Washington Redskins vs. New York Jets: What's the Game Plan for New York?

As the New York Jets get set to take on the Washington Redskins this Sunday afternoon, the situation sitting in front of the often disgruntled franchise is a new one.

There is no quarterback controversy demanding spotlight placement on the back page of New York newspapers; there are no rallies being held outside Florham Park calling for the coach's head.

There hasn’t been any drama in months, nothing deserving the label "Same Old Jets."

It’s been smooth sailing, and coming off the team’s annual bye week, the suddenly win-happy Jets have a chance to start the season 4-1. That’s something that hasn’t happened since 2010.

That’s also the last year New York made the playoffs. So what exactly do the Jets have to do to get a victory against a stingy, stout Washington team? Here’s the game plan for a New York win.

Offensive Game Plan

When the Jets acquired journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick via trade from the Houston Texans, the quarterback arrived in town, in a way, as a supposed changed man.

Throughout the majority of his career, Fitzpatrick was the gunslinger from Harvard—someone smarter than most but who would occasionally throw up a pass dumber than some had ever seen. He took chances he shouldn’t and risks that got his team in trouble, and it is a big reason why he has bounced around from team to team through his near decade in the league.

But in 2014, as a member of the Texans, Fitzpatrick was different. After throwing an average of 17 interceptions a year from 2010-2013, he tossed just eight in 12 games. He completed a career-high 63 percent of his passes and threw for 2,483 yards with 17 touchdowns.

“I want to be great for who I am and the type of quarterback I am,” Fitzpatrick said when speaking of his limitations earlier this year. “I want to put the team in the right play, make the right decision.”

In the Jets' season-opening victory over the Browns, he did that. In the three games since, he hasn’t.

Truth be told, the Jets haven’t been winning because of Fitzpatrick’s play at quarterback but in spite of it.

Player Name	Year	Interceptions
Vinny Testaverde	2000	25
Brett Favre	2008	22
Geno Smith	2013	21
Mark Sanchez	2009	20

Through the first quarter of the season, Fitzpatrick is completing 60.7 percent of his passes, his lowest since 2012. As for his interceptions? They're approaching a Geno Smith level of insanity. Fitzpatrick is on pace to throw 24 interceptions this season.

Mark Sanchez never threw 24 interceptions in a season. Smith never threw 24 interceptions in a season. The last Jets quarterback to throw 24 or more interceptions in a season? Vinny Testaverde...in 2000.

One of the issues plaguing Fitzpatrick early on is the fact he’s tried to make too much out of too little. He hasn’t taken the checkdown, instead choosing to force the ball deep down the field. Per Pro Football Focus, Fitzpatrick has gone deep (20 or more yards down the field) 25 times this season. He’s completed just four of them and has been intercepted three times.

The Redskins defense, stout and stingy, runs its fare share of zone-coverage schemes. As a result, the Jets receivers, if they play discipline, will be able to find holes in the zone. It’ll be up to Fitzpatrick to not be Fitz-Superman but instead, well, just Ryan Fitzpatrick.

If the play’s covered, don’t just chuck it down the field. If there’s no one open, don’t try to throw someone open. Against a zone coverage, a defense will feast on that. In the NFL, being labeled a game manager has long been a dark blemish on a quarterback, but in this situation, it’s just what the Jets need.

The plays will be there for Fitzpatrick; he just needs to hit them. If he tries to get fancy and do too much, that’s when Sunday will turn into a pick party.

Defensive Game Plan

This game may be one the Jets defense is more prepared for than others New York will play the remainder of the season.

Why?

Well, does this offensive philosophy sound familiar? Washington wants to run the ball, control the clock, win at the line of scrimmage and have its quarterback do nothing more than manage the game.

The Jets defense has been facing that offense every day in practice since organized team activities began in June.

The Redskins offense is very similar to New York’s. And the Jets defense should approach Sunday with the same game plan many use against New York's offense. Shut down the run and pressure Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins. When you do that, Cousins makes mistakes.

If given time in the pocket, Cousins has a capable enough arm where he can make the throws. If the run game can average four or five yards a carry, 3rd-and-2s aren’t so daunting. Where Cousins has had struggles, and where teams have had success against Washington, is when they’ve made the quarterback look at 3rd-and-longs.

Because then teams bring the heat.

When Cousins feels pressure, he doesn’t step up in the pocket or handle it well. When teams have gotten in Cousin’s face this year, according to PFF, the quarterback has completed just 50 percent of his passes and has thrown five interceptions.

When he isn’t pressured? A 76.6 completion percentage, five touchdowns, one interception and a 105.2 quarterback rating.

If the Jets can force Washington into longer third-down situations by shutting down the run, then turn up the heat with a defensive front that now includes Sheldon Richardson, there’s a chance things could get ugly quickly at MetLife.

Key Matchups and Players

Jets cornerback Buster Skrine vs. Redskins receiver Jamison Crowder

With DeSean Jackson ailing, the team’s tight end situation a revolving door of injuries and Pierre Garcon not up to his 2013 playing level, one of the better and surprising players on the Redskins offense has been slot receiver Jamison Crowder.

Peter Morgan/Associated Press

Selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft, Crowder has pulled in 23 passes for 204 yards this year. But it’s what the rookie did the last two games that put him a bit on the map.

Against the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, Crowder was thrown to 20 times. He caught 15 of those passes for 152 yards. He’s not physically imposing (5'8", 185 lbs), but Washington doesn’t need him to be. Head coach Jay Gruden is finding ways to get him the ball.

Against the Jets, Crowder is expected to see an awful lot of nickel cornerback Buster Skrine, who, aside from being labeled the “pound-for-pound toughest player on the Jets” by defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers, is having a solid year himself. Despite being targeted 28 times this season, Skrine hasn’t allowed a touchdown. He’s bending but not breaking. On Sunday, it’ll be interesting to see if the player who hasn’t caught a touchdown gets past the player who hasn’t let one up.

Willie Colon vs. Redskins Defensive Line

While listed on the injury report, there’s a strong chance Jets right guard Willie Colon starts Sunday against Washington. If he does, all eyes will be on how his ailing knee holds up against the Redskins defensive line.

In a way, 2015 has been a resurgence for Colon. A season ago, he struggled mightily on the Jets offensive line—so much so that the team entered training camp with a five-man rotation at guard. Brian Winters was considered a favorite to start, even Oday Aboushi. But when the dust settled, it was Colon who grabbed the position for his own.

In the first three games of the year, Colon was solid, good even. Compared to last year, he was actually quite impressive.

Year	PFF Grade	Penalties	QB Hurries
2013	-4.5	4	5
2014	0.2	0	2

But all of that was accomplished with Colon being relatively healthy. Now he hasn’t played in two weeks. And against the Miami Dolphins, Brian Winters held his own against Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. If Colon struggles early on, will he be yanked from the lineup? If Winters plays well again, will Colon be sent to the bench for good?

With a Jets Win

This isn’t a must-win for the Jets, but it’s a good chance to show what kind of mental makeup the group has. In a week, the team will travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots. Could the Redskins be looked over?

The game’s also a big one for Fitzpatrick. If the quarterback plays poorly and the Jets lose, the team’s record falls to 3-2. If the Jets then lose again the following week to the Patriots, the team’s record drops to 3-3. It’s not a guarantee, but that would certainly seem like an ideal situation to pull the plug on Fitzpatrick and thus insert Geno Smith. In a way, this game against Washington isn’t a must-win for New York, but it certainly is for its quarterback.

With a Jets Loss

The Jets are sitting pretty at 3-1. Theoretically, if the team would like to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010, it’ll need 10 wins. This is one of those “should-wins” on the Jets schedule. A loss to Washington hurts because of what it means down the road, not necessarily right now. The Jets need to win the games they should win, and this is one of those games. A loss? Well, suddenly that win needs to be made up somewhere else.

Prediction

This game isn’t going to be pretty. Really, it’s not. The Jets offense isn’t top-notch, and neither is Washington’s. Adding to the sure-to-be-ugly guarantee, both teams' defenses are quite good.

This is one of those games that’s going to come down to who makes more mistakes. If New York can’t contain Washington’s running attack, and Cousins thus sets up in manageable third downs the majority of the game, the scale tips in the Redskins' favor. Likewise, if the Jets defense plays as it has the first month of the season, Washington could be in trouble.

Expect Fitzpatrick to make enough plays for the Jets to win. Brandon Marshall will find the end zone, running back Chris Ivory will likely break the century mark, and the Jets defense will dominate.

As mentioned several times above, the Redskins are stingy and a well-coached bunch, so this one won’t be a blowout. Washington will likely have a chance to tie the game with four-ish minutes left, but when the Redskins needs a big pass, Cousins will be picked off.

Jets 23, Redskins 16

Connor Hughes is the New York Jets beat writer for the Journal Inquirer and Scout.com. All quotes, practice observations and advanced stats referenced are gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Connor can be reached on Twitter (@Connor_J_Hughes) or via email ([e-mail])