What They Should Be Thinking Today: Washington Redskins

In an attempt to get inside the heads of NFC East teams, we occasionally take a step back by looking at what each squad should be thinking at any given point. In light of Sunday's season-opening upset in New Orleans, here's what should be going through the Washington Redskins' heads.

The preseason isn't always indicative of what's to come

The thought process here is related primarily to what we saw from our secondary against New Orleans. Against one of the most lethal passing attacks in the NFL, in their own stadium, our defensive backfield put on a stunning display. 

DeJon Gomes was superb in place of Brandon Meriweather, giving up only three completions despite being thrown at eight times in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. After a terrible preseason, veteran Cedric Griffin held his ground against Marques Colston and Lance Moore. Josh Wilson looked like a shutdown corner, and DeAngelo Hall allowed only two catches.

If these guys can not only survive, but thrive in an environment like that, they could be a lot better than we'd assumed. 

Now, there's a chance that Week 1 isn't indicative of what's to come in Week 2. But at least we know these guys can ball. Same goes for our offensive line, which pass-blocked exceptionally against the Saints. Our rookie quarterback was only pressured on eight of his 30 drop-backs, according to PFF.

Alfred Morris is the starter going forward

We love going with the hot hand from week to week, and even quarter to quarter, but rookie Alfred Morris is proving to be the back we've been looking for since the Shanahan era began. He rarely loses yardage and has proven to be a solid blocker, which is very important with Robert Griffin III in the pocket.

Morris had 96 yards on 28 carries, scoring twice. That 3.4 average isn't special, and it will have to improve, but the key is that he was able to contribute as a workhorse like that without getting too worn down. We'll have to use Evan Royster and Roy Helu to mix it up at times, which will help keep Morris fresh, but we're thrilled that 27 of his 28 carries produced positive yardage.

For the first time in years, we feel as though we have a back we can truly count on consistently. And Morris should only get better. 

We can't overlook the Rams

We have a real opportunity here to start 2-0, maybe even 3-0. With the St. Louis Rams on deck and then our home opener against Cincinnati in Week 3, there's a decent chance we'll be favored to win each of the next two games. 

But we've never received hype like this, so we have to stay focused. The Rams will be playing their home opener Sunday, and they're coming off a big defensive performance against a very good Lions team. Last year at home, they beat the Saints.

The Eagles and Giants struggled mightily in Week 1, which has us believing we can compete right now in this division. But it's been a while since we've been in a position like this, so we can't begin to look past teams that are suddenly perceived to be weaker than we are.