Season 62 Power Ranking Preview - #11
by adelfish | 5 years ago | 0 Comments
Season 62 Power Ranking Preview - #11
Welcome to the 2020 Red Zone Power Ranking Preview. In this long-running preview, I will be going team at a time, ranking them 32-1, discussing the user, the team, the schedule, etc.
COVERED TEAMS: Lions, Jaguars, Bengals, Patriots, Bears, Vikings, Dolphins, Seahawks, Rams, Giants, Cowboys, Saints, Steelers, Panthers, Raiders, Browns, Texans, Jets, Cardinals, Falcons, Bills
One more team to go before we enter the top ten. So far you've seen the Cardinals, Falcons, and Bills in the playoffs so far, all predicted to be one and done. Feelings have been hurt, feathers have been ruffled, and egos have been shattered. Now, on to the next one...
#11 - Washington Football Team (Weed)
(11-5 Projected Record)
5th Seed, Loss in Wild Card Round
What a tumultuous time to be a fan of Washington, a name change (which was years too late), a quarterback conundrum, and off the field issues. If there is anything that can provide stability to an organization, it's the hiring of a long time coach like Brett Snyder.
Enter the Weedseed era - this is a guy who has won championships, rebuilt teams, and has been around since day one in Red Zone. He is very well respected, and is one of those coaches that could be called 'fixers'. You put them into a situation, and it immediately gives that franchise credibility.
Washington is a tough task. Problems at quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback...you name it, there are issues across this roster. They lost Trent Williams via trade, lost Derrius Guice due to strangulation...the list goes on and on.
There is nobody more suited for the job than Weedseed, so let's take a look at the amount of work on his plate.
One Big Question
With Coach Snyder coming to town, he has been knocking on the door of returning to glory for years, and now he faces a rebuild. He promised to create one of the most dynamic duos at edge with Montez Sweat and Chase Young, will it be enough to compete in the East?
Weed has been so close to grabbing another championship since his success in Cincinnati, but has yet to get over the hump. From the days in Miami, to most recently Detroit, it has been full of heartbreak and coming up short. Now he heads to Washington, where he is in a division with an old rival in Adel, a recent champion in Beech, and a young up-and-comer in WG.
The Washington Football Team is not as far off as you'd think, I would put them towards the top of the 'rebuild' list, mostly due to the young talent they've accumulated the past couple seasons.
Washington has added talent across the offense, with players like Terry McLaurin, Antonio Gibson, and Thaddeus Moss. Defensively the edge is as interesting as it gets, with second overall pick Chase Young forming a tendem with Montez Sweat. They are joined by Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. This really isn't as bad as you'd initially think.
The problems are they aren't sure about the quarterback, they just lost their running back of the future, and have as shaky of a secondary as they come. The things that will help Coach Snyder is Washington has retained all of it's future assets, and set itself up nicely financially. $30 million of cap relief, and all of their draft picks. With a young core intact, it will be interesting to see what the first big moves done to this roster are.
One Big Schedule Issue
So first off, I have Washington going 4-2 in the NFC East, sweeping the Cowboys and splitting with the Eagles and Giants. The benefit Washington has in my projection, is that 12 (yes, 12) of their opponents they face this season will have losing records, of which I have them going 10-2 in.
Against teams with winning records (Eagles 2x, Ravens, 49ers) I have them going 1-3, leading to the 11-5 record.
My issue with their schedule, is that despite my 10-2 record against losing opponents, I think their roster is inferior in most of those matchups. Games against the Browns, Rams, Cowboys (2x), Steelers, and Seahawks, I could see these flipping due purely to talent.
If Washington wins the games they 'should', I think they fly high into the playoffs, where they will face early elimination.
Reasons for Optimism
Starting on offense, you still need to be optimistic about Dwayne Haskins at quarterback, despite his downright alarming rookie campaign. Under the tutelage of Coach Snyder, he should be put into a better position to succeed, and we will learn quickly if he is the right man for the job. The weapons around Haskins have improved, especially 2nd year wideout Terry McLaurin, a gem they found in the draft last season. I also am very intrigued by 3rd round rookie Antonio Gibson, who should be higher on 'Offensive Rookie of the Year' betting.
Center Chase Roullier has improved every year of his 3 year career, and is slotted to continue to start for Washington, while Brandon Scherff will play under the franchise tag. Both of these linemen are entering the final year of their contractual obligations.
Defensively the front four is where this defense will make it's money, starting with 2nd overall pick Chase Young. The best player in last year's draft class, he is described as a franchise changer rushing the passer, and will pair with Montez Sweat to form one of the most dynamic duos in football. Inside, defensive linemen Jonathan Allen, Matthew Ioannidis, and Daron Payne are great against the run, and don't forget Ryan Kerrigan. Washington is surprisingly deep up front.
In the secondary, there are a couple pieces to be excited about, the return of cornerback Kendall Fuller is interesting, and safety Landon Collins can bounce back from his first season in Washington.
Reasons for Negativity
One of the more recent reasons for negativity was the fact that running back Derrius Guice was arrested, then cut, for strangling someone. So, there's that. Oh, and Trent Williams demanded a trade due to a terrible experience with the Washington medical staff. Oh, and Cody Latimer was arrested in May. So, there's a good start.
Thankfully, with the presence of Coach Snyder, things will get stabilized in a hurry. The depth behind Guice was shaky, but now a battle between Adrian Peterson, Peyton Barber, and Bryce Love will begin for snaps. Yikes.
Outside of the intriguing Thaddeus Moss, the tight end position is bare. Guys like Richard Rodgers and Jeremy Sprinkle aren't lighting the world on fire, although they are valuable blockers.
The left tackle situation could be disasterous, with 4th round rookie Saahdiq Charles currently slotted to replace Trent Williams. Wes Schweitzer and Morgan Moses round out the rest of the projected starters, and it isn't inspiring. The offensive line will need some work done.
Although I am intrigued by Rueben Foster, the linebacker situation is rough. Thomas Davis, Cole Holcomb, and Jon Bostic are the guys to get excited about. Yikes. There are some interesting special teamers on this roster, but not a lot of upside for three-down linebackers.
Finally the secondary, I mentioned Fuller and Collins, but I didn't mention that Landon Collins' contract is horrible. He is under contract for 5 years, with an average of $17 million in terms of commitment a year. That is a terrible deal, and Weedseed must look for a way to get out of this contract, and fast. The depth behind Fuller isn't great either, with guys like Ronald Darby looking to revitalize his career after injuries, and youngsters like Fabian Moreau and Greg Stroman trying to grow into difference makers.
Last Word
I don't dislike this roster, in fact Washington has done a lot to jump start their rebuild. I mentioned the guys on offense who are likely the future, especially McLaurin and Gibson. The defense could become a force in a short amount of time, with Chase Young and Sweat leading the way.
The approach Weedseed takes is calculated, expect him to find out in 2 years at most if Haskins is the quarterback of the future, find a way to get off of Landon Collins, and find a new left tackle, cornerback, and middle linebacker. If he does this, Washington will be challenging for the NFC East for the rest of the cycle.