In 2003, THN started one of its most popular regular features: the weekly Redskins Key Player Match-Ups. Each week a group of THN writers broke down the most important individual battles on both sides of the ball, giving fans a deeper look at the matchups that would decide the game.
These pieces mixed scouting reports, statistical context, and sharp opinions from multiple contributors. Whether it was Champ Bailey locked on a top receiver, Jeremiah Trotter taking on a featured back, or Laveranues Coles testing a corner, the series became a must-read part of game-week preparation for many THNers.
Here is the full archive of the season series.
2003 Redskins Player Match-Ups
Week 1 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Jets
Kevin Mawae vs Jermaine Haley, Champ Bailey vs Wayne Chrebet, and Laveranues Coles vs Donnie Abraham headline this opening night breakdown.
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Week 2 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Falcons
Champ Bailey vs Peerless Price, Jeremiah Trotter vs the Falcons running backs, and Patrick Ramsey vs the Atlanta secondary take center stage.
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Week 3 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Giants
Laveranues Coles vs Will Peterson, Rod Gardner vs Will Allen, and Jeremiah Trotter vs Tiki Barber highlight this NFC East battle.
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Week 4 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Patriots
Patrick Ramsey vs Tom Brady, Laveranues Coles vs Ty Law, and Champ Bailey vs Troy Brown feature in this high-profile matchup.
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Week 5 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Eagles
Jeremiah Trotter vs the Eagles running backs, Donovan McNabb vs the Redskins defense, and Jon Jansen vs Brandon Whiting are key battles.
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Week 6 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Buccaneers
Jeremiah Trotter vs the Bucs running backs, Laveranues Coles vs Ronde Barber, and Chris Samuels vs Simeon Rice take the spotlight.
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Week 7 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Bills
Key battles include the Redskins offensive line vs the Bills pass rush and Champ Bailey against Buffalo’s top receivers.
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Week 9 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Seahawks
Featured matchups center on Laveranues Coles against Seattle’s secondary and Jeremiah Trotter vs the Seahawks running game.
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Week 10 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Panthers
Key head-to-heads include the Redskins secondary vs Carolina’s receivers and the offensive line against the Panthers’ front.
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Week 11 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Giants
Jon Jansen vs Michael Strahan, Laveranues Coles vs the Giants corners, and the Redskins running backs vs Michael Barrow are featured.
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Week 12 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Saints
Key battles focus on the Redskins secondary against New Orleans receivers and the offensive line vs the Saints pass rush.
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Week 14 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Giants
Jon Jansen vs Michael Strahan, Laveranues Coles vs Kato Serwanga, and Tim Hasselbeck vs the Giants secondary headline the preview.
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Week 15 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Cowboys
LaRoi Glover vs Derrick Dockery, Jeremiah Trotter vs Troy Hambrick, and Laveranues Coles vs Mario Edwards take center stage.
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Week 16 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Bears
Champ Bailey vs Marty Booker and Randy Thomas vs Keith Traylor are the featured individual battles in this late-season matchup.
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Week 17 Key Player Match-Ups – Redskins Vs Eagles
Jeremiah Trotter vs Brian Westbrook headlines the final regular-season matchup analysis of the 2003 campaign.
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These weekly matchup previews remain some of the most detailed and entertaining content out there for Redskins fans. They capture both the hope of the early season and the hard realities of a difficult 2003 campaign under Steve Spurrier.
Enjoy the archive.
HTTR.