UPDATE 2015/09/01: The Washington Redskins have announced that Kirk Cousins will be the team’s starting quarterback.
16 seasons – that’s how long it’s been since derided Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder took over the storied franchise. And to this day, he has proven that his team’s management has no answer for its own futility. A disappointing 4-12 season in 2014 is but another one of the many blunders by Snyder and Co.
In the 16 seasons that Snyder has been in charge, Washington has gone 108-148 with just two division titles and four playoff appearances, including just one winning season for the past seven years.
This 2015 season, however, the Redskins may be on the right path towards building a young core from the ground up instead of hiring big-name free agents right off the bat. But exactly how much or how little did the team do to improve its chances of succeeding in the jam-packed NFC East? Read on as we take a closer look at all the activities that went down in the Redskins offseason.
It will be another uphill battle for the boys from the nation’s capital, as the other teams from the NFC East just got better themselves. See what’s going on with the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants with our other extensive season previews for what should be another exciting NFL season.
[sc:Football ]2015-2016 Washington Redskins Preview
Overview
[sc:NFL240banner ]Another year, another humiliating season for Washington. Snyder’s decision to hire first-time head coach Jay Gruden went just as horribly as expected. But all the blame doesn’t fall solely on Gruden’s inability to orchestrate the team in his inaugural season. There’s an immense lack of talent paired with cries of discontent within the organization, not to mention the injuries and setbacks suffered by their franchise player.
Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III has not been able to relive his smashing rookie performance for the second straight season. You can point at his reluctance to mature mentally and his health concerns for his failures, but a large part of his shortcomings were due to a weak supporting crew. The Redskins offensive line gave up 58 sacks last season, which would explain why Griffin always found his face on the ground.
It wasn’t just he who struggled because of the O-line; even his backups Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy – who both saw extensive playing time in place of Griffin – couldn’t get any momentum going in the passing game. Together, the three Washington QBs had as many passing touchdowns as interceptions (12) for the season.
We haven’t even gotten to talking about the defense yet, which was just as problematic as the offense. The Redskins were third-worst in the league in points allowed at 27.4 per game, and had 12 more turnovers than takeaways in 2014 (also third-worst in the NFL).
Offseason Review
On a positive note, Washington had plenty of picks to spend in the draft to start its rebuilding process the right way. They had 10 draft picks this offseason and three of them were wisely used to pick up offensive linemen.
Without question, Washington’s biggest acquisition from the draft was its first round pick in tackle Brandon Scherff. Scherff was the consensus top prospect amongst the offensive linemen of the 2015 class However, Gruden wants the hefty standout from Iowa to play right tackle instead of his natural position at left tackle or guard. It will be interesting to see how this decision will pan out as the regular season rolls along.
Apart from protecting the quarterbacks, Scherff and the rest of the O-line have also got to open up holes for the running game. Running back Alfred Morris saw his stats drop for the second season in a row. Although he did still tally a 1,000-yard season last year (1,074 rushing yards to be exact), it’s still a far cry from his 1,613-yard output from his 2012 rookie campaign. His average yards per carry took the biggest hit, going from 4.8 yards per rushing attempt in his first year to 4.1 in 2014.
Rookie running back Matt Jones from Florida, who was selected by the ‘Skins in the third round, will also have a crack at sharing touches with Morris as a short-yardage option with his larger physique.
As for the defense, there’s not a whole lot going well here either beyond outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who posted 13.5 sacks and five forced fumbles in 2014. He may have found a suitable complement in the linebacking corps in second round pick Preston Smith from Missisippi State. And after allowing Brian Orakpo to walk in free agency, they snapped up another pass rusher in the form of Junior Galette, who was released by the Saints. The Redskins also signed cornerback Chris Culliver in free agency, who had four picks for the 49ers last season.
Key Player – Kirk Cousins
“… we feel like at this time, Kirk Cousins gives us the best chance to win.”
Strong words coming from head coach Jay Gruden, who had just announced this past Monday that fourth-year quarterback Kirk Cousins will be the team’s starter come Week 1 of the regular season.
The announcement came shortly after the wake of another concussion suffered by Washington’s supposed franchise quarterback, Robert Griffin III. Cousins will look to bring some consistency to the Redskins offense, but his stats from last season would say otherwise. In six games, Cousins threw for 1,710 yards with 10 touchdowns and a staggering nine interceptions. Worst of all, the Redskins were 2-4 in that stretch where he was the team’s starter.
If Cousins couldn’t provide consistency last season, it might have been mainly because of the team’s horrendous offensive line (as RG3 would attest), and at least he showed some form of efficiency as a pocket passer. He had a 61.8 percent completion rate last season (note: the Colts’ Andrew Luck was a shade below him at 61.7 percent) and had a QB rating of over a hundred in three of those six games he started. Even seven of his nine interceptions came from just two bad outings against the Giants (4) and the Cards (3).
Griffin may have the most promise and flash that will get the Redskins fans electrified, but Cousins is what the team really needs for some stability under center. Only time will tell if Cousins truly is worthy of being the main man in Washington, or if he’ll join RG3 and McCoy next season for another round of QB carousel.
Create a betting account now to bet on the ‘Skins for some big wins.
Key Game – vs. Philadelphia (October 4)
Praise the football and Native American gods alike, as Washington has a relatively soft schedule. The team will play just three playoff teams from last season in New England, Carolina, and division rival Dallas twice.
Even more good news: the Redskins play three of their first four games at home. The bad news: they have a 17-32 record there for the past six years. For a team whose stadium is named FedExField, they certainly fail to deliver the goods in front of their faithful fan base.
Their first division matchup in Week 4 and in front of the Washington home crowd against the Eagles will certainly be a good measuring stick of just how competitive they can be with the rest of the NFC East. Earlier games against Miami and St. Louis and a road trip to the Meadowlands against the Giants are all winnable, so the Redskins can build from any positive takes from those matches.
A win over Philadelphia will also provide great momentum heading towards the first of two back-to-back road swings to Atlanta and the New York Jets. The other two consecutive road games on schedule are found at the tail end of the season – the ‘Skins face the Eagles again (this time in Philly) followed by Dallas at AT&T Stadium.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
Cousins turns out to be every bit of the dependable passer the team envisioned him to be. The O-line somehow impresses, and so does the defense. No playoff berth just yet, but an eight-to-nine-win season is a possibility. The team’s seemingly never-ending rebuilding process is finally on the right track.
Worst Case Scenario
Cousins himself goes down to a serious injury due to the still leaky offensive line, and neither Griffin nor McCoy could pick up the pieces as the offensive line is in total disarray. Washington’s running game also suffers from lack of blocking upfront. The defense dissipates in games faster than smoke blown from a Redskin peace pipe.
Complete Schedule
| WEEK | DATE | OPPONENT | TIME (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun, Sep 13 | Miami | 1:00 PM |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | St. Louis | 1:00 PM |
| 3 | Thu, Sep 24 | @ N.Y. Giants | 8:25 PM |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | Philadelphia | 1:00 PM |
| 5 | Sun, Oct 11 | @ Atlanta | 1:00 PM |
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | @ N.Y. Jets | 1:00 PM |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | Tampa Bay | 1:00 PM |
| 8 | Bye Week | ||
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | @ New England | 2:00 PM |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | New Orleans | 2:00 PM |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | @ Carolina | 2:00 PM |
| 12 | Sun, Nov 29 | N.Y. Giants | 2:00 PM |
| 13 | Mon, Dec 7 | Dallas | 9:30 PM |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | @ Chicago | 2:00 PM |
| 15 | Sun, Dec 20 | Buffalo | 2:00 PM |
| 16 | Sat, Dec 26 | @ Philadelphia | 9:25 PM |
| 17 | Sun, Jan 3 | @ Dallas | 2:00 PM |
Writer’s Prediction
Washington slightly improves by winning one more game than the 2014 season with a 5-11 record, but ultimately falls short of hitting its projected 6.5 win total for the year and misses the playoffs yet again.
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