Redskins Reality Check: Realistic predictions for the team in Week 2 vs. Colts

6. Reality is, the Redskins of the Daniel Snyder era don’t handle prosperity well.

With a few rare exceptions, Redskins fans have generally been let down pretty quickly once the hype train gets going, since the team has struggled to stack wins in the Shanahan and Gruden eras in particular.

In recent seasons, wins we thought were massively important for momentum and playoff chances were almost always followed up with devastating losses. The Monday night game against Green Bay in 2016 was followed by the massively disappointing Thanksgiving Day loss in Dallas. The miraculous comeback win against Seattle in 2017 was followed by back-to-back frustrating losses to Minnesota and New Orleans. This team needs to follow up last week with a similar showing this Sunday at home.

It would be easy, and fair, to blame a large portion of that on Jay Gruden. He hasn’t gotten his guys to consistently play like their backs are against the wall. But, with one week down, it does seem like there’s a different vibe with this team this year. Maybe he’s finally got a locker room that is the right balance with his coaching style. This game could go a long way toward proving they are different in this aspect.

I’d be excited by a similarly unspectacular, methodical win.  I’d be very disappointed with another home loss showing the inability to string together wins.

Prediction: This team shows they’re different under this quarterback and with this defense, and calmly, decisively dispatches Capt. Andrew Luck and his band of misfits. Redskins win 31-18.

So those are the Redskins Reality Checks I’ll be keeping an eye on for Week 2.  If you want to share some you’ll be watching, feel free to do so @TheRealityIs__ on Twitter, or in the comments below.  Until next week, HTTR!