*Second FAN SUBMISSION from Mark Voltaire of Washington D.C.*
Yeah, I know it’s still early; free agency has yet to be over and we’re still waiting on the draft, but given the cap penalty, the Redskins are not making the news they usually make. With that being the case, I thought I’d fill-up the time by looking ahead.
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated/CNN
I have seen some posts talking about how tough the Redskins’ schedule is – I do see some good teams – but I think people forget that the team just has to win in their division. While the NFC East is usually the NFC beast, I think that the distinction will fall to the NFC West next year, which boasts two loaded playoff teams: The 49ers and Seahawks, an improving Rams team, and while I don’t expect the Cardinals to be in the playoffs, I have a ton of respect for the job Bruce Arians did last year with the Colts. Overall, I think the cards will be decent; I think the Redskins will exactly match their division record from a year ago, sweeping the “re-building” Eagles and the Tony Romo/Jerry Jones/Cowboys, while splitting the home and away games with the Giants (the only real threat in the division).
With that being said, let’s take a look at the upcoming games (in no particular order):
At Minnesota – I still can’t figure out the Percy Harvin trade; he’s the type of player every team in the league would want. Is he that much of a diva? Seattle either got much better or Harvin is just more trouble than he’s worth – only time will tell. The Vikings were a playoff team, however, they haven’t gotten any better, so the Redskins will take the win in this match-up.
Detroit – The Lions are an interesting team and I think Reggie Bush will really help them, especially on that turf in Detroit, but the Redskins are a better team. They may give up a lot of yards to Calvin Johnson, but overall, RG3 makes fewer mistakes than Mathew Stafford. Redskins win.
At Philadelphia – The Eagles have new coaches and new players, and while I have always liked Michael Vick as a football player, he is past his prime, has been hit too many times, and never really was that accurate. I’ve heard commentators say he should run the read option, but that just seems like a concussion waiting to happen. Redskins win.
Kansas City – Kansas City will be better than they were because they’re re-building, but as far as I’m concerned, RG3 is 2-0 against Andy Reid. Redskins win.
At Dallas – Tony Romo is the best-bad quarterback in the NFL. Quarterbacks are measured in wins and clutch moments, and Romo is not that guy. As a Redskins fan, I love that Tony Romo is the starting quarterback for Dallas, and that Jerry Jones won’t fire himself. Love it. Redskins win.
Philadelphia – Same as before: The Eagles are re-building, but Michael Vick is not what he was. Redskins win.
At Atlanta – This team has lost a couple defensive players (Dunta Robinson and John Abraham), but has gotten better with Steven Jackson, who is a beast. This game will be a good test for the young Redskin team, but you can’t deny the fact that Atlanta is loaded. Falcons win.
Dallas – Dallas is stuck in mediocrity and there’s no evidence suggesting that that will change. Redskins win.
At Oakland – The Raiders are a mess; all week we will hear about what a good job Terrell Pryor is doing, imitating RG3 on the scout team, but it won’t help. Redskins win.
San Francisco – The defending NFC Champions added Anquan Bolden and Glen Dorsey, and have more than ten picks in the upcoming draft. 49ers win.
At New York – The cliché is that the Giants are impossible to predict, and that cliché is true. I think that losing a leader and a player like Osi Uyemyoura will hurt the team, but I have enough respect for Eli and Coughlin to think that they’ll be in the mix. Giants win.
New York – I respect Eli and Coughlin, as stated before, but I think their time in this division is past; the Redskins easily have the best quarterback in the division and quarterbacks win games (especially at home). Redskins win.
At Denver – The Broncos are a loaded playoff team that have added a receiver who can say, “ All I do is catch more than a 100 passes every season.” Plus, they’re at home. Broncos win.
Chicago – This is a tough call; the Bears have a new offensive-minded coach, who I believe will help Jay Cutler, but are they going to be as good on defense without Lovie Smith and Brian Urlacher? I may change my mind, but the Bears win this game.
At Green Bay – This is another tough game to call because while I think Aaron Rodgers is maybe the best in the league, the team may lose Greg Jennings, and they’re definitely losing Charles Woodson. Even though I think the Redskins could steal this game, it’s hard to go against Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, therefore, Packers win.
San Diego – The Chargers are a bit of a mystery as they seem to be an older, under-achieving team. I don’t think they have what it takes to beat the Redskins at home. Redskins win.
With all of these games called, it projects out to 10-6, with a 5-1 mark in the division. I gave the Redskins losses against the Bears, the Packers, the Giants in New York, and the Falcons, however, these games could be toss-ups.
