Midpoint Check-In: Can Washington repair their 2020 narrative?

The midpoint of the season is coming to an end this Sunday, as the Washington Football Team will be playing their ninth game of the 2020 season. Next up is the Detroit Lions, who boast a 3-5 record after their first eight games. Washington’s head coach Ron Rivera has not given up on the playoff possibilities resulting from a terrible NFC East division, and technically the season is not yet lost. However, with eight games played, you would typically begin to see the true makeup of a team come together, and that would form the narrative of how their season has gone and will finish. After eight games so far, Washington is the king of terrible starts, with a poor offense and a very inconsistent defense. There’s a high-level overview for you.

The question to be asked for this team is, can Washington take control of the opportunity that still exists and repair their narrative?

Let’s answer that upfront. Technically, Washington can repair it. Realistically speaking, the proof is in the pudding, and Washington has not shown anything yet that can lead you to believe these six losses were just fluke instances. The average margin of defeat for Washington has been by 11 points, two-possession losses. Furthermore, if you have been paying close attention to them throughout the season, you will know that four of the six games they lost were not competitive for a large portion of the game.

Can Washington repair that narrative?

When Kyle Allen went down to injury last week against the New York Giants, he looked like he was in charge of an offense that was finding their way in the first quarter, and he was very fluid and efficient as the leader of the offense. Unfortunately, he was lost for the season, but the backup was a 15-year veteran in Alex Smith. Smith, who had three costly interceptions (two of which were his fault), actually looked good for most of the second half of that game. Washington, who’s offense is ranked 30th in the NFL in points and yards, racked up 402 yards against the 15th best defense in yards allowed. That was behind a quarterback who had not played in two years outside of the spot duty in the week five loss versus the Los Angeles Rams.

The offense has struggled mightily this season from an overall perspective, but Smith showed glimpses of what the offense could be. Can Washington repair the narrative with Smith starting now?

The next three opponents for Washington have a combined record of 7-15-1. Already starting 0-1 in a critical four-game stretch that can determine their post-season future, Washington cannot afford to lose any of the next three. This is the unfortunate position that they put themselves in by getting off to a bad start in the first half of the season.

This game won’t be easy for Washington. The Detroit Lions may be having a down year as a team, but make no mistake, quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is 4-0 against Washington in his career, is not an issue. So the Football Team better be prepared and execute from opening kickoff if they want to have a shot against the Lions.