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NFL Playoffs: Five reasons Washington Redskins won’t win NFC East

By John Buhler

Nov 29, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones (31) carries the ball past New York Giants middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley (53) in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones (31) carries the ball past New York Giants middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley (53) in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 21, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin looks on as his team plays the St. Louis Rams during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin looks on as his team plays the St. Louis Rams during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Tom Coughlin

While the New York Giants are two losses back of the Washington Redskins in NFC East play, they do have one of the best head football coaches of the last 25 years in two-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Coughlin.

Coughlin took an expansion Jacksonville Jaguars team to the AFC Championship in year two of existence in 1996. He’s also taken a pair of 9-7 NFC East winners in the 2008 and 2011 New York Giants and beat two outstanding Bill Belichick New England Patriots teams in the Super Bowl.

Essentially, the New York Giants have the type of coach in place that routinely gets the best out of his players from December on. A 7-9 record could win this division and nobody is better at taking a middling .500 team to title contention than Tom Coughlin.

While the Redskins are lucky to not have to play the Giants the rest of the way, Washington still has three NFC East games to New York’s one. Washington has more room to fall in the NFC East hierarchy than does New York.

Assuming both teams finish 3-3 or 2-4 in divisional play, New York could sneak up on Washington and take back control of the divisional race. The Giants were in the driver’s seat for over a month until Sunday’s loss to Washington.

Next: 5. Inability to Put Together a Winning Streak

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