NFL Week 11: 5 teams that must win

3. Washington Redskins

Don’t let the record fool you, the Washington Redskins are a better team than advertised. They’ve been on the backend of some tough losses and brutal injuries throughout the season. Still, they find themselves in the playoff race with a must-win game against the Saints on the road. It’s the toughest test any team has in Week 11 but the Redskins need to prove they can compete with the best of the NFC.

Much like the Ravens, the Redskins have a very slim chance of winning their division. Unfortunately, the Eagles are the best team in football at 8-1 and don’t seem to be slipping up anytime soon. The Wild Card race is even more difficult. This year it seems like so many teams could emerge from the NFC.

Even at 4-5, the Redskins still have four teams ahead of them for a potential playoff spot. Realistically, they can’t afford to drop more than one game the rest of the season. Anything less than 10-6 sends them home packing for the playoffs.

The confidence isn’t high but you can’t count out the Redskins just yet. They still have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to make a push for the postseason but there still has to be improvements. If they want any chance, the defense has to play better. The Saints have been one of the most balanced teams this season. It’s going to take a concerted effort to stop Drew Brees and the dangerous running attack of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara.

With all the upsets we’ve seen this season, it’s hard to predict who’s going to win week in and week out. All we know is the Redskins are desperate for a win this week and 4-6 is never a good position to be in going into Week 12.