One of these two will hit the all-too-familiar 0-2 after they meet this weekend. The Jacksonville Jaguars will line up against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field in Maryland, at 1 pm this Sunday. The game can be watched online via live stream below (free with subscription), or on the CBS Television network.
Jacksonville fell to the Philadelphia Eagles last week 34-17, and probably the hardest part of that game for them to stomach is that they led 17-0 at halftime. Quarterback Chad Henne did not put up as big of numbers in the second half as he did in the first half, and now fans have renewed their call for rookie Blake Bortles to get a shot in the drivers seat. Henne only threw for 99 yards in the last two quarters, but many of the balls he threw were on target but dropped by receivers. If the Jaguars are going to have a shot against the Redskins, the Jaguar offense is going to have to get it together, whether they start Henne or Bortles. Contray to fan wishes, Henne is slated to go again for Jacksonville.
One bright spot for the Jags' offense, and someone they will need to come up big in the game against the Skins is wide reciever Allen Hurns. The rookie caught 4 balls for 110 yards, and found the endzone twice. If he can have that kind of production again, especially in the second half this time, Jacksonville has an opportunity to even their record.
On defense, the Jaguars will need to shut down Washingtons run attack. The defensive line will carry a lot of that burden, and how linebacker Paul Posluszny performs at stopping Redskin running back Alfred Morris will strongly affect who comes out on top this week. Cornerback Alan Ball had an interception in the first half against the Eagles, and if he will need to do a good job stopping Desean Jackson this week.
Washington's new coach Jay Gruden, has made it clear that he thinks it will be the running game that sets the Redskins apart this year. Last week Alfred Morris and company average 7.9 yards per carry, and Gruden would like to put the ball on the ground more this game. No doubt, though, the Redskins want to see Quarterback Robert Griffin III get back to his pre-injury form this year, and he had a pretty good start against the Eagles last week. He threw for 267 yards, going 29-37 completing 78.4 percent of his pass attempts. However, he coughed up two fumbles and only gained 2 yards on the ground. He was also sacked 3 times.
The Redskin defense took a loss when nose tackle Barry Cofield went down with ankle and groin issues last week. Chris Baker will take the position, but defensive end Jason Hatcher told the Washington Post it will take the whole defensive line to make up for the loss, even though he has no worries about Baker's ability..
"It's a big loss for us, but we have to keep going. We can't make excuses. We have to get the job done," Hatcher said. "[Baker] is a nose at the end of the day. That's his natural position. He's back at home so I'm looking for him to cause a lot of havoc, not let the center get up, and play his style of football. Very effective guy. Very physical. No worries about Chris Baker at all."
Another key to the game for the Redskins is how they perform on special teams. Last week they had an extra point and a punt blocked, with the blocked punt being returned for a touchdown. They had similar issues last season, and if they want to win this week, they can't afford miscues like those.
To catch the game online, you can check out NFL Sunday Ticket. If you want to listen on the radio, the Redskins can be heard on ESPN 980 AM, and the Jags broadcast on WJXL 1010 AM. The game will be on the CBS Television Network with a 1 pm EST kickoff.
