NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 11 Preview: Redskins at Saints

LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 01: Wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball against outside linebacker Mark Herzlich #94 of the New York Giants in the first quarter at FedExField on January 1, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The Washington Redskins visit the New Orleans Saints in Week 11 of the 2017 NFL season. PFF previews the top player matchups of the game.

PFFELO Ranking: 16

Coverage by: Mark Chichester

Matchup: Washington Redskins offense vs. New Orleans Saints defense

  • RB Samaje Perine vs. Edge Alex Okafor – With starting running back Rob Kelly set to miss the remainder of the season, the door starting job has been opened for running back Samaje Perine, and it’s up to the rookie to take advantage. This year, Perine has tallied 66 carries and averaged just 2.26 yards after contact per carry, the 40th-best mark among running backs, and his 35.8 overall grade would rank last if he’d have played enough snaps to qualify. In his first game as the team’s starter, he’ll be keen to improve on his start, but he’ll be in for a tough time against Alex Okafor, who has produced 14 run stops on 146 run-defense snaps this year, for a run-stop percentage of 9.6 percent, good for seventh among 4-3 defensive ends.

Washington Redskins, running backs, overall grades

  • WR Jamison Crowder vs. CB Kenny Vaccaro – Crowder has been battling through some injury troubles this year, but he’s been able to suit up for two of the Redskins' last three games and has played significant role in the offense, catching all 15 of his 17 catchable targets for 227 receiving yards at an average of 1.83 yards per route run, good for 14th among qualifying receivers in that span. Crowder is still yet to find the end zone for his team, so he’ll be looking to strike against Kenny Vaccaro, who has allowed just 18 catches from 29 targets this year, logged three interceptions, and is still yet to surrender a touchdown in coverage.
  • C Chase Roullier vs. DI Sheldon Rankins – With Spencer long still nursing a knee injury, rookie offensive lineman Chase Roullier has filled in, and has played 81.6 percent of his team’s offensive snaps since Week 7. In those four games, he’s played 144 snaps in pass protection, and has allowed five total pressures for a pass blocking efficiency of 97.4 that ranks 12th among centers in that span. While it’s an amicable number, it’s still not quite up to the standard of Long, who has allowed the same amount of pressures on 223 pass blocking snaps this season. Roullier will sure be in for a learning curve against Sheldon Rankins, who has produced 25 quarterback pressures from 248 pass-rush snaps this year, the sixth-most among defensive tackles.

PFFELO Ranking: 5

Coverage by: Andrew Fleischer

Matchup: New Orleans Saints offense vs. Washington Redskins defense

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints, running back

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