Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Redskins future in question as season spirals out of control

By Conor Forrest

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 03: Quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Washington Redskins is sacked by safety Malcolm Jenkins #27 and defensive end Michael Bennett #77 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 3, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 03: Quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Washington Redskins is sacked by safety Malcolm Jenkins #27 and defensive end Michael Bennett #77 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 3, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Redskins Monday night debacle in Philidelphia was the emergency S.O.S. that this 2018 season is spiraling violently out of control.

The 28-13 defeat to Philadelphia is only the first item on the list of losses that not only devastates the Washington Redskins playoff chances, but leaves the future of this team in serious question.

It was only three weeks ago that the Washington Redskins sat atop the throne of the NFC East. But things have since taken a dire turn for the worst.

The NFL has a fine way of turning tables. It was a brutal ten-day stretch that saw Washington lose Alex Smith to a season-ending injury, then get stuffed on Thanksgiving in Dallas. The hot start to the season that gave the fan base hope of a new dawn cooled down in rather abrupt fashion.

The Redskins future is now staring at trouble right in the face.

With Colt McCoy falling to a fractured fibula, the quarterback position that the Redskins seemed to have figured out a month ago becomes the team’s greatest unanswered question for 2019.

We still have no clue how severe the injury to Alex Smith really is. Speculations and reports have given us ballpark estimates as to just how much time Smith could end up missing, but we truly don’t know how this situation will play out. For all we know, he could be back for Week 1. His career could also be in jeopardy.

Here is one thing that is known for sure: The 2019 season won’t be waiting for the Redskins quarterbacks to heal.

Washington is facing some big problems. Injuries all over the field are crippling their current playoff aspirations. For the second year in a row, their injured reserve list resembles the movie credits at the end of a James Bond film.

More from Riggo's Rag

The offense is completely overcome with injuries. People can’t expect Mark Sanchez or Colt McCoy to magically step in and win games. The offensive line is in shambles, and Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson can only do so much.

But there is one key element to this horrid free fall. It is hidden behind headlines of injuries, and behind the fact that the Redskins starting quarterback is Mark Sanchez, who is now handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson.

(Re-read that last sentence. What in the world is happening right now?)

That key element is the defense. The Redskins defense, who carried them to 6-3, is now falling apart at the seams. The addition of safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has been nothing short of a bust. Mason Foster has direly struggled to make tackles and cover in space, and the “Alabama Wall” of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne has looked more like a wall of swiss cheese than the wall of bricks that they were just weeks ago.

For this defense, the excuses start and stop at zero. The outside corner position has been a problem, and the departure of Quinton Dunbar to injured reserve hurts. But the defense in recent weeks has allowed teams to drag them up and down the field without a hitch, especially on the ground. It has been a disastrous month for Greg Manusky’s crew.

The Redskins are facing a lot of tough questions, and right now, no one has answers.

The 2018 season still has four games left to play. Washington is 6-6 and technically, they’re still in play for a wild card spot. But the wind that carried the sails of the Redskins fan base and the team has died down, and the Redskins boat is drifting around without a motor.

The culture of the team and the locker room is being tested in a hard way. The fan base and media are about as low on the Redskins as they can be. But in sports, there is one cure to the madness.

Winning.

If the Redskins can pick themselves up off the floor, and find a way to win one or two games in the coming month, that would show that this team still believes in itself. It would show that they still believe in each other. It would show that they still believe in Jay Gruden.

As insane as it sounds after all that, Washington is still in the thick of the wild card chase. Who knows? Something crazy could happen. Who says they can’t win the next four? Who says they can’t bottom out and go 6-10?

Next. Redskins vs. Giants, part two: Matchups to watch. dark

All I know is, I could use a drink, and you probably could too. What a roller coaster ride 2018 has been.

Home/Commanders News