Redskins vs Jaguars: Tale of the Tape

Here’s a break down of how the Redskins and Jaguars match-up at each position.

Quarterback:

Redskins: 

–Robert Griffin III didn’t have a great opening game versus the Houston Texans, but he didn’t exactly have a bad game either. He was very accurate, completing 78% of his passes, but most of the Redskins passing game was limited to short throws which didn’t really help sustain drives for the Redskins. Griffin struggled with feeling pressure, but he did make sure he didn’t throw any interceptions which was a plus. Overall it was just one game, so the Redskins are hoping that Griffin can perform at a higher level this week and help lead the Redskins to a win.

Jaguars:

–Chad Henne isn’t going to finish on any top 20 QB lists (he’s probably not on many top 25), but he can still be an average guy in the right circumstances. Henne is a game manager type of quarterback and if he’s given a situation where he just needs to protect a lead he can get the job done. He’s not a guy who will take over a game though, or win a game late.

Advantage:  Redskins by a moderate amount. RGIII is clearly the more talented QB and his potential is off the charts, but he’s also struggled the more the Redskins try to keep him in the pocket. Last week Griffin was a game manager type of quarterback and perhaps the Redskins can get away with that this week, but they could also use some of that Griffin magic from 2012.

Running backs/Fullbacks:

Redskins: 

–Alfred Morris is clearly one of the top 5 runners in the NFL and he proved that again last week, when he ran all over the Texans despite only having 14 carries. Morris has such great vision and he’s a guy who typically will make the first defender miss. It allows him to pick up big chunks of yardage, despite not being a speedster. Roy Helu Jr. had a big game last week in a back-up role with over 40 yards on just 4 carries. Helu is overlooked in DC due to Morris, but he’s a solid runner and can keep the chains moving when he’s in there as well. Helu is the 3rd down back as well and can be a solid receiver out of the backfield though it’s not a big part of the Redskins passing game. Finally FB Darrel Young is one of the better lead backs in the game, though he wasn’t utilized much versus the Texans.

Jaguars:

-The Jaguars went out and brought in Toby Gerhart to be their feature back this year. Gerhart hasn’t been a fulltime starter, but he’s filled in nicely for Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. Gerhart’s first week didn’t go so well as he got a little banged up with an ankle injury. He did have a couple nice runs, but for the most part he had to deal with a lot of defenders in the backfield. Gerhart is an above average runner and he can catch the football pretty well also. Behind him the Jaguars have Jordan Todman and Denard Robinson. Neither back-up is great, but Robinson can be an elusive weapon if he gets into open space.

Advantage: Redskins by a good margin. It’s not that Toby Gerhart is a bad back, it’s just that Morris is so far ahead of him. The fact that Gerhart is a little banged up also doesn’t help matters. The Redskins really open up their advantage with their depth and FB talent.

Tight ends:

Redskins: 

–Jordan Reed suffered a hamstring injury in the first game and isn’t available to play. In his place will be a combination of Logan Paulsen and Niles Paul. Paulsen is the better inline tight end, while Paul can be more of a receiving threat. While Paul showed some promise as a receiving TE last week, he’s not on par with Reed, particularly in terms of being a red zone threat. Paulsen has regressed as a receiver and really isn’t going to help out much in that department.

Jaguars:

-The Jaguars have Marcedes Lewis as their primary tight end. He’s been a solid tight end for them for years. He’s not great in any area, but he can contribute both as a blocker and a receiver. He’s not a dynamic receiving threat, but the Jaguars do seem to want to feature him more this year.

Advantage: Jaguars by a moderate amount. Obviously if the Redskins had Jordan Reed they would have a sizable advantage here, but without him the experience of Lewis gives the Jags the edge.

Wide Receivers:

Redskins: 

-The Redskins trio of Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, and Andre Roberts showed some nice potential week one, now the Redskins need to find ways to get them open down the field to take advantage of their speed and athleticism. Week one the Redskins mainly used short quick passes, which really limited the damage these guys can do, but we did see a couple times where these receivers were breaking free. The potential is there for these receivers to have a big game, but they need to get on the same page with Griffin fast.

Jaguars:

-The Jaguars appear to be without their veteran receiver Cecil Shorts again as he’s listed as doubtful on the injury report. What Jacksonville does have area trio of talented rookie receivers in Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Hurns broke out in a big week one with over 100 receiving yards and a pair of TD’s. Hurns can be a deep threat and a guy that the Redskins can’t make any coverage mistakes with, or he’ll make them pay. Lee is the most talented of the bunch and will likely be featured this week, as the Jaguars want to get the ball into his hands.

Advantage: Redskins by a large margin. The Jaguars receivers have some promise and can be dangerous if they are overlooked, but the Redskins trio of receivers are clearly the bigger threat. They’ve actually all produced at the NFL level and need to be accounted for. 

Offensive Line:

Redskins: 

-The Redskins offensive line was pretty good run blocking week one, but they struggled to pass block and that is what keeps them as a liability for this team. While much of the focus was on the struggles of Tyler Polumbus, even Trent Williams struggled some in that game. At the end of the day this is going to be a unit that holds the Redskins back. They can mitigate some of the issues with the line’s ability limitations if they are more run-centric, but at some point they will need to pass and that could lead to some negative plays.

Jaguars:

-The Jaguars are a young, inexperienced line and it showed week one versus the Eagles. They made a number of key mistakes both in run and pass blocking. When this unit though get’s it together they could potentially be pretty solid. Luke Joeckel has elite potential at LT, while Zane Beadles was one of the top free agent guards on the market.

Advantage: Redskins by a small amount. The Redskins line is far from good, but they do have two things going for them. One, Trent Williams is a top LT (despite some week 1 struggles), and two they are more experienced overall. They might not be super talented, but that experience and familiarity gives them an advantage over a line that is very much a work in progress. 

Defensive Line:

Redskins: 

-The Redskins defensive line suffered two big blows week 1 against the Texans. Starting NT Barry Cofield is not on short term IR with an ankle injury, while Kedric Golston is listed as doubtful due to a groin strain. Without them, the Redskins are going to have to rely heavily on Jason Hatcher (who is still working his way back from injury), Chris Baker and Jarvis Jenkins. That can be a solid group, but their depth is going to be tested.

Jaguars:

-This is the strength of the Jaguars team as their defensive line is both talented and deep. They might not have a J.J. Watt type of player, but they have some guys who can play. Sen’Derrick Marks is probably the best interior defensive linemen that you haven’t heard of. He’s quick off the snap and he can get a lot of penetration. Red Bryant is a wall of a man, who is incredibly stout versus the run. Chris Clemons and Andre Branch both have good edge rushing skills. Behind them are a group of solid guys including Roy Miller, Ziggy Hood and Tyson Alualu. Also former UDFA Ryan Davis flashed in a situational pass rusher role against the Eagles, and is a guy the Redskins have to watch out for when he’s on the field. The Jaguars tallied 5 sacks against the Eagles last week and will once again be looking to have a big day rushing the QB.

Advantage: Jaguars by a large margin. It’s hard to compare the DL and LB’s for these teams because they run different fronts, but any way you cut it the Jaguars have way more talent and depth here. If Cofield and Golston were there it would help the Redskins, but Jacksonville would still have the advantage.

Linebackers:

Redskins: 

-The Redskins have a strong group of linebackers with Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan on the outside and Keenan Robinson and Perry Riley on the interior. Orakpo had a quiet week 1, but the Texans did a good job game planning for him and taking him out of the play. The Redskins need to do a better job of letting him get to rush the QB and face 1-on-1 blocking. Robinson really showed up well week one and it’s looking more and more like the Redskins have a solid piece in the middle of their LB corps. Back-up Trent Murphy should help out on passing downs and to give both Orakpo and Kerrigan some breaks from time to time.

Jaguars:

-The Jaguars have a solid linebacking corps led by MLB Paul Posluszny. Posluszny is a great run defender and can be solid in coverage as well. He’s a smart linebacker who can put his defense in the right place. On the outside Geno Hayes is a solid cover linebacker, but can be exploited in the run game. LaRoy Reynolds is their 3rd starter. He’s a young guy, without a lot of hype, but he looked solid week 1.

Advantage: Redskins by a good margin. Like above with the DL it’s tough to compare the two, but the Redskins definitely have an advantage at LB. They have arguably their two best defensive players in Orakpo and Kerrigan (and definitely 2 of their top 4) in this group. Also Robinson is looking like a pretty good player in his own right. 

(Note: In comparing front 7’s I’d probably give the Jaguars a slight advantage. The big factor would be depth along the DL for the Redskins, which puts them behind the Jaguars. It’s a close battle though between the two front 7’s.

Cornerbacks:

Redskins: 

–DeAngelo Hall and David Amerson give the Redskins two corners with plenty of talent. Amerson didn’t have as strong of a week 1, but he was having to deal with Andre Johnson quite a bit which would cause problems for any CB. He should fare better against the Jaguars young receivers. E.J. Biggers figures to once again be their 3rd corner.

Jaguars:

-Starter Alan Ball is quesitionable, but right now it looks like he’s going to play. Ball teams up with Dwayne Gratz on the outside to give the Jaguars a pair of aggressive physical corners on the outside. Will Blackmon comes in to give the Jaguars a 3rd solid corner when teams go three wide. It’s not a heralded group, and there isn’t a single star amongst them, but these corners are pretty good overall.

Advantage: Redskins by a slim amount. The Redskins corners may have more natural talent (at least their top 2), but the Jaguars group is better than people give them credit for, and have 3 good capable options.

Safeties:

Redskins: 

–Ryan Clark appears to be everything the Redskins hoped for when they signed him this offseason and he offers solid play from the FS position. Unfortunately the SS spot is extremely unsettled right now. Bacarri Rambo once again made a major mistake week 1 that cost the Redskins. They may try to play Duke Inhenacho this week, but he’s barely practiced, making it tough to get him up to speed. Either way the SS position is a liability right now.

Jaguars:

-The Jaguars will be without their best safety as 2nd year man Jonathan Cyprien will miss the game with a concussion. That will mean they will go with Winston Guy and Josh Evans as their primary safeties. These are two young guys who flash at times, but for the most part are liabilities for the Jaguars.

Advantage: Redskins by a moderate amount. If Cyprien was there it would be closer, but Ryan Clark gives the Redskins the big advantage here as he’s the one guy on either team that you can really count on.

Special Teams:

Redskins: 

-On the plus side Tress Way and Andre Roberts looked good week 1. Unfortunately the Redskins made a couple costly mistakes that led to a blocked extra point and a blocked punt. Making matters even worse is that kicker Kai Forbath is dealing with a sore groin. Even if he does suit up, he might not be 100%.

Jaguars:

-The Jaguars don’t have much in the way of return men, but they do have a good punter/kicker combination in Bryan Anger and Josh Scobee. Scobee missed two FG’s week one but he’s typically one of the more accurate kickers in the league, while Anger is one of the better punters in the NFL.

Advantage: Jaguars by a good margin. Given the unknown with Forbath and just the constant miscues from this unit, it is tough to get excited about the Redskins ability to make the ST’s be a plus for them.