The Washington Redskins plummeted from 10 wins to just three in 2013, obviously missing the playoffs. As a result, Mike Shanahan was canned as the head coach and Jay Gruden was given his first shot as the top guy in the NFL.
Gruden’s #1 job will be making Robert Griffin III comfortable, but first he needs to be healthy. Also, what about the defense? As always, it’ll be a fascinating season in the nation’s capital, on and off the field.
Strengths
As RGIII goes, so go the Redskins. Whether it was his health or the offense last season, Griffin definitely took a step back in 2013, but when he is on, he is as electrifying as any player in the NFL. Gruden has a smart offensive mind, and his mission will be to keep Griffin as healthy as possible, but the quarterback has to be smarter about sliding. This offense could be incredible with the addition of Desean Jackson’s deep threat, Alfred Morris in the backfield, Pierre Garcon on the other side and Jordan Reed at tight end.
The defense might not be a strength, but they won’t be a weakness and they weren’t as bad as many made them out to be last year. Washington was 17th against the run and 20th against the pass, and the offense didn’t help them out much. Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo will get after the quarterback off the end, while safety Ryan Clark returns to Washington to try and stabilize a secondary that could be great and awful, all in the same game. This unit should be in the top 15 of the NFL.
Weaknesses
But will the defense step up? Keenan Robinson replaces the retired London Fletcher in the middle of the front seven, but he missed all of 2013 with a torn pectoral, while end Stephen Bowen might start the season injured. Who knows how cornerback DeAngelo Hall and safety Brandon Meriweather will fare; they both have talent, but they have been known to lose concentration. Offensively, the line will be under a lot of pressure to improve and keep Griffin on his field while opening holes for a potentially explosive running game.
You also have to factor in the distraction of the off-field issues surrounding their team name. That is going to continue throughout the season and players will be asked about it instead of football-related matters, and that takes a toll on them as the campaign wears on.
Schedule
Washington’s schedule is ranked 17th in the league, and first things first, they can’t go 0-6 in the NFC East against the New York Giants, Philadelphia and Dallas again. Opening the season in Houston against their defense will be a very good test for Washington, and Seattle comes to town in Week 5. Then, Washington has three road games in four weeks leading up to their Week 10 bye, but they can win in Arizona, Dallas and Minnesota. They end the season with three home games in December against St. Louis, Philadelphia and Dallas. This is a manageable schedule.
Outlook
There was a lot going on last season that doomed Washington, but there should be less of a circus around with Gruden in charge. If RGIII stays healthy and the line improves, the offense should be scary, while the defense shouldn’t be worse than last season. Look for Washington to bounce back in 2014.
Pick: Over (-115)
