Washington Redskins vs Arizona Cardinals: Complete Week 6 Preview for Washington
Looking to end a nine-game road losing streak, the Washington Redskins will face off against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 6 matchup that's sure to be short its share of star players.
Filling in once again for an injured Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins' record as a starter dropped to 1-6 after the team's 27-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
If acquiring their first loss of the season wasn't bad enough, the Cardinals also lost star defensive lineman Calais Campbell to injury in a 41-20 defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos.
Slated to play the Tennessee Titans following this contest, in addition to a Week 8 showdown with the Dallas Cowboys, the Redskins can position themselves to get back in the playoff picture if they can first take care of business against a battered Arizona team.
But will they?
Let's find out. Here is the Week 6 preview for Washington.
Washington Redskins Week 5 Recap
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Coming off the heels of its blowout loss to the New York Giants, the 17-point hole Washington dug itself in the first half against the Seahawks made it appear that an encore performance was on the horizon.
While the team did go on to extend its losing streak to three games with its 27-17 loss, it wasn't because of a lack of effort. Behind an aggressive approach on offense and defense, the Redskins were able to hang with the defending Super Bowl champs.
Despite going against Seattle's Legion of Boom, Kirk Cousins showed little hesitation in attacking the vaunted secondary deep downfield. Throwing for 283 yards on the game, the highlights of Cousins' night were a pair of deep strikes to DeSean Jackson, one of which went for a 60-yard touchdown.
Up against his childhood rival, Richard Sherman, Jackson had totals of five catches and 157 yards. But as is the case in most games, this contest was decided in the trenches.
Held to 32 yards rushing, the Redskins were unable to gain the balance necessary to sustain drives against the Seahawks defense. One of the league leaders in rushing prior to this contest, Alfred Morris averaged just 2.2 yards per carry.
Similar to the offense, the running game was a problem for Washington's defense. The team allowed Seattle to rush for 225 yards, 122 of which belonged to Russell Wilson.
Set to play three of their next four games on the road, the direction of the Redskins' season will become clear in the coming weeks—starting with their Week 6 outing with the Cardinals.
News and Notes
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Laughgate
After nearly bringing the defending Super Bowl champs to the brink of defeat, sure, the Redskins had reason to be satisfied with the resolve they displayed Monday night. Falling behind 17-0 against Seattle, a more predictable outcome would've been for them to fold like they did against the New York Giants in Week 4.
Even with that said, when is a loss a laughing matter? Responding to reports that multiple Redskins were laughing in the locker room after Week 5's loss, head coach Jay Gruden reiterated that joy isn't a feeling one should have after a loss, via ESPN.com's John Keim:
"When you do lose, you want people to be sick about it. You want people to bounce back and move on to the next week and learn from your mistakes and not ever be satisfied with a loss. Last night we played a little better, but in no way shape or form should anyone be satisfied. For anyone to be satisfied with that is absolutely wrong and I need to find out who they are so we address the situation.
I know I wasn't upbeat. I don't think anybody should have been upbeat right after a loss. There's no reason to be upbeat when you have someone come into your building and beat you. ... I'm hoping no one was jovial after a loss.
"
Losers in 17 of its last 21 contests, there's a losing culture within the Washington organization. And reading into his comments, Gruden wants to use the disdain of losing as a tool to change this culture going forward.
Morgan Moses' Struggles
A springboard for criticism, Washington's offensive line has had its struggles this season. A unit that's surrendered nine sacks on the year, many are quick to call for the benching of Tyler Polumbus or Chris Chester when they struggle.
The team may have drafted Spencer Long and Morgan Moses in the 2014 NFL draft, but one must remember, neither is starting for a reason. Filling in for an injured Polumbus, Moses displayed why he's not:
"VIDEO: Morgan Moses freezes, doesn't block Cliff Avril http://t.co/3Q7aj35Nw4 pic.twitter.com/hvThieQKfm
— NFL (@nfl) October 7, 2014"
Facing a Arizona defense that loves to blitz, it's in everyone's best interest for Moses to remain on the sidelines.
Welcome, Jackson Jeffcoat
The Redskins promoted Jackson Jeffcoat from their practice squad Wednesday, according ESPN.com's John Keim.
In order to clear a roster spot for him, the team released Richard Crawford and Akeem Davis. A collegiate star at Texas, Jeffcoat can probably thank fellow Texas alum Brian Orakpo for his place on the roster.
Nagged by an ankle and finger injury this season, Orakpo's questionable durability essentially forced the team's hand here. Rookie Trent Murphy is the lone backup at outside linebacker, making there a need for Jeffcoat.
The 2013 Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12, the former defensive end is still making the transition to outside linebacker. So, for the time being, he's just insurance in the event of injury.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Ryan Clark | S | Questionable |
| Jason Hatcher | DL | Probable |
| Akeem Jordan | LB | Probable |
| Tracy Porter | CB | Questionable |
| Jordan Reed | TE | Questionable |
| Kedric Golston | DL | Probable |
| Robert Griffin III | QB | Out |
| Frank Kearse | DL | Probable |
| Trenton Robinson | S | Probable |
| Brian Orakpo | LB | Questionable |
| Perry Riley | LB | Questionable |
*All injury statuses from CBSSports.com.
Out since the season opener, all signs point to Jordan Reed making his return this week. Speaking to ESPN.com's John Keim about his troublesome hamstring, Reed expressed his desire to play against Arizona:
"Definitely shooting for Sunday,” Reed said. “I feel like if I get everything done this week and everything goes smoothly, I’ll be out there Sunday.”
With Niles Paul's emergence this year, in a move similar to what he did in Cincinnati, you can look for Gruden to feature two tight ends on offense if Reed does indeed play.
On the defensive side of the ball, the status of Ryan Clark is one worth monitoring. Because of the injury to DeAngelo Hall, Washington's starting lineup features two green players at cornerback in David Amerson and Breeland. The veteran leader of Washington's secondary, Clark's absence could inhibit the team's ability to take advantage of the Cardinals' shaky quarterback situation.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Washington's Offensive Line vs. Arizona's Front Seven
Pass protection was supposed to be a trouble spot for the Redskins' offensive front. Run blocking, though, that's another matter.
Fifth in rushing last season, Washington owns the 19th-ranked rushing attack through five games. The past two seasons combined, the team ran the ball at a clip of 5.0 yards per carry. In 2014, this number has dropped to 4.1 yards.
Going against the NFL's second-best run defense, the sledding won't get any easier for Washington in Week 6. Still, with the depth dwindling along Arizona's defensive front—the injury to Calais Campbell was the team's third significant injury up front—the Redskins' rushing attack could find running lanes in the fourth quarter.
Of the Broncos' 92 rushing yards against the Cardinals, 40 came in the fourth quarter. Quick to abandon the running game in losses to the Houston Texans and New York Giants earlier this season, it'll be to Gruden's benefit if he stays committed this go-round.
Kirk Cousins vs. Cardinals' Blitz
You've heard it before. The Cardinals love to blitz!
As ESPN.com's John Keim notes (h/t ESPN Stats & Information), no team has blitzed more than Arizona. On 47.3 percent of its defensive snaps, it sends an extra rusher.
Dating back to his starting sting in 2013, Cousins has struggled when facing this type of pressure. A 58 percent passer for his career, Cousins only completes 51 percent of his throws against the blitz. Additionally, he's thrown four interceptions under such circumstances.
Facing a secondary that features ball hawks like Antonio Cromartie, Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson, a forced throw from Cousins could very well translate into a touchdown for the defense.
While sacks can be drive killers, if his hot read isn't open, Cousins has to eat the football. With the Cardinals fielding an offense that's 29th in total yards, the Redskins can remain in striking distance if Cousins abides by this creed.
X-Factor of the Week: Redskins Pass Rush
No one player gets the spotlight this week. This goes for the whole group. Whether it's Drew Stanton, Carson Palmer or Logan Thomas under center, Arizona is going to the throw the football downfield.
Of the 125 pass attempts between just Palmer and Stanton, 47 have traveled at least 10 yards from the line of scrimmage. Lauded for his arm strength coming out of Virginia Tech, this trend won't change if Thomas finds himself under center either.
This is where Washington's pass rush comes in. In order for Arizona's quarterbacks to execute this game plan, they'll first need time in the pocket to throw. With the likes of Brian Orakpo, Jason Hatcher, and the NFL's current sack leader, Ryan Kerrigan, it's time the Redskins shouldn't be giving much up.
Cast in the shadow of Russell Wilson's highlight factory in Week 5, Washington's pass-rushers actually applied consistent pressure on the quarterback. For the game, the team tallied three sacks and five quarterback hits. Numbers that were kept down by Wilson's elusiveness, a similar effort from the Redskins pass rush in Week 6 would inhibit the Cardinals' ability to manufacture scoring drives.
Prediction
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Despite the team's efforts to improve its talent base, Washington finds itself mired in the same position as last season. Off to a 1-4 start for a second consecutive year, injuries have been a main culprit.
Looking at their Week 6 opponent, though, the Redskins for once aren't the more battered team.
In addition to the hits they've taken at quarterback, the Cardinals have suffered significant losses on defense, the strength of the team. Joining Campbell, Darnell Dockett, John Abraham and the suspended Daryl Washington are no longer fixtures on Todd Bowles' defense.
With Griffin being the lone offensive starter who's sure to miss this contest, this is something that the Redskins offense can exploit. Exposed against the good offenses it's faced this season, Washington's defense has to be relieved to be playing the NFC's second-worst offense.
The Redskins' struggles on the road have been well-documented, but this is the game they'll get off the schneid. In a low-scoring affair, Washington's offense will break through late, and the team's year-long drought on the road will officially come to an end.
Prediction: Redskins 20, Cardinals 16
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