ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins have two good reasons to want their starting offensive tackles to play Sunday: Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. The Los Angeles Chargers' pass-rushing tandem has become one of the NFL's best -- and if Trent Williams and Morgan Moses can't play, then quarterback Kirk Cousins, and the offense in general, will be in a vulnerable spot.
That's one reason why Williams and Moses will try to play -- in addition to the fact they want to be out there, period. Despite Ty Nsekhe's struggles at right tackle against Dallas Cowboys end DeMarcus Lawrence last week, he has been a good backup tackle for Washington. He's also played better on the left side (and had barely worked at right tackle in several weeks).
Still, if boty Williams and Moses can't play -- or if both need to shut it down for the season at some point soon -- it'll change how the Redskins operate. Moses was able to at least participate during individual drills Thursday.
But the immediate concern is slowing Bosa and Ingram, who have a combined 19 sacks this season. And that pass rush is why the Redskins need Williams and Moses.
"I can understand that," Williams said. "If that's what they want me to do, that's what they want me to do."
The problem with Los Angeles' pass-rushers is that they line up all over the place. Bosa (11.5 sacks) can rush from either end spot and Ingram (8.5) sometimes will be opposite him; other times he'll rush right behind him. Against the Cleveland Browns last week, Ingram aligned behind Bosa then ran a stunt to the middle to get free.
So even if the Redskins have both tackles, it'll be a challenge. That also puts more burden on the running backs to protect; that's an area that rookie Samaje Perine needs to keep improving on. On Wednesday, the Redskins' backs -- all of whom are young -- went through a pass protection drill that usually would be run in training camp. The Redskins can hurt Los Angeles on the ground -- the Chargers rank 31st in yards per carry allowed. If they do that, they can limit the Chargers' rush by putting them in more favorable passing situations.
If not, then the pass rush will be a problem. Los Angeles ranks fifth in passing yards allowed per game and fourth in sacks. But it's not just the tackles who must contend with this rush, and also an interior that gets a decent push in the pocket.
"They're two of the best in the league on one team," Williams said of Bosa and Ingram. "They're very diverse. They line up all over the place. [Ingram] walks around and you never know where he's coming from. [Bosa] is a stud. He's continuing to grow into a household name and an elite pass-rusher. They're two of the top we've faced so far this season."
Redskins coach Jay Gruden said it's hard to provide help for players when they're not sure where Bosa or Ingram might be on a play. That means left guard Arie Kouandjio, who has struggled with protection at times, must be sharp as well. Against Dallas, the Redskins tried to give Nsekhe help at times with a tight end chipping on Lawrence; it didn't always help. One time, Perine went to help but collided with Nsekhe to free up Lawrence for a sack.
"Ingram especially does an excellent job lining up over guards," Gruden said, "and they have different fronts where they can move him around. Both very effective pass-rushers -- different, but effective. It'll be a great challenge for our guys."
