Redskins expect to mix up coverage against Antonio Brown

Having to wait an extra day for the Washington Redskins to begin their regular season on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers has felt like an extra week.

This week at Redskins Park, players have straddled the line between being keeping their emotions composed and eagerly awaiting the start of the season.

“Monday night games are a long day,” tight end Vernon Davis said. “I like to get up early, go have some lunch off-site from the team hotel. Time goes by a lot faster that way. You see everyone playing, a Thursday night game and Sunday game, and you’re like, ’Gosh, we didn’t play yet.’ It can be a drag, but you’ve got to be patient.”

Now, the Redskins don’t have to wait much longer.

Here is a look at the logistics and three things to watch in Monday’s matchup.

Logistics

Kickoff: 7:10 p.m.

Records: Redskins 0-0, Steelers 0-0

Television: ESPN (Sean McDonough, play-by-play; Jon Gruden, color; Lisa Salters, sidelines)

Radio: ESPN 980 (Larry Michael, Sonny Jurgensen, Chris Cooley, Doc Walker)

Weather expected at kickoff: 75 degrees

Lines: Steelers -3, over/under 50 per Bovada

Stats:

All-time record: The Redskins are 42-32-3 against the Steelers.

Last regular-season meeting: Oct. 28, 2012: 27-12 loss in Pittsburgh.

Injury report:

Redskins: Questionable — Running back Matt Jones (shoulder), wide receiver Josh Doctson (Achilles), defensive end Kendall Reyes (groin), left guard Spencer Long (ankle) and nose tackle Kedric Golston (lower back).

Steelers: Out — Wide receiver Markus Wheaton (shoulder), cornerback Senquez Golston (foot), fullback Roosevelt Nix (back), center/guard Cody Wallace (knee).

Three things to watch:

*** The Steelers will be without suspended running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Martavis Bryant, while wide receiver Markus Wheaton is out with a shoulder injury. Watching Redskins cornerback Josh Norman make his debut against wide receiver Antonio Bryant was going to be fun either way, and he’ll certainly be tested Monday night. Expect Ben Roethlisberger to push the offense through Brown. The marquee wide receiver will move around in the Steelers offense and defensive coordinator Joe Barry said the Redskins will throw different coverage looks at him.

“Yeah, we’ll change it up,” Barry said. “We will do some of that, but I think with what Pittsburgh does, they do such a great job…moving him around so you can’t get a bead on him. But we will do some of that. We’ll deploy a certain, different number of players on him, but they counter-balance that just by moving him around.”

Both sides have tried to quiet the buzz around the matchup between Norman and Brown, but it’s still hard to ignore. The Redskins paid Norman to help change the face of the defense and he’ll have his chance to make his mark Monday.

*** Will the offensive line find its chemistry? Left guard Shawn Lauvao make his long-awaited return to the starting lineup after playing in just three games last season because of an ankle injury. The Redskins have brought him along incrementally in training camp and the preseason, as he shared snaps with left guard Spencer Long. Toward the end, Lauvao played well enough to regain his starting job and proved to the coaching staff he can be effective after having a total of five surgeries on both his feet and legs in the offseason.

If the Redskins want to get the running game on track, winning their battles in the trenches is a good place to start. The hope is that Lauvao’s return will help them accomplish that, but just plugging him into the lineup and hoping for improvement is easier said than done.

*** The Redskins’ pass rushers will have a tough task ahead of them on Monday when it comes to bringing down Ben Roethlisberger. He’s made a career out of dodging defenders and he’s still good at it. Washington has three new faces on the defensive line this season in Kendall Reyes, Ziggy Hood and undrafted rookie Anthony Lanier. Hood has come on surprisingly strong in the preseason and has emerged as one of the team’s best pass rushers on the defensive line along with Chris Baker. If Hood can continue to give the Redskins a boost up front on Monday, he’ll provide a strong compliment to Baker and outside linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith.