Chris Baker

Redskins Pros and Cons: Week 1

The Washington Redskins opened up the 2014 season with a new head coach and a new outlook on offense, defense and special teams. That said, it was uncertain what to expect heading into their first game of the year.

Fresh off a new six-year, $100 million contract all eyes were on Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, and for good reason. The fourth-year, two-time Pro Bowler played a big role in Houston’s 17-6 victory. His strong defensive effort included three tackles, five quarterback hits, one pass defended, a blocked extra point and fumble recovery.

Here are some of the positives and negatives the Redskins can take away from today’s game:

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How the top NFL preview magazines view the Redskins

For as long as I can remember, I’ve obtained NFL preview magazines every year to break down rosters, analyze team pickups, look over league-wide predictions, and on top of it all, see how the Redskins stacked up against the rest of the league and the NFC East.

That obsession of buying these magazines continues to this day, with fewer to choose from than in years past but just enough to get me ready for training camp in the doldrums of the sports calendar.

The top paperbound prognosticators remaining are Lindy’s, Athlon and Sporting News.

Let’s take a look at how they predicted the Redskins to finish in the NFC East this season. Spoiler alert: It’s not first. Or second. Or third. (more…)