Despite coming into the season with no expectations, the Washington Redskins are in a position to do some damage in the playoffs.
For much of the early NFL season, it appeared the winner of the NFC East division would enter the playoffs with a record of .500 or worse and be a heavy underdog against whichever team it face in the first round.
The Washington Redskins have quieted that narrative in recent weeks. Washington pulled away from the rest of a poor division to finish 9-7 and earn a home date with the Green Bay Packers on Wild Card Weekend.
Second-year head coach Jay Gruden and rookie GM Scot McCloughan have done an excellent job turning around a team that finished last in the NFC East in 2014 and was expected to do so again this season. The Redskins moved past the Robert Griffin III drama in the preseason and started Kirk Cousins in Week 1, a move that has paid off tremendously.
While Washington has already easily exceeded expectations, it won’t be happy just to be in the playoffs. The Redskins are playing well enough to challenge even the top NFC teams at the moment and have the potential to go on a deep playoff run.
The path certainly won’t be easy in a loaded NFC field. Green Bay is struggling right now but still has Aaron Rodgers under center, while the likes of the Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals or Seattle Seahawks could wait in later rounds.
Still, due to the play of Cousins and a few others, Washington is not to be taken lightly and is a definite playoff threat.
Next: Kirk Cousins is on fire