Week 3 leads us into many exciting NFL matchups where some teams currently stand at 2-0, others are 1-1 and some struggling teams are 0-2. Unfortunately for Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins, they fall into the latter win-loss category. They play at home this week and will roll out the welcome mat to Matthew Stafford and the Lions currently with a 1-1 record. Both young quarterbacks, who possess diverse playing styles and skills will be competing to secure a win this Sunday.

If the Lions are victorious, it will be the first time in 21 games they win at the home of the Redskins. It is obvious that both quarterbacks will be under loads of pressure this week as the Lions will be compelled to break this ongoing losing streak against the Redskins. RG3, who hasn’t been quite himself over the past couple of weeks will want to win most significantly to boost the morale of a flattened Redskins team.

Both quarterbacks and teams are far from perfect, and in order for the Redskins to get a win on the books, RG3 and his offense will need to be in synch and the defense who is currently ranked 19th will need to crack down on Stafford and the Lions. This is not entirely difficult as Stafford is prone to many turnovers and mistakes due to the heavy volume of passes he attempts. The Lions defense has improved and currently ranks 12th and they will surely be hungry to feast on the slightly off-kilter RG3 and his desperate offense.

Which quarterback will come out of this matchup leading his team with either another win or a first victory of the season?

Matthew Stafford, currently ranked ninth among quarterbacks for 2013 and surprisingly has only had one interception thus far. This is probably due to the fact that the Lions have been balancing out their passing game with a running game this year. The Redskins defense have managed three interceptions and seven sacks in two weeks, so Stafford will need to stay precise and on his feet to be productive. There could tons of points scored by Stafford and the Lions as the Redskins have allowed 69 points to be scored against them during the last two games.

One thing crucial to Stafford prevailing this week, is for him to be able to get more of his long passes accurately into the hands of his number one receiver, Calvin Johnson. Johnson and Stafford were completely on the wrong page Week 1, but last week, they really got their game composed and Johnson caught two touchdowns from Stafford. The Lions could be missing or playing with their limited running back, Reggie Bush this week also, which may force Stafford to play through the air a bit more, especially if they fall behind.

RG3, despite two losses, ranks seventh overall for quarterbacks, and will have the support of his home team of amped-up fans who don’t want to see another loss. This could be the morale boost that could push RG3 and his team to perfect their game and earn them their first win. RG3 has to be methodical and prepared as the Lions have forced four turnovers and four sacks so far and have allowed just 49 points to opposing teams over the past two weeks. Regarding interceptions, RG3 has painfully thrown three so far. He’ll have to hold up to the pressure the Lions defense will be showering over him. Ndamukong Suh could be RG3’s worst enemy.

RG3, unlike Stafford, does not have one stud type of receiver like Johnson. He spreads the ball around which has been effective as proven by his five touchdown passes in two games. If RG3 can continue this rhythm of passing and leave the majority of the running game up to lead back, Alfred Morris, the Redskins could manage their first win of the season. Unfortunately the three interceptions RG3 has given up have caused opposing teams to gain the advantage and score against the Redskins ultimately resulting in their losses.

Conclusion

This Sunday’s matchup should produce high scores from both teams and from Stafford and RG3. Over the past weeks, RG3 has actually passed for slightly more yards than Stafford and has one more touchdown. However, he has been sacked four times to Stafford’s one sack. I feel like RG3 has nowhere to go other than to further improve, for which I can see happening for this crucial NFC East win. Stafford owns better stats than typical for the beginning of the season, so I can envision a few more of his notorious errors slipping by this Sunday. It will be close from a fantasy standpoint, and I see a Redskins rebound and RG3 outplaying Stafford, but just by about two or three fantasy points.

Statistical Projections

Stafford: 322 passing yards, 21 pass completions, three passing touchdowns, two interceptions, 2 Rush Yards, 16.30 fantasy points
RG3: 340 passing yards, 22 pass completions, three passing touchdowns, one interception, 10 Rush Yards, 19.50 fantasy points