Here is my Breakdown of the 7 reasons for hope this season along with a Breakdown of the Redskins winnable games on the remainder of the schedule.
It can be easy to become dejected after watching our beloved Redskins start 0-2 with both loses coming from within our Division. We spent an entire offseason preparing for the defense to take a big step forward, and we have been sorely disappointed through two games.
I promise you that I am not a delusional fan. I understand that our defense has woefully underperformed in almost every way possible. We have fallen flat trying to prevent the big play and we have let teams hit us for long sustained drives on a remarkably consistent basis thanks to a horrific third down defense. It only makes matters worse that these performances come against teams that represent two of the most hated fanbases by Redskins faithful.
So please, believe me, I understand. However, the season is long from over, and there is a lot of football yet to be played. Here is my Breakdown of the 7 reasons for hope this season along with a Breakdown of the Redskins winnable games on the remainder of the schedule.
As always, if you enjoy the content, follow me on twitter @TheBurgundyBD and like/share/comment to let me know exactly why you think I’m right or wrong!
Reasons for Hope
1. Case Keenum/Offensive Production
Imagine we spoke in August, and I told you that through 2 games, Case Keenum would throw for over 600 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, and a passer rating of 111.2. After you finished crying out of excitement, you would have bet all your money that we would be 2-0 right now.
Before you rush to lament me in the comments, I understand that stats aren’t everything, but they aren’t nothing either. At the end of the day, the offense with Case Keenum has outperformed expectations and has looked like a competent unit. I am aware that some plays have been missed here and there, but the offense has done more than enough to give us a chance to win both of our first two games.
If the offense can continue to produce without turning the ball over, there is a lot of room for hope going into the rest of the schedule. Despite starting off with a worse record compared to 2018, this offense has put together stronger performances than we saw in any game last season, which is important to remember. The tide will turn, but the foundation this offense is building under Case Keenum is looking good.
2. Terry McLaurin and Trey Quinn
I don’t think anybody would argue that Terry McLaurin has been anything short of a revelation through his first two games. After an impressive training camp (even though we didn’t see him much in preseason action), he has taken control of the X receiver role and has been dominant. I can’t remember the last time we had a receiver, especially one we drafted, that could use his physicality to make contested catches while also being able to take the top off the defense. 10 catches for 187 yards and 2 TDs represents a fantastic start for the third-round pick (and he’s been great on my fantasy team too!).
Fortunately for the Redskins, there seems to be another young receiver breaking out this season in Trey Quinn. From the slot, Quinn has clearly proved to be a favorite target of Case Keenum in crunch situations, as we’ve seen him targeted regularly when we need a 1st down. He was also the target of a 4th down completion against the Cowboys that led to our 2nd score. Combining a mixture of sure hands and a 6th sense for his position on the defender, Quinn looks to be the slot receiver Jay has been raving about.
While the rest of the league may view the receiver position as a weak spot for the Redskins, I don’t see any reason to think they can’t be part of a passing attack that could carry this team when needed.
3. Eventual Return of Jordan Reed
I’ll keep this one short. I don’t know when it will happen, but Jordan Reed will return from his concussion at some point, and he will dynamically improve this offense. Not only will his unique skillset demand production, but his mere presence will open things up for guys like Chris Thompson and Trey Quinn as teams will have to dedicate their strongest cover-safety to stopping Reed.
4. Surprising Play from Donald Penn and Ereck Flowers
As a fanbase, we must accept that Trent Williams may not come back. However, Penn and Flowers have looked solid so far against 2 teams with a strong defensive front. They have not been perfect by any means, but they are nowhere near the weak link that was expected heading into the season. Even if Trent doesn’t return, there is no reason to expect his loss to hinder our offensive production, which is great news for hope!
5. Return of Jonathan Allen
We heard all summer about the 3-headed monster on the defensive line led by an emerging star in Daron Payne. Through a regular rotation, the expectation was that we would have a dynamic front throughout the game that was always fresh. Losing Allen meant that rotating would not be as much of an option, and this anticipatedly dominant defensive line just hasn’t been able to stay fresh for an entire game. Daron Payne has still flashed some big plays, but it just isn’t the same.
However, if you think losing Allen is only impactful because of the rotation, you just don’t understand football. I know what they said about Payne being the next big thing but make no mistake about it. Jonathan Allen is the strongest player of the 3-headed monster. Excellent strength and depth are great to have but losing your best player will always be felt. Allen is the anchor to this line that eats the double teams and commands attention from offensive coordinators. He does the dirty work that allows everyone else to shine, and somehow managed to get 8 sacks last season anyway. His return will be immediately impactful on this defense as he is the silent embodiment of the Alabama mindset that we hoped would drive this defense.
6. They Are Who We Thought They Were
Everyone needs to just relax. The Eagles and the Cowboys are two teams with Superbowl aspirations that may have a chance of getting there. Form a roster standpoint, they are both easily top 5 in the league, and we just happen to be unlucky enough to have them both in our Division.
As for a reason for hope, we just need to look at the defensive rosters we faced in the first 2 weeks. Dallas and Philadelphia both have a top 5-10 defense, and we still managed to put together sustained drives as an offense. While we do have to face these teams again, we are unlikely to see many defenses as strong as these two in the rest of our schedule (especially ones that also have a dynamic offense). This should give all fans hope that we will have a productive offense throughout the season to help buoy any defensive struggles.
Speaking of defensive struggles, I think everyone needs a dose of perspective. We have played 2 teams with a dynamic quarterback, strong receiving corps, and dominant offensive lines. With injuries limiting our depth in the secondary and the defensive line, I’m not sure we could have expected anything different. I know we all hoped we could steal a win in the division to start the season, but the world hasn’t ended just because these teams are who we thought they were. Relax.
7. Remaining Schedule
Outside of our remaining matchups against the Cowboys and Eagles, there are a lot of very winnable games on the schedule, as very few teams remaining will be as strong as our first two opponents. We knew that the beginning stretch of the schedule was going to be the most difficult few weeks of the season, so now is not the time to hit the panic button. As things begin to take shape around the rest of the league, there is a lot of reason for hope when looking at the remaining schedule for the Redskins.
Winnable Remaining Games
As of today, these are the games on the remainder of the schedule that I believe are very winnable. As recent Redskins history would show, it is very likely that we will lose at least 1 game that seems like a guaranteed win. However, recent history would also suggest that one of the games we don’t expect to win (Patriots, Packers, Cowboys, Eagles) will be a surprise upset in our favor. Here’s my Breakdown of which teams we can reasonably hope to defeat this season.
Chicago Bears in Week 3
I understand that the Bears have faced 2 strong defenses in the Packers and the Broncos, but so have we. Nothing on the Bears offense scares me and that starts with Mitch Trubisky. I feel confident that we can score against a strong defense and I am not worried about having a shootout with their offense.
New York Giants in Week 4 AND Week 16
I don’t care who plays QB for this team, they do not have enough talent on either side of the ball. I don’t expect much resistance at all from their defense, so we should not have trouble outscoring the Giants.
Miami Dolphins in Week 6
Unless you live under a rock, there’s no need to explain this one.
San Francisco 49ers in Week 7
They are 2-0 but have beaten very bad teams in Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. Garoppolo has led an offense that is scoring, and there is certainly talent on the defense, but I think this is a very winnable game. I certainly don’t think this will be an easy victory for the Redskins, but I’m not particularly scared of any player on the 49ers enough to take them off this list.
Minnesota Vikings in Week 8
This may be the biggest predicted coin flip. The Vikings have a lot of talent on their roster, but they also have Kirk Cousins as their QB who doesn’t tend to handle pressure well. On Thursday night in prime time, this will be a test of who is worse on a national stage. Winnable is an apt description for this game.
Buffalo Bills in Week 9
Is anyone scared of Josh Allen? Really? I like their rookie RB Devin Singletary, but they are still the Bills.
New York Jets in Week 11
I would say this depends on if Sam Darnold returns from having mono, but he wasn’t exactly lighting it up before getting sick. For the record, I would not be surprised if he is still out this late in the season as Mono can sometimes linger for several months.
Regardless of who plays QB, I think we can consider this a winnable contest.
Detroit Lions in Week 12
I would consider the Lions a coin flip. They certainly have a strong offense, but they are a team that seems to play up or down to their competition regularly (see week 1 tie vs the Cardinals). By no means is this a sure thing, but it is certainly winnable.
Carolina Panthers in Week 13
It is possible that Carolina begins to hit their stride by this stage of the season, so this is not a guarantee by any means. However, an early loss to Tampa Bay is not a good look, especially with Cam Newton looking like he has taken a step back as a QB and athlete. Also, can you name any significant threats at receiver for this team? I know McCaffrey is a dominant player, but we did a great job of stifling him last season. Winnable is the appropriate designation for this game as of today.
All in all, I think there is a lot to look forward to this season. We may not be a Superbowl contender, but there are a lot of winnable games on the remainder of the schedule, and this doesn’t even account for two late-season contests against the Cowboys and Eagles. We may have one loss against both teams already, but Division games are never a guarantee in either direction.
The Burgundy Breakdown 