The Washington Redskins play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2016 NFL season opener for both teams Monday night at FedEx Field. Here are five story lines to follow:  1. Kirk Cousins’s progression: Named the Redskins starting quarterback just days before the 2015 season opener, Cousins went on to lead the team to the NFC East championship and throw for a team-record 4,166 yards en route. This season, he returns with a huge bump in pay, playing under the franchise tag, and surrounded once again by a potent receiving corps that includes wide receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end Jordan Reed. Will Cousins back up the $19.95 million contract that makes him one of the highest paid at his position and bolster his case for a long-term deal in Washington?  2. Running back by committee: The running game was supposed to be the engine that drove the Redskins’ offense last season, but it sputtered instead. So the team shed veteran Alfred Morris in the offseason and put its faith in the big-bodied Matt Jones, despite his struggles to hang on to the ball and stay healthy. Now ailing with a shoulder injury, Jones expects to play against Pittsburgh. But it will likely take Washington’s trio of backs — Robert Kelley, the undrafted rookie from Tulane, and third-down back Chris Thompson — to get the job done Monday night and all season.  3. Toppling Big Ben: At 6 feet 5 and 240 pounds, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has proven time and again in his 12 NFL seasons to date that he’s a tough mountain to topple. So the challenge for the Redskins’ front seven, which hasn’t been appreciably upgraded from last season, isn’t simply getting to Big Ben; it’s getting to the ball that’s likely squirting out of his hands under duress. Says Redskins defensive coordinator Joe Barry: “You see undersize linebackers or [defensive backs] literally just fall off him and bounce off him. He’s able to make the unbalanced throws so well just because he’s so big and strong.”  4. Josh Norman’s impact: The Redskins made their biggest splash in free agency by signing former Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman to a five-year, $75 million dollar deal. Norman’s claim that he’s “the best cornerback on earth” gets tested out of the gate Monday night, when he’s expected to face off against the Steelers’ top wide receiver, Antonio Brown, who led the league, along with Atlanta’s Julio Jones, with 136 receptions last season. The Steelers will likely move Brown around, but the Redskins don’t expect a dropoff in coverage with third-year cornerback Bashaud Breeland manning the other side of the field.  5. Tackling in general: There was no mistaking that the Redskins’ defense needed a major upgrade in the offseason. The unit ranked 28th in yards allowed per play. The run defense was particularly poor. According to Barry, poor tackling was to blame, with 90 percent of the carries they allowed that gained 15 yards or more involving a missed tackle. Still, the team did little to improve its front seven in the draft. The Redskins catch a break on Monday, with Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell serving a three-game suspension. But DeAngelo Williams, who averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season, will surely test the Redskins’ tackling skills in Bell’s stead.  As season draws near, Redskins defense embraces ‘wolf pack’ mentality  Washington looked elsewhere, but Lichtensteiger remains at center  Brewer: Redskins look worthy of love. When do we know it’s real?  More: Redskins | Season preview | Around the NFL | Fantasy football  Follow: @MikeJonesWaPo | @lizclarketweet | @MasterTes
Kirk Cousins' progression, Josh Norman's debut among top storylines when Redskins open 2016 season against Pittsburgh Monday at FedEx Field