Washington Redskins vs. New York Jets: Full Washington Game Preview
By taking one of the NFL's unbeaten teams to the brink of defeat, the Washington Redskins validated their strong start to the season in Week 5.
Next up is proving they can win on the road by defeating the New York Jets in Week 6. Coinciding with head coach Jay Gruden's arrival in Washington, D.C., the Redskins are just 1-9 on the road since 2014.
This isn't the only obstacle standing in the way of a Washington win, though. The opposition has outscored the team 79-44 in the second half this season.
Additionally, Washington hasn't taken care of the football, as it has nine turnovers.
In a matchup of top-10 defenses, the team with the fewest mistakes will exit victorious.
Will this be the Redskins? Let's find out.
Here is the Week 6 preview for Washington.
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Time: 1 p.m. ET, Sunday
TV: Fox
Week 5 Results and Recap
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| New York Giants | 3 | 2 | 2-1 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2-2 | 132 | 109 | +23 | W3 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2 | 3 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 2-0 | 2-2 | 101 | 131 | -30 | L3 |
| Washington Redskins | 2 | 3 | 2-1 | 0-2 | 1-1 | 2-2 | 97 | 104 | -7 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 3 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 1-3 | 117 | 103 | +14 | W1 |
In their 25-19 Week 5 loss, the Redskins' inability to close cost them their spot atop the NFC East.
For a second time this season, Washington let a fourth-quarter lead vanish. After holding the Atlanta Falcons' high-powered offense to six points through three quarters, the defense failed late and allowed two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Whatever goodwill Kirk Cousins earned when he directed the game-tying drive in 24 seconds was erased in overtime. Under duress, he lofted an ill-advised pass that Atlanta's Robert Alford returned for the winning score.
The loss wasted a valiant defensive performance. Washington forced three Matt Ryan turnovers and held Julio Jones to 67 yards receiving. Too bad the offense didn't capitalize.
Atlanta held the Redskins to 270 total yards of offense, with an abysmal 51 yards coming on the ground.
Washington will receive reinforcements on the offensive side of the ball in the coming weeks. For the time being, though, the team can only prosper by playing turnover-free and disciplined football.
On to New York!
News and Notes
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Jamison Crowder's Emergence
Entering the 2015 campaign, the receiver position was thought to be one of the deepest position groups on Washington's roster.
Five weeks into the season, it's hard to argue otherwise at this point.
DeSean Jackson has been absent since the opener, and Pierre Garcon has taken his lumps along the way. Jackson's big-play element hasn't been replicated, but behind the play of Ryan Grant, Jamison Crowder and Rashad Ross, the Skins have survived Jackson's absence and Andre Roberts' continued regression.
In particular, Crowder has impressed. He was a non-factor in Week 1 and 2, catching all of two passes. Since then, he's taken off.
Crowder has 21 receptions and 197 yards in the past three games. In each contest he's increased his production in receptions and yards, culminating in an eight-catch, 87-yard performance against Atlanta.
A dynamic threat after the catch, Crowder has also shown reliable hands in the early going. He has zero drops on 28 targets.
Washington's passing offense (17th) is middling at the moment. But upon Jackson's return, there's potential for the team to improve in this arena. And Crowder's emergence is a big reason why.
2015 NFL Draft Spotlight
You should remember this, because it wasn't that long ago. Passing over Leonard Williams (who was perceived to be the draft's top prospect), general manager Scot McCloughan tabbed Brandon Scherff to be his first draft pick in Washington.
In a state of euphoria, the Jets selected Williams directly after with the No. 6 overall pick. With these moves, we saw two different draft philosophies at work.
Happy with the rotation he had along the defensive line, McCloughan drafted for need. The Redskins offensive line was abysmal in 2014, surrendering an NFC-high 58 sacks.
On New York's end, the best player available won out. Even with Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson on the roster, the team couldn't resist adding a player of Williams' talent.
Through five games, it's hard to fault either team for its selection. Scherff did move over from tackle to guard, but he's been a stabling force up front. He's had his hiccups, but behind the development of him and Morgan Moses, the team has gone from 19th to ninth in rushing and has allowed just six sacks.
As for Williams, he topped the rookie rankings of ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. at the quarter mark. And it gets better.
While Richardson will return from a four-game suspension this week, he won't be in the starting lineup. Per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Williams is listed as the starter. And with that, he'll line up against Scherff on occasion this week.
It's yet to be determined which player will be better over the course of time. But as far as Sunday is concerned, we'll get an answer.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Trent Williams | OT | Questionable |
| DeSean Jackson | WR | Questionable |
| Matt Jones | RB | Questionable |
| DeAngelo Hall | CB | Questionable |
| Chris Culliver | CB | Questionable |
| Pierre Garcon | WR | Probable |
| Jordan Reed | TE | Questionable |
The bye week (Week 8) can't get here fast enough for Washington. Rookie running back Matt Jones is the latest key cog to wind up on the injury report. With the struggles the team has had running the football of late, the timing couldn't be any worse.
Then again, in the event Jones is unable to play, there would be more of an opportunity for a Washington back, particularly Alfred Morris, to get into a rhythm.
Not that his production has warranted more touches, but with six and eight carries, respectively, in two of the past three games, the worst season of Morris' career is somewhat explainable.
Aiding Morris' cause would be a clean bill of health for Trent Williams. He suffered a neck strain against Atlanta.
Against a New York team that is stocked with cornerbacks, Jordan Reed's status looms large. He leads the team in receptions and yards. With five receptions of 20-plus yards, he's been the big-play threat in place of Jackson.
On defense, DeAngelo Hall and Chris Culliver are the players of interest. The Redskins secondary played valiantly against the Falcons, garnering two interceptions. But Culliver and Hall are the unit's best playmakers.
With the offense needing a jolt and Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker on the docket, there's a need for at least one of them to return.
Injury statuses courtesy of ESPN.com and CBSSports.com.
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Key Matchups
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Washington Secondary vs. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
The pass rush has been the key to the Redskins' pass defense all season. In Week 6, though, the onus will fall on the secondary to make the difference.
New York has allowed a league-low two sacks. The team's recent bye week boosts this number, but so does Ryan Fitzpatrick's lightning-quick release.
With that said, this could be a blessing for Washington. A constant for Fitzpatrick through his many NFL stops has been his penchant for turning the ball over. He has 107 interceptions in 100 career games.
Living up to his reputation, he's already thrown six interceptions this season. The Redskins didn't register their first interceptions on the year until last week. But given Fitzpatrick's history, they'll have opportunities to add onto their season total on Sunday.
The outcome of this contest will reveal whether or not they seize them.
Redskins Run Defense vs. RB Chris Ivory
Playing into the idea that Fitzpatrick is New York's weak link, Washington will need to slow down Chris Ivory to ensure the game is on his shoulders.
Ivory leads the NFL in rushing yards per game (104.7). Since he's far from a burner, Ivory's production is tied to his ability to garner yards after contact. According to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, he leads the league in yards after contact per rush (2.94).
Against the Miami Dolphins, he tallied 111 yards after contact, per the team's official Twitter feed.
As a result, getting off blocks is just the first step for the Redskins front seven. Defenders will have to swarm to the football when Ivory has it.
Because as we saw last week with Devonta Freeman, open-field tackling remains a weakness of the defense.
Matchup X-Factor
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Washington X-Factor: Redskins Running Game
With each passing game, Cousins has shouldered more and more of the offensive load. While he's had his moments, this isn't a trend that can continue in Week 6.
At full capacity, the Redskins' receiving corps is no match for the Jets secondary. Led by Darrelle Revis, New York has the NFL's second-ranked passing defense.
As a result, the time has come for Washington's running game to end its rut. The team once held a spot at the top of the NFL's rushing leaderboard. Of late, though, the Skins have fallen on hard times, all the way to ninth in rushing yards.
After sporting a 100-yard rusher the first two weeks, Washington's highest rushing total the past three games was Morris' 62 yards in Week 4.
Life won't get easier against the Jets' vaunted front seven. New York boasts the No. 2-ranked run defense.
The Redskins could utilize multiple tight ends to increase the numbers in the box or opt to run the football with the Jets defense spread out. Regardless of the method, the Skins don't return to .500 if their running game doesn't get back on track.
Prediction: Jets 20, Redskins 10
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Ask yourself one question: How is Washington going to score?
The Redskins have struggled to score all season. Trips to the red zone have often ended in field goals. As a result, they are just 25th in the league in points per game (19.4).
From what the Jets have shown on the defensive side of the ball under head coach Todd Bowles in 2015, there's little reason to expect change from Washington in this regard.
In addition to allowing a league-low 13.8 points per game, New York sports a top-five defense against the run and pass. Even with their bye week, the Jets are second in the NFL in takeaways with 13.
With Cousins forced to shoulder the offensive load, New York will only add to this statistic.
Washington's defense will keep the team within striking distance, but as was the case in Week 5, with the offense failing to carry its weight, the Redskins wilt late to the Ivory-led rushing attack.
Prediction: Jets 20, Redskins 10
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