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Final Thoughts For Washington Redskins In NFL Week 5 vs. Ravens

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:07 p.m. ET

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Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden looks on from the sidelines against the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 31-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins are playing a key road game against the Baltimore Ravens. Here are some final thoughts prior to game time.

Rejoice Redskins nation. It is game day! The Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens are getting ready to kick off in just a couple of hours in what should be a very exciting game. We here at Riggo’s Rag have been gearing up for the game all week, and have gone through just about everything related to the game.

With kickoff just around the corner, it is time to wrap up the week ahead of game time. Here is a look at some final thoughts ahead of today’s game.

Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) scrambles out of the pocket against the Cleveland Browns in the third quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 31-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

5. Kirk Cousins’ Fifth Game Is A New Start

Through four games this season, Kirk Cousins has been up and down. In the first two games, he performed poorly and hurt the team. In the next two, he was much better and helped them achieve victories. Much like the team’s 2-2 record, Cousins is perfectly in the middle of the spectrum in regards to his performance. In some ways, Week 5 is a new start for him.

Because he has been so average through four games, nobody can really make any claims about how his season has gone. This game will allow him to really make a name for himself. If he performs well, then the season will be going generally well for him after a poor start. Should he struggle against the Ravens weak secondary, then he could end up being criticized once again.

Regardless of what happens, this game is going to be important to Cousins. Every game is important when you have just a year left on your contract.

Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins place kicker Dustin Hopkins (3) kicks a 48 yard field goal against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

4. Dustin Hopkins vs. Justin Tucker: Who Is The Better Kicker?

It is not often that we get to talk about kickers. However, this game features a couple of the best guys in the NFL. Justin Tucker is probably the best kicker in the league, given his strong leg and accuracy. Dustin Hopkins is bursting onto the scene this year and he has not missed a field goal yet through four games. Hopkins is still very young, and he could become a top five kicker if he keeps going at the rate he is going.

This game is probably going to be pretty close, so the kicking battle is going to be important. A Madden simulation by App Trigger’s Daniel George has the Skins projected to lose by 1 point, so the different in this game could very well be a field goal. If this is the case, each kicker is going to have to be at their best and be ready to kick a clutch field goal.

If I had to pick either kicker to take a game winning kick for me right now, it would definitely be Tucker. That said, Hopkins could easily end up being the hero on Sunday. If the game is close in the fourth quarter, keep an eye on the kickers. It will be fun to see how they deal with pressure.

Sep 18, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Josh Doctson (18) makes a reception as Dallas Cowboys free safety Byron Jones (31) looks on during the second half at FedEx Field. The Dallas Cowboys won 27 – 23. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

3. Josh Doctson’s Injury Is A Real Wild Card

The Redskins spent their first round pick this past spring on receiver Josh Doctson. Shortly into his NFL career, things are not going too well for Doctson. In the rare instances that he has been on the field, he has looked good. However, he has been dinged up over the first two month of his Redskins tenure.

Early in the offseason, Doctson suffered an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the preseason. He was on the PUP list for a long while, and it seemed like he was not fully healthy going into the season. The team probably should have rested him until he was healthy. However, that was not the path they chose.

The team elected to keep Doctson on the roster and activate him for the first two games. Now, he is preparing to sit out another game, and it remains to be seen when he will return. Still, Jay Gruden is not ready to give up hope on him playing, according to a piece by ESPN’s John Keim.

We’ll have to wait and see if this gets any better the next week or so and go from there. But I hate to put him on IR and then he’s better tomorrow. He’s such a valuable big-play type guy, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and see what happens.

So there you have it. The team is in wait and see mode. We could see Doctson play as soon as next week, or he may not play until 2017. Right now, we just do not know.

Dec 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Christine Michael (32) is tackled by Cleveland Browns defensive back Johnson Bademosi (24) and defensive back Donte Whitner (31) during a game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

2. New Players Could Be Ready To Make Impact

Over the past couple of weeks, the Redskins have shuffled their roster around quite a bit. They have put a few players on injured reserve, and they have had to sign some veteran players as a result. The team added safeties Donte Whitner and Josh Evans, and they also added center John Sullivan to help improve the play of their offensive line. This week, some of those players could end up seeing some important action.

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Sullivan will be a huge piece at the center position. The team is getting Shawn Lauvao back this week, but if either he or Spencer Long goes down, then Sullivan could be ready to see some action. The veteran has spent a lot of time getting to know the playbook. If he is needed on Sunday, he will be the top backup on the interior line and that will be a huge help for the Redskins. Having him as a security blanket will definitely be good for the team.

As for the safeties, it seems like Whitner will be likely to dress on Sunday. He has not been with the team long, but the team will probably just use him in basic packages. If Whitner can make a lot of tackles and make some big hits, then he will have a big impact on the game. It is likely that he will be the third safety on Sunday, though Deshazor Everett may fight for some playing time.

For Evans, this game will probably be one that he does not play much. He may be active, due to the Redskins lack of healthy players on the roster, but he will likely function as the fifth safety. Because of that, it is tough to imagine seeing him get a lot of snaps. Perhaps in Week 6 he will be on the field more.

Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins defensive end Chris Baker (92) celebrates with Redskins defensive end Ziggy Hood (90) against the Cleveland Browns in the third quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 31-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

1. Redskins Run Defense Has To Be Better

Saying that the Redskins defense needs to improve is a major understatement. The team has been very bad to start the 2016 season. In particular, the team has been very bad against the run. They rank 30th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game, and the Ravens may try to exploit that in their matchup.

However, the Ravens do not have the best running back corps right now. The team has some young players in Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon, but they are unproven. West had the best game of his NFL career last week going for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Dixon has never even gotten a carry in his career, though he impressed in his preseason action. The duo will likely get a majority of the carries on Sunday, and it remains to be seen how they will do.

If the Ravens can consistently gash the Redskins run defense, then they will have a great chance of winning. The worse the run defense is, the worse the pass defense is. If the secondary has to think about helping in run support too much, then the Ravens receivers may be able to get open more during the game. For this reason, the Redskins need to focus on making their run defense better. If they do not, then they will end up on the losing end of this contest.

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