5 Bold Predictions for Washington Redskins' Week 16 Matchup

The Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles will enter their Week 16 matchup on opposite paths.

Winning this game is of utmost importance for the Eagles, who are chasing a playoff berth. In the Redskins' case, as hard as it is to say, with the team long eliminated from postseason contention, a win at this point only damages its draft prospects.

A team that looks improved on paper, Washington is all but set to match 2013's 3-13 record. Who predicted that happening?

Now that we're on the subject, though, let's examine five bold predictions for this contest at FedEx Field.

A Non-Receiver Will Lead Washington in Receiving

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For all the arm talent of Robert Griffin III, he too often resembles Alex Smith on Sundays. Instead of pushing the ball downfield to his array of weapons at wideout, Griffin has been quick to look in the direction of his checkdowns.

Although the team's struggles in pass protection play a role in this, more often than not, the fear of making a mistake is driving Griffin to do this.

According to Sporting Charts, if he had the qualifying passing attempts, RG3 would rank last in the NFL in air yards per attempt, a statistic that measures how far a ball is thrown beyond the line of scrimmage. Griffin's average of 2.62 yards puts him in a class of quarterbacks that includes Smith, Blake Bortles, Geno Smith and Derek Carr.

Surrounded by a DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, it goes without saying that Griffin doesn't belong in this group's company. Nonetheless, as was the case in Week 15, whether it's Jordan Reed, Niles Paul or a Washington running back, a non-receiver will lead the team in receiving yards this week.

Ryan Kerrigan Won't Get a Sack

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One of the few constants this season for the Skins defense has been Ryan Kerrigan getting after the quarterback.

In his fourth NFL season, Kerrigan has already set a career high in sacks with 12.5. Without the services of Brian Orakpo and Jason Hatcher at various points this year, his increased production paints the picture of a player who is finally coming into his own.

Hit or miss early on in the 2014 campaign, Kerrigan has registered a sack in four consecutive games. While it's an impressive streak, it's one that will come to an end on Saturday.

Despite its high volume of passing attempts, Philadelphia has only allowed 25 sacks this season. Furthermore, Kerrigan was held to just one tackle back in Week 4. Mind you, the Eagles accomplished this feat with their starting right tackle, Lane Johnson, suspended.

All told, even with Mark Sanchez under center, look for Kerrigan to be held in check. Because at this point, what other Washington defender does Philadelphia have to game-plan for?

Redskins Won't Cover the Spread

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Most weeks, if the home team is listed as a double-digit underdog—this needs repeating, at home!—an avid NFL gambler is going to put his money on the underdog. That's just the state of the NFL. Parity reigns, right?

Before even taking the exact point spread into account, according to Team Rankings, the home underdog is 34-32-2 against the spread (ATS) on the season. 

Listed as nine-point underdogs by Odds Shark, the Redskins would seem to be a good team to back in Week 16. After all, they did only lose by three points on the road in their first matchup with Philadelphia.

The thing is, Washington is actually 0-2 ATS this season as a home underdog. Furthermore, its average margin of defeat in those contests is 17 points. 

Without a cover in their last five home games, don't look for the Redskins to cover the spread this week.

Bashaud Breeland Won't Get Penalized

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For anybody who has seen Bashaud Breeland play this season, you know that avoiding penalties is a tall task for him.

According to the NFL Penalty Tracker, he has been the fourth-most penalized player in 2014. As a player who lacks top-end speed, Breeland's need to put his hands on opposing receivers has gotten him in the most trouble.

Just look at last week's loss to the New York Giants. He was flagged four times for 70 yards! It's no wonder why he leads the league in average penalty yards per game.

Even with that said, it's worth noting that Breeland has been flagged 10 times this season. Why is that relevant, you ask? Well, do the math. Week 16's contest will be the Clemson product's 15th game. In other words, if it's any consolation, he's not getting flagged every game.

He may have been penalized once back in Week 4, but this go-round Breeland will have a clean game.

Chris Thompson Will Lead Washington's Running Backs in Total Yards

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It took nearly two years, but Chris Thompson scored his first NFL touchdown against New York. Seeing his first action of the season with Roy Helu sidelined, Thompson finished the day with 34 total yards on six touches.

Judging from the comments head coach Jay Gruden made to CSN's Rich Tandler, Thompson's performance didn't go unnoticed.

“I was impressed with Chris,” Gruden said. “I think Chris has earned the right to get more chances as a third-down back.”

With the potential return of Helu, in addition to the presence of Silas Redd, Thompson will be hard-pressed to duplicate the 20 snaps he received against New York.

No matter, though. Possessing game-breaking speed, Thompson doesn't need a litany of touches to accumulate a lot of yards, especially against Philadelphia. According to Football Outsiders, the Eagles are 29th in the NFL in receiving yards allowed to running backs. Furthermore, on runs of 20-plus yards allowed, they're 15th in the league.

All told, look for Thompson to break a long gain or two en route to leading the team's running backs in total yards.