The last time the Redskins played the Houston Texans, they were opening a 2014 season that would see them finish 4-12.
Now, the Washington Redskins are squarely in the 2018 playoff race. And a win against the equally effervescent Texans would go a very long way toward sealing that unsavory history away.
At 6-3, the Redskins are two games ahead of the next-best teams in the division; the Cowboys and Eagles are tied for second place at 4-5.
While the early results have been satisfactory on paper, many are not yet sold on the 2018 Redskins. NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund, in her updated playoff probability rankings, gave Washington a 49 percent chance to reach the post-season, worse than three NFC North teams, the Packers, and the Eagles, who still have to play the Redskins twice, in addition to the Rams and the Saints.
There’s a tinge of disrespect in the continued dismissal of the Redskins, but this week, they can work toward proving themselves to the doubters, by ousting a true playoff contender from FedEx Field. They’ll need the help of their players to do it.