If the Washington Redskins thought their injury woes from last season were behind them, they were sorely mistaken. It’s hard to say just how much they lost when Derrius Guice went down in last week’s game with an ACL injury since he hadn’t played a game. But a promising training camp was expected to translate into on-field production that would revamp the Skins running game. Now it’s back to the drawing board for Jay Gruden, who will search for answers beginning with the Skins Week 2 preseason game against the New York Jets.
This matchup in Week 2 of the preseason will go down Thursday, August 16, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET at FedEx Field. The game will be air live on ESPN.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York Jets +1.5
Washington Redskins -1.5
Over/Under 39.5
Odds Analysis
Playing at home during the preseason is always worth a few points and the Skins opened this one as a 1.5-point favorite. The Jets haven’t been good under Todd Bowles on the road during the exhibition games, compiling a 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS record during his tenure. The total came in at 39.5.
Quarterback Rotation
Sam Darnold had a nice NFL debut and looks to be in line for a bigger role on Thursday. The No. 3 overall pick played a majority of snaps in last week’s preseason opener completing 13 of 18 attempts for 96 yards with a touchdown. Darnold was taking first team snaps in practice and Todd Bowles said the plan was to give him one preseason start.
That one appears to be against the Skins, though Teddy Bridgewater had a nice outing against the Falcons and keeps pushing for more playing time. Unlike other teams around the league, the Jets are in a good spot at the position with a pair of experienced veterans and a strong-armed rookie. Josh McCown was sharp in his only series and he didn’t play in Week 2 last preseason as the staff evaluated other players. We could have a similar situation on Thursday.
After sitting out the opener against the Patriots, expect to see Alex Smith make his Skins debut on Thursday. Working in a new system with new receivers, Smith could use the reps and he’s likely to get a few series against the Jets defense. Unlike the Jets, there is no competition for the starting job in Washington. Smith was acquired to lead the team and will get just enough reps to make sure he’s ready for the season opener.
Colt McCoy is the backup and there is no competition for that spot either. McCoy was solid against the Pats last week, throwing for 189 yards on 13 of 18 passing with a pair of touchdowns as the Skins built a 17-0 lead. After blowing the advantage in the second half, Kevin Hogan had a chance to drive the Skins for the go-ahead points, but he was strip-sacked and the Pats added some insurance. Hogan hit on 7 of 9 attempts.
Players to Watch
The Skins drafted Guice in the second round to help a run game that ranked 28th in the NFL last season. Now it’s back to the same group of backs that produced 90.5 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry in 2017. Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine will be in line to take over as the lead back. Perine was an oddity last season, playing all 16 games and leading the club with 603 yards.
Kelley had a strong rookie season in 2016 with over 700 yards on the ground, but his role diminished last year and he played just seven games dealing with injuries. Chris Thompson is looking to comeback from a broken leg that cut his 2017 short and the team also has Kapri Bibbs and Byron Marshall to take some carries. What the Skins really need is to find some consistency in the ground game and stay healthy.
Free ATS Pick
The Skins have to be thinking not again after Guice, receiver Robert Davis and tight end Manasseh Garner all sustained season-ending injuries. After what happened to this team last year, the Skins have to be a little gun shy about taking the field. Not that Gruden is going to hold back, but I’m sure he’s going to be a little more cautious.
Starters will likely see even less action on Thursday and with the Jets looking good coming off a shutout, they’ll be looking to make a statement. And considering the teams had a heated joint practice, things might get testy on the field. This won’t be a high-scoring affair, but it should be entertaining given the dislike built up between the organizations earlier in the week.
NFL Odds: Jets 20, Redskins 16
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