Keep Pressure on Andrew Luck

The Indianapolis Colts realized what an issue their offensive line was under the previous regime. New general manager Chris Ballard made it his priority to upgrade that unit to protect Luck once he returned from shoulder surgery. That meant taking guard Quenton Nelson No. 6 overall and Braden Smith No. 37 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. The unit allowed two sacks last week and is still a work in progress.

This is an outstanding opportunity for Washington’s talented, young defensive line to make some noise. Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Matt Ioannidis all looked good in Week 1. The sacks didn’t happen because Bradford got rid of the ball quickly, but much of that was due to the pressure in his face. Facing a remade offensive line with some new faces gives this bunch a chance to impact the game in a major way on Sunday.

Saw some critical of lack of pressure from #Redskins on Bradford. Bradford did a pretty good job getting the ball out quickly. Jon Allen has a strong rush against the LG here, beating him quickly and pressuring Bradford, who just gets his throw away. pic.twitter.com/fxQlE3L17f

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) September 12, 2018

If the Redskins can keep the pressure on Luck, especially in his face, he will rush some throws which will lead to mistakes. This is a key to slowing down Indy’s offense. If Washington can’t get pressure on Luck and allow him to dump it off to his backs and tight ends—which he loves to do—it allows Luck to get comfortable and into a rhythm.

For Washington, it’s all about pressure. It not only makes opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable but also eases the pressure on the Redskins’ young secondary.

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