Morgan Moses

NFL preview magazines optimistic on Washington’s chances in 2021

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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Despite offseason moves, Redskins expected to finish 2019 in NFC East basement, according to NFL preview magazines

After selecting Dwayne Haskins at No. 15 overall, the Redskins hope the rookie is the quarterback of the future. Photo by Brian Murphy.

Based on the moves they made this offseason, the Washington Redskins should, at worst, be expected to finish around 7-9 in 2019. A 9-7 finish while fighting for a playoff spot may be viewed as their best-case scenario. The team addressed several needs since free agency began in March but only time will tell if they can make their way out of the .500 quagmire they’ve been stuck in the last four seasons.

The two biggest factors will be health, which has been the team’s downfall the last two seasons, and quarterback play. With Alex Smith unlikely to play in 2019 (and maybe ever again) due to a broken leg suffered last season and Colt McCoy still recovering from a less severe broken leg suffered just weeks later, the Redskins addressed the most important position on the roster with a trade for veteran Case Keenum and the selection of Dwayne Haskins with the 15th pick in the draft.

Assuming star left tackle Trent Williams ends his holdout and returns at some point during training camp, the biggest questions heading into 2019 are: Who will start at quarterback and will the competition between Keenum and Haskins be decided legitimately? Four of the first five games are against playoff opponents, including the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Will Keenum be the starter so he can navigate the team through those early turbulent waters only to hand over the reigns to Haskins so he can sail calmer seas during his rookie voyage? Will Haskins be named the starter right away in order to put some more butts in the notoriously vacant FedEx Field seats? Or will Haskins be named the starter for Week 1 because he’s legitimately ready to play, early tests be damned?

Those questions will be answered in a couple months. But what fans can evaluate to this point is the team addressed pressing needs this offseason, such as safety (Landon Collins) and edge rusher (Montez Sweat). Even though they signed Ereck Flowers and drafted Wes Martin and Ross Pierschbacher, the left guard spot still appears unsettled. The team took a hit when inside linebacker Reuben Foster tore his ACL and LCL in May OTAs. The 2017 first-round pick was claimed by the Redskins last season amidst controversy and will miss the 2019 season. For the Redskins, that means another hole in the roster has opened up.

Despite an offseason that appears it will keep the Redskins afloat and at least semi-relevant in 2019, analysis from the top NFL preview magazines proves lots of doubt remains about this team. So much so, that Lindy’s, Athlon and Street & Smith’s all peg the Redskins for a last-place finish in the NFC East.

Keep reading to find out what else these reputable periodicals had to say about the 2019 iteration of the burgundy and gold.

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Expectations low for 2018 Redskins, according to NFL preview magazines

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…)

Redskins Training Camp Photo Gallery – Day 3 PM Practice

On the third day of training camp, the Washington Redskins took part in their first fully-padded practice, with some new drills that weren’t on display the first two days.

Offensive tackle Trent Williams blocks linebacker Ryan Kerrigan. Photo by Jake Russell.

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Redskins Training Camp Photo Gallery – Day 1 PM Practice

Football is back and the Washington Redskins kicked off their 2015 season in Richmond, Va. for their their third summer at Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center.

The team switched up their routine this year with walkthroughs in the morning and practices in the afternoon.

Enjoy some sights from today’s p.m. practice.

Linebacker Martrell Spaight lunges for fullback Jordan Campbell. Photo by Jake Russell.

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Redskins Pros and Cons: Week 12

By Jake Russell

The more things change for the Washington Redskins, the more they stay the same.

After the Redskins’ opening offensive resulted in a three-and-out, their defense immediately allowed a quick five-play, 59-yard drive by the San Francisco 49ers. In the first four minutes of the game, a blowout appeared imminent.

However, the offense tied the game at seven in the second quarter and the defense only allowed 10 points the rest of the game. The problem was offense, which could only generate two field goals after Alfred Morris’ one-yard touchdown run.

After a stellar defensive performance, the Redskins had two opportunities to win in the final minutes of the game but couldn’t come through. The end result? A 17-13 loss and their second 3-8 record in as many seasons.

The storyline this week will continue to be Robert Griffin III and his inability to come through in the clutch like he did in his rookie season.

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Redskins Pros and Cons: Week 7

By Jake Russell

A changing of the guard occurred during the Washington Redskins’ 19-17 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday when third string quarterback Colt McCoy took over for Kirk Cousins after halftime.

Cousins isn’t progressing the way the team would like and head coach Jay Gruden announced on Monday that McCoy will be the team’s starter heading into next Monday night’s showdown against the 6-1 Dallas Cowboys unless Robert Griffin III is 100 percent healthy and ready to go.

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Redskins training camp photo gallery – Day 3 AM practice

Day three of Redskins training camp consisted of the first practice featuring shoulder pads.

Get a good look at some day three action.

Ryan Kerrigan knocks down an RGIII pass. Photo by Terri Russell.

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The top five Redskins training camp battles

By Jake Russell

The Redskins are set at most positions and bolstered several spots such as wide receiver, reserve inside linebacker, and special teams coverage in the offseason. But like every other team in the NFL, not every position is set, leaving battles looming as training camp arrives.

Here are my top five battles to watch during training camp and the team’s four preseason games over the next month and a half.

1. Right tackle
Tyler Polumbus/Morgan Moses/Tom Compton
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The top 10 Redskins to watch during training camp and the preseason

By Jake Russell

1. Robert Griffin III

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It’s no secret that the Redskins go as Robert Griffin III goes. A season after winning Offensive Rookie of the Year during a rookie campaign that ended with a torn ACL and LCL, Griffin returned to the field in a miraculous amount of time. After his devastating injury in the 2013 Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks on January 6, he started the team’s 2013 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 9. However, hampered by a knee brace all season, Griffin struggled and was benched by head coach Mike Shanahan for the final three games of what turned out to be a 3-13 season. (more…)