Packers vs. Redskins: Three keys and a prediction

Three keys to the game, and a prediction, for the Green Bay Packers’ Week 3 meeting with Washington.

The 1-0-1 Green Bay Packers head to Washington on Sunday for their first road game of the season, where they’ll face off against the 1-1 Redskins.

Here are three keys to the game:

1. Covering Chris

The Redskins’ leading pass catcher is running back Chris Thompson, who has logged 19 receptions for 155 yards. That’s nearly double as many catches as the second-leading receiver, tight end Jordan Reed.

Thompson is small (only 5-foot-8) but fast and dangerous in the open field. Covering a back like Thompson requires a player who is athletic enough to run with a back, while remaining powerful enough to not be a liability in run defense. That’s a player that the Packers haven’t had in years.

The answer could be Oren Burks. Burks is set to play in his first game this season, and if preseason is any indication, he’ll be capable of covering Thompson on third downs and tackling him in space.

Thompson is likely to continue being a favorite target of Alex Smith, who has historically been extremely fond of check-downs and safe completions. That means that Burks will be an essential part of the defense.

It’s unclear how much Mike Pettine will trust Burks to play. But Antonio Morrison and Korey Toomer, two less athletic players with just as little experience in Pettine’s defense, are the only other options at inside linebacker alongside Blake Martinez.

It’s probably a safe bet that Burks will play extensively in this game, and Smith will look to Thompson on several screen passes, as well as third-and-short and third-and-medium situations. Thompson will get his share of catches—but if Burks can make tackles in space, that could end several Washington drives.