Washington Redskins host Cincinnati Bengals as Robert Griffin III gears up for home debut – NFL Preview
Washington Redskins fans will finally see their star rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) playing on the home field for the first time this season as the team hosts Cincinnati Bengals for its home season opener on Sunday, September 23, at FedEx Field.
Both teams are 1-1 and struggling on the defence after losing some of their players to injuries during the first two games of the season.
With both defensive units vulnerable, a high-scoring game is expected and this is where RG3’s role will be crucial. The rookie has so far done well in the season, leading the team to a stunning victory over New Orleans Saints in the season opener, while competing hard in Week 2 loss against St. Louis Rams.
RG3 has been very active and athletic on the field. He has scored passing as well as rushing touchdowns and the opponents’ defences have faced difficulty tackling the player. This gives him an edge over Bengals’ defence and if he is able to put pressure on the visitors right from the start Redskins can set the tone of the game.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said of RG3:
“I've met him a couple of times, played against him in college. So I know him a little bit. You can tell he's talented. He's got a strong arm and he's mobile, ran his 40 (like) a track guy. So I think those kinds of things make him capable of doing a lot of things.”
Dalton, on the other hand, has also done relatively well in the first two games, but Bengals’ defence has not been able to provide enough support to the quarterback.
Bengals were defeated in their season opener by the Baltimore Ravens, who scored 44s point in the game. In Week2 game, Bengals outscored Cleveland Browns, who managed to score a total of 27 points.
This highlights defensive loopholes and Bengals must address these concerns if they want to defeat Redskins.
Redskins have also not shown any impressive defensive performances. Against Saints, they conceded 32 points while Rams were able to score 31 points against them.
This gives an opportunity to Dalton as well to come out strong on the field this Sunday. If Dalton is able to control his accuracy and exploit the flaws in Redskins’ defence, Bengals can also dictate the terms on the field. RG3 thinks that Dalton is capable of doing that. The rookie said of Dalton:
“I remember him tearing up our defence at Baylor; Andy is a good player. And you definitely can’t talk about Andy without talking about his (red) hair. He’s a good guy. I’ve met him and talked to him. I wish him the best.”
Both teams have equal chance of winning this game and the one that comes out strong on defence can dominate the field.
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