Redskins Mailbag: Cornerback battle, RB room, Payne or Vea, and more

Playoffs?

Jack B: What record will the Redskins need to finish with in order to make the playoffs?

This is a very difficult question to answer, solely because the NFC is so stacked. There are only a few teams that look much weaker than the rest of the pack, and they are the Bucs, the Seahawks, and the Cardinals. Aside from that, any team has the potential to make a playoff push.

Usually, the rule of the thumb in the NFL is that if you get to double-digit wins, you should make the playoffs. Thus, a 10-6 record would probably get the Redskins in during a normal year. However, this stacked conference has the potential for some surprises. Given how strong the NFC South and NFC North are, the Redskins may have to get 10 wins and own some tiebreakers over other teams like the Vikings, Panthers, Falcons, and even the 49ers if they are going to make it into the postseason race.

Still, it’s also possible that those strong divisions end up balancing out, as 3-3 splits against divisional opponents seem possible for any team outside of the NFC West. So, that could cannibalize the separation between some teams and create a large pack of 10-6 or 9-7 teams looking to qualify for the postseason.

I’ll stick to 10-6 as the record the Redskins need to play in January. That may not end up being the actual number, but it’s definitely a possibility.

For those that didn’t see their questions answered, I will be publishing another mailbag later on this week, and the answers will be in there. Thanks for all your questions, and feel free to post more questions in the comments section below. Or, send them my way on Twitter (@JacobCamenker).