After an entertaining week of joint practices, the Redskins and Jets will finally meet Thursday at FedEx Field. The best outcome for the Redskins will be if everyone comes out healthy — given the organization lost Derrius Guice last week to a torn ACL.
Here are five players to watch this week:
Danny Johnson, cornerback
Johnson, a 5-foot-9 undrafted free agent, will look to build upon his impressive showing against the New England Patriots. The Redskins went all in with their younger cornerbacks earlier this week when they released veteran Orlando Scandrick, and Johnson’s emergence has been a reason why. “It’s his competitive nature, his playmaking ability,” coach Jay Gruden said of Johnson. “He’s been solid all the way around. You know, he’s a good tackler. So, you know, he’s done a great job.”
Daron Payne, defensive lineman
Payne isn’t guaranteed to play against the Jets, given the Redskins might want to be cautious as the first-rounder works his way back from an ankle injury. But Payne participated in the teams’ joint practices and he has physically been a force. If Payne does take the field, keep an eye on if he can generate pressure up the middle. That was supposed to be a weakness in his game, though he’s shown instances of being able to do so.
Martrell Spaight, linebacker
Spaight has benefitted from linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons missing an extended period of time with a hamstring injury. In Clemons’ absence, Spaight has moved up to work with the second team, being paired alongside Zach Vigil. Spaight has been a steady veteran for the Redskins and can show he’s worth keeping around by having a good game against the Jets.
Trey Quinn, wide receiver
Quinn ended up on this list last week, but he took a hard shot to the ribs in the first quarter, which cut his preseason debut short. As a result, there’s still a fair amount of intrigue if Quinn can translate his performance in practice to the field. That being said, Quinn looked good this week against the Jets’ defensive backs. He really has become a consistent target for backup quarterback Colt McCoy and the two have formed a connection.
D.J. Swearinger, safety
This one is for entertainment purposes only. In practice, Swearinger has jawed at the Jets sideline all week — even getting wide receiver Terrelle Pryor to embarrassingly flinch when the safety feigned a punch his way. Will tensions escalate further in the game? If so, there’s a good chance Swearinger will be apart of it. Gruden, however, said the defensive starters will only play a series or two.
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