Washington Redskins: 5 Players Who Need to Get Healthy During Bye Week

Over the course of any NFL season, injuries are going to happen and take their toll on every team. The Washington Redskins endured the loss of their top cornerback as well as their starting quarterback for six full games.

The 'Skins even suffered a bus accident heading to the stadium for their game against the Minnesota Vikings.

No team is immune to injuries, and the Redskins are no exception. They've dealt with injuries better than many other teams, but they've got the bye week to heal up for the final seven games of the season.

Here are the players who need to get healthy for the Redskins to have success down the stretch for the 2014 season.

Ryan Clark, Free Safety

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No one expected Ryan Clark to revitalize the Redskins secondary. He's 35 and his career was trending downward three years ago in Pittsburgh. While he is still better than anyone else the 'Skins had on their roster, he is hardly the ideal starting free safety for a secondary in desperate need of help.

That said, he'd probably do a lot better if he wasn't nursing shoulder and ankle injuries.

He hasn't allowed his shoulder injury to affect his hitting, but it makes his already sloppy tackling that much sloppier. He was already a step slower upon arrival in Washington, so his ankle injury makes him that much slower.

Phillip Thomas was promoted from the practice squad as a contingency for both Clark and Brandon Meriweather, the former being banged up and the latter being inconsistent. Thomas has yet to see the field for any significant time in his career, battling injuries in each of his first two seasons.

Now healthy, he may be needed to finish out the season if Clark's performance and health do not improve or they worsen as the season progresses.

Bashaud Breeland, Cornerback

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Bashaud Breeland showed his ability to shut down the likes of Dez Bryant in Washington's 20-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. In the week leading up to the game against Minnesota, Breeland tweaked his knee enough to require an MRI.

The results were negative, but even a minor injury could derail Breeland's hot streak.

He didn't appear to favor the knee against the Vikings, but the defensive game plan also left him in more zone coverage than necessary or is befitting of his cover skills. The injury may not be severe, but the time off should turn the minor injury into an afterthought if it is truly as insignificant as it appears.

Trent Williams, Left Tackle

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The rest of the offensive line isn't going to get any better, which puts a tremendous amount of pressure on Trent Williams to be at his best week in and week out.

Unfortunately, his knee has kept him from fully participating in practice, which is not what the Redskins want or need from their franchise left tackle.

Williams has been excellent all season even with the knee troubles, but Washington cannot afford to lose him for any stretch of time. If Williams misses any games dealing with sustained or worsening knee troubles, the offensive line will go from being mediocre to among the worst units in the NFL.

His mobility looked unaffected during the game against the Vikings, as Williams pulled on runs and got out in space to block.

The bye week should provide much-needed rest for the big man and his sore knee.

Tracy Porter, Cornerback

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The rise of Bashaud Breeland has put the Redskins secondary in much better shape than anyone could have imagined. However, E.J. Biggers has been a liability as the de facto nickel corner, where Tracy Porter was expected to be the go-to for most of the season.

Porter, who wasn't exactly lighting up the world earlier this season, is more physical than Biggers and is much less of a liability.

With Breeland ascending to the role of starter, Porter needs to cement himself as a reliable nickel corner. He can't do that on the sidelines, where he has been for most of this season.

Robert Griffin III, Quarterback

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It was good to see Robert Griffin III on the field, running the offense and making plays. He looked fairly comfortable considering he dislocated his ankle in the second week of the season.

That said, it couldn't hurt for Griffin to be even healthier running the Redskins offense for the rest of the season.

And that is the case at this point. Rain or shine, win or lose, Griffin is going to be starting for the rest of the season. It may be a miraculous winning streak, it may be an ugly .500 finish or it may be a losing effort the rest of the way. Regardless of the outcome, Griffin is the guy for the rest of the season.

He still looks tentative in terms of reading the field and making decisions, but it didn't appear to have anything to do with his ankle or his twice-repaired knee.

For the Redskins to have any hope this season, he needs to be at his best, which means improving the strength and flexibility of his ankle.