Wednesday What to Watch For: Lions vs Redskins

Calvin Johnson outruns the defense on his first touchdown catch against the Cardinals last Sunday. Johnson finished with six receptions for 116 yards (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions suffered a difficult loss this past Sunday, dropping a 25-21 decision to the Arizona Cardinals. Leading 14-10 at halftime, the Lions seemed to be on their way to victory as quarterback Matthew Stafford was 16/20 for 210 yards at the break.

Unfortunately, a knee injury for running back Reggie Bush and a lack of targets for wide receiver Calvin Johnson saw the Detroit offense stumble in the second half, playing just 22 offensive snaps as compared to Arizona's 42. Sustaining drives, the Cardinals offense did what their Lion counterparts could not: score. And, just as it had gone the past six meetings, Arizona defeated the Lions to keep Detroit winless in the desert since 1993.

Looking to rebound from the loss, Detroit travels to Washington D.C. this Sunday to face electric quarterback Robert Griffin III and the 0-2 Washington Redskins. Coming off an ACL injury, Griffin III has yet to look like his rookie self, and if Detroit is to make a push for the playoffs, I think this is a must win game against a team struggling on offense and defense. So, what should we watch for this Sunday?

1. How much will RGIII rush? – Robert Griffin III averaged eight carries a came and 6.8 yards per carry last season for the Washington Redskins. Through two games this season, he has nine total carries at a 2.8 yard average. Will we see the RGIII of old or will Washington continue to play it safe and keep him mostly in the pocket as he continues to recover from injury?
2. Personnel changes – Brandon Pettigrew continues to struggle with drops and Michael Spurlock's choices of when to return kicks have been anything but smart. Could we see rookies Joseph Fauria and Theo Riddick step into bigger roles this week?
3. Another big game from Nate Burleson and Ryan Broyles first action of the year – The Washington Redskins do have veteran cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who has been solid for a number of years, but Calvin Johnson will be too much for the 5'10” Hall to cover alone. Expect a lot of double-teams from the Redskins, which should open up space for Burleson on the opposite side. In week one against the Vikings, with Johnson seeing numerous double-teams, Burleson caught six passes for 78 yards. Second year receiver Ryan Broyles could also see his first action of the season, recovering from an ACL injury of his own.
4. Hilliard and Reiff have their work cut out for them – Both offensive tackles have tough tasks this week as they face the young pass rushers of the Redskins, Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan. Kerrigan had two sacks last week against the Packers while Orakpo added one. Led by veteran London Fletcher, Washington has a stout front seven, and rushing the ball will be rather difficult for the Lions, especially if Bush is limited in any way because of his knee.
5. Who starts at cornerback? – Veteran Rashean Mathis has seen quite a bit of time at cornerback as rookie Darius Slay gets accustomed to the speed of play in the NFL. Head coach Jim Schwartz is still high on Slay, but after starting week one against the Vikings, we've seen Mathis steal much of Slay's playing time.

While Detroit, with its unintelligent and mediocre second half last week, looked like the Lions of years past (think Millen era), I think a win this week could go a long way in setting the tone for the rest of the season. Detroit has talent, and with a strong start to the season from Matthew Stafford, the Lions offense could propel them to bigger and better things.

But, if Reggie Bush is hurt, Calvin Johnson sees little to no help opposite him in the receiving corps, and the team continues to hurt itself with high amounts of inexplicable penalties, a rebuilding year is creeping on the horizon. Still, I think Detroit can take this game against Washington. My prediction is a 27-20 win for the Lions as the Detroit pass rush rattles RGIII and Jim Schwartz moves to 3-0 as a head coach against the Redskins.