With ¼ of the season behind us, teams are beginning to find their place. For the Washington Redskins, the time to make a move is now. With the New York Giants struggling and a divisional game next week against the Philadelphia Eagles, now is as good of time as any. This week is a cross-conference match-up against the Baltimore Ravens. Here are 5 Keys for the Redskins to gain victory over the Ravens.
Continued run success
The Washington Redskins need to continue to run the football. Over the past two weeks, there has been a renewed dedication to the ground game. In last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns, the Redskins ran the ball 28 times. There is a need to be in that 25-35 carry range for offensive success. Teams are going to play back and bait QB Kirk Cousins into mistakes. If the Redskins can run the ball, it will take this type of umbrella defense away and open up the playbook.
Pass rush
There is a much-needed need for a strong pass rush this week. If the Redskins can create some pressure on Joe Flacco, they should be able to force mistakes. Defensive Coordinator Joe Berry may have to get creative to create that pressure. However, there needs to be an attitude that is set on this defense. They just are not good enough up front to create standard pressure.
Must stop the run
I think I say this every week. But until the Washington Redskins defense does it, I will continue to say it. The Cleveland Browns last week averaged more than 6 yards per carry against the Redskins last week. If the Ravens can run that well, it could be a long afternoon for the Washington Redskins. The addition of Safety Donte Whitner could help in this feat.
Red Zone Scoring
The Washington Redskins have had their struggles in the red zone through 4 games. This needs to be fixed. To gain success, you need to quit kicking FGs in the red zone. There needs to a legitimate amount of running the ball. Matt Jones has shown, over the past two weeks, to be a very powerful and shifty back. Get the ball in his hands inside the 20. Doing this will also open up the rest of the playmakers on that end of the field.
Continue to create turnovers
The Washington Redskins are 7th in turnover margin per game. They need to continue to get the ball back for the offense and create that short field. If the Redskins offense can get a rhythm going 50 yards or less on every drive that would be great. An active front pressure, as mentioned above, will help with this. The Redskins secondary has played better over the last game and a half. This has contributed to be able to get the turnover margin where it is as well.
The Washington Redskins are in a stretch of their schedule in which they could make a run. They play some tough but beatable teams. If they want the continued success, they need to continue the dedication to the run game. I believe that this is a strong key for this team to be successful along with a dedication to stopping the run. We will see how this plays out on Sunday at 1 pm EST. ALWAYS HTTR!!