Game Preview, Week 11: Jets at Redskins
November 15, 2019
by Steve Thomas
This one’s going to be a real barnburner, with two of the four worst teams in the NFL facing off in a battle of the titans on Sunday afternoon. Regardless of whether you actually want the Redskins to win (spoiler alert: I do; the draft can wait), the fact of the matter is that, understanding that they already beat both Dallas and Philadelphia in their only two wins of the season, the Jets are a still terrible team that Washington should beat. The Redskins could easily play down to the level of the competition, of course – and said level isn’t much lower than their own, so it’s not like you should expect a blowout. All the same, though, this is one of the few possible victories left on the roster, so enjoy it while you can. The crowd at Fed Ex will be nonexistent and the game will on be televised on only a handful of network stations across the country, as it’s not exactly a priority for the NFL. It has the possibility of being the opposite of the Seahawks – 49ers game this past Monday. But it’s a new day, because rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins is making his Fed Ex Field debut as the newly anointed starter, so his performance is undoubtedly the biggest storyline of the week for Washington. Here’s our weekly game preview.
Game time & location: Sunday, November 17, 2019, 1:00 p.m. ET, Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, Raljon, MD; Gates open 11:00 a.m. ET; Red Zone parking lots open 8:00 a.m.; all other parking lots 9:00 a.m.
Television: CBS
Television announcers: Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber, Sara Walsh
TV broadcast map: Click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Redskins radio network: Click here
Jets radio network: Click here
Satellite radio: XM: 228 (Redskins broad.) Sirius: 113 (Redskins broad); internet: 831 (Redskins broad.)
Redskins roster: Click here
Redskins depth chart: Click here
Jets roster: Click here
Jets depth chart: Click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Jets: 8 – 3 (last 5: 3 – 2) (streak: 0 – 2)
Last meeting: L, October 18, 2015, 20 – 34
Early odds: Redskins, -1.5
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Open up the offensive playbook
The Jets feature a legit run defense, #1 in the NFL as measured by yards per attempt. If there was ever a week for Bill Callahan to give rookie quarterback Dwayne a bit of leeway and opening up the passing game, this is it. It’s likely that the Redskins will have to generate yards and points in the air, because the Jets haven’t let a team gain significant yardage on the ground all year.
Blitz Sam Darnold like there’s no tomorrow
Sam Darnold has two problems: (1) he isn’t very good, and (2) his offensive line has problems protecting him. The Jets also don’t have a ton of weapons in their receiving corps. This means that the Redskins need to put significant pressure on the quarterback this week, as in, blitz Darnold relentlessly to keep him off balance and uncomfortable. Darnold has a problem with basically anything that isn’t his first read – the Jets offense tries to survive on a series of first-read short passes to the flats. The Redskins need to hit Darnold, repeatedly, and not let him get settled and comfortable in the pocket.
Make sure Le’Veon Bell isn’t allowed to get the old magic back
Bell has had a bad year, and in my view he either looks hurt or washed up. Bell doesn’t seem to have the ability to burst into and out of holes like he did in Pittsburgh. This is also a function of a poor offensive line. Regardless, not letting Bell recapture the old magic and take over the game is critical to Washington’s success this week. The Jets have had a bad rushing attack thusfar in 2019, and this needs to continue for one more week.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
Fabian Moreau vs Jamison Crowder
Slot receiver Jamison Crowder is one of the Jets’ few young and talented receiving threats. Washington’s ability to keep Crowder from being a solid option for Darnold this week will be important, and for the Redskins, this is most likely going to fall principally with nickel corner Fabian Moreau. Fabian has not had a particularly good season and doesn’t seem very comfortable in the inside role, but his performance against Crowder is a major key to a Redskins’ victory this week.
Jenkins leads the Jets with five sacks on the year. The last thing a young quarterback like Haskins needs is to get significant pressure off the edge. Penn has done a decent job in replacement of Trent Williams this year, and he faces another challenge this week. Giving Haskins time to operate will be a critical part of success in this game, even moreso because room for the Redskins to run the ball will probably be limited. Keep an eye out of Jenkins vs Penn.
Terry McLaurin vs Nate Hairston and Darryl Roberts
An integral part of getting production out of the passing game this week means that the Redskins need to use McLaurin to the maximum possible extent. Given what he’s already accomplished this year, McLaurin should be able to beat the Jets’ two starting corners, Hairston and Roberts. I think the entire Redskins fanbase would like nothing better than to see a few long strikes from Haskins to McLaurin. Washington needs this to happen against a defense like the Jets, which specializes in stopping the run.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (as of Thursday (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
| Redskins | Jets |
| DT T. Settle, hamstring; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | RB J. Adams, illness; Wed: DNP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| WR P. Richardson, hamstring; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | RB L. Bell, ribs/knee/illness; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| RB W. Smallwood, NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs: NL; Fri: NL | LB B. Copeland, hip/thumb; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| RB C. Thompson, toe; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | LB C.J. Mosley, groin; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| TE V. Davis, concussion; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: O | DB D. Roberts, calf; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: D |
| S D. Everett, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | DB M. Farley, quad; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| S M. Nicholson, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: LP; game: Q | DL H. Anderson, shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; game: Q |
| CB J. Norman, hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | WR R. Anderson, back/shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP |
| RB A. Peterson, toe; Wed: LP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP | OL K. Beachum, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| LB N. Hewitt, neck/knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | |
| OL R. Kalil, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: Q | |
| OL A. Lewis, elbow; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | |
| DL S. McLendon, Neck; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | |
| WR D. Thomas, knee/hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | |
| QB S. Darnold, left thumb; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| WR J. Crowder, knee/quad; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| WR B. Berrios, hamstring/hip; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| TE R. Griffin, ankle; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| OL T. Compton, back; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| LB J. Jenkins, calf; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| DB B. Austin, knee; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| DB N. Hairston, thumb/knee; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| LB P. Worrilow, quad; Wed: NL; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP |
TEAM STATISTICS
Redskins:
The Redskins are officially the lowest scoring offense in the league this year, having failed to score a touchdown for 13 straight quarters. Washington is 30th in total yards, 31st in passing yards, 32nd in time of possession, and 32nd in pass attempts. They have improved in all rushing stats, though, thanks to interim head coach Bill Callahan’s run-centric offense: they are now averaging 4.3 yards per attempts and 89.4 yards per game, which isn’t great, but it’s worlds apart from the numbers the team was posting under former head coach Jay Gruden. Too much running isn’t necessarily a good thing against a team like the Jets, though, who have actually been successful against the run this year in spite of their lost season.
Washington’s defensive numbers are slightly better than their offensive stats. The team is now ranked 19th in both points and yards surrendered, an upper-middle 12th in passing yardage, and 25th in rushing yardage. Against any other team, these rankings may spell doom, but considering the Jets have without a doubt the statistically worst offense in football, the Redskins truly should have the advantage. Famous last words, no doubt.
Record: 1 – 8 (4th) (Home: 0 – 4; AFC: 1 – 2)
All-time franchise record: 601 – 598 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 32 (points) / 30 (total yards) / 30 (yards per game) / 28 (yards per play) / 31 (passing yards) / 23 (passing yards per att.) / 26 (rushing yards) / 18 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 108 |
| Yards per game | 259.1 |
| Passing
|
259 att (32nd); 171 comp; 66.0% comp per. (11th); 6.8 Y/A; 1527 net yds; 9 TD; 9 Int |
| Passing leader | Keenum (188 att, 1343 yds (29th), 67.0% comp perc (11th), 9 TDs / 4 Int, 94.8 QB rating (16th) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (497 yds (39th), 52 tgts (59th), 32 rec (70th), 5 TD, 15.5 YPC) |
| Rushing | 186 att (31st); 805 yds; 4.3 Y/A; 89.4 Y/G (25th); 2 TD |
| Rushing leader | Peterson (115 att (19th), 491 yds (17th), 1 TD, 4.3 Y/A (28th), long 29) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 26 / 21 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 26:27 / 32 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 24.18% / 31 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 35.29% / 29 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 19 (points) / 19 (total yards) / 21 (yards per game surrendered) / 17 (yards per play) / 12 (passing yards) / 24 (passing yards per att.) / 25 (rushing yards) / 16 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 219 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 366.1 |
| Opponent’s passing | 284 att (4th); 206 comp; 72.5% comp perc. (32nd); 7.7 Y/A; 2071 net yds; 15 TDs; QB Rating 100.7 (26th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 290 att (30th); 1224 yds; 4.2 Y/A; 8 TD; 136.0 Y/G (28th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 21 /23 / Ioannidis (4.5) |
| Tackles leader | Collins (79) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 8 / 12 / Dunbar (3) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 50.0% / 32 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 52.94% / 13 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 22.2 Y/R (17th), 18 returns, long 45 yards (15th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 6.4 Y/R (22nd), 10 returns, long 15 yards (29th), 0 TD |
| Kick return defense | 28.0 Y/R (29th), 6 returns, 0 TD |
| Punt return defense | 9.1 Y/R (26th), 20 returns, 0 TD |
| Punting | 48.4 Y/P (1st) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 14 / 11 / -3 / 24
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 65 / 13
Jets:
The Jets’ offense is pathetic, ranking last in the NFL in total yards, yards per play, passing yards, passing yards per attempt, and third down conversions, and 31st in rushing yards. This team does not have one thing it does well offensively that I can point to as a strength on which the Redskins need to focus. They are awful, and it’s a miracle that they mustered up enough points to actually beat the Giants.
New York’s defense is another story entirely. Shockingly, this team is #1 in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt and #2 in total rushing yards surrendered, with opposing offenses averaging just 3.0 yards per carry. Of course, the Redskins’ well-known preference is to run the ball as much as possible, no matter what, so this is a case of strength meeting strength, and something’s going to give. Considering that the Jets’ pass defense is significantly weaker (ranked 20th in opposing quarterback rating), it seems mandatory that this is the week for the Redskins to change their run-first philosophy and give Haskins the leeway to throw the ball downfield more than he did last week.
Record: 2 – 7 (4th) (Away: 0 – 4; NFC: 2 – 1)
All-time franchise record: 403 – 498 – 8
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
30 (points) / 32 (total yards) / 32 (yards per game) / 32 (yards per play) / 32 (passing yards) / 32 (passing yards per att.) / 31 (rushing yards) / 21 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 130 |
| Yards per game | 231.3 |
| Passing | 283 att (28th); 179 comp; 63.3% comp per. (21st); 6.1 Y/A; 1476 net yds; 7 TDs; 12 Int |
| Passing leader | Darnold (204 att, 1307 yds (31st), 63.2% comp per., 7 TDs / 9 Int, 74.5 QB rating (34th)) |
| Reception leader | Crowder (486 yds (40th), 65 targets (30th), 48 rec (30th), 2 TD, 10.1 Y/C) |
| Rushing | 188 att (30th); 606 yds; 3.2 Y/A; 67.3 Y/G (31st); 4 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Bell (143 att (12th), 449 yds (21st), 2 TDs, 3.1 Y/A (47th), long 19 yds) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 39 / 31 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 27:59 / 29 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 23.68% / 32 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 53.33% / 19 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 23 (points) / 13 (total yards) / 15 (yards per game surrendered) / 8 (yards per play) / 22 (passing yards) / 18 (passing yards per att.) / 2 (rushing yards) / 1 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 238 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 344.3 |
| Opponent’s passing | 341 att (23rd); 221 comp; 64.8% comp per. (20th); 7.3 Y/A; 2362 net yds; 16 TD; QB Rating 96.0 (20th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 245 att (19th); 737 yds; 3.0 Y/A; 10 TD |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 19 / 28 / Jenkins (5.0) |
| Tackles leader | Adams (52) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 5 / 25 / Adams, Roberts, Hewitt, Johnson, Mosley (1) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 45.04% / 28 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 67.86% / 31 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 23.3 Y/R (11th), 18 returns, long 78 yards (4th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 7.4 Y/R (14th), 11 returns, long 17 yards (26th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 18.8 Y/R (3rd), 12 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 7.1 Y/R (16th), 31 returns, 0 TD |
| Punting | 46.7 Y/P (7th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 17 / 12 / -5 / 25
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 77 / 28
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com