Washington will head to one of the toughest place for visiting teams to play when they head to New Orleans.
They found themselves in a position not many saw before the season. First place. Yes. Yes. Yes. I know it’s extremely early in the season.
Maybe the Stanley Cup Champion, Washington Capitals, have taken some steam away but have you noticed that the Nation’s Capital hasn’t gone ga-ga over this team? In years past, the city would be buzzing with unrealistic expectations. Wait… that’s reserved for the Washington Nationals now.
With all this said, this team deserves a little more love than its getting. Alex Smith has provided much needed stability at the quarterback season. Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins were walking drama queens, something an average team doesn’t need. Smith won’t have the sexy numbers Cousins had but he’ll bring much needed leadership to the offense. Plus, it won’t have the game sealing crippling turnover like Cousins.
Adrian Peterson has found the fountain of youth in the first few weeks. One the biggest hurdles coach Jay Gruden will have is to manage Peterson’s carries so he’s fresh in the last month of the season.
There are still issues at wide receiver but considering where Washington was, there is still time to fix that over the next couple of seasons.
On defense, Washington is second in average points given up per game, right behind Jacksonville. This a unit that doesn’t have a lot of sexy names but they’ve been a unit that plays as one. They will be tested by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. The Saints will be getting Mark Ingram back from a four game suspension. Ingram’s return will allow Alvin Kamara to go back to his role as more of a change of pace back. On the outside, Brees can spin the ball to the explosive Michael Thomas. Thomas leads the league in receptions.
Monday night is a statement night for Washington. They’ve had two weeks to prepare for the Saints and their raucous crowd. They don’t necessarily need a win but they can’t get blown out either. If the game is close in the fourth quarter, you never know what can happen… maybe they’ll have the city buzzing again.
