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Redskins: Five takeaways from Washington’s season-ending shutout

By Ian Cummings

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 30: Josh Johnson #8 of the Washington Redskins walks off the field after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 30, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 30: Josh Johnson #8 of the Washington Redskins walks off the field after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 30, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 18: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins lays on the field after being sacked and injured by Kareem Jackson #25 of the Houston Texans in the third quarter of the game at FedExField on November 18, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 18: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins lays on the field after being sacked and injured by Kareem Jackson #25 of the Houston Texans in the third quarter of the game at FedExField on November 18, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

No. 5 – Redskins can’t continue to assume injuries are random

The miserable Redskins team we saw in Week 17 was an indirect product of the injuries that have mounted on the offensive side of the ball. Obviously, there are other, more controversial factors in the team’s demise, but the injuries rendered this team a shell of what it was.

While there are clear and present needs that Washington must address, there is also a pressing issue in-house; many of the team’s impact players are either coming off of major injuries, or have lengthy injury histories. Blue-chip offensive linemen Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff come to mind (It’s worth noting that Alex Smith‘s was truly a freak accident).

Additionally, the team’s depth suffered mightily with 24 players on injured reserve in 2018, and that’s a cost they can’t afford to pay again. In 2019, Washington needs to work toward trouble-shooting this injury problem. After 2017, it was just a fluke. But now, it’s more. Something needs to be fixed, and whether it’s practice habits, or off-field habits, intervention must occur.

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