Saints vs. Redskins: What's the Game Plan for New Orleans?

The New Orleans Saints will invade FedEx Field for a Sunday afternoon clash with the Washington Redskins, as coach Sean Payton’s club looks to even out its record.

New Orleans (4-5) had won three straight heading into last week’s contest against the Tennessee Titans, but a 34-28 overtime loss at home knocked the Saints back below .500.

This week, they’ll look to bounce back against a 3-5 Redskins squad also coming off a Week 9 defeat. Washington fell to the New England Patriots on the road, 27-10.

New Orleans’ top-ranked offense faces a stiff challenge from a salty Redskins defense, while the Saints look to improve on their substandard defensive performances of recent weeks.

Let’s take a closer look at a few things to keep an eye on come Sunday.

Offense

Drew Brees has been on fire as of late, throwing for 892 yards and 10 touchdowns in his last two outings.

Meanwhile, Washington’s pass defense, ranked No. 9 in the league entering Week 10, has been the strength of its team this season. This strength-on-strength battle should make for one of the game’s most intriguing matchups.

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Redskins defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s 3-3-5 nickel alignment has, at times, been highly effective, and it gave Tom Brady and the Patriots some difficulties in last week’s New England victory.

Washington’s meager pass rush has produced just 13 sacks on the season. In an effort to offset this glaring weakness, Barry has implemented a coverage-based scheme that often drops back as many as eight defenders.

The Washington ‘backers will often drop into shallow coverage, sitting on the short routes in the middle of the field and attempting to force the quarterback to make tough throws toward the sideline.

Mixing in both zone and man coverages, Barry allows his defensive backs to play aggressively and take risks, as free safety Dashon Goldson patrols the deep secondary with single-high coverage.

This package gave Brady problems at times last week, and the Saints, who run a wide-open offense similar to New England’s, can expect to see a heavy dose of it this week.

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If the Redskins’ stay true to recent form and take away the seams, look for Brees to attack the flats with short swing passes and outs, while looking to catch Goldson napping with a calculated downfield strike.

Most importantly, however, New Orleans should attack this Washington defense the same way New England did, and that’s with a power running game.

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Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount churned out 129 yards on 29 carries last week, and the Saints must be ready to relentlessly pound the Redskins in similar fashion with Mark Ingram.

The Saints have some formidable run-blockers on the offensive line in Max Unger and Jahri Evans, and tight ends Benjamin Watson and Michael Hoomanawanui can hold their own, as well, when New Orleans goes with a heavy formation.

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Don’t expect Payton and Brees to shy away from doing what the Saints do best, which is throw the football, but against the Redskins’ vulnerable run defense, establishing an effective ground game will be highly advantageous for New Orleans.

Defense

There’s no arguing the fact that opposing offenses have shredded the Saints defense for the past couple of weeks. Rob Ryan’s unit has certainly performed poorly, but the group has also been plagued by a rash of injuries, particularly at inside linebacker.

According to Friday’s injury report, posted on NewOrleansSaints.com, that situation won’t change this week, as inside ‘backers Dannell Ellerbe, David Hawthorne and Ramon Humber are all out for the game.

New Orleans will therefore need Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Michael Mauti to step up against the Redskins’ No. 29-ranked offense. Their first order of business will be to help shut down the Washington ground game, which has been largely ineffective this season.

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Despite their struggles, the Redskins are still likely to test New Orleans in the early going with running backs Matt Jones and Alfred Morris. Saints defensive tackle Kevin Williams, along with Mauti, Dunbar and box safety Kenny Vaccaro will all play key roles, as New Orleans attempts to force the Washington offense to become one-dimensional and rely on quarterback Kirk Cousins. 

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The Redskins quarterback does nice job of getting the ball out quickly, and the Saints will need to bring it with the pass rush and not let Cousins settle into a rhythm.

They could get a nice boost if outside linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha, who’s listed as probable after missing last week’s game, is able to go. Kikaha could make a big difference in the pass rush, as defensive end Cam Jordan is likely to draw a lot of attention from the Redskins in their pass-protection schemes.

In the secondary, New Orleans faces a formidable challenge from explosive wideout DeSean Jackson, who returned to action last week after missing six games with an injury. He only caught three passes a week ago, but look for Washington to try to get the ball in his hands more often on Sunday.

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The Saints must also contend with Redskins tight end Jordan Reed, who has caught 38 balls and four touchdown receptions this season. If cornerback Keenan Lewis, who’s listed as probable after suffering an illness, can fully go as an outside cover man opposite Delvin Breaux, then New Orleans will have the option of placing Brandon Browner on Reed.

Browner’s struggles over the past few weeks have certainly been well documented. He has outstanding size (6’4” and 221 pounds) and physicality, however, he often matches up well with tight ends, as opposed to fleet-footed wideouts, and he may provide the Saints with a better counter to Reed than a safety could.

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Prediction

With just seven games remaining, New Orleans is in a near-must-win situation this week, as they look to pull their record to an even 5-5.

Washington is in a similar spot, and a close, hard-fought game is to be expected in this one.

Look for New Orleans to get rolling on the ground with Ingram, and while it may be more difficult than in the past couple of games, Brees will have some success through the air.

The Saints should be able to contain the Redskins running game enough to force some third-and-long situations, which should lead to defensive stops and possibly turnovers. 

In the closing minutes, New Orleans could once again be calling on Kai Forbath. The former Washington kicker would love nothing more than a chance to boot a game-winning field goal against his old team, and if that scenario plays out, don’t expect him to blow his opportunity.

Saints 27, Redskins 24