Redskins early bye week helps, but will it be harmful in the long run?

With all the injuries the Redskins suffered on Monday night, they’ll likely be relieved to have an extra week off before their next game. But while the bye helps now, will the long stretch on the horizon spell their demise?

The Redskins have the earliest bye week possible, taking Week 5 off to prepare and rest for an extra seven days before their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The bye week helps for now, as the Redskins saw dozens of players go down with injuries in their 29-20 loss against the Chiefs. However, they face a daunting twelve-game stretch following the bye. And although the schedule isn’t hard on paper, that much continuous football can slowly chip away at teams.

After four weeks, we still don’t know what to make of the Redskins. We can safely assume they’re here to stay as a contender. After all, they demolished the Raiders in prime time last week, and last night, they went toe-to-toe with the Kansas City Chiefs, who are widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best team in the league.

Nevertheless, the sample size is still too small, and in assessments of the Redskins’ overall talent, growth, and potential, there is much room for error. They played one solid quarter against the Chiefs, but they steadily lost their polish as the night grew darker. Injuries contributed to that, and the Redskins’ depth didn’t play badly. But a loss is a loss. And the result of a singular game can have a drastic affect on a team’s momentum.

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Luckily for the Redskins, they have a good opportunity to get back above .500 after the bye, but following their matchup against San Francisco, the difficulty level increases a notch. The team plays Philadelphia again, then Seattle, then Dallas, and then Minnesota. All these games are winnable, but they all represent decent challenges. These are all middle-of-the-road teams, and some, like Seattle and Dallas, have a recent history of playoff contention.

Furthermore, the Redskins have five NFC East battles remaining. Even if the Giants have a losing record when they face Washington, they’re still a threat, as are the rest of them. The NFC East is incredibly competitive, and if the Redskins win the games they should, they’ll be worn out. Additionally, most of their games from this point on alternate from home to away. That back and forth routine, after eight plus weeks, may start to wear on the team. You can look at their schedule here, at NFL.com. Every game is winnable, but there are almost no easy victories.

Next: Redskins Breakdown: Consistency must be sought for

Washington doesn’t often have a bye week as early as this. And so this scheduling decision, albeit minor, presents another challenge for the burgundy and gold. Right now, the bye week helps them get healthy after a costly defeat at the hands of the Chiefs. But in six to eight weeks, what will the bye week really mean for the team? One thing a for certain. A tall task remains.

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