Top 3 story lines for New York Jets vs Washington Redskins

Jul 28, 2016; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg (5) passes during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

As the New York Jets hit the road to face the Washington Redskins in preseason Week 2 action, here are the top 3 story lines to know.

As kickoff is set for Friday, August 19, 2016 at 7:30pm ET at FedEx Field, both the New York Jets and Washington Redskins are ready for their second game of the preseason. Even though it’s just preseason football, this is a game that will continue to show how the overall rosters of each team will look as both teams prepare to make tough decisions ahead.

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If you live in the New York area, the game will be televised on WCBS-TV on Channel 2. For those of you that don’t, keep in mind that the game will be re-aired on Saturday, August 20th, 2016 at 7:30am ET and again on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016 at 1:00pm on the NFL Network.

If you’d like to watch this game online, the best way would be using NFL Game Pass as it gives access to every preseason game as well as throughout the regular season. If radio is your thing, tune in to WEPN-FM, ESPN New York (98.7FM) or click here for mobile devices. Speaking of mobile, if you have an iPhone it would also be in your best interest to download the official mobile app of the Jets as they have live play-by-play, stats, updates, videos and much more.

Without further ado, here are the top 3 story lines to know heading into the upcoming Jets vs Redskins preseason Week 2 game.

Next: 3. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg to make debut

Jun 14, 2016; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg and New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty (9) during OTA at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

3. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg to make debut

Last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith and even Bryce Petty saw game action. The Jets decided to keep quarterback Christian Hackenberg out of the game as the general consensus was he wasn’t ready since he didn’t get that many reps in practice during training camp.

This week so far however, Hackenberg has been given an increased load of reps and as per head coach Todd Bowles, will see action against the Redskins. Courtesy of the Media Relations Department of the Jets, here is what he had to say about Hackenberg’s preseason debut:

On if he would like to get Christian Hackenberg reps on Friday…

That’s the plan. We’ll see how it works out.

On if Hackenberg has had enough practice reps to play in the game…

He’s gotten much more practice reps than he had the week before.

It’s great to see what Hackenberg can do when playing against real opponents. Don’t worry, if he makes terrible mistakes remember it’ll be that golden “welcome to the NFL” moment against the Redskins.

Next: 2. Redskins not looking for consecutive loss

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Nordly Capi (96) and defensive lineman Brandon Williams (75) sack Washington Redskins quarterback Nate Sudfeld (2) in the fourth quarter at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Redskins 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

2. Redskins not looking for consecutive loss

The Jets are coming off a come-from-behind victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars with the final score being 17-13. They were effective in all aspects including their quarterback situation which showed that all will be fine in the city that never sleeps with the most important position on the team.

The Redskins on the other hand are coming off a loss thanks to the Atlanta Falcons to the final tune of 23-17. Most of their starters saw limited action as the Redskins wanted to see what their depth looks like on the gridiron.

It will be interesting to see how the Jets handle their first road game of the year, even though it’s just preseason. Plus anytime you play an opponent coming off a loss, they will be much more focused and prepared to not have a consecutive one.

Overall, it will be great to see what both teams first units will do against each other as after that, the true depth of each team will be displayed. Keep an eye on running back Rob Kelly of the Redskins and wide receiver Jalin Marshall of the Jets.

Next: 1. Expect to see Redskins continue offensive execution

1. Expect to see Redskins continue offensive execution

It’s a rare sight to see but the Redskins actually have three different coaches that all have input in what to run on offense on every single play. That hasn’t changed at all in preseason football with the only situation being exactly where offensive coordinator Sean McVay is situated come game time.

Against the Falcons last week, McVay was calling offensive plays from the booth rather than traditionally being on the sideline. This could just be for preseason but expect to see him back on the sideline once the games that start to matter are actually here. Either way, this system the Redskins use for play-calling has been working well for the most part.

McVay, head coach Jay Gruden and offensive line coach Bill Callahan are all on the headset once the Redskins’ offense hits the field. It worked well last year considering how efficient quarterback Kirk Cousins was. Last year, Cousins had a career year, totaling 4,166 passing yards, 379 completions, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

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Since the Redskins were NFC East champions last year at 9-7, it’s best they stick with what works. Expect to see the Redskins continue their offensive execution in this match-up as McVay will more than likely return to giving his offensive input alongside Gruden and Callahan on the sideline against the Jets.