5 Bold Predictions for Washington Redskins' Week 1 Matchup

Despite starting their season at home and with several new faces on both sides of the ball, the Washington Redskins aren't being given much of a chance in their Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

This perception is more than a little unfair. Granted, this is a Redskins team that is beginning yet another rebuilding cycle after just seven wins in two years. It's also a team that changed the quarterback three weeks into the preseason.

Yes, it's also true the Dolphins are a tough ballclub. The AFC East residents possess ample talent on both offense and defense.

Head coach Joe Philbin's team should harbor genuine playoff ambitions. But guess what? The same thing has been true the last two years, and all the Dolphins have to show for it is a pair of 8-8 finishes.

There are actually more than a few reasons to believe Washington can get the better of the underachieving Fins to kick-start their 2015 NFL season in style.

Read on for five bold predictions about the Redskins in Week 1.

Washington Will Top 200 Yards on the Ground

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Sure, the Dolphins boast a dominant defensive line. There's just no other way to describe a quartet comprised of Olivier Vernon, Earl Mitchell, Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake.

But you should still expect the Redskins to find joy on the ground. Running the ball has been an emphasis for Washington's offense this offseason.

It's why the team hired line coach Bill Callahan, a noted master groundhog, away from the Dallas Cowboys. The same emphasis was the motivation for drafting guard Brandon Scherff with the fifth overall pick, before adding bulldozer-like back Matt Jones in Round 3.

Washington has equipped itself with the capability to win on the ground each week. That capability was obvious during the preseason when the Redskins ran the ball 145 times for 557 yards.

It's safer than you think to expect a monster rushing day against Miami. Despite their talent, the Dolphins still ranked 24th against the run last season. In the process, they surrendered 4.3 yards per carry to opposing runners.

The issues aren't too hard to figure out. Players such as Vernon, Mitchell and Wake are more defined by their pass-rushing expertise. There's a reason Miami backed up the Brinks truck for Suh in free agency, as well as used a second-round pick on house-sized nose tackle Jordan Phillips in the draft.

Suh's presence naturally presents problems, especially since he'll be matched up over rookie Scherff most of the time. But Suh doesn't preclude a strong rushing effort from the Redskins.

By use of formation and certain blocking techniques, Washington can isolate Suh and create a soft middle at the heart of the Miami defense. Going back to Week 14 of the 2013 season, a week where the Philadelphia Eagles gashed Suh and the Detroit Lions for 299 rushing yards, offers some helpful pointers.

One of Philly's favorite ploys was to use a trips look with three receivers on the left side away from Suh. This made Detroit shift the strength of its defense that way.

It also helped that tight end Brent Celek blocked the end on Suh's side, allowing Philadelphia's right tackle and guard to double-team the beefy interior lineman. A tight end blocking Wake is the stuff that nightmares are made of, especially since nominal Washington starter Jordan Reed hardly excels in that area.

But the recently acquired Anthony McCoy tips the scales at 259 pounds and may be able to help.

The Eagles gave the Lions fits running out of this one-back set. With Alfred Morris or Jones in the backfield, Washington can do the same.

One of the main aspects of this offseason has been the focus on re-establishing Washington's penchant for winning on the ground. Those efforts will be rewarded with a huge day from the running game in Week 1.

Kirk Cousins Won't Throw an Interception

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Backing Kirk Cousins to get through a game interception-free is risky business indeed. But supported by the prolific production on the ground, he will stay smart in the pocket against Miami.

That means he'll make accurate throws off safe reads. Just as important, Cousins will spread the ball around to a host of receivers.

Distributing the wealth is key because Cousins would be well-advised to stay away from veteran cornerback Brent Grimes. The 32-year-old is usually the Dolphins' answer to an opponent's best wide receiver.

But against Washington, Miami defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle may find identifying the true danger man a tough call. He'll be choosing between DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon.

The former's ability to beat a defense in a single play makes him Grimes' most likely assignment. Yet if the Dolphins are really cute, they may opt to double-team Jackson with some sort of half-coverage look, such as having a corner rolled up close and a deep safety positioned over the top.

That would leave Grimes free to try to shut down Garcon one-on-one.

Either way, Cousins shouldn't have a hard time figuring out where Grimes is. If head coach Jay Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay are really smart, they'll let Grimes' receiver act as a decoy some of the time and take Miami's most dangerous ball hawk out of Cousins' eye line.

Then it will be on No. 8 to prove he can be efficient. According to Gruden, a big part of that will be not rushing his throws under pressure, per Rich Tandler of Real Redskins:

"

Sometimes unfortunately he threw some interceptions because he was trying to get the ball out so quick. He wasn’t exactly seeing where he was throwing sometimes which caused him problems. Sometimes a sack is better than a pick. I think his pocket awareness is good. We’ve just got to make sure he sees all his throws and protects the football.

"

Of course, that's likely to be a tall task against a marquee Miami pass rush. Yet Cousins' pocket awareness can mitigate the damage that Wake, Suh and company may cause.

In a separate article for Real Redskins, Tandler noted how few sacks Cousins took out of the 58 Washington gave up a year ago: "Robert Griffin III, who started seven games, was sacked 13.3 percent of the times he dropped back to pass (33 sacks/247 dropbacks). Colt McCoy was sacked 11.7 percent of his dropbacks (17/145) and Kirk Cousins on 3.8 percent (8/212)."

Armed with a productive rushing effort and a pass plan that picks its spots carefully, Cousins is a good bet to shed his turnover-prone image in Week 1.

Washington's Defense Will Log 5+ Sacks

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Taking sacks has become something of a specialty for Ryan Tannehill since he entered the league in 2012. Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel noted Tannehill has taken 139 sacks in his career.

A lot of that has been on the offensive lines in front of him. But some of it also owes to Tannehill taking too long to get rid of the ball.

Who deserves most of the blame is a question the Dolphins will be asking again after Week 1. Washington's new-look front seven will take No. 17 down for at least five sacks.

The biggest improvement the Redskins made this offseason came in the way new general manager Scot McCloughan bolstered the pass rush. He did it by retooling the D-line with players who don't merely control gaps but instead split them and attack the backfield.

Interior pass-rushers such as free agents Stephen Paea and Ricky Jean Francois fit that description. So does holdover Jason Hatcher.

The latter is already eagerly anticipating being turned loose more often in first-year coordinator Joe Barry's one-gap scheme, according to ESPN.com's John Keim.

"You can make more plays in the backfield, make a lot of tackles, as long as you’re in your gap and do what you’re supposed to do it’ll be fun," Hatcher said. "Just attack. You ain’t holding up blocks no more. You can make a play here and there."

Miami's O-line is solid at the tackle spots, particularly with Branden Albert returning on the left side, per the Sun Sentinel's Chris Perkins. But things aren't anywhere near as secure along the guard-center-guard box. Hatcher, Paea and the rest of the D-line rotation can run riot to start the season.

If Washington's defense does cause problems on the edge, expect those problems to come from Ryan Kerrigan. The man who logged 13.5 sacks in 2014 will be matched up over second-year right tackle Ja'Wuan James. That's a win for the Redskins.

With youngsters Preston Smith and Jackson Jeffcoat combining for six sacks this preseason, Barry has plenty of weapons to make Tannehill's day a miserable one.

Dion Sims Will Be the Biggest Matchup Problem for Washington's Pass Defense

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The Dolphins aren't short of talented pass-catchers. Greg Jennings, Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, rookie DeVante Parker and Jordan Cameron will give Barry and new secondary boss Perry Fewell plenty to think about.

But none of those names will be the biggest threat to Washington's pass defense. Instead, the real danger will come from hulking tight end Dion Sims.

Entering his third season, Sims is an under-the-radar breakout candidate whose ability to hurt the Redskins is real.

Sims has a flair for getting open in the red zone, as evidenced by both of his touchdown grabs in 2014 coming inside the 20-yard line. Yet he can also stretch the seams for big gains.

As a 6'4", 268-pounder, Sims is no hybrid, "Joker"-style tight end. Instead, he's a classic matchup problem because he combines traditional size with underrated move skills.

It's a combination Washington will find difficult to keep under wraps. Last season, Redskins linebackers simply couldn't cover any even half-decent tight end.

Some notable low-lights included allowing Zach Ertz of the Eagles to haul in 15 catches for 115 yards in Week 16. Three weeks earlier, Coby Fleener of the Indianapolis Colts helped himself to 127 yards and two touchdowns off just four catches.

Barry can't let inside 'backers Perry Riley Jr. and Keenan Robinson become isolated against tight ends the way previous coordinator Jim Haslett often did.

If the Dolphins are smart enough to use Sims, he'll be a major problem.

Washington Will Win

It shouldn't be bold to predict a home win, but Bleacher Report analyst Chris Simms views Washington as a guaranteed loser in Week 1. The matchup of Miami's star-studded D-line against Washington's green offensive front is enough to promote queasy stomachs among Redskins fans.

But there's just something about these Dolphins, who have never reached their full potential. This is a team that's had playoff talent for the last two years and managed just 16 wins.

It's more than just a temperament issue, though, as there are question marks about some key positions. For instance, Lamar Miller may have topped 1,000 yards in 2014, but he's still not convincing as a featured back.

He's not tough attacking inside lanes, lacks elite speed and is one of the least imaginative runners in football. Expect Washington's Terrance Knighton-led defensive front to shut Miller down. That'll leave Tannehill at the mercy of a revamped Redskins pass rush.

Finally, not enough people are talking about the damage Washington's own offense can do against these Dolphins. For all the big names up front, Miami still has to prove its defense can stop the run.

If Gruden commits to the ground game, things will open up for Cousins and a talented stable of receivers.

All told, Washington will upset the odds and quiet the naysayers, at least for a week, by beating the Dolphins in a narrow contest decided by no more than seven points.

All statistics and player information via NFL.com.