Fansided

NFC East power rankings: Cowboys and Eagles duel for the top spot

By Rucker Haringey

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 22: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys embrace after the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 22: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys embrace after the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Dwayne Haskins, Washington
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 22: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Redskins scrambles with the ball in the first half against the New York Giants at FedExField on December 22, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

4. Washington franchise

The biggest on-field issue for Washington heading into this season is finding a way to build a productive offense. To do that, the team needs Dwayne Haskins to step up and prove he’s capable of being their quarterback of the present and future.

To say that the jury is still out on Haskins would be a massive understatement. He was underwhelming during his seven games of action in 2019. Haskins only completed a shade under 59% of his passes last year and posted an ugly touchdown to interception ratio of 1:1. Those metrics have to improve dramatically this season if the Redskins are going to have any chance of fighting for a playoff berth. In the end, Haskins might take a meaningful step forward this year, but it’s unlikely he’ll progress far enough to make this offense a league-average unit.

The real hope the team has of being competitive in 2020 lies on the defensive side of the ball. Chase Young should be ready to notch double-digit sacks as a rookie. He’s just that talented. The presence of Montez Sweat and Ryan Kerrigan should help the defensive front seven really harass opposing quarterbacks.

Rivera’s steady hand will be good for the team and the franchise in what could be a really tumultuous 2020 season. His arrival won’t be enough to move Washington up the NFC East standings though. The team can hope to improve on last year’s ugly record of 3-13, but anything approaching .500 would be a major accomplishment.

Home/NFL