How the Redskins won on the bye week

August 29, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins defensive back Brandon Meriweather (31) stands on the sidelines against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 30-3. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

Usually when teams go into a bye week, there aren’t many changes that can be made to justify projections of a significant turnaround. This week in football proved to be different and every team in the NFC East played a key role in me coming to this conclusion. Hopefully, the Redskins saw the same things.

Nov 11, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham (84) catches a pass for a touchdown while being defended by New York Giants free safety Antrel Rolle (26) in the third quarter at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

The New York football Giants were better off not showing up vs the Bengals. In no way shape or form did they look like a division leader or a team to be feared. Looking this bad vs a team that the Redskins should have beat, is not a good sign for New York either because it gives Washington yet another blueprint on how to beat them. That second match up is vital to the Redskins as they cannot afford to lose any more games if they plan on making a playoff appearance. In my opinion, the most important aspect of the Giants vs Bengals game was how the Bengals neutralized the Giants’ dominant pass rush. Washington should use that film to help the line protect Griffin III in their next match up.

November 11, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Victor Butler (57) sacked Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 38-23. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE

Philadelphia and Dallas went head to head last week in a thrilling contest in which Dallas came out victorious due to some key defensive and Special Teams touchdowns. After viewing that game, there were some weaknesses in both rivals that I believe Washington will be able to take advantage of in their future match ups. Philadelphia’s starting quarterback, Michael Vick, was knocked out of the game with concussion like symptoms that have him out for Sunday’s contest at Washington. This is a huge advantage as Foles will make his first career start. The struggling Redskins defense will not have to face a veteran quarterback and should not have any problems keeping the rookie under control.

Nov 4, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a catch while being tackled by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne (24) during the first half at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Dallas’ prized rookie Claiborne was exposed frequently by Philadelphia’s quick wide outs. It seemed as though every time the ball was thrown his way, there was a holding or pass interference call. Hopefully our scouts were on point and are in the making of a designed attack towards Claiborne when we see Dallas on Thanksgiving day. It appears as though we should be able to use our speed vertically to open up the middle of the field and maximize opportunities to draw penalties. Also, if Dallas plays majority man to man defense, Griffin III should have fun out running the Cowboys linebackers all day long.

Overall, I feel confident that Washington will be able to come back to action with a good game plan to make a strong push for a division title and a playoff spot. Hopefully, the return of Meriweather and Brown will give us some players to solidify the roster and make a difference. Do you feel the points I’ve made are sufficient enough to translate into enough wins for Washington to reach the post season? Let’s talk about it!

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