Washington Redskins: Can They Make a Deep Playoff Run?

Last season, the Washington Redskins lost in the first round of the playoffs. Can they go deeper in 2016?

Anyone can look at the Washington Redskins roster in 2016 compared to 2015 and realize that they’ve improved significantly. Thanks a large number of new or improving players on the team, there’s plenty to look out for before the season starts (via John Keim of ESPN).

Josh Norman and Junior Galette add veteran leadership and top-level talent to the defense. Meanwhile, Josh Doctson, Niles Paul (who missed all of 2015), and Shawn Lauvao (limited to three games in 2015) add value to both the rushing and passing attacks of the offense.

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However, it’s not just the addition of those players that will stop the Redskins from getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs in 2016 (provided they reach the postseason). There’s plenty of other factors, such as the development and progression of players that were already on the roster, and another year of trust and unity being built.

Players like Jamison Crowder, Brandon Scherff, Matt Jones, and Quinton Dunbar now have a season under their belts and will be better equipped for primetime games, such as the playoffs. Jordan Reed finally enjoyed an almost full season, while Kirk Cousins and Morgan Moses got year one as as starter out of the way.

With just one look at the Redskins game against the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs, it should be pretty obvious to anyone that Cousins wasn’t exactly on his game. He may not have thrown an interception, but there were some opportunities for one, and if it weren’t for some plays like Reed’s absurd one-hand catch, he may have had a few INTs in the box score.

For all I know, Cousins could have just had a random bad game, but it probably goes deeper than that. A first-year starter having a bad experience in his first career playoff start isn’t unique. It wasn’t just Cousins either. There was some bad play by multiple Redskins players, and the lack of playoff experience on the roster shown brightly.

Now they’ve got that game under their belts and they know what to watch out for though. Add to that the vastly improved roster and you’ve got a recipe for success.

The passing game is going to improve. Cousins may not have that high of a completion percentage and may throw a few more interceptions, but the numbers in the air will be just as, if not more impressive then they were in 2015. Cousins’ natural progression plays a role in that, but the biggest reason for the improvements will be his weapons.

Crowder and Ryan Grant are only getting better, while Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson have been monster weapons for a while. Add Doctson to the receiving corp and opposing secondaries may just throw in the towel. The tight ends get Paul back, while Vernon Davis joins (adding more leadership and playoff experience) the group that Reed will headline.

The rushing game will get better as well. First off, it’s kind of hard to be worse than they were in 2015. The addition of Keith Marshall as well as the returns of Lauvao and Logan Paulsen will aide in improving the group. The passing game will play it’s role in this as well. A strong passing attack will leave running lanes open often.

The defense has so much potential it hurts. The defensive line still isn’t anything to write home about, but Chris Baker anchoring it makes you feel better about the group. The linebacking group is absurd. Ryan Kerrigan has been a beast for the Redskins for years, and Preston Smith proved in his rookie season that he’s ready for the NFL. Meanwhile, Galette and his stupid quick hands will be giving anyone that tries to block him fits.

The secondary will improve thanks to the progression of Bashaud Breeland and Dunbar, as well as the additions of Norman, David Bruton Jr., and Kendall Fuller.

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This roster screams playoff potential. Something that you can’t really say about the Redskins roster heading into 2015. If they could make it to the first round of the playoffs last year, imagine what 2016 will bring.