No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold gets another shot to win the New York Jets’ starting quarterback job on Thursday night as Gang Green visits the Washington Redskins in the 2018 NFL Preseason Week 2 action that’s nationally televised. The Redskins are slight NFL betting favorites.
Gruden’s comments are good news for the outlooks of Samaje Perine and Rob Kelley, but the Redskins had one of the worst run games in the league with the same committee last year. In addition, WR Robert Davis suffered a broken leg and torn LCL at Saturday’s practice. It’s another blow for the Redskins after losing Guice and TE Manasseh Garner to knee surgeries. A sixth-rounder last year, Davis was making a push for a roster spot before going down. He’ll spend 2018 on injured reserve.
New Redskins starting QB Alex Smith didn’t play vs. the Pats. Backup Colt McCoy completed 13 of 18 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in a little less than a half, helping to stake Washington to a 17-0 lead before he was replaced by third-stringer Kevin Hogan.
Rookie defensive Da’Ron Payne returned to practice Saturday. Payne was sidelined the past two weeks with an ankle injury. Although he’ll practice leading up to Washington’s game Thursday, Gruden is unsure if Payne will play. He’s expected to start at nose tackle in Week 1.
How to Bet Jets vs Redskins 2018 NFL Preseason Week 2 Lines & Prediction
- When: Thursday, 8 p.m. ET
- Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Md.
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- 2018 NFL Preseason Week 2 Lines: Washington Redskins -2 (Total 37)
Why Bet on NY Jets?
The Jets won their preseason opener 17-0 over the Atlanta Falcons. Darnold completed 13 of 18 passes for 96 yards and 1 touchdown in two-plus quarters of action. Showing great poise for a rookie, Darnold completed eight of his first nine attempts. Some of his best throws came on the move as he eluded pressure. Darnold replaced backup Teddy Bridgewater, who also made a bid for the starting job. In his first extensive action in two years, Bridgewater completed 7 of 8 passes for 85 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown pass to running back Isaiah Crowell. It was Bridgewater’s first touchdown pass since Aug. 28, 2016, in a preseason game for the Vikings against the Chargers. As of now, Josh McCown remains the team’s starting QB but that gap might be closing. Darnold is going to take over at some point. Darnold received a majority of reps at camp Sunday. He was the third play-caller to take the field Friday but received more practice reps than either McCown or Bridgewater Sunday. Coach Todd Bowles declined to reveal his QB rotation for the Redskins game. Trenton Cannon had 11 carries for 40 yards and caught three passes for five yards vs. Atlanta. He also muffed two punts on special teams. Cannon was the No. 3 back behind Bilal Powell and Isaiah Crowell. Cannon likely played his way out of a return job, but he’s making a push for a pass-game role. Crowell left Friday vs. the Falcons with an apparent head injury. Crowell came on during the Jets’ second drive (Powell drew the start), delivering six yards on two carries. He also caught that TD pass. The Jets-Redskins joint practices on Sunday were marred by two melees between the Jets’ defense and the Washington offense. Bowles wasn’t happy: “Fights are not to be tolerated in pads. We’re not trying to fight them and they’re not trying to fight us. If they want to be boxers and wrestlers, they probably would be in another sport. We’re trying to get better and they’re trying to get better. Some things happen. Overzealousness. I’ll talk to my guys and coach (Jay) Gruden will talk to his guys. We’ll be better at practice tomorrow because this is just a waste of time for me.” The Jets’ suspension count is up to three players as LB Kevin Pierre-Louis has been suspended one game for the upcoming season. Pierre-Louis was arrested in January on a marijuana-possession charge as a member of the Chiefs. After signing with the Jets in March, he struck a plea deal. He joins Rashard Robinson and ArDarius Stewart on the suspension list. Dylan Donahue, Robby Anderson, and Chris Herndon also face potential suspensions for various arrests. Suspensions don’t affect the preseason, though.Why Bet on Washington?
The Redskins lost their preseason opener 26-17 in New England and got even worse news: rookie running back Derrius Guice left with a knee injury that was originally called a sprained MCL but an MRI revealed a torn ACL so the former LSU star’s season is already over. Guice, the No. 59 overall pick, was slow getting up after a 34-yard run that was negated by a penalty late in the first quarter. Redskins Coach Jay Gruden confirmed said that losing Guice is a significant blow, not only for the promising rookie but also for the Redskins’ seemingly improved offense. Even though it will be difficult to replace Guice’s playmaking ability and pass-blocking efficiency, Gruden said the team has no plans at this time to sign a veteran back. “We’re pretty good at the running back spot,” he said.
Gruden’s comments are good news for the outlooks of Samaje Perine and Rob Kelley, but the Redskins had one of the worst run games in the league with the same committee last year. In addition, WR Robert Davis suffered a broken leg and torn LCL at Saturday’s practice. It’s another blow for the Redskins after losing Guice and TE Manasseh Garner to knee surgeries. A sixth-rounder last year, Davis was making a push for a roster spot before going down. He’ll spend 2018 on injured reserve.
New Redskins starting QB Alex Smith didn’t play vs. the Pats. Backup Colt McCoy completed 13 of 18 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in a little less than a half, helping to stake Washington to a 17-0 lead before he was replaced by third-stringer Kevin Hogan.
Rookie defensive Da’Ron Payne returned to practice Saturday. Payne was sidelined the past two weeks with an ankle injury. Although he’ll practice leading up to Washington’s game Thursday, Gruden is unsure if Payne will play. He’s expected to start at nose tackle in Week 1.
Latest NFL Betting Trends
- Jets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games
- Jets are 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 road games
- Favorite is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings
