Since winning the NFC East in 2015, the Washington Redskins have been mired in mediocrity. But there is a new quarterback for Jay Gurden’s club.
Can the Washington Redskins stop the bleeding? A late-season rally by the team in 2015 helped produce a 9-7 record and an NFC East title. One year later, the club slipped to 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs thanks to a season-ending home loss to the New York Giants. This past season, the ‘Skins fell to Big Blue once again in Week 17 – capping off a disappointing 7-9 showing.
So what’s in store for Jay Gruden’s club this fall? It’s far too early to tell. But they are now in a division that features the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the always-formidable Dallas Cowboys. It’s worth noting that the Redskins were a horrid 1-5 vs. the NFC East rivals this past year, swept by both the Birds and Cowboys.
Here is how the complete schedule, week-by-week, lays out:
Week 1: at Arizona Cardinals
Week 2: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 4: BYE
Week 5: at New Orleans Saints (MNF)
Week 6: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 7: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 8: at New York Giants
Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 11: vs. Houston Texans
Week 12: at Dallas Cowboys (Thanksgiving)
Week 13: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 14: vs. New York Giants
Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 16: at Tennessee Titans (TBD)
Week 17: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Talk about not wasting anytime? Although the 2017 NFL postseason had yet to conclude, the Washington Redskins were busy acquiring a new quarterback for ’18. Team president Bruce Allen orchestrated a trade for veteran Alex Smith, late of the Kansas City Chiefs. The deal became official in mid-March and in the meantime, Kirk Cousins would be on his way to becoming a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
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Of course, there have been other changes to Gruden’s team as well. But is this club headed in the right direction? It’s been an interesting offseason, to say the least.