Welcome back to the second season of "The 'Skinny," a weekly preview of the local professional football team's upcoming game and opponent. Every Thursday, you can find any and all information* about the Redskins' next opponent in this space.
(*Sometimes, it may be some or most information.)
Week 1 Opponent: Houston Texans (0-0)
Game Information: Sun., Sept. 7 -- NRG Stadium -- 1:00 p.m. -- FOX
Last Week: The preseason concluded, cuts were made, practice squads were formed and Robert Griffin III had a bronze statue of himself unveiled at Baylor. The Texans signed defensive end J.J. Watt to a six-year, $100 million contract extension and traded for quarterback Ryan Mallett, previously Tom Brady's backup in New England.
What's The Skinny?
The Redskins have an opportunity Sunday to have more wins than losses for the first time since last season's opener. In order to do so, they will have to contend with arguably the most dangerous defensive one-two punch in the NFL: Watt and No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Both men will be jonesing for an opportunity to crush Griffin, who must be aware of that every time he even thinks about taking off.
“Those guys can pose problems for you if you’re not careful," tight end Logan Paulsen told reporters. "But those guys are good players, but we’ve got good players on this team, too.”
Local
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Houston's offense is formidable in its own right with running back Arian Foster and wide receivers Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins. Yet whichever unit -- the Texans' defense or the Redskins' new-look offense -- plays better will likely determine the winner.
Statistic(s) Of The Week: Watt's contract makes him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. He also leads the NFL with 31 sacks over the past two seasons, not to mention disrupted dropbacks since he entered the league in 2011, according to ESPN.
In each of the past 11 seasons, a team has rebounded from worst to first in its division, according to STATS LLC. Both the Redskins (3-13 in 2013) and Texans (2-14) will look to extend that record to 12.
What They're Saying
"Man, I don't care if they start Ryan Gosling."
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