Washington Redskins: Can the Redskins Still Win the NFC East?

Back on Labor Day, I said that the Redskins could win the NFC East if some scenarios around the rest of the division fell into place. Now, just short of the halfway point, it appears this is the time to revisit and see how those scenarios are falling.

It can all be found here. I'll break it down the same way I built it just so we all know what the chances still are of the Redskins taking the division title.

Originally, I Wrote: There Is an Actual Receiving Corps

I am starting to second-guess this one, but they haven't been awful. Pierre Garcon has missed significant time with a foot injury that seems to somehow get worse each week, Santana Moss has re-emerged a bit as of late in his absence and Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson have been up and down.

Fred Davis leads the team in receiving yards with 325, but won't finish the season as the leader since he won't be playing another game this season due to an injury (not the first, or last, mention of injuries in this article).

The vibe that I have gotten from Redskins fans is that since Chris Cooley has returned, he will amass 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns. Not realistic, but if he can get in sync with Robert Griffin III, he should make an impact the rest of the way through the season.

I have confidence that Leonard Hankerson can step up to have a good season as well—maybe not Pro Bowl caliber, but still enough to be the top receiver for the season.

This receiving corps before the injury to Garcon was probably still the worst in the division—and certainly is now.

So Far: Wrong

Originally, I Wrote: Michael Vick Can't Keep away from the Injury Bug

Well, he hasn't been hit with any injuries this season, but his level of play and high turnover rate have put rumors in the windstream that he may be replaced at some point this season by Nick Foles.

The bigger talk is that he may even be cut altogether by the team at the end of the season. If they cut him within three days post-Super Bowl, the Eagles can avoid having him on the salary cap. That might as well be an injury.

His passing yards are on par with Robert Griffin III, but the rushing ability hasn't quite been there, and he has turned the ball over a total of 11 times. If these struggles continue and the drama continues to ravage the Eagles, they shouldn't pose much of a challenge to the division crown.

So Far: Right, but for the Wrong Reasons

Originally, I Wrote: RGIII of course

It's pretty obvious that this team would be a train wreck without him.

So Far: Very, Very, Very Right

Originally, I Wrote: There is Still a December on the Calendar

This was in reference to the fact that the Dallas Cowboys have been notorious with late-season antics that every non-Cowboy fan loves.

We haven't seen it yet, since it's not even Halloween. Still, the Cowboys are technically ahead of the Redskins (3-3 versus 3-4), but they haven't been very impressive. They got thumped by Seattle and Chicago and lost a close game at Baltimore.

The games they have won haven't been pretty. They defeated Tampa 16-10 in a slugfest and needed some late heroics to defeat a 1-4 Panthers team. They just haven't been very good since their opening defeat of the New York Giants.

So Far: It's Not December yet, so No Grade

Originally, I Wrote: The Linebacking Corps is Pretty Good

So far this season, only a total of eight sacks have come from the linebacking corps. It's not really their fault, as Brian Orakpo went down early with a season-ending injury (stop me if you've heard that already).

London Fletcher got banged up this Sunday against the Giants, and Ryan Kerrigan is struggling to get to the quarterback, gathering just 3.5 sacks on the season.

Perry Riley hasn't been bad this season, and Lorenzo Alexander has been good filling in where the Redskins need him to. Perhaps he could play cornerback or safety as well.

Unfortunately, Orakpo's absence has really been felt, and the linebackers (along with the rest of the defense) couldn't stop any NFL offense right now. If they don't get it together soon, this could be a long year.

So Far: Wrong, Thanks Injury Bug

Originally, I Wrote: The Giants Have Won Two Super Bowls, so Why Not?

I still can't tell if the Giants are just one of the luckiest teams in the league or a very good team that just makes things extremely hard on themselves sometimes.

Right now, they are 5-2 and sitting two games ahead of the rest of the pack. That's usually not a good sign for them—they tend to play better when they are behind in the division, so who knows?

So Far: Neither Right or Wrong

I still feel like this team can win the division. They were 90 seconds away from being in first place. I don't think the Giants will run away with it, and I don't think the Eagles or Cowboys are more threatening than the Redskins.

But as my mentor Chris Berman famously says, "That's why they play the game!"

Korey Beckett is a Featured Columnist for the Washington Redskins on Bleacher Report and a Fantasy Football Contributor. He can be contacted at [e-mail] or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/koreybeckettBR