The Washington Redskins are a good team, and it is time to raise the expectations.
The Redskins could not have gotten off to a better start for their 2018 campaign. 5-2 and a first-place standing in the NFC East have put them in a stable position for a playoff push as they head into the gritty months of the schedule. The Redskins victories have not all been pretty, and that worries people, understandably so. However, what has been displayed by Washington to this point of the season is a clear and concise identity that will define the make-up of the Redskins moving forward in the season. Washington has an outstanding defense that will continue to get better and an offense that wants to get physical and wear opponents down. At the end of the day, the Redskins are a good team and should be seen as such. We all should raise the expectations moving forward.
There is no doubt the players believe themselves how great they are, and safety D.J. Swearinger said so himself pre-game against the New York Giants that they are. Heading into a critical time of the NFL season, Washington has an opportunity to get off to one of their better starts in over 20 years, not only proving doubters wrong but gaining the trust again of a battered fan base that is merely starving for a respectable team they can get behind. The front office sees the potential, and newly acquired safety Ha’Sean Treshon Clinton-Dix (also known as Ha Ha) is a statement saying as such. Ha Ha is a quality safety that was on the trade block by the Green Bay Packers, and instead of addressing a skill position on the offensive side of the football, what Washington decided to do was make a strength even stronger. The Redskins doubled down on the defense, understanding how great it can be this season if it can add a quality player. The addition of Clinton-Dix is not an indictment on any of the safeties they currently have either, and he should fit in just well with the group and allow some flexibility for defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray.
There is a sense of urgency displayed by the Redskins, and they understand that there is a void in the division, and they can fill it. Why not Washington? That is the question I am sure they are asking each week as they continue to get disregarded in the media concerning the quality of their team. Now, although the Redskins have done an excellent job limiting the turnovers offensively, they will eventually have to pick up their level of play as the season moves along to be considered a legitimate playoff threat. So yes, the offense is the primary concern for those who have been hesitant to deem Washington a good team, but the makeup of the team will keep the Redskins in the hunt, it will be on the offense to take them over the hump.
The Atlanta Falcons are up this week for the Redskins, a team that is averaging 14.5 points per game on the road. With the absence of Devonta Freeman for the foreseeable future, their strengths are in the passing game this year. It presents an excellent opportunity for the Redskins defense to make yet another statement, to prove that they are capable of limiting one of the better passing units in the NFL, and I am sure that side of the ball will be up to the task.