If you were to look just at league rankings rather than records, the Washington Redskins and quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) would seem to be right where they left off. Yet here they are, hosting the San Diego Chargers today at 1pm EST / 10am PST at FedEx Field, with a 2-5 record. Redskins fans nationwide have faith that things will turn around soon, and they’ll be looking to watch Chargers vs Redskins online free using one of several different methods. But the Redskins being able to turn it around in Week 9 against the Chargers isn’t a slam dunk.
Again, on paper the Redskins look great. They have the 29th-ranke defense, which is bad, but RG3 has them riding high with the tenth-rated passing game to go along with their sixth-ranked rushing attack and seventh-ranked overall offense. But RG3 has been horribly inefficient, ranking just 28th in overall QBR out of 32 total quarterbacks, highlighted by a -2.5 run EPA, a horrible figure for a QB who last season was among the NFL’s biggest dual-threat men under center.
By comparison, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is having one of the bet seasons of his career, placing second on ESPN’s QBR behind only the Broncos’ Peyton Manning. For the season, Rivers has gone 184-249 for 2,132 yards and 15 touchdowns. That total yardage is only 250 yards more than RG3, but Rivers’ completion percentage is 25 basis points higher and has led to six more TDs through seven weeks (both the Redskins and Chargers have had a bye week).
It’s not just the veteran San Diego QB who’s firing on all cylinders though. The Chargers are also getting a lot of help from their first-year players, who promise to entertain on both sides of the ball if you watch Chargers vs Redskins online free or on a TV. Rookie offensive tackle D.J. Fluker has started since the beginning of the season for the Chargers’ much-improved offensive line. This has led to both an improved ground game for San Diego as well as and increased protection for QB Rivers, who’s been sacked just 11 times through seven games. Rookie wide receiver Keenan Allen has also performed well and helped Rivers thrive, grabbing 399 receiving yards so far this year, ranking him third among all rookies. His 107 yards receiving even led all receivers in the Chargers’ Week 7 win over the Colts.
The most publicized rookie, at least before the season began — heck, even before the NFL Draft — was Manti Te’o. The former Notre Dame linebacker began the season with a foot injury, but since taking the field for the first time in Week 4, he has bolstered San Diego’s run defense. Indeed, the Chargers have allowed only 105.4 yards rushing per game so far, and they’ve allowed 20.6 points per game compared to the 32.7 allowed by the Washington Redskins’ defense this season.
With that said, the Chargers don’t have anyone on defense who’s recorded more than three sacks. The team will only struggle further to put pressure on the quarterback, particularly mobile ones like RG3, in light of the loss of Dwight Freeney. That loss will be particularly painful in their games against AFC powerhouses Broncos, Chiefs and Bengals.
But today it’s Washington’s turn to see how they can press the San Diego defense. Will the Redskins expose the Chargers’ defensive shortcomings at home, or will the Chargers gel on the road to get the win many people expect them to? Kickoff online and on CBS is scheduled for 1pm EST / 10am PST, so you can find out on TV or watch Chargers vs Redskins online free on DirecTV’s website. Doing so requires that you have the NFL Sunday Ticket Package, which requires a subscription, but anyone who has one can watch the live streaming version of any game for free.
