Three things the Redskins can learn from 2020 Super Bowl participants

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 19: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after a play in the second half against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 19: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after a play in the second half against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 9: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 9: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images) /

The Redskins are as far as they can be from the coming Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn from what they see.

Learning. It’s such a basic human concept, and yet pervasively confounding, for another simple reason. Some humans refuse to learn, and in one of the most complex sports ever to exist, a failure to learn is a failure itself for the Washington Redskins.

Why do so many reject the benefits of learning? Because learning demands putting aside pride in one’s beliefs. Learning demands an acknowledgement of superiority to an opponent’s philosophies, and an acknowledgement of one’s own flaws. And learning demands more effort and self-reflection than complacency and willful ignorance bear to allow.

If asked to describe the stagnant evolution of the NFL in one sentence, proceed with this: People learn slowly. The recipe to success, a complex and fluctuating one, has been laid out by various teams, including the two 2020 Super Bowl participants: The San Francisco 49ers, and the Kansas City Chiefs. The information is out there. But accepting it is a cumbersome task for too many.

To contrast their predecessors, the Redskins would be wise to accept the information available to them, and learn. A basic function, imperative to success, yet so disproportionately difficult.