4 Reason Why The Redskins Will Make the Playoffs

As we move closer towards the start of the 2018 NFL season, we look to predict who will be in the playoffs (and even Superbowl) in the upcoming season. Teams like the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Green Bay Packers are always determined to be in the playoffs.

Once the 2018 NFL draft happened and the free-agent frenzy began, there were plenty of teams that looked like playoff-calibre teams. One of those teams are the Washington Redskins. Here are 4 reasons why the Redskins should make the 2018 playoffs.

End of the Kirk Cousins era

After the Redskins traded for quarterback Alex Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs, everyone knew Cousins' time in Washington had come to an end. They gave Smith the contract that they weren't willing to give to Cousins and it was understandable. After two years of using the franchise tag on him, the front office wasn't confident in giving him a big contract and there was uncertainty from the team members about his leadership in taking the team to the next level.

A closer look at Cousins' stats indicates his best season came in 2016 when he threw for 4,913 yards. But his rating fell in the 2017 season, from a 97.2 in 2016 down to 93.9. Some will say that his stats for both years are similar, but the same energy he put into the 2016 season was not shown when he was on the field during last season. After finishing off 7-9, it was almost certain that Cousins would not be under the center for the Redskins.

The New Signal Caller

Wild Card Round - Tennessee Titans v Kansas City Chiefs

No one knew what the Redskins were going to do at the quarterback position. Were they going to give Cousins the money? Draft a quarterback? Did they believe in backup Colt McCoy? But they ended all that drama, trading for Smith just a couple days before Superbowl LII. The Redskins traded a 3rd round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller, which had many fans disappointed because Fuller had a great 2017 season.

But both teams got something out of this trade: The Redskins got a veteran quarterback coming off his best season yet and a player who had taken the Chiefs to the playoffs four times. The Chiefs were able to trade Smith as they had drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017 in hopes of him being the future of the team. At the same time, the Chiefs needed a cornerback as they were weak in the secondary (and it became weaker after trading Marcus Peters to the L.A. Rams).

Once the Redskins added a few more players to the team, including bolstering the offensive line to protect Smith, signing wide receiver Paul Richardson, and drafting Derrius Guice, the Redskins certainly had something going.

A Potentially Lethal Offense

San Francisco 49ers v Washington Redskins

Simply trading for a quarterback won't help the Redskins go to the playoffs. The Redskins were in greater need of a WR1, a better offensive line with depth, and an explosive running back. Signing Paul Richardson to a 5-year, $40 million deal gave the team a fast receiver who they haven't had since DeSean Jackson left the team. Richardson is coming off his best season to date and looks to improve with this new team, in hopes to show the front office and the fans that he was worth the money.

The 2017 season was the worst for the Redskins' offensive line. Too many injuries and rotations allowed 38 sacks on Cousins and 320 lost yards. If the team wants to see Smith play at his best, they need to protect him. They re-signed multiple starting players, as well as drafted a tackle in the 2018 NFL draft. For now, it seems the offensive line is looking to be one of the best in the league, but that will be determined when the season starts.

According to PFF, the Redskins were ranked 31st in team rushing grades in 2017. With too many injuries occurring at the running back position last season, it was vital to draft or sign a young guy. Drafting Derrius Guice in the second round was a big steal after he fell during the draft due to reports of issues he had with player personnel during the combine, which were later determined to be false.

Guice was projected to be a late 1st round pick, but the Redskins swooped him up at 59th overall. He will be the guy who revives the run game for the Redskins and relieves some pressure off Smith when needed.

A (Somewhat) Proven Defense

Pittsburgh Steelers v Washington Redskins

I say "somewhat" proven defense because there are players who we know are good at their position, such as cornerback Josh Norman and safety D.J. Swearinger, but the team still has gaps elsewhere. But the biggest issue the Redskins had was at the defensive line. They drafted defensive end, Jonathan Allen, last year, but lost him in week 6 due to injury.

Defensive end Trent Murphy suffered a torn ACL as well, which hurt the defensive line even more. Plenty more injuries occurred throughout the season which did not help the Redskins move to the playoffs. In hopes of solidifying the defensive line, they draft Daron Payne in the first round, pairing him up with Allen. With a healthy defensive line, they will certainly cause chaos for offensive linemen, quarterbacks, and running backs.

The Redskins have one of the best cornerback and safety pair in the league, but after trading Fuller to the Chiefs, there wasn't a "proven" player to play alongside Norman in the secondary. But since the start of training camp, Quinton Dunbar has proven to be that guy to play with Norman. The Redskins did sign Orlando Scandrick who has had up and down seasons, but they are also satisfied with Fabian Moreau whom they drafted in 2017. If the whole defense stays healthy, they could be an underrated defensive side looking to cause some shocks in the NFC East and the rest of the league

Edited by Arvind Sriram