Kendall Fuller

NFL preview magazines optimistic on Washington’s chances in 2021
 
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The Washington Football Team is on an upward trajectory, according to the nation’s top NFL preview periodicals.

For the Washington Football Team, 2020 was a year unlike any other in franchise history. The team tried to shake off an embarrassing 3-13 campaign in 2019 by hiring head coach Ron Rivera last January. A couple months later the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States. Over last summer, the organization retired its Redskins nickname and faced a slew of sexual harassment allegations while owner Daniel Snyder was embroiled in a legal battle with his ownership partners. Not long after, Rivera was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. All that and the team hadn’t even played a down of football yet.

A 2-7 start eventually led to a 7-9 campaign and a surprising division title in the lowly NFC East with Washington ultimately falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FedEx Field in the Wild Card round.

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Expectations low for 2018 Redskins, according to NFL preview magazines
Alex Smith

New quarterback Alex Smith hopes to point the Redskins to their first playoff appearance since the 2015 season. Photo by Brian Murphy.

The Washington Redskins faced an unprecedented situation when their twice-franchised quarterback Kirk Cousins was slated to hit the open market in March. Instead of ponying up to keep the three-time 4,000-yard passer in the stable, the team opted to give up rising cornerback Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick in April’s draft to the Kansas City Chiefs for quarterback Alex Smith.

Now the pressure is on Smith to keep the Redskins afloat. After missing the playoffs the last two seasons, Smith is charged with bringing the team back to relevancy. New running back Derrius Guice (a steal as the No. 59 pick in the draft) will certainly relieve some of the pressure Smith faces this season.

In one of their best drafts in decades, the Redskins continued to address defensive line in a big way, taking Alabama defensive tackle Daron Payne 13th overall along with Virginia Tech defensive tackle Tim Settle in the fifth round.

After losing four of their top five picks from the 2014 draft to free agency this spring, it’s unclear how quickly their replacements will step up. Based on how the rest of the division adjusted their rosters this offseason, it appears the Redskins haven’t done enough to compete for a playoff spot, at least according to the top NFL preview magazines. Take a look at how they view the Redskins going into the 2018 season. (more…)