Cleveland Browns

5 Washington Redskins Players To Watch In Week 4 vs. Cleveland Browns

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:10 p.m. ET

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Jan 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Will Blackmon (41) and cornerback Deshazor Everett (22) and defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois (99) and cornerback Jeremy Harris (37) celebrate during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Redskins defeat the Cowboys 34-23. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins are looking for their second win in Week 4. Here are five players that could help them get it.

The Washington Redskins are going to be taking on the Cleveland Browns in a critical battle on Sunday afternoon. The Redskins currently are sporting a 1-2 record, and in order to keep pace with the rest of the NFC East, they really need a win over the hapless Browns.

The Browns are 0-3 on the season, but they still have actually played fairly well in a couple of contests. They are not an opponent that can be overlooked, but they are definitely an opponent that the Redskins should beat.

With that in mind, it is going to take a solid effort out of the team to avoid falling into a trap game this week. Here is a look a five players who could help give the Redskins the edge in this game.

5. LB Su’a Cravens

In the first three weeks of his NFL career, Su’a Cravens has been nothing short of terrific. The second round pick out of USC has been a great coverage linebacker who has seen success as the primary backup for the team. Cravens has graded out as one of the better coverage linebackers in the league, and it appears as though he may be a starter in the near future.

This week, Cravens could end up seeing an expanded role. DeAngelo Hall is out for the season with a torn ACL, so the team is going to need to help replace him. Cravens is a hybrid player that can play the safety position, but I think it is more likely that they will continue to use him at linebacker. That said, there may be more instances where the team brings him in to help in coverage, because they will need it a bit more.

Against the Browns, Cravens could end up seeing work against Gary Barnidge, which will certainly be interesting to watch. Barnidge is a solid tight end, so Cravens will definitely be tested. The rookie should have success, and will further carve out a role in the team’s defense.

Aug 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Charone Peake (17) has the ball knocked away by Washington Redskins cornerback Kendall Fuller (38) in the third quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

4. CB Kendall Fuller

As mentioned earlier, DeAngelo Hall is injured. Bashaud Breeland is also dealing with an ankle malady that could possibly hold him out of some games. As a result, the Redskins may need to dress another defensive back, and their only real option is rookie Kendall Fuller.

Fuller was a third round pick out of Virginia Tech who fell due to injury concerns. In the preseason, Fuller was spectacular and showed that he has the potential to be a starting cornerback in the NFL. Unfortunately, he lost the starting nickel job to Dashaun Phillips, and since then he has been on the inactives list.

This is the week that will change. The team will almost certainly give Fuller a chance to make his first NFL appearance, and that will give Redskins fans a glance at their future. He may not be fully ready to lock down a starting job. However, if he can play to his best ability, then he may not be inactive in another game this season.

Sep 18, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones (31) carries the ball past Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) in the second quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

3. RB Matt Jones

The Browns do not have a very strong defense. While that may initially be thought of as good news for Kirk Cousins, I would say that Matt Jones may benefit most from this. The Skins are trying to run a balanced offense, so Jones could end up seeing a bulk of the carries again against what is a pretty mediocre run defense.

Danny Shelton is pretty much the only threatening player across the defensive line for the Browns. The nose tackle is a good run stuffer, but Jones might be able to run through him a couple of times. He could post some of the best numbers of the year against the Browns, especially if he ran like he did against the New York Giants.

Overall, expect a big day from Jones. He may end up being the best player on the Washington offense during Sunday’s crucial matchup.

Dec 7, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tackle Mike Harris (79) and guard Joe Berger (61) and center John Sullivan (65) and guard Vladimir Ducasse (62) prepare to block against the New York Jets in the third quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

2. C John Sullivan

The Redskins were in desperate need of center help before the season started. Their need became even more dire after Kory Lichtensteiger was put on the injured reserve earlier this week. The team ended up making a very smart move and picked up John Sullivan from the free agent market.

Sullivan has been in the NFL since 2006, and he has spent all of his time with the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran center was cut by the team prior to the NFL season, as he had lost the starting job to Joe Berger. The Vikings had solid young depth on the offensive line, so they elected to move on from Sullivan and his cap hit.

Now, Sullivan can come to Washington and really improve their offensive line. Though he missed all of 2015 with an injury, he is still a solid player, as he demonstrated in the preseason. He likely will not be ready to start immediately, but he should still see some action as a backup to Spencer Long. Sullivan will be the team’s starter in short order, and it will be interesting to see how much he can do in his first week with the team.

Jan 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Will Blackmon (41) strips the ball away from Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden (20) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. The Redskins defeat the Cowboys 34-23. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

1. S Will Blackmon

Will Blackmon is going to be the new starter at safety for the Redskins in the wake of Hall’s injury. Blackmon is a 10 year veteran, and he should be able to fill the void nicely. He has excellent coverage skills as a converted corner, and he likely will not be much of a drop off from the veteran Hall. Of course, Hall’s leadership cannot be replaced but his on-the-field impact can be.

Blackmon is not really going to have a tough test in his first start. The Browns are not going to be very good in the pass game against the strong Washington secondary. However, they may be able to get their run game going. he Redskins need to plan to stop that. Blackmon will be tested in run support, and if he succeeds then the team will be able to roll with him as a virtually every down player.

If not, then we may see more of a platoon at the position. Duke Ihenacho and Deshazor Everett could come in during running situations and keep Blackmon fresh for the passing game. After all, that is his strength. It will be interesting to see how the team manages the position moving forward.