MMA
John Keim, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

After Case Keenum's big day, Redskins must solve Drew Brees

ASHBURN, Virginia -- Two weeks ago, the Washington Redskins' defense had reason to feel good. They spurred an upset in Seattle, controlling a top-10 offense. Then Case Keenum happened. And now Drew Brees awaits Sunday.

The natural worry among fans? If you can't slow Keenum, what happens when you face Brees?

"Come on man, that's fair-weather fans," Redskins cornerback Josh Norman said. "We know what we have to do. You've got to ride that wave; stay even-keel in the good times and stay even-keel in the bad times. When ... you have a goal in mind, you have bumps in the road."

The problem for Washington: Another bump in the road will severely damage realistic playoff hopes. With 12 teams having won at least four games, squeezing into the playoffs at 9-7 will be difficult. So a loss in New Orleans could leave Washington 4-6 and in a bad spot.

To avoid that scenario, the Redskins defense must slow another high-level offense. In fact, this will be the Redskins' fifth game against teams ranked among the top five in yards per game -- and their seventh game against teams in the top nine.

Here are the quarterbacks they've already faced: Carson Wentz (twice), Jared Goff, Derek Carr, Alex Smith, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott. Keenum threw for more yards than any of them.

New Orleans offers the best combination of passing and running, a future Hall of Fame quarterback who, after four years, finally has help. In four of the previous five seasons, New Orleans finished 7-9; with a running game and good defense, the Saints now are 7-2.

It'll also require a strong day by Washington's offense, with a run game that must be at least a threat and a passing game that can't waste chances.

But the defense still must slow an excellent offense. Here's what they face:

The short pass

Brees leads the NFL in passes at or behind the line of scrimmage with 97 and, of his 300 attempts, 62 percent have traveled no more than five yards. But it works; New Orleans ranks second (one yard behind Washington) in yards gained after the catch. On those passes that travel five yards or less downfield, New Orleans leads the NFL in yards after the catch.

The Redskins must excel at diagnosing the screen game. Linebacker Zach Brown's speed helps, but the first step is recognition -- and by more players than Brown.

Running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara have combined for 582 yards after the catch, mainly because of the screen game.

"He’s one of the next great backs in this league," Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger said of the rookie Kamara, "when you're talking about running after the catch and running routes out of the backfield. He can do it all. He reminds me of [Arizona's] David Johnson."

Run game

Ingram and Kamara have helped transform the offense -- much the same way Atlanta became a stronger offense with the rise of its two running backs (Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman) last season. Those screen passes work because Ingram and Kamara have speed. The run game works because of the line and talented backs.

"They're playing with a lead this year a lot more as opposed to last year and the year before," Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. "They were playing from behind because their defense wasn't very good, so they were very pass-happy. You see the same situation with us from time to time. But when they play with the lead or close, they're very balanced."

Both backs rank among the top 10 in yards gained after contact -- Kamara is fourth. Part of that stems from the design of the run game: They get defensive players out of position with fake jet-sweep action, leading to arm-tackle attempts. Or they rely on a powerful interior to hold their blocks, again leading to arm tackles.

"Kamara is a total back," Redskins linebacker Preston Smith said. "He's fast. He can play between the tackles and play outside. Ingram has speed, power and size. We have to contain these guys."

Chicago's defense held New Orleans to 20 points this season in part because its linemen did not get moved out of their gaps and, at times, held double teams long enough for linebackers to make plays. Pressuring with only four rushers makes a big difference, too. Matt Ioannidis' return should help the Redskins' defensive line.

Brees

A strong run game has made Brees more difficult to defend. Though the Saints throw short quite a bit, few quarterbacks manipulate a defense down the field more than Brees. Against Chicago, for example, he completely fooled the linebackers with a pump fake to a screen, getting defenders way out of position, and then threw back to the middle for a long gain to a wide open tight end.

Swearinger said disguising coverages is key. It'll help having rookie Montae Nicholson back, providing more speed at safety. But the challenge is making sure they communicate well in a loud environment.

"He'll know if we're not on the same page," Swearinger said of Brees. "He just knows where everyone is at. If you show him a defense, he'll check to the right play. If you don't disguise, he has a chance to dice us up."

Brees is on pace for his fewest yards and touchdowns since joining the Saints in 2006. The real test will be stopping the run and making sure those short throws don't turn into long runs, sometimes helped by play design. Still, Brees orchestrates it well.

"Anytime you're playing a Hall of Famer, a GOAT, you want to have your best game, you want to pick him off," Swearinger said. "Coming off the week we just had, to go up against a legend this week and have a great performance, that's the goal. If we pay attention to details and prepare, we can make that happen."

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