NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Sunday Debate: Washington Redskins Least Likely to Return to Playoffs in 2016

By Mark Morales-Smith

Oct 4, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins cheerleaders dance on the field during a timeout against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins cheerleaders dance on the field during a timeout against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Brendan Pignataro and I take each other on in another Sunday Debate. This time it’s the Chiefs vs. the Redskins. Which playoff team is more likely to miss out on the festivities in 2016?

This week we’ll be debating what team that made the playoffs last season will miss the playoffs in 2016. Old Brendan opted for the Chiefs. While there is a good chance the Chiefs miss out with a declining defense and improving division, they are still better than the Washington Redskins.

Related Story: Sunday Debate: Chiefs will Miss the Playoffs in 2016

Unlike Brendan’s, my article will actually based off facts and numbers, not wild predictions. Their 9-7 division championship last season was completely fraudulent. The NFC East was absolutely horrific last season. The New York Giants defense was among the worst in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles were a complete debacle with Chip Kelly destroying the roster and the Dallas Cowboys had a nightmarish season losing their three most productive players from 2015 for most of if not all of the season.

Yes, Josh Norman was a potentially nice addition, nevertheless, it won’t be enough to make the playoffs again. One of those teams has to be less terrible in 2016. The Giants made some nice additions on defense and the Cowboys should be healthier and more dynamic on offense. The Redskins have a lot of improving to do if they plan to beat a good team.

Redskins’ fans seem to be sold on quarterback Kirk Cousins, but he’s their glaring weakness. That’s exactly why the front office won’t give him his extension. They want to see him perform better against decent teams. At first glance, Cousins looked like a breakout star in the making last season. He took off in the second half of the season and totaled 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

However, those numbers are fool’s gold, just like the team’s record. He and the team struggled mightily on the road and feasted upon inadequate opponents. Despite winning the miserably bad NFC East with a 9-7 record, they didn’t defeat a single team with a winning record and the Bills were the only team that was even at .500.

They actually only played three teams all season with a winning record and lost by a combined score of 105 to 46. That’s a huge points differential. In those three games combined, he threw for just 620 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. Cousins also fumbled nine times during the season to go along with his 11 interceptions. It really all culminated in the playoffs when the favorite Redskins were never competitive against a struggling Packers team.

Jordan Reed also is a major concern to me. He was a big-time playmaker for this team last season, but he is extremely injury prone and has concussion issues. While anyone can get injured, a shot to the head will likely end his season at any point. He’s dealt with extensive knee, ankle and hamstring issues as well. They can’t afford to lose Reed and history tells us there is next to no chance he plays a full 16-game season.

They will likely have to improve drastically if they want to make the playoffs again. I don’t trust that Cousins will be able to make that leap. He has done nothing to prove that he can play at a high level against high-end competition. Time will tell and the Redskins could be a good team. Just not a playoff team. They aren’t better than the Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans or Chiefs. My prediction is Big Blue wins the division. They have a superior quarterback, star wideout and made a ton of big moves on defense.

With all that said, I love what the Redskins did in the draft and with signing Norman. That should help them for years to come. I’m just not ready to concede that a strong rookie class will make a significant impact right now. Especially when first-round pick Josh Doctson, who I ranked the No. 1 WR in the draft, will likely start the year as the WR4.

More nfl spin zone: 10 Worst Starting Quarterbacks in the NFL

This franchise has shown no ability to be consistent during the Snyder era and they’ll have to prove they can be before they earn that respect.

Home/NFL