Can The Redskins go 6-2 In Their 8 Remaining Games?

In short the answer to this question is absolutely, BUT they would need to improve quickly. In their final 9 games the Redskins only face 3 teams with a winning record in the Chiefs, Cowboys and 49ers. The other 5 games are against the Eagles (4-5), Vikings (1-7), Falcons (2-6) and the Giants twice (2-6).  While it is nowhere near a sure thing, it is realistic to expect the Redskins win 7 games in that schedule. With the exception of the Chargers game the way the Redskins have played so far does not inspire much confidence, but I like to be optimistic in times of despair. So, how exactly will the Redskins pull off this turnaround

Week 10&11 at Vikings/at Eagles

The Vikings are just awful. Their defense is terrible and has shown very little life all season and their quarterback situation is a mess. Christian Ponder is completely inept at getting the ball to his receivers and if Josh Freeman is playing it won’t be much better. Adrian Peterson is a beast but he can’t do it alone. This game should be a win even if the Redskins don’t play their best game.

The Eagles are a bit of a wild card. They did blow out the Redskins in week one but both teams have changed drastically. The Redskins defense is playing much better and Griffin is much more mobile and has shown flashes of improvement in the passing game. As for the Eagles, their quarterback situation is confusing. Vick has been banged up and even if he is back it’s unlikely he will be the week 1 version of himself. Yes, Nick Foles threw for 7 TDs against the Raiders and looked great but when pressured he falters. Foles is not as good as he seems right now.  Like Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy is a fantastic running back but force Foles to beat you and you should have some success. The defensive side of the ball has been pretty miserable all season and if the Redskins can play like they did during the second half of the chargers game they should be able to put up points. Not to mention the Eagles have lost their last 10 home games including all 4 this season.

Prediction: 2 Ws

Week 12 vs 49ers

To be honest I don’t see any possible way the Redskins win this game. I love the idea of any given Sunday but unless the Redskins play a perfect game I just can’t see it. Colin Kaepernick isn’t the “greatest quarterback of all time” but he can still make some electrifying plays. Frank Gore is a monster and Vernon Davis is on a roll. The defense has been playing great and is loaded with talent. It would be a HUGE upset if the Redskins could somehow win… I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

Prediction: L

Week 13&17 vs/at Giants

The Giants have won 2 games in a row but it hasn’t been against the toughest competition. Their first win was against an absolutely terrible Vikings team. The second win was over an Eagles team led by Matt Barkley. They weren’t even all that impressive in the Eagles game. The Giants couldn’t score a touchdown and won the game with 5 field goals. Eli Manning still isn’t playing very well and their running game is non-existent. The Redskins have also had a lot of success against Eli in the past and I would expect the defense to have good games. It is a divisional matchup so there is no way to know what madness could happen but these are two games the Redskins can and probably should win.

Prediction: 2 Ws

Week 14 vs Chiefs

The Chiefs defense has been outstanding this season, which doesn’t bode well for a struggling offense. RGIII has been turning the ball over a lot more and the offensive line has been miserable in pass protection. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have a +12 turnover ratio and 36 sacks in the first 8 games. On offense, Jamaal Charles is one of the best running backs in the NFL and is going to cause some issues. Despite all of this the Redskins have a chance. The Chiefs will be coming off 3 straight divisional games playing the Broncos twice and the Chargers. It is very possible that the Chiefs will be worn out and banged up coming into this game. Furthermore, the Chiefs don’t have the most explosive offense, which could help keep this game close going into the 4^th quarter. If the Redskins can avoid turning the ball over there is no reason they can’t win this game. They might be undefeated but a lot of their wins have been less than dominant.

Prediction: L

Week 15 at Falcons

 In this is a game that I have no idea what to expect. The Falcons key players (Roddy White and Steven Jackson) have been struggling with injuries all year long. If those guys are 100% healthy this game looks a lot tougher but for now it is unclear if either will be at their best. The Falcons defense and offensive line have been pretty awful. To fully grasp their struggles on the O-Line just look at Jeremy Trueblood. You know, the guy who wasn’t good enough to play on the Redskins. I’m also curious about Gonzalez’s mindset. He came back to compete for a Super Bowl yet the Falcons are unlikely to even make the playoffs. It will be interesting if he is still the fully dedicated to the sport that late in the season. The X-factor in all of this is Matt Ryan. He is still one of the better quarterbacks in the league and is capable of taking over a game. Overall, this game is a bit of a question mark but the Redskins could definitely win it.

Prediction: W

Week 16 vs Cowboys

The first time the Redskins faced the Cowboys this season it was a mess. The defense didn’t let Romo do much but the offense struggled and special teams was horrid. The Redskins defense usually plays pretty well against Romo so I wouldn’t expect that to change but a healthy Murray could cause problems. On the other hand it is unlikely the Redskins special teams could have as awful of a performance as they did last time these two teams met. This could be a game that decides or helps decide who will win the division. If that is the case the crowd should be loud and the team should be fired up. Not to mention the Cowboys have been unimpressive even in winning efforts. Most importantly, I can’t STAND the thought of being swept by Romo and the Cowboys.

Prediction: W

Summing it up

It’s going to be tough but the Redskins have a realistic chance of ending the season with a 9-7 or even 10-6 record. The problem is that there is no room for error. The Redskins can’t lose to teams they should beat and might have to pull off an upset in a non division matchup.