The Redskins are less than two weeks away from opening the 2018 regular season and it is time for some daring prognostications.
Every year brings a renewed sense of hope for each of the NFL teams, and 2018 is no different. The Washington Redskins faithful are very optimistic, and hopes are running high after a solid draft and superb offseason.
Today, we are going to take a look at twenty-five reasons why fans should be giddy about this upcoming season. So strap in tight and let’s get right to it. Remember, these are bold predictions, so handle with extreme care.
Redskins Bold Predictions Nos. 1-5
1. Quarterback Alex Smith will throw for 4,900 yards and 37 touchdowns this season. He will have just six interceptions and tally a 71 percent completion rate. Smith will make the Pro Bowl.
2. Samaje Perine will improve drastically. He produce 950 yards rushing and score seven touchdowns – six on the ground and one receiving touchdown. He will also have 200 yards receiving.
3. Chris Thompson will gain 650 all-purpose yards and score four touchdowns. This not a very bold prediction, but the numbers are solid.
4. Jordan Reed will have his best season in several years and play in all sixteen games. He will haul in 70 catches for 750 yards and four touchdowns.
5. Jeremy Sprinkle will produce 25 catches and three touchdowns.
Redskins Bold Predictions Nos. 6-10
6. Josh Doctson will have an outstanding season with 65 catches and nine touchdowns, including a nifty end-around score. He will accumulate more than 900 yards receiving.
7. Paul Richardson will produce 50 catches and twelve of them will be for 20 yards or more. Four of those catches will be touchdowns of forty yards or higher. He will have six touchdowns total and 700 yards in the air.
8. Jamison Crowder will be incredible. Look for 90 catches, 1,000 yards and six touchdowns.
9. Cam Sims will be a huge surprise with 30 receptions and two touchdowns. He will produce 350 yards receiving in 2018.
10. Chase Roullier will emerge to be one of the best centers in the NFL. He will be a first team All-Pro and a first team Pro Bowl selection.
Redskins Bold Predictions Nos. 11-15
11. Trent Williams will continue to prove that he is still one of the best left tackles in the league and will play in all sixteen games.
12. Daron Payne will have a monstrous season in 2018 and produce four sacks, eight tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and nine pass deflections, including one that he bats down and takes into the end zone for a defensive score. He will be rewarded with a Pro Bowl berth and second team All-Pro selection. He narrowly misses winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.
13. Matt Ioannidis will continue his impressive climb to elite defender and come away with three sacks, 45 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
14. Jonathan Allen will recover from a shortened rookie season to produce four sacks, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, two forced fumbles and 50 tackles overall.
15. Rookie Tim Settle becomes a mainstay in the defensive line rotation and shines with 25 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two sacks, one of which ends up being a safety.
Redskins Bold Predictions Nos. 16-20
16. Zach Brown leads the team in tackling once again with 130 total. He also logs a fumble recovery, an interception, and two sacks.
17. Shaun Dion Hamilton will start to have a greater impact in the second half of the season and become a regular with the inside linebacker rotation. Look for 20 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception.
18. Ryan Kerrigan will have his customary good season with 11.0 sacks, three passes batted down, an interception, a fumble recovery, and four tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
19. Josh Norman will continue to be a shutdown corner with four interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown) and a fumble recovery.
20. Fabian Moreau will emerge as one of the best slot corners in the league with five interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.
Redskins Bold Predictions Nos. 21-25
21. Deshazor Everett will have another good season as the primary backup at strong safety. He will force a fumble, recover a fumble, and collect two interceptions. As a special teams ace, he will lead the team in special team tackles and recover two fumbles – one on a kickoff and another in punt coverage.
22. Montae Nicholson will return for a complete season as the free safety. He will produce four interceptions and return one for a touchdown. He will be named a Pro Bowl alternate.
23. Tress Way will continue his solid punting in 2018 with a league-leading 48.3 yards per punt average. Eighteen of his punts will be downed inside the twenty yard line and six of those punts inside the ten yard line.
24. Troy Apke will quickly become a special teams standout with his speed, downing three punts inside the five yard line. He recovers a fumble on another punt. Apke will also tackle kick returners inside the fifteen yard line on four occasions.
25. The Redskins will finish with a record of 11-5 and just miss winning the division on a tiebreaker. They will win two playoff games and make it to the NFC Championship game in Atlanta. They fall, in a spirited battle, to the Falcons, 28-17. Jay Gruden is rewarded with a three-year contract extension, and a solid foundation is set for the future.