Redskins at Browns
Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday 8/8 at 7:30 pm (ET)
Location: FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio
Betting Odds: CLE +2 via Oddsshark
Network: WRC, WEWS
Washington Redskins
Another Year, Another QB
Week 1 of the 2019-20 season will see a third quarterback in as many years behind center for Washington. Will it be first-round rookie Dwayne Haskins? Well, it’s been said by head coach Jay Gruden and his staff that they have no plans to start Haskins during the regular season unless he is ready. Surely the next man up would be newly acquired veteran Case Keenum, right? Not so fast. The latest out of camp is that Keenum hasn’t won the job to this point. That leaves room for long-time Redskin Colt McCoy to find himself in a starting role. With the depth chart not yet set, look for a true QB-competition to play out through the preseason.
The Guice Is Right… Eventually
With offensive tackle Trent Williams refusing to join the team – due to a contract dispute and frustration with the teams’ medical staff – the Washington line takes a hit. That’s a shame for the running back room, which is one of the stronger points to the offense. Canton-bound Adrian Peterson is unofficially listed as the RB1 entering Thursday night, but it’s might-as-well-still-be-a-rookie Derrius Guice who everyone will have eyes on as he returns from a torn ACL that kept him out all of last season. At the moment, Guice is nursing a hamstring injury that may keep him out for the Cleveland game, and if he’s able to suit up, there’s no doubt he will be eased into the rotation. You can look for versatile Chris Thompson, the ever so often PPR darling, to share touches as well.
WhoReceiver?
With the departure of Jamison Crowder, the wide receiver core is severely lacking true starting talent. There truly isn’t much to get excited about. Former Seahawk Paul Richardson is essentially the WR1, followed up Josh Doctson, though he may find himself on the roster bubble. Trey Quinn may carve out a role in the slot and on returns, and after him, it’s a weak group of players. I can safely go out on a limb and say the majority of fantasy players may not roster a Redskins receiver at any point this season.
Cleveland Browns
Bakermania, Year 2
Baker Mayfield has unprecedented hype around him entering his second season. He found great success last year after taking over for an injured Tyrod Taylor, and never looked back. Having finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, can the Browns charismatic signal-caller have a repeat campaign? He has been gifted with flashy new weapons in Odell Beckham Jr. and Kareem Hunt, though time will tell if he will fall victim to a sophomore slump simply because of the pressure set. Mayfield strived with Freddie Kitchens as his offensive coordinator, and now that he’s his head coach, the makings are there for him to continue this great start to his career.
Will LSU WR-U remain intact?
Not even OBJ himself probably envisioned leaving New York, but having been traded to the Browns and joining his LSU-brethren Jarvis Landry, the two instantly form one of the leagues’ best WR tandems. Beckham is entering a much more stable quarterback situation than he has been used to with the Giants and Eli Manning in recent years, and there is no doubt he will light it up with Mayfield tossing him the ball. However, it will be interesting to watch how Landry and he co-exist. Will egos get in the way? In all reality, I believe Landry is the one whose production takes a bit of a hit, but if Beckham finds himself in double coverage often, Landry may be the open target. Let’s not forget though, that last season as Mayfield’s WR1, he and Juice struggled to get on the same page most weeks.
A Chance at Redemption
Suspended for the first eight games of the regular season, Kareem Hunt is eligible to play in the preseason. At the moment he is battling a groin injury, and so he may be a doubt for Thursday’s game against Washington. Whether you support the Browns decision or not to sign him in the first place, the NFL is seemingly a multiple-chance league. Hunt has all the talent, and from a business standpoint, signing him at pennies on the dollar was a huge get for GM Jim Dorsey. Can he stay out of trouble is the question. A rested Hunt returning after the halfway point to spell and join a backfield with second-year Nick Chubb will play huge for the Browns potent offense. I’d like to see him get a decent sample size of touches this preseason, and as long as he’s healthy enough, I see Kitchens deploying him a good bit to gauge what he was waiting for him in the wings.
-Matthew Cava