Lions vs Redskins: Previewing Washington's Preseason Week 2 Matchup
The trajectories of their seasons were complete opposites in 2014, but following Week 1 of the preseason, the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins are equals.
Facing off against the New York Jets, Detroit turned in a dominant performance and won handily 23-3. The Lions held New York to a meager 53 passing yards and held a 428-123 edge in total yards.
An array of injuries dampened its mood, but Washington pulled out a 20-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns on the road.
Led by Kirk Cousins' 154 passing yards and their stout defense, the team rallied from an early 11-point deficit.
With the first week in the books, let's now delve into the preview for the Redskins' Week 2 bout.
Location: FedExField; Landover, MD
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC (CSN)
Latest Injury News
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The list of Redskins suffering serious injuries this preseason is growing longer by the minute. Silas Redd, Logan Paulsen and Niles Paul are the latest players to incur injuries of the season-ending variety.
Rookie Tevin Mitchel previously suffered this fate, with Bashaud Breeland's knee injury thankfully just knocking him out of the preseason completely.
Taking these past injuries into account, it would be wise for head coach Jay Gruden to err on the side of caution when it comes to playing Redskins nursing minor injuries.
Per ESPN's John Keim, the playing statuses of Keenan Robinson, DeAngelo Hall, Jamison Crowder, Will Compton and Frank Kearse are up in the air for this bout.
Moving to Detroit's training room, it lost offensive lineman Darren Keyton to a season-ending knee injury in its opener. On the PUP list, lead back Joique Bell, too, will miss this contest.
As is the case with each preseason game, the injuries on both teams will merely open opportunities for less-heralded players to earn roster spots.
Key Matchups
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Washington Running Game vs. Detroit Front Seven
Washington's brass talked all offseason about fielding a physical ground game. In the preseason opener, it was evident it wasn't just talk.
The 'Skins had 37 runs versus 28 passes, en route to accumulating 153 rushing yards. A positive omen undoubtedly, the sledding will be a lot tougher in Week 2. The Lions run defense allowed just 67 yards to the Jets.
Washington does sport the depth at quarterback to open up the passing game should the rushing attack falter. Ultimately, though, this matchup will serve as measuring stick of the team's progress on this front.
Redskins Secondary vs. Lions Passing Attack
With Calvin Johnson, Eric Ebron and Golden Tate in the starting lineup, and Lance Moore, Greg Salas and Ryan Broyles on Detroit's reserve unit, Detroit isn't short on weapons in the passing game.
Even with Johnson not contributing in Week 1, Detroit's receiving corps managed 16 receptions for 236 yards.
For their part, the Redskins surrendered just 154 yards through the air in their opener. This was a successful outing by all accounts, especially when you take into account the mounting injuries Washington has in the secondary.
But let's not kid ourselves. Cleveland's receiving weapons pale in comparison to Detroit's. So in this regard, the true test to gauge the team's passing defense will commence in this outing.
Washington Tight Ends vs. Detroit Defense
What tight ends, right?
Down Paul and Paulsen for the season, all Washington is left with at tight end is the forever gimp Jordan Reed, along with Chase Dixon, Je'Ron Hamm, Devin Mahina and recent signees D.J. Williams and Ernst Brun.
Not the most enticing group, right?
Didn't think so. With Reed out for this contest, per ESPN's John Keim, this week's matchup will go a long way in determining who ultimately replaces Paulsen and Paul in the lineup.
Knowing Paulsen and Paul were being counted on to contribute as blockers in the running game as well, receiving statistics can't be the only barometer here. Because Reed is a one-dimensional tight end at this stage of his career, it's all but a prerequisite for the team's backup tight ends to be strong in this aspect.
Matchup X-Factors
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Redskins X-Factor: LB Preston Smith
It remains to be seen how long Washington's first-team defense plays against the Lions. Either way, though, there should be ample playing time for rookie Preston Smith.
With Junior Galette and Ryan Kerrigan missing in action, Smith registered a team-high six tackles and had one sack in the preseason opener.
Knowing the secondary is nicked up, Washington will lean on Smith again to headline the pass rush, as it opposes a potent Lions aerial attack.
Lions X-Factor: RB Ameer Abdullah
Detroit's offense will continue to be headlined by Matthew Stafford's right arm in 2015. Even so, balance is something the team needs to bring into the fold.
The Lions surrendered 45 sacks in 2014 in large part because the offense was too one-dimensional. They ranked 28th in rushing yards.
Selected in the second round, Ameer Abdullah was brought in to change this. And in his preseason debut, he delivered. He garnered 67 yards, with a 46-yard run as the highlight.
Going against a Redskins defense that surrendered just 2.4 yards per carry to the Browns, the Lions will be counting on Abdullah to deliver an encore performance.
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What the Experts Are Saying
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ESPN's John Keim: Colt McCoy, Not Kirk Cousins, to Play with Second Unit
In the aftermath of his stellar showing against the Cleveland Browns, many wished for Cousins to be thrown into an open competition with Robert Griffin III for the starting job.
But the thing is, Cousins doesn't even have the backup job in hand at the moment. As Keim notes, it'll actually be Colt McCoy taking snaps with Washington's second-team offense against the Detroit Lions.
With it possible that the team keeps just two quarterbacks, a growing trend across the league, this is a battle to watch going forward.
CSN's Rich Tandler: Locks to Make the 53-man Roster
After taking in the Redskins' preseason opener, CSN's Rich Tandler came away with five players who'd solidified their place on the final 53-man roster: Cousins, Chris Thompson, DeAngelo Hall, Duke Ihenacho and Tom Compton.
Pointing to the injuries suffered by Silas Redd and Niles Paul, in addition to Brandon Scherff's position change, Tandler attributed Compton and Thompson's place on the roster to the team's dwindling depth.
With three preseason games remaining, by Tandler's count, just seven roster spots will now be up for grabs.
NFL.com's Marc Sessler: RG3 a Potential Bounce-Back Player in 2015
Griffin's showing in the preseason opener was far from flawless. But taking into account the praise heaped upon RG3 by Gruden for the progress he demonstrated, NFL.com's Marc Sessler sees in Griffin the makings of "a potential bounce-back figure for 2015."
He cited Griffin's miscues, but Gruden, for his part, was pleased with how the game was managed.
"But overall I think managing the game, the position, getting the plays out; we didn't have one penalty on offense, which was exciting," Gruden said.
Sample sizes don't get much smaller than the eight attempts RG3 had in the opener. But following the faint and disingenuous praise he received a season ago, Gruden's comments are cause for optimism.
Prediction: Redskins 29, Lions 23
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With the injuries they've suffered already, you could say the Redskins chief goal in this contest is to exit it whole.
A victory would be a nice consolation prize, though. Wouldn't it? Well, they'll get it.
It's Week 3 of the preseason in which starters see extensive action. As such, this game will be backup heavy. Both teams have depth at the skill positions. But sporting Cousins and McCoy, Washington has the slight edge at quarterback with Detroit fielding Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore.
McCoy and Cousins are competing for the right to backup Griffin, and potentially to be the lone quarterback behind him on the roster.
Knowing how vanilla defensive game plans are this time of year, this is the difference. These teams will attempt to bring balance to the table in the form of a running game. But with run defense being a strength on both sides, this game will be decided through the air.
In a high-scoring affair, the Redskins nab victory number two.
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