Who, and what, we’ll be watching for tonight vs. the New York Jets:
RB Willie Parker. He’ll get his first start, and first chance to prove he can still be an effective back. That hasn’t been noticeable in practice, but it’s hard for running backs to be accurately assessed in that setting. He primarily likes to run outside, but he’ll have to show more if he wants to pass others. Certainly he’d like to find better holes than Larry Johnson had last week. But good backs can make something out of nothing. Can he still do that? Also, he must pass protect better. A lot better. There’s no way he can be trusted right now in pass protection. How big of an issue will that be?
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WR Joey Galloway. If he’s going to be the Redskins No. 2 receiver, it would be nice if he, you know, actually caught a pass this preseason. Galloway is 38 and coming off two poor seasons. Would be nice to see a sign that he can still contribute. He flashed a little in practices, but it seems as if they’re trying to save his legs in the preseason games. That’s fine, but a guy who was cut twice last season needs to show what he can still do.
NG Maake Kemoeatu. He’ll be facing an All-Pro center in Nick Mangold. Kemoeatu still doesn’t seem all the way back after his Achilles injury from last year. Can he hold up against Mangold – and not get shoved back? Thus far, Kemoeatu has been average. Have seen him get moved back, but also have watched him hold his ground in the middle. He’s on the field to help the linebackers stop the run. The Jets like to run the ball.
LB Brian Orakpo. One of the best matchups of the night involves Orakpo and LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Orakpo has done a solid job rushing the passer, using his explosive hips to power blockers. He’s getting much deeper than anyone else and is forcing the QB to step up – most of the time no one else is there to clean up. But Ferguson is an excellent tackle; how will Orakpo fare?
C Casey Rabach. Rabach does not fare well against big nose tackles. Last week, whenever he had to block straight up, especially in pass protection, he struggled. So what does he draw this week? A big nose tackle in Kris Jenkins. That’s bad news on straight drop-backs, but if the Redskins slant their line and slide the pocket, Rabach will survive. He’s undersized when facing most 3-4 nose tackles, so he needs to be on the move.
NT Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth won’t start, but he is expected to get some time with the No. 1 defense in the nickel packages. If the Redskins are to have a top pass rush, it’s imperative that Haynesworth plays a role. It will help them disguise defenses and his presence will free linebackers on blitzes. That’s why it would be difficult to trade him now; who up front would help them provide matchup issues for the opposition? Nobody. He sets up the rest of the rush. And after last week, it’ll be interesting to see if Haynesworth talks after the game. Hint: it’s doubtful. Darn.
QB Rex Grossman. Considering that Donovan McNabb has played 16 games only once in the past six seasons (and missed 18 in that stretch), it’s likely Rex Grossman will start at some point this season. Is that a comforting thought? You’ll get a chance to see if it is tonight. And maybe it’s a good thing that Grossman gets some time with the first unit, just so there’s some familiarity. Grossman often makes errant passes under duress. Kyle Shanahan’s mantra this week with him was, “live to play another down.” Sounds good during the week; will he do that while on the run?
Run defense. The Jets have an excellent offensive line and therefore one of the top rushing attacks. However Mark Sanchez improves, the key to New York’s offense is the run. Will the Redskins be able to handle it? Can the front keep London Fletcher clean to allow him to make tackles?
Handling the blitz. The starting offensive line did a decent job in pass protection last week, but the blitz pickups behind them needed some work. Yes, some linemen got beat on rushes, but some of the issues stemmed from a failure to pick up blitzes. In some cases, the scheme left the quarterback unprotected. To compensate, the Redskins’ line must do a better job in their slide protection techniques, buying the quarterback extra time to sprint to a side.
Return duties. Brandon Banks, Terrence Austin, Keiland Williams … all have had shots returning punts or kickoffs. Only Banks has shown anything. The other two have shown that they have more to learn about returning kickoffs, showing patience behind the wedge.
