Redskins Reality Check: Realistic predictions for the team in Week 2 vs. Colts
By Tim Payne
Yesterday, we got bold. Today, we get realistic with our predictions for Redskins vs. Colts.
It’s been a while since Redskins fans have had the opportunity to celebrate being 1-0. It’s unfamiliar to find yourself optimistic after the first week of a Redskins season. And Redskins fans should be enjoying themselves this week after years of Week 1 embarrassments. But as we round into Week 2, we all need some reality checks.
Why does 1-0 feel so uniquely good for Redskins fans? Well, W2eek 1 of 2017, the Redskins gave up one of the most ludicrous “scramble, escape, sling” plays of the entire year in Week 1 as Carson Wentz kicked off what would ultimately be a cut-short-by-injury MVP bid with a TD toss to a wide-open Alshon Jeffrey on a broken play. And that play summed up how the Redskins looked in that game…like the little brother who just can’t quite keep up.
Week 1 of 2016, the Redskins looked absolutely inept against the Steelers, giving up multiple long touchdown passes to Antonio Brown and looking silly in the process. 2014 and 2015 yielded similar Week 1 results.
But it’s a new year! The Redskins looked dominant in the first half against Arizona, and the defense held that form throughout, giving up only 6 points. Subsequently, seemingly every Redskins fan is suddenly optimistic and most pundits like those at ESPN and SI have the Redskins flying up their power rankings.
But here in the Redskins Reality Checks, we like to pump the brakes on the hype train and try to look at some realistic expectations, significant concerns, and key factors for each game, one week at a time so we have some moorings to come back to when we inevitably get caught up in a bit of the emotional roller-coaster that the NFL season always becomes. So, here are the reality checks for Week 2, the Redskins’ home opener against the Colts.