D. Hopkins, right groin; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | LB C. Jones, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| LB J. Norris, hamstring; Wed: NL; Thurs: LP; Fri: DNP; game: O | S J. Kearse, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| LB J. Davis, knee; Wed: NL; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | |
| DE E. Griffen, NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs:FP; Fri: FP | |
| OL T. Crosby, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| CB M. Ford, hip; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| CB J. Okudah, ankle/groin; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| DT D. Shelton, chest; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| S T. Walker, foot; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| QB M. Stafford, neck; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
TEAM STATISTICS
Washington:
From a statistical perspective, Washington’s offense is atrocious. Or maybe “god awful” or the tried and true “terrible” are more appropriate descriptions. They are 31st in points (153 scored this season), total yards, and rushing yards. They’ve also given up a ton of sacks (28, which is also 31st), and have been bad on third downs (ranked 27th). Terry McLaurin is essentially the only statistical bright spot on this offense – his 692 yards is 7th in the NFL. The run game remains statistically bad despite having big game against Dallas back in week 7, with just 738 total yards. At this point, probably nothing can rescue this unit from a statistical perspective, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a decent day against a week Lions defense.
Washington’s defensive statistics are not an accurate reflection of reality, so don’t be fooled. The accumulating stats look better than they should thanks to the bye week; beyond that, this defensive has given up a ton of big plays and has looked bad – really bad – against better teams, and much better against their horrible division rivals in the NFC East.
Record: 2 – 6 (2nd) (Away: 0 – 3; NFC: 2 – 4)
All-time franchise record: 605 – 609 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 31 (points) / 31 (total yards) / 30 (yards per game) / 30 (yards per play) / 27 (passing yards) / 26 (passing yards per att.) / 31 (rushing yards) / 27 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 153 |
| Yards per game | 306.4 |
| Passing
|
282 att (21st); 182 comp; 64.5% comp per. (23rd); 6.8 Y/A; 1713 net yds; 9 TD; 7 Int |
| Passing leader | Haskins (146 att (31st), 939 yds (33rd), 61.0% comp perc, 4 TDs / 3 Int, 80.3 QB rating; Allen (87 att, 610 yds, 69.0% comp perc (6th), 4 TDs / 1 Int, 99.3 QB rating (12th)); Smith (49 att, 362 yds, 67.3% comp perc, 1 TD / 3 Int, 70.3 QB rating) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (692 yds (7th), 77 tgts (7th), 50 rec (13th), 3 TDs, 13.8 YPC) |
| Rushing | 189 att (30th); 738 yds; 3.9 Y/A; 92.3 Y/G (29th); 9 TD |
| Rushing leader | Gibson (90 att (25th), 391 yds (23rd), 5 TDs, 4.3 Y/A (32nd), long 40) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 28 / 31 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 28:48 / 25 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 38.10% / 27 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 58.33% / 22 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 8 (points) / 4 (total yards) / 5 (yards per game surrendered) / 5 (yards per play) / 1 (passing yards) / 17 (passing yards per att.) / 20 (rushing yards) / 15 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 188 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 314.2 |
| Opponent’s passing | 231 att (2nd); 148 comp; 64.1% comp perc. (12th); 7.2 Y/A; 1485 net yds; 11 TDs; QB Rating 87.0 (7th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 240 att (23rd); 1029 yds; 4.3 Y/A; 9 TDs; 128.6 Y/G (23rd) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 27 / 4 / Sweat (5.0) |
| Tackles leader | Bostic (59) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 11 / 8 / Fuller (4) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 40.37% / 12 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 56.52% / 8 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 18.4 Y/R (31st), 16 returns, long 28 yards (31st), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 4.7 Y/R (30th), 18 returns, long 19 yards (21st), 0 TD |
| Kick return defense | 27.7 Y/R (28th), 6 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 5.0 Y/R (5th), 19 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 48.4 Y/P (6th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 15 / 9 / -6 / 29
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 40 / 6
Lions:
The Lions offense is mediocre from a statistical perspective, with 197 points scored (ranked 21st). They are 18th in passing yards and 27th in rushing yards. The Lions have been about the same on third down (ranked 20th) and in the red zone (also 20th). This team is still the Matthew Stafford Experience. His completion percentage and his quarterback rating are about at his career averages, and he had more weapons this year than in years past. They shouldn’t be a huge rushing threat (4.1 yards per carry), but with Peterson no doubt itching to do well against his former team, you never know what could happen against Washington’s poor rushing defense.
Detroit’s defensive statistics are mediocre in some areas and bad in others: they’ve given up 240 points (ranked 26th), and are 19th in total yards, 13th in passing yards, and 29th in rushing yards. They are ranked 27th on third downs and 26th in the red zone. Their biggest weakness is against the run, where they’ve are allowing opposing offenses to average 4.8 yards per run; however, Washington has one of the worst run games in the league, so this is a weakness on weakness situation.
Record: 3 – 5 (4th); Home: 0 – 3; NFC: 2 – 4)
All-time franchise record: 565 – 675 – 33
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
21 (points) / 21 (total yards) / 20 (yards per game) / 19 (yards per play) / 18 (passing yards) / 17 (passing yards per att.) / 27 (rushing yards) / 21 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 197 |
| Yards per game | 359.0 |
| Passing | 291 att (19th); 182 comp; 62.5% comp per. (28th); 7.6 Y/A; 2063 net yds; 15 TDs; 8 Int |
| Passing leader | Stafford (278 att (16th), 2127 yds (13th), 62.6% comp per. (27th), 14 TDs / 7 Int, 92.4 QB rating (23rd)) |
| Reception leader | Amendola (401 yds (43rd), 41 targets, 25 rec, 0 TDs, 16.0 Y/C); Hockenson (360 yds, 49 tgts (49th), 34 rec (40th), 5 TDs, 10.6 Y/C) |
| Rushing | 199 att (27th); 809 yds; 4.1 Y/A; 101.1 Y/G (24th); 7 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Peterson (93 att (22nd), 350 yds (28th), 2 TDs, 3.8 Y/A (45th)), long 27 yds) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 21 / 21 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 29:03 / 21 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 41.18% / 20 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 58.82% / 20 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 26 (points) / 19 (total yards) / 24 (yards per game surrendered) / 24 (yards per play) / 13 (passing yards) / 23 (passing yards per att.) / 29 (rushing yards) / 27 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 240 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 392.0 |
| Opponent’s passing | 266 att (5th); 172 comp; 64.7% comp per. (13th); 7.7 Y/A; 1951 net yds; 17 TDs; QB Rating 101.7 (25th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 247 att (26th); 1185 yds; 4.8 Y/A; 13 TD |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 11 / 28 / Okwara (5.0) |
| Tackles leader | Collins (56) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 5 / 25 / Harmon (2) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 47.96% / 27 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 71.88% / 26 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 22.7 Y/R (13th), 14 returns, long 35 yards (21st), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 10.9 Y/R (8th), 7 returns, long 21 yards (14th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 20.9 Y/R (12th), 29 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 6.0 Y/R (11th), 8 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 52.8 Y/P (1st) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 9 / 7 / -2 / 21
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 46 / 16
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com