Keys to victory 1 Rattle Matt Moore » The Dolphins did a good job vs. Kansas City last week of negating a pass rush through play design. It prevented the Chiefs from using a lot of blitzes. Moore was sacked 16 times in his previous four games, but none last week. If the Dolphins try this again, it’ll make it difficult for Washington to blitz and apply consistent pressure. Moore is inconsistent and can’t be given time.
2 Beware of Brandon Marshall » The Dolphins’ receiver, and former player under Mike Shanahan in Denver, is a big-time target who blends size (6-foot-4) and enough speed to be dangerous downfield. But the real threat is being able to control the game with passes underneath. The Redskins have smaller corners and can be muscled inside. Marshall has caught at least four passes in every game and has caught at least six in four of the past five.
3 Big plays » The Redskins have allowed too many long runs, which sustains drives and leads to points. Poor tackling or blown assignments are the culprits, but it’s happened too often. Reggie Bush is capable of stinging them if this happens. Meanwhile, in the last two games Washington has two plays longer than 20 yards. The Redskins lack the talent to win with consistent long drives. They also need help from the defense and special teams with big plays of their own.
Key matchups
LB Brian Orakpo
He needs to make more game-changing plays, but he does have 5 ? sacks.
vs.
LT Jake Long
The three-time Pro Bowl tackle has started all 54 games in his 31Ú2-year career.
RT Sean Locklear
The backup is more comfortable on this side, but needs a better showing.
vs.
LB Cameron Wake
Some games he’s good, other times he’s not. But he has 5 ? sacks.
SS LaRon Landry
His speed and ability to play near the line is vital in stopping Bush.
vs.
RB Reggie Bush
The speedy Bush is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has 24 receptions.
Expert’s Take
“[Dolphins QB Matt Moore] doesn’t have the feel for understanding coverage and processing information the way I thought he would. He’s not as accurate as he needs to be because he doesn’t have the big arm. Last week he made very accurate throws so he looked good and he did beautiful things on designs so the throws were there. [But] he’s erratic in terms of processing information and reading defenses and erratic with his accuracy.”
– Greg Cosell, senior producer NFL Films
Examiner Predicts …
The easy storyline is John Beck returning to his first NFL city and winning. But the Redskins have shown no signs of turning anything around. The Dolphins have.
Dolphins 16, Redskins 10
