Five questions facing the Redskins as they host Seattle on “Monday Night Football”:
1. Which Kirk Cousins will show up? As recently as three short years ago, fans loved evaluating quarterback Rex Grossman as either “Good Rex” or “Bad Rex.” It’s too early to apply similar labels to Cousins, but the quarterback is coming off the worst performance of his career and needs to have a bounce-back game for his team to have a chance.
2. How can the Redskins’ pass offense attack Seattle’s secondary? Cornerback Richard Sherman attacks the ball and thrives in press coverage. Strong safety Kam Chancellor, at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, uses his size to shut down the middle of the field. Free safety Earl Thomas might have the most range of any player at his position. Stacking receivers, confusing the zone and winning individual matchups is crucial.
3. Will the pass rush finally get home? Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson rarely makes mistakes and uses his escapability to prolong plays, but he will take time to let plays develop. That’s a window the Redskins’ pass rush, which has struggled in three of four games this season, can exploit.
4. Can the cornerbacks get physical with Seattle’s receivers? David Amerson and Bashaud Breeland are both known for their toughness, but the Redskins have been unwilling to have them jam receivers and play bump-and-run. Using such a technique is important to disrupting timing and thus eliminating big plays.
5. Is Jordan Reed going to be in uniform? Reed was expected to have a big season for the Redskins, but his continual inability to stay healthy is troublesome. The tight end practiced three times in the past week — the most he has since before he strained his left hamstring in Week 1. When he’s on the field, he poses a matchup problem for any defense.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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