Game Preview, Week 8: Washington at Broncos
October 29, 2021
by Steve Thomas
Washington’s losing streak grew longer last week with a 24 – 10 loss to the Packers. Although they have to travel again this week, their week 8 matchup may be a bit easier, as they travel to Denver to face the 3 – 4 Broncos. Washington desperately needs a win in order to get their season back on track, and Denver may just be the perfect place to do it, at least as far as AFC opponents go. They’ll need to get a stronger and better performance, with fewer mistakes, from their offense in order to make that happen. Washington’s defense had a fairly strong performance last week, at least by 2021’s miserable standards, so let’s hope the team can build on their success and hold the Broncos offense in check. Can that actually happen? We’ll see. Our game preview begins below.
Game time & location: Sunday, October 31, 2021, 4:25 p.m. ET, Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO; Gates open 2:25 a.m. ET; parking lots open 11:25 a.m.
Television: Fox
Television announcers: Brandon Gaudin, Mark Schlereth
TV broadcast map: click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Washington radio network: click here
Packers radio network: click here
Satellite radio: Sirius XM: 226 (Broncos broad.); internet: 831 (Washington broad.)
Redskins roster: click here
Redskins depth chart: click here
Broncos roster: click here
Broncos depth chart: click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Broncos: 6 – 7 (last 5: 3 – 2; streak: 0 – 1)
Last meeting: W, December 24, 2017, 27 – 11
Early odds: Broncos, -3.5
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Third down defense
Washington’s has been historically bad on third downs so far this year – they have been the second-worst team in NFL history since 1940, which is a level of futility that’s hard to fathom. The simple fact is that Washington isn’t going to win many – if any – games if they can’t stop anybody on third down. Even against Denver, which doesn’t have an overly productive offense, a major key to this game is to stop the opposing offense from marching and down the field. Keep a close eye on whether Washington can do better this week than they have all yeawr.
Capitalize on Denver’s poor secondary
Denver’s secondary has at least been statistically decent, but the starters at corner are rookie Patrick Surtain II and last year’s starter in Washington, Ronald Darby, along with safeties Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons. Terry McLaurin ought to be able to take advantage of those matchups. Furthermore, because Denver has been better against the run, Washington will need to have a balanced offensive attack. This means that the passing game will need to have a good amount of success on Sunday.
Improved zone defense against Denver’s huge wide receivers
Denver has a number of large receiving targets: receivers Cortland Sutton and Tim Patrick, and receiving tight end Noah Fant are all 6’4”. Washington may not have the personnel to physically match up in too much man coverage against receivers of that size, particularly if William Jackson III is healthy. Washington’s secondary played much better in zone coverage against Green Bay last week, and they’ll need to have another strong game this week in Denver.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
William Jackson III and Kendall Fuller vs. Courtland Sutton
With Jerry Jeudy on injured reserve, Courtland Sutton is Denver’s #1 target, and at 6’4”, he towers over many of Washington’s defensive backs. The job of making him inefficient falls principally to Washington’s two outside corners, Jackson (assuming he plays) and Fuller. It’s obviously been a tough year for Jackson in terms of the results he’s produced, but this is going to be another tough matchup. Keep an eye out on how much press-man coverage Jackson plays on Sutton and the statistics Sutton produces.
Charles Leno and Cornelius Lucas vs. Von Miller
First of all, Von Miller may not play in this game, as he didn’t practice on either Wednesday or Thursday, but assuming he does, he’ll be the premier player on the field and will be a pass-rushing force that Washington needs to deal with in order to keep Taylor Heinicke upright. This job will mainly fall to Washington’s two tackles, Leno and Lucas. Assuming Miller plays, watch out for how much of an impact he has on Washington’s offense and how well Leno and Lucas are doing against him.
Jamin Davis and Cole Holcomb vs. Noah Fant
This matchup may seem to be a bit off the beaten path, but we all know how well Washington typically does against tight ends. Fant hasn’t produced huge stats yet, but he has done fairly well, and his uber-athletic ability automatically puts Washington at an even bigger disadvantage. Davis is just as athletic, but whether he’s ready for this kind of a challenge is another question. It wouldn’t be surprising if Fant’s breakout game comes this Sunday. Davis and Holcomb – who isn’t good in coverage either – have a big challenge on their hands that could end up being very important to this game.
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 | Broncos |
| WR D. Brown, knee; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | OLB V. Miller, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: Q |
| T S. Cosmi, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | DL M. Purcell, thumb; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| WR T. McLaurin, hamstring; Wed: DNP; Thurs: FP; Fri; FP | T G. Bolles, foot; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| WR C. Samuel, groin; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | WR T. Cleveland, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| G W. Schweitzer, neck; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | S J. Johnson, quad; Wed: LP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| WR A. Gibson, shin; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | OLB A. Patrick, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP |
| CB W. Jackson III, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP Fri: LP; game: Q | OLB M. Reed, hip; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| G B. Scherff, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | ILB B. Browning, concussion; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| TE R. Seals-Jones, quad; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | OLB J. Cooper, shoulder; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| WR C. Sims, hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | DE S. Harris, wrist; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; Fri: FP |
| CB D. Johnson, wrist; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | QB T. Bridgewater, oblique, Wed: NL; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| TE. Sternberger, foot; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| T C. Lucas, illness; Wed: NL; Thurs: NL; Fri: DNP; game: O |
TEAM STATISTICS
Washington:
Washington’s offense has scored 146 points, which is ranked 20th, and is 16th in total yards, 18th in passing yards, 8th in rushing yards, and 9th in rushing yards per attempt. Taylor Heinicke’s passing stats remain mediocre – his 86.8 quarterback rating is ranked 24th. Washington is ranked 24th in time of possession and 29th in the red zone. Heinicke’s big rushing day against the Packers helped increase the team’s rushing up to 4.6 yards per attempt, which is ranked 9th.
Washington’s defense has given up 210 points, which is the most in the NFL. They are ranked 30th in total yards, last in passing yards surrendered, and 14th in rushing yards. Washington’s third down defense is atrocious – the second-worst through seven games in NFL since 1940. Yes, that’s a true statistic. Washington has 15 sacks on the season, which is ranked 17th, despite the presence of four first round draft picks in the defensive front 4.
Record: 2 – 5 (4th) (Home: 1 – 2; AFC: 0 – 3)
All-time franchise record: 612 – 617 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 20 (points) / 16 (total yards) / 20 (yards per game) / 21 (yards per play) / 18 (passing yards) / 23 (passing yards per att.) / 8 (rushing yards) / 9 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 146 |
| Yards per game | 349.6 |
| Passing
|
241 att (14th); 154 comp; 63.9% comp per. (23rd); 6.9 Y/A; 1614 net yds; 10 TD; 17 Int |
| Passing leader | Heinicke (235 att (14th), 1658 yds (22nd), 64.3% comp perc (26th), 10 TDs / 7 Int, 86.8 QB rating (24th) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (550 yds (8th), 69 tgts (5th), 40 rec (12th), 4 TDs, 13.8 YPC (37th)) |
| Rushing | 183 att (11th); 833 yds; 4.6 Y/A; 119.0 Y/G (13th); 5 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Gibson (103 att (5th), 408 yds (12th), 3 TDs (25th), 4.0 Y/A (33rd), long 27) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 10 / 8 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 28:45 / 24 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 34.52% / 25 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 50.0% / 29 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 32 (points) / 30 (total yards) / 29 (yards per game surrendered) / 25 (yards per play) / 32 (passing yards) / 24 (passing yards per att.) / 14 (rushing yards) / 7 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 210 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 406.0 |
| Opponent’s passing | 277 att (29th); 185 comp; 66.8% comp perc. (21st); 7.9 Y/A; 2104 net yds; 19 TDs; QB Rating 107.3 (29th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 184 att (20th); 738 yds; 4.0 Y/A; 6 TDs; 105.4 Y/G (10th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 15 / 17 / Allen (5.0) |
| Tackles leader | Holcomb (64) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 4 / 24 / Fuller, Holcomb, Jackson, McCain (1) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 56.86% / 32 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 58.62% / 15 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 25.6 Y/R (4th), 21 returns, long 101 yards (2nd), 1 TD |
| Punt returns | 9.5 Y/R (11th), 4 returns, long 14 yards (29th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 22.9 Y/R (22nd), 8 returns (9th), 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 9.8 Y/R (25th), 13 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 49.7 Y/P (4th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 10 / 7 / -3 / 27
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 43 / 18
Broncos:
The Broncos have scored 140 points, which is ranked 22nd in the NFL. They are ranked 18th in total yards, 13th in passing yards, 15th in rushing yards, and 12th in rushing yards per attempt. The Broncos are bad on first down (ranked 27th) and in the red zone (ranked 29th).
Denver has only surrendered 127 points, which is ranked 4th. However, they’ve given up more yards than is to be expected given the low number of points – the Broncos are ranked 11th in total yards surrendered, 14th in passing yards, and 11th in both rushing yards and rushing yards per attempt. Their 3rd down defense is bad (ranked 27th), but are better in the red zone (13th).
Record: 3 – 4 (4th); Home: 1 – 2; NFC: 1 – 0)
All-time franchise record: 491 – 439 – 10
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
22 (points) / 18 (total yards) / 22 (yards per game) / 23 (yards per play) / 13 (passing yards) / 21 (passing yards per att.) / 15 (rushing yards) / 12 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 140 |
| Yards per game | 347.6 |
| Passing | 252 att (9th); 174 comp; 69.0% comp per. (6th); 7.2 Y/A; 1687 net yds; 12 TDs; 6 Int |
| Passing leader | Bridgewater (231 att (15th), 1701 yds (18th), 70.1% comp per. (5th), 12 TDs / 5 Int, 99.5 QB rating (13th)) |
| Reception leader | Sutton (539 yds (10th), 58 targets (14th), 38 rec (17th), 2 TDs (90th), 14.2 Y/C (33rd) |
| Rushing | 167 att (23rd); 746 yds; 4.5 Y/A; 106.6 Y/G (18th); 3 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Gordon (78 att (19th), 350 yds (21st), 2 TDs (46th), 4.5 Y/A (24th), long 70 yds (3rd)) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 21 / 29 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 31:37 / 9 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 31.82% / 27 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 50.0% / 29 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 4 (points) / 11 (total yards) / 5 (yards per game surrendered) / 15 (yards per play) / 14 (passing yards) / 15 (passing yards per att.) / 11 (rushing yards) / 11 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 127 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 323.4 |
| Opponent’s passing | 227 att (14th); 131 comp; 57.7% comp per. (1st); 7.3 Y/A; 1569 net yds; 8 TDs; QB rating 84.9 (7th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 170 att (14th); 695 yds; 4.1 Y/A; 6 TDs |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 15 / 17 / Miller (4.5) |
| Tackles leader | Jackson (43) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 4 / 24 / Jackson, Simmons, Sterns, Surtain (1) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 45.05% / 27 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 57.14% / 13 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 18.0 Y/R (30th), 11 returns, long 23 yards (32nd), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 10.2 Y/R (7th), 13 returns, long 25 yards (7th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 33.5 Y/R (32nd), 8 returns, 1 TD |
| Punt return defense | 9.6 Y/R (23rd), 9 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 45.6 Y/P (21st) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 9 / 6 / -3 / 27
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 40 / 13
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com