Game Preview, Week 3: Raiders at Redskins
September 21, 2017
by Steve Thomas and Sean Conte
Our beloved Washington Redskins got their first victory of the season against Sean McVay and his Los Angeles Rams last week. The Rams, of course, were a bad team last year, with an absolutely horrible offense. This is the polar opposite of this week’s opponent, the Oakland Raiders, featuring newly wealthy franchise quarterback Derek Carr and new running back and Oakland native, Marshawn Lynch. This is without a doubt the sternest test for the Redskins thusfar this season, as the Raiders were an up and coming playoff team in 2016 and have shown no signs of slowing down thusfar in 2017. The Raiders, who admittedly haven’t yet played a team of the Redskins’ caliber, are nonetheless the top-scoring team in the NFL after two games. Add to this the Redskins infamous ability to lay huge, gigantic, stinking eggs in primetime games, and you have the makings of a very tough matchup. If the Redskins want to begin to establish an identity and consistency on both sides of the ball, now would be the time to start. While we can’t in good faith say the Redskins should be favored in this contest given how the season has gone, this isn’t a hopeless cause. The Redskins can win this game, but several things have to go well. What, you make ask, are those things? We just happen to have answers, along with every conceivable bit of information that we could possibly think of that you may need. Read on for the preview.
Game time & location: Sunday, September 24, 8:30 p.m. ET, Fed Ex Field, Raljon, MD; Gates open 6:30 p.m. ET; Red Zone parking lots open 3:30 p.m.; all other parking lots 4:30 p.m.
Television: NBC
Television announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
DC-area radio: ESPN 980
Redskins radio network: http://www.redskins.com/media-gallery/radio-network.html
Raiders radio network: http://www.raiders.com/media-vault/radio-network.html
Satellite radio: XM: 83, 88 (Redskins broad./nat’l broad.); Sirius: 83/88 (Redskins broad./nat’l broad); internet: 831 (Redskins broad.)
Redskins roster: http://www.redskins.com/team/roster.hml
Redskins depth chart: http://www.redskins.com/team/depth-chart.html
Raiders roster: http://www.raiders.com/team/roster.html
Raiders depth chart: http://www.raiders.com/team/depth-chart.html
All-time head-to-head record vs Raiders: 5– 7 – 0 (last 5: 3 – 2)
Last meeting: W, Sept 29, 2013, 24 – 14
Early odds: Raiders, -3
SEAN’S 5 KEYS TO THE VICTORY
Play with Cohesion
No sugar-coating this one; Oakland knows how to put up points…on the ground and through the air. Last week saw no less than three Derek Carr TDs, but it also showed Oakland’s willingness to run the ball 3 times in a row with Marshawn Lynch. The entire defensive squad will need to step up on Sunday, applying consistent pressure to Carr and letting Swearinger do his thing in the box to help with Lynch. Everyone up front needs to play well.
Continue Last Week’s Rushing Success
Oakland gives up a lot of yardage – at least at this early part of the season – though it’s worth noting that both their games this year have been ‘tales of two halves’. In week 1, the unit struggled to stop Tennessee, allowing 5 of their first 6 3rd downs to be converted. They played much better in the second half, as they did last week against the Jets. Long story short, if this team is susceptible, it’s defensively, particularly in the run-game where they let up about 4 yards per carry. Let’s come out aggressive in the first half before they get their bearings.
Play Clean, and Let them Make Mistakes
Oakland’s a young team. That shows in their penalties – last week against the Jets they gave up 9 penalties for almost 100 yards, allowing NY to overcome a two-score deficit in the first half. The Redskins don’t seem to have a commanding grasp of the rulebook either at times, but if we can keep the mental flubs to a minimum we might get some nice gift-wrapped yards from Oakland. Let’s be the more disciplined team for once.
Get Pryor Going
While they’re worse against the run, the Raiders aren’t great against the passing game either. They’re currently sitting in the middle of the pack for pass-defense ratings – for context’s sake, that’s right next to Philly. Hopefully the last two weeks are just a result of Pryor getting warmed up and familiarized with this offense, because he should have opportunities on Sunday.
Keep Spreading the Ball Around
One thing I liked about last week’s game was the utilization of Perine and Chris Thompson in the rushing attack and Crowder and Grant at the receiver position. If Pryor and Reed have off-days, Kirk and Jay’s trust in these guys will be of paramount importance. Let’s keep using our depth to keep the Raiders off-balance, and remember that guys like Crowder have shown a knack for getting things done when others struggle.
SEAN’S 3 KEY MATCHUPS
Khalil Mack vs. O-Line
Khalil Mack is the type of 3-4 back the Redskins have always wanted. He’s mustered more sacks since 2015 than any other player in the league. Expect pressure and be ready for it.
Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper vs. Joshua Norman and Bashaud Breeland
Crabtree averages about 80 a game, Cooper 40. No question that this one-two punch will get a lot of targets. Stay on them.
Derek Carr vs. ???
Containing Carr won’t be easy. Right now he’s on pace to become only the fifth player in NFL history to score 90 touchdowns in his first 50 games. It’s up to the our guys up front to keep consistent pressure on him, and our DB’s to play through the final whistle and prevent anything from developing downfield. Easier said than done, but so it goes.
Sean Cuts to the Chase
I see the 2017 Redskins as a week-to-week boom-or-bust offense. Vegas seems to think we’re better than the stats show after facing two tough defenses, and that might be partially true. I think both teams come away with lots of points in this matchup, but the Raiders ultimately take it. 28 – 24, Oakland.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (as of Friday (active roster only)) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
| Redskins | Raiders |
| TE J. Reed, rib/sternum; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | CB G. Conley, shin; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| S D. Everett, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | TE J. Cook, shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| LB M. Foster, shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | WR A. Cooper, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| RB R. Kelley, rib; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | RB D. Washington, hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| T M. Moses, ankle/shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | DB K. McGill, foot; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| S M. Nicholson, shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | FB/RB J. Olawale, quad; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| CB J. Norman, shoulder; Wed: LP: Thurs: LP; ; Fri: LP; game: Q | CB S. Smith, neck; Wed; FP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; game: Q |
| WR J. Doctson, hamstring; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| C S. Long, knee; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| RB C. Thompson, back; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
TEAM STATISTICS
Redskins:
This is the first week that we’ve starting reporting the aggregated weekly statistical rankings for 2017, but I’ll caution readers up front that it’s too early to put too much stock into them. In week 3, film and game observations will be more insightful than season rankings. For example, the Redskins are actually 3rd in rushing yards; however, Redskins fans know that week 1 featured a running game with precisely zero redeeming qualities, and week 2 was the rare game where coach Gruden elected to feature the run and found great success in doing so. Therefore, despite the 3rd place ranking, it’s tough to predict which version of the Redskins running game will show up against the Raiders on Sunday. That having been said, what can be gleaned from the offensive rankings is that the Redskins passing game has taken a big step back thusfar in 2017 from its fearsome 2016 campaign. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is on a medicore pace so far, which is a direct cause behind the Redskins mediocre total point rankings (12th). Also, the sometimes questionable offensive line play has manifested itself in quite a few sacks surrendered, by Redskins standards, as Cousins has already been sacked 6 times, which is ranked 20th in the NFL.
Defensively, the 2017 Redskins have been poor, statistically, thusfar. They are ranked near the bottom in points surrendered, total yards, yards per game, passing yards, and passing yards per attempt. Further, one of the Redskins’ achilles heals from 2016, opponents’ third down conversion rate, has gotten off to a similar start again this year, with a 50% conversion rate (ranked 28 in the NFL) after two contests. Rushing-wise, neither the Eagles nor the Rams did significant damage on the ground, at least by 2016 Redskins standards, and that is reflected in the Redskins decent rushing rankings. Again, though, a word of caution: it’s too early to put too much stock into these rankings as an accurate measure given that only 2 games have passed. Certainly, the Oakland Raiders offense poses the biggest test the Redskins have faced yet, and will go a long way towards showing what this defense is capable of.
Record 1 – 1, 1st place (tied) (Home: 0 – 1)
All-time franchise record: 587 – 573 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 12 (points) / 14 (total yards) / 15 (yards per game) / 14 (yards per play) / 21 (passing yards) / 24 (passing yards per att.) / 3 (rushing yards) / 3 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 44 |
| Yards per game | 324.5 |
| Passing
|
67 att (14); 41 comp; 62.1% comp per. (20); 6.3 Y/A; 356 net yds; 2 TD; 1 Int |
| Passing leader | Cousins (67 att, 41 comp, 419 yds (17th), 61.2% comp perc., 2 TDs / 1 Int, 82.9 QB rating (20th)) |
| Receiving leader | Terrelle Pryor (97 yds (47th), 8 rec, 0 TDs, 12.1 Y/C); Jordan Reed (84 yds, 11 rec (15th), 0 TDs, 7.6 Y/C); |
| Rushing | 56 att (15th); 293 yds; 5.2 Y/A; 146.5 Y/G; 2 TD |
| Rushing leader | Robert Kelley (22 att (24th), 108 yds (19th), 0 TD, 4.9 Y/A (8th), long 21) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 6 / 20 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 31:01 / 13 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 33.3% / 24 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 33.3% / 23 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 27 (points) / 27 (total yards) / 26 (yards per game surrendered) / 28 (yards per play) / 28 (passing yards) / 28 (passing yards per att.) / 9 (rushing yards) / 11 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 50 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 344.0 |
| Opponent’s passing | 65 att (14th); 42 comp; 64.6% comp perc. (18th); 8.6 Y/A; 538 net yds; 3 TD; QB Rating 94.3 (21st) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 45 att (11th); 1916 yds; 4.5 Y/A; 19 TD; 75.0 Y/G (9th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 4 / 18 / Preston Smith (2.0) |
| Tackles leader | Zach Brown (15) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 2 / 4 / Ryan Kerrigan, Mason Foster (1) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 50.0% / 28 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 60.0% / 20 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 18.6 Y/R (20th), 5 returns, long 24 yards, 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 4.0 Y/R (25th), 4 returns, long 13 yards (19th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 6.0 Y/R (15th), 4 returns, 0 TD |
| Punt return defense | 16.8 Y/R (8th), 4 returns, 0 TD |
| Punting | 45.8 Y/P (13th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 4 / 4 / 0 / 15
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 6 / 3
Raiders:
The Raiders offense has been a juggernaut in the first two weeks of the season – 1st in total points scored, 4th in total yards, 2nd in yards per play, 5th in rushing yards, and 3rd in third down conversions. Quarterback Derek Carr has a QB rating of 126.5, which is third in the NFL. That having been said, though, the Raiders have played the Titans and the Jets, two franchises which are currently playing in the shallow end of the pool, with the atrocious-in-every-way Jets currently drowning in the wading pool. As a result, it’s possible that the Raiders won’t be quite as much of a juggernaut when faced with better defenses (yes, I think the Redskins defense is better than the Titans, despite the rankings). As stated above, though, this is the most difficult challenge thusfar for the Redskins defense. Statistically, the Raiders offense has been good to great at most facets of the game. Oh yeah, and their punter is currently averaging 54 yards per punt.
Defensively, the Raiders have been less successful, posting largely mediocre numbers despite the fact that the Jets have a terrible offense, on paper at least, although to be fair, the Jets’ offense has been slightly better than the worst so far (hello, Cincinnati; stayed tuned). The 2017 statistics show that the Raiders may be slightly more vulnerable against the run, being currently ranked 19th and 25th in total rushing yards surrendered and rushing yards per attempt, respectively. Therefore, look for the Redskins to once again try to achieve run/pass balance in order both exploit the weaknesses of the Raiders defense and keep the Raiders offense off the field.
Record: 2 – 0, 1st place (tied) (Away: 1 – 0)
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 1 (points) / 4 (total yards) / 4 (yards per game) / 2 (yards per play) / 13 (passing yards) / 5 (passing yards per att.) / 5 (rushing yards) / 3 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 71 |
| Yards per game | 384.5 |
| Passing | 60 att (21st); 45 comp; 75.0% comp per. (2nd); 8.2 Y/A; 480 net yds; 5 TD; 0 Int |
| Passing leader | Carr (60 att (20th), 492 yds (13th), 75.0% comp per., 5 TDs / 0 Int, 126.5 QB rating (3rd)) |
| Reception leader | Crabtree (163 yds (6th), 12 rec (12th), 3 TD, 13.6 Y/C) |
| Rushing | 56 att (10th); 289 yds; 5.2 Y/A; 144.5 Y/G (5th); 3 TD |
| Rushing leader | Lynch (30 att (14th), 121 yds (11th), 1 TD, 4.0 Y/A (15th), long 14 yds) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 2 / 1 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 31:20 / 11 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 54.2% / 3 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 71.43% / 7 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 11 (points) / 18 (total yards) / 17 (yards per game surrendered) / 20 (yards per play) / 14 (passing yards) / 12 (passing yards per att.) / 19 (rushing yards) / 25 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 36 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 310.5 |
| Opponent’s passing | 66 att (15th); 42 comp; 63.6% comp per. (15th); 6.4 Y/A; 400 net yds; 2 TD; QB Rating 91.0 (11th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 46 att (14th); 221 yds; 4.8 Y/A; 1 TD |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 5 / 14 / Edwards (2.0) |
| Tackles leader | Carrie (11) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 0 / 32 / none (0) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 53.85 %/ 30 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 40.0% / 12 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 27.8 Y/R (2nd), 4 returns, long 41 yards, 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 6.0 Y/R (21st), 3 returns, long 13 yards (19th), 0 TD |
| Kick return defense | 27.3 Y/R (29th), 3 returns, 0 TD |
| Punt return defense | 5.3 Y/R (13th), 3 returns, 0 TD |
| Punting | 54.0 Y/P (1st) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 0 / 2 / +2 / 4
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 14 / 17
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com