Washington Redskins Keys to Victory: Week 9

Oct 27, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins tight end

(86) celebrates after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Redskins beat the Cowboys 20-17 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It’s week 9 of the NFL season and the Washington Redskins travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. Both teams enter the contest at 3-5 with hopes of turning their seasons around. Teddy Bridgewater will be running the ship for the Vikings and Robert Griffin III will see action for the first since dislocating his ankle in week 2. The return of RG3 will dominate the headlines, but a team effort will be necessary if the Redskins wish to win this Sunday. With that being said, here are the keys to victory for the Washington Redskins in Week 9.

To make things easier to consume, I’m going to break the keys to the matchup into 3 separate sections.

1. Protect Robert Griffin III 

For Washington to defeat Minnesota, their offensive line will have to show up. The Redskins are currently tenth in the league in sacks allowed with 17, that’s a little more than 2 per game. That’s not terrible, but it surely isn’t great. If the Redskins can’t contain the Minnesota pass-rush, I would look for them to utilize quick passes like slants & screens to get the ball out before the rush can hit. With the speed of their receivers, these types of routes can lead to big plays for the offense.

2. Run the ball

I guess this key can technically fall under protecting RG3, but I think that it deserves a separate category. The Washington ground game hasn’t been great this season and they currently rank in the bottom half of the league in rushing. I would like to see Alfred Morris touch the ball more this week. A potent rushing attack will take some of the pressure off of RG3 and will also help keep the D off balance. If the Redskins can get the ground game going early, play action becomes a viable weapon throughout the contest.

3. Pressure Teddy Bridgewater

A relentless pass-rush by Jim Haslett helped the Redskins notch a victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The Redskins are currently tied for fifth in the league with 21 sacks. That’s bad news for Teddy Bridgewater, especially when you consider the fact that his offensive line has allowed the second most sacks this season with 28. I fully expect Haslett to dial up a variety of exotic blitzes against the rookie quarterback. Obviously they’ll have to tweak their approach from week to week, but an abundance of pressure should help fluster Bridgewater a bit.

If the Redskins can properly execute those 3 things, they should be able to walk out of Minnesota with a victory.