Redskins vs Colts: Breaking Down Indianapolis' Game Plan

The Indianapolis Colts got back to winning ways last week, taking care of a hapless Jacksonville Jaguars team in a 23-3 win. 

Outside of the final score and a cool moment for proud new father T.Y. Hilton, the win was rather uninspiring for a team that had lost two of the previous three games by at least 17 points. The Colts came out slow, finished with six fumbles and were overall unimpressive.

Now, the Colts host the Washington Redskins, a team in the midst of its own crisis. Washington benched its starting quarterback and former No. 2 overall pick, Robert Griffin III, announcing that the team will start Colt McCoy on Sunday. Even if they hadn't, the Redskins have been terribly inconsistent this season and are currently on a three-game losing streak. 

Quite honestly, the Colts should take their second consecutive win on Sunday, and they can't afford any more letdowns as they battle for playoff positioning in a competitive AFC. So how can they ensure a win against the rudderless Redskins?

Offense: Cross 'em Up

Defensively, the Redskins aren't exactly the most intimidating of units. The roster is a hodge-podge collection of aging veterans and inexperienced youngsters. 

At cornerback, Washington employs two young, big corners in David Amerson and Bashaud Breeland. Amerson was drafted in the second round in 2013 while Breeland was a fourth-rounder in 2014. Breeland has been the more impressive player, even as a rookie, but neither has played well consistently. 

As a result, the Redskins have the 31st-ranked pass defense by Football Outsider's DVOA. The Colts should be able to exploit the secondary with a variety of strategies, but one way to get a physical secondary discombobulated is making them run horizontally. 

AJ Mast/Associated Press

The Colts can get those big, physical corners running across the field especially when matched up against T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief. Both Hilton and Moncrief can get plenty of yards after the catch on their own, but giving them a running start across the field should only help matters. 

Offense: Protect the Franchise

As far as an individual goes, Ryan Kerrigan is the biggest bright spot on the Redskins defense. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the former Purdue Boilermaker's 46 total quarterback pressures is second among all 3-4 outside linebackers, trailing only Justin Houston of Kansas City. 

Behind Kerrigan, the Redskins are 11th in the league in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders. They won't present the same problem the Jaguars did last week, as the Jaguars ranked second in adjusted sack rate. 

It should also help that starting right tackle Gosder Cherilus is returning. Last week, utility lineman Joe Reitz started for Cherilus on the outside, and he, right guard Hugh Thornton and center Jonotthan Harrison had rather poor performances. Reitz will be starting again on Sunday, per Mike Wells of ESPN, but as a right guard in the place of Hugh Thornton. 

Reitz is notably better as a guard than he is as a tackle, and he has historically played well when playing on the interior. If Cherilus' injury is healed, he should be a big boost on the outside as well. If they do their jobs, Luck should have little trouble picking apart the Washington secondary. 

Defense: Wrap 'em Up

Had the Colts been preparing for Robert Griffin III, the defensive game plan would likely have looked different. But the Colts won't see the former No. 2 pick and will instead be playing against career backup and journeyman Colt McCoy.

While Griffin has his issues, one of his strengths has always been the deep ball that he is able to throw. In his two games earlier this year, McCoy was not much of a big-play threat, completing just two of six passes aimed 20 yards or more downfield, per Pro Football Focus.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

In contrast, McCoy was extremely accurate on shorter passes, completing 28 of 29 passes aimed 10 or fewer yards downfield for 238 yards—a healthy 8.2 yards per attempt. 

The Redskins will likely employ a quick passing game to fit McCoy and counter the Colts' many blitz packages. As such, the Colts have to tackle well to limit big plays. If they can limit DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Roy Helu's yards after the catch, they should be able to keep Washington's passing attack in check.

Defense: Crash the Line

Other than solid tackling, the Colts' game is going to be roughly the same that it has been against most below-average quarterbacks: crash the line of scrimmage and force them into mistakes. 

The biggest threat on the Redskins offense is running back Alfred Morris, who has chalked up three consecutive games of over 90 rushing yards. Last week, Morris ran over San Francisco's vaunted defense, rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown on just 21 carries. The Colts need to make him priority No. 1 by stacking the box and sending blitzes. 

Those blitzes can function as a way of rattling McCoy if the Redskins pass the ball, something that the Colts have been extremely successful with against the poorer quarterbacks on their schedule.