1. Sticking with the run: Second-year running back Matt Jones had his best game of the season against Cleveland, and the Redskins benefited on both sides of the ball. The offense, which had been predictable and pass-heavy to a fault, finally found a proper balance. And with Jones piling up yards late in the game, gaining 79 of his 117 yards in the second half, the defense didn’t get gassed. Coach Jay Gruden loved the decisiveness Jones displayed, noting that the 6-foot-2, 232-pound back wasn’t built to “tip-toe” through holes. “When he’s decisive and gets his pads down, he’s a tough guy to tackle, whatever decision he makes,” Gruden said. A decisive Jones, carrying 20 times or more, would surely help against the Ravens.

2. Reshuffling the defensive backfield: It’s just Week 5, and the Redskins have already lost both starting safeties for the season and could be without cornerback Bashaud Breeland, whose right ankle remains tender, for a second consecutive week. So apart from cornerback Josh Norman, who’s expected to be tasked with covering former Carolina teammate Steve Smith Sr., who, at 37, leads the Ravens with 24 catches, the Redskins’ backfield in a revolving door. Will Blackmon and Duke Ihenacho will likely start at safety. Waiting in the wings are a pair of free agent safeties signed midweek: 10th-year NFL veteran Donte Whitner, a three-time Pro Bowl honoree, and Josh Evans. They’ve practiced since Wednesday but might not be ready to step in just yet.

3. Third-down defense: The Redskins’ inability to stop opponents on third down has been a glaring weakness. The 57.5 percent conversion rate the defense is allowing is worst in the NFL, by 10 percentage points. On Sunday, the challenge won’t come from a rookie quarterback, as it has twice this season (Dak Prescott of Dallas, Cleveland’s Cody Kessler), but from nine-year veteran Joe Flacco, a Super Bowl MVP. The defense must also deal with running back Terrance West, who’s coming off a 113-yard, one-touchdown day against Oakland. West will likely be joined by rookie back Kenneth Dixon, who looked promising in the preseason. Better tackling is crucial to stopping the Ravens on third down. Redskins coaches say they’re preaching and teaching it, but the results aren’t evident.

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4. Calling all pass rushers: The pass rush that was so lackluster last season has gotten a surprising, welcome boost from third-year linebacker Trent Murphy, who leads the squad with four sacks. But for the defense to truly rattle quarterbacks, it needs more help from more quarters. Sadly, the Redskins aren’t likely to have rookie Su’a Cravens, a hybrid safety/linebacker, in the lineup Sunday. Cravens, who has been a spark plug, with three passes defended, was placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol after sustaining a jarring blow against Cleveland. Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan should return despite exiting the Browns game with a sprained left elbow, but even healthy, the 2012 Pro Bowl selection has been quiet to date, credited with 1 1/2 sacks. Preston Smith has yet to record a sack.