Riggo's Rag
FanSided

5 pleasant surprises for the Washington Redskins through Week 3

By Ian Cummings

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 16: T.Y. Hilton #13 of the Indianapolis Colts is tackled by Quinton Dunbar #23 of the Washington Redskins after catching a pass at FedExField on September 16, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 16: T.Y. Hilton #13 of the Indianapolis Colts is tackled by Quinton Dunbar #23 of the Washington Redskins after catching a pass at FedExField on September 16, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
TAMPA, FL – SEPTEMBER 24: Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs out of the locker room during the end of halftime in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 24, 2018 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – SEPTEMBER 24: Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs out of the locker room during the end of halftime in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 24, 2018 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

No. 1 – The rest of the league looks strangely beatable

One of the biggest hang-ups toward predicting a final record for the Redskins this year was their schedule; Earlier in the offseason, the Redskins schedule looked like one of the toughest in the league.

Fast forward to September 28. The Saints’ pass defense is third to last in the league, allowing 336.7 yards per game. The Cowboys’ offense is anemic, and Sean Lee is hurt again. Pat Shurmur’s Giants lost to the aforementioned uninspiring Cowboys team. Last week, they squeaked by a Texans team that is falling apart under Bill O’Brien, with Deshaun Watson’s rookie magic having fizzled into oblivion.

The Falcons’ defense is already worn to the bone with injuries, having lost key standouts Keanu Neal and Deion Jones, and under Steve Sarkisian, the offense lacks a creative flare. The Jaguars still have Blake Bortles, and Mike Vrabel’s Titans are no different than the Titans of old, as Marcus Mariota has undergone no development under Matt LaFleur. Even the Eagles, though stout, have their flaws, and with Rodney McLeod out for the year, they’ll have some issues at safety that the Redskins can exploit.

The current state of the NFL can be compressed, condensed, and conveyed in the presentation of one man: Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The NFL, like 2018 Fitzpatrick, defies expectations. The NFL, like Fitzpatrick, makes you feel as if you know what the new normal is, until suddenly, in a flash, it all changes.

No one knows anything this season. But if there’s anything we can say about the league as a whole, confidently after three weeks, it’s this: Everyone appears strangely beatable.

Next. Redskins: 3 undervalued performers in 2018. dark

The Redskins aren’t spared from inclusion in this category; they lost a very winnable game against the Colts in Week 2. But it simply serves as a reminder, to those who write the season off after one loss: Everything can change in an instant. And no team is immune to defeat’s cold sting.

Home/Commanders News