Jaguars vs. Redskins: Previewing Washington's Preseason Week 4 Matchup

Preseasons don't get any more tumultuous than the Washington Redskins 2015 edition. Injuries and the Robert Griffin III saga have been ongoing storylines for the team throughout.

In the team's 31-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3, both came to the forefront.

After initially being cleared from his concussion, Griffin was a late scratch from the starting lineup. His absence paved the way for Kirk Cousins to be the starter, a role he will now hold for the entire 2015 season.

With the regular season on the horizon, both the Redskins and Jacksonville Jaguars will use this Week 4 bout to determine the final spots on their 53-man rosters.

Here is the preview for Washington's Week 4 matchup.

Location: FedEx Field, Landover, MD

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday

TV: NBC (CSN)

Latest Injury News

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While Week 3 served as a dress rehearsal for the regular season, Week 4 is practically the equivalent of a bye week. This bout will be short of starters and players nursing injuries.

In the case of Griffin, only the latter applies. Benched in favor of Cousins, Griffin will again be out with a concussion, per ESPN's John Keim.

DeSean Jackson's starting status alone will keep him out of this contest, but it's worth noting he's in line to play in the season opener. As he's missed the majority of training camp with a shoulder injury.

After losing the likes of Junior Galette, Bashaud Breeland and Niles Paul to injury, Washington is merely counting down to the end of the preseason.

Moving to Jacksonville's injury situation, Julius Thomas' is the most significant. With Thomas undergoing surgery on his injured finger, per ESPN's Mike DiRocco, he'll be sidelined until Week 4 of the regular season at the earliest.

Key Matchups

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Washington Running Backs vs. Jacksonville Front Seven

Starters in name only for this bout, the Skins reserves have been dominant running the football this preseason. 

Between them, Matt Jones, Trey Williams and Chris Thompson have tallied 313 of the team's 443 rushing yards.

The Jaguars, for their part, have sported one of the better run defenses in exhibition play. Jacksonville has surrendered just 88.3 rushing yards per game, eighth in the NFL. 

With CBSDC's Brian McNally reporting Jones won't play, the onus will be on Williams and Thompson to carry the rushing attack.

Redskins Pass Rush vs. Jaguars Offensive Line

Similar to its rushing attack, Washington's pass rush has stood out this preseason. Only the Denver Broncos can claim to have tallied more than the Skins' 12 sacks. 

With Ryan Kerrigan making his way back from an offseason knee surgery, rookie Preston Smith and Jackson Jeffcoat have been the headliners here. Smith has two sacks, while Jeffcoat has three sacks to go with a forced fumble.

Squaring off against the Jags' No. 6 passing offense, the Skins will be counting on this duo to mask their injury-riddled secondary.

Washington Receivers vs. Jacksonville Secondary

Washington's receiving hierarchy is set at the top. When the season opens, it'll be Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Andre Roberts who hear their numbers called first.

Behind them, though, anarchy rules.

The player to watch during OTAs, rookie Jamison Crowder didn't make his preseason debut until Week 3. While he did nab a touchdown reception, Crowder's production pales in comparison to the numbers Ryan Grant and Rashad Ross have posted in his absence.

With 15 receptions, 163 yards and three touchdowns, Ross is the team's leading receiver across the board. Second fiddle to Ross, Grant has eight receptions for 100 yards.

Knowing Jackson and Garcon have been prone to injury in the past, this week's contest will go a long way in determining which receiver will be the next man up.

Matchup X-Factors

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Washington X-Factor: QB Colt McCoy

Barring injury, from start to finish, this will be Colt McCoy's show. 

Speaking of which, it's injury that's landed him in his current predicament. Both Cousins and Griffin were benched in favor of McCoy last season. His stranglehold on the starting job was lost to injury in Week 15 when he suffered a neck injury.

And yet, in the quarterback competition no one knew was ongoing, he was left out in the cold.

With Griffin's future in D.C. up in the air, the preseason finale will be McCoy's chance to showcase himself as Cousins' backup.

Jacksonville X-Factor: WR Rashad Greene

Let's not kid ourselves. The Jags' only chance of moving the ball will be through the air. Not only is the team 30th in the NFL in rushing this preseason with roughly 70 yards a game, but also it'll be opposed by the Skins' top-ranked rushing defense.

With the likes of Chad Henne and Stephen Morris backing up starter Blake Bortles, the onus will be on one of Jacksonville's young receivers to make the passing game pop.

Enter Rashad Greene.

Limited by tendonitis in his Achilles, Greene had a slow start in this preseason. He posted just two receptions for 14 yards the first two games of the preseason

His numbers in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions weren't much better, as he posted three receptions for 25 yards. What matters, though, is when he tallied these stats.

Showing the faith it has in the rookie, Jacksonville opened the game with Greene as the No. 3 receiver in place of an injured Marquise Lee. Factor in what he can contribute as a return man—37-yard return against the Pittsburgh Steelers—and the opportunity will be there for Greene to showcase his talent this week.

What the Experts Are Saying

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Spotrac.com's Michael Ginnitti: RG3 Contract May Be Biggest Blunder in NFL History

Just in May, Washington exercised a $16.2 million 2016 option on Griffin. OTAs hadn't started yet, and Griffin was coming off of a down 2014 season.

With that said, it's evident Griffin's potential, not his present-day form, was the main selling point for the team's brass to exercise an option fully guaranteed for injury.

Looking in hindsight, and at Griffin's current status, it's clear the Redskins erred in making this decision.

In fact, in the opinion of Spotrac.com's Michael Ginnitti, it's arguably one of the biggest blunders in NFL history, h/t CNN's Chris Isidore.

As Ginnitti points out, Griffin's injury history and contract makes him untradeable. Just ask yourself, what team—outside of Washington, that is—would surrender assets to handcuff itself to such an erroneous contract?

Knowing the financial cost of a Griffin injury, not to mention the circus sure to accompany him, the only recourse for the team is to cut ties with its former franchise quarterback.

Fansided's Maurice Barksdale: Trey Williams to Practice Squad

The Redskins running backs have without a doubt shined this preseason. With the success of this position group comes a tough decision, though.

Going off of how many backs the team kept last season (four), Thompson and Williams are in direct competition with one another for the final running back spot.

In the opinion of Fansided's Maurice Barksdale, Thompson will be the victor.

"But unless he has an absolutely monster game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, I think Williams is more a practice squad candidate right now," he said.

What's being missed here, though, is the impact Griffin could have on this battle.

True, in seasons past the team carried just four backs. But Washington also carried three quarterbacks.

Should the Skins be the latest team to field just two quarterbacks, and presumably cut ties with Griffin, an additional roster spot would enable the team to keep an extra back.

With the running game set to be the focal point of the offense, increased depth at the running back position would be more than justified.

Prediction: Redskins 23, Jaguars 16

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In a matchup of backups, the Redskins have superior depth on both sides of the ball. Along the front seven and at the skill positions, this edge is most evident. 

The thing is, according to ESPN's Mike DiRocco, the Jaguars won't be just playing backups. It may be for a drive or two, but with Jacksonville employing its starting lineup, the playing field is being leveled a bit.

It's no matter, though. Washington recovering from slow starts has been an ongoing theme this preseason. The team has recovered from double-digit deficits in each of its three victories.

The Redskins won't get away with it once the real games begin, but a slow start won't preclude them from finishing their preseason slate undefeated. 

Exploiting the Jags' one-dimensional offense, Washington's defense will pave the way for McCoy and a strong rushing attack to pull yet another comeback.