Redskins Ingredients for Improvement: Make offensive opportunities count
By Ian Cummings
No. 1 – Don’t think ahead too far
The Redskins are in first place in the NFC East, at 6-3. The Eagles and Cowboys are in a two-way tie for second place, with records of 4-5. Even if Washington goes 3-4 in the final seven games, the Cowboys and Eagles need to go 5-2 to have a shot at taking the division.
To put it simply, with each win, Washington’s chances at winning the NFC East increase exponentially.
Put it that way, however, and it almost sounds easy. Too easy. It’s times like this where a team can pencil itself in too soon, and grow complacent with the previous success they’ve entertained. It’s happened in Washington before.
That said, Jay Gruden seems to have fostered the right mindset within his locker room. During his press conference today, he frequently defaulted to a position of dissatisfaction, eager to work and help his team get better. When asked about his competitors in the NFC East, Gruden had this to say:
Gruden says he’s not looking at other teams schedules. “If we do our job we don’t have to worry about any of it”
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) November 12, 2018
Players mirrored this sentiment postgame on Sunday. They knew that, although they only relinquished three points, they had substantial room for improvement, and that their fate was in their own hands. The Redskins of 2018 are not going to rest on their laurels, and for the sake of their playoff hopes, they can’t.
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The NFL is an unpredictable league, but once your destiny is in your hands, the possibilities suddenly dwindle. The Redskins will either capitalize on their early lead, or they won’t. As long as they take it one game at a time, and don’t think ahead too far, they’ll give themselves a chance.