Game-day details
Sun., 1 p.m. ET, Arrowhead Stadium
Weather forecast from AccuWeather.com:
Mostly sunny. High: 74. Low: 55.
Why To Watch
This may be a benchmark game for both teams as they enter the middle third of the season looking to gain the confidence and the momentum necessary to win down the stretch and stay in their respective division races.
The Chiefs can’t afford to fall off the pace in the AFC West that is looking like it might be the toughest division in the conference. They are coming off a bye after consecutive losses and look to get back on track at home at Arrowhead Stadium, one of the NFL's toughest buildings for opponents.
The Redskins fell from the ranks of the unbeaten last week and will have little margin for error this season in the tough NFC East. They too know the urgency of getting back to their winning ways.
Kansas City has offensive firepower worth watching. Priest Holmes remains an elite running back and Trent Green manages a formidable passing game, spreading the ball around to tight end Tony Gonzalez, wide receivers Eddie Kennison, Samie Parker and Dante Hall, and Holmes. Defensively, the Chiefs have improved against the run, allowing on average fewer than 100 yards per game, but have given up far too many yards through the air and rank near the bottom of the NFL in pass defense.
The Redskins are quickly becoming this year’s version of the Cardiac Kids. Their four games have been decided by a total of eight points. Mark Brunell has shown he can throw to win, especially for the big strike to wide receiver Santana Moss. The running game is still alive and well with Clinton Portis at the controls, and a defense ranked fifth in the league is keeping Washington in games.
Redskins Keys For Success
1. Protect Brunell. The Redskins' passing attack has improved since the insertion of Brunell as the starter but the key is protection. Given time Brunell is effective getting the ball downfield, connecting for gamebreaking plays with Moss. The residual effect of the effective passing game has been a resurgence of the running game. If Brunell is protected in the pocket, he will have time to dissect a Chiefs' secondary that has made the team rank 30th against the pass. He can go deep to Moss, or exploit the mid-range pass to H-back Chris Cooley in the soft zones left open by Kansas City's overaggressive linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties.
2. Get pressure on Green. Green excels at picking up blitzes and making hot reads. In order to get pressure on Green, Washington will need to mix up its blitz calls and personnel to confuse the Chiefs' passer. Look for the Redskins to move free safety Sean Taylor up into the box as a potential blitzer, and to move outside linebacker LaVar Arrington around, if healthy, to put him in the best position to rush the passer.
3. Put a spy on Holmes. Holmes is the catalyst of the Chiefs' offense and needs to be accounted for in both the running and passing games. Assigning middle linebacker Lemar Marshall to Holmes and allowing the team's outside linebackers and safeties to maintain their responsibilities in coverage, especially against Gonzalez, will keep Green from gaining matchup advantages in the deep middle with his speedy wide receivers. The safeties will then be able to keep their deep-half responsibilities and give support to the corners.
Chiefs Keys For Success
1. Throw deep to Kennison. Washington’s pass defense is mediocre, ranking 16th in the NFL, allowing on average 207 yards per game. Starting left cornerback Walt Harris is injured, several other players in the secondary are playing hurt, and rookie Carlos Rogers is still developing. By throwing deep and having Kennison stretch the field, Kansas City will test the depth of the Redskins' secondary and could take advantage of some big-play potential. The threat of the deep ball will back the safeties off, opening up the middle of the filed for crossing routes.
2. Get Gonzalez involved in the passing game. Gonzalez has not been his normally productive self through the first four games, and needs to get more involved in the passing game. He is the Chiefs' best receiver, and he can be used for mid-range gains and to move the chains on third down. With Gonzalez established early, the linebackers and safeties will drop out of the box, creating more running room for Holmes.
3. Protect against the deep ball. The Chiefs' pass defense has struggled, on average allowing 273 yards per game. Washington has established a productive connection between Brunell and Moss. Moss can be a threat late in the game, running his favored post route, hitting cornerbacks and free safeties with a double move, splitting them and then streaking downfield for the home run. The Chiefs' secondary should keep its safeties in the deep zones and concentrate on keeping the ball in front of it to avoid allowing deep strikes.
Injuries at a glance
Redskins injuries
10/11/05 Walt Harris CB Calf Might return in Week 6
10/11/05 John Hall K Quad No word on Week 6 status
10/11/05 Shawn Springs CB Shin Awaiting MRI results
9/22/05 Brandon Noble DT Knee
Chiefs injuries
10/11/05 Willie Roaf T Hamstring Back in practice
The Bottom Line
Both teams can run the ball and defend the run, but Kansas City’s ability to move the ball and score in the passing game will be the difference. Washington’s secondary has been hit hard by injuries and will be hard-pressed to keep pace with Gonzalez, Kennison, Holmes and everyone else Green can throw to.
Pick: Chiefs 30, Redskins 21
__________________
|