Washington Redskins: Breaking Down 5 Toughest, 5 Easiest Games on 2015 Schedule
Mark your calendars. The Washington Redskins' 2015 NFL schedule is now out.
With an overall winning percentage of 47.9 percent, according to ESPN.com, the Redskins have the league's 21st-ranked schedule. Only three teams on their schedule made the playoffs last season.
Nonetheless, the reality is, coming off a 4-12 campaign, the Skins themselves are being eyed as a potential cupcake on the schedules of opposing teams.
That being said, let's examine the five toughest and five easiest games on Washington's 2015 slate.
Toughest: No. 5, Week 15 vs. Buffalo Bills
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Defense didn't win Rex Ryan any of the championships he promised in New York. It'll be enough to beat the Redskins, though, in Week 15.
Dating back to his time as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens in 2005, only once has Ryan commanded a defense outside of the top 10 in total yards allowed. And even that defense, the 2013 New York Jets, finished 11th.
Handed the reins to one of the NFL's top defenses in 2014, Ryan will have little trouble stonewalling Washington's offense in this bout.
For all of the changes general manager Scot McCloughan has made this offseason in D.C., the offensive line isn't one of them.
Minus Tyler Polumbus, the core of the team's starting lineup up front will return.
Knowing the Buffalo Bills were first in the league with 54 sacks last season, this all but spells doom for Robert Griffin III and company.
Prediction: Buffalo 20, Washington 10
Easiest: No. 5, Week 4 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
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Six games may have separated the Philadelphia Eagles from the Redskins in the standings last season, but the gap between the two teams on the gridiron was much smaller.
Both 2014 contests were decided by three points, with the home team in each coming out victorious.
This year's matchup will have a vastly different look.
There could be as many as six new starters on new defensive coordinator Joe Barry's defense. For a unit that surrendered an average of 30.5 points to Philly in 2014, this can't be overlooked.
In the case of Chip Kelly's Eagles, the roster is almost unrecognizable. Franchise running back LeSean McCoy and receiver Jeremy Maclin headline a group of starters no longer in Kelly's plans.
Driven by its offense, Philly will be in a vulnerable state early in the season as its slew of new faces—Sam Bradford, anyone?—becomes accustomed to life under Kelly.
While they've improved with the acquisitions of Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond III, the Eagles will again fall victim to big plays from DeSean Jackson and dig a hole their offense is incapable of digging out of.
Prediction: Washington 26, Philadelphia 20
Toughest: No. 4, Week 5 at Atlanta Falcons
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Washington has won just one game on the road in each of the past two seasons.
So while the Atlanta Falcons may no longer have artificial crowd noise to fuel their home-field advantage, they'll be a tough out for this team in the Georgia Dome.
Oh, and let's not forget that the Falcons do boast a potent aerial attack. Atlanta was fifth in passing yards in 2014.
Harry Douglas is no longer a member of this team, but between Julio Jones and Roddy White, Matt Ryan has more than enough weapons to expose the Redskins secondary.
A secondary that just so happened to be Football Outsiders' worst passing defense a season ago.
The faces have changed in the secondary with Jeron Johnson, Dashon Goldson and Chris Culliver now on the roster. Unless Washington can muster a pass rush to disrupt Ryan, though, the new secondary will get scorched just like the old one.
Griffin and his receiving tandem of Pierre Garcon and Jackson will have an opportunity to put up points on Atlanta's suspect defense. But in picking a winner here, the better quarterback wins out.
Prediction: Atlanta 30, Washington 24
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Easiest: No. 4, Week 14 at Chicago Bears
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Two words: Jay Cutler. As long as he's the Chicago Bears starting quarterback, Washington, and every NFL team for that matter, has a chance at victory.
Now 10 years into his career, Cutler is what he is at this point: a turnover machine. An offense centered around Matt Forte would limit his opportunities to make such mistakes—for example, 18 interceptions in 2014. But with Forte being opposed by a stout Washington defensive front in this contest, the ball will be in Cutler's hands.
Furthering the Skins' cause to win this game will be Chicago's lackluster defense. A franchise that was once synonymous with great defense, the Bears were 30th in yards allowed and 31st in scoring defense last season.
Head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio have been brought aboard to change this very reality. But without the horses to effectively run their 3-4 scheme, the Bears defense won't transform overnight.
Behind an offense centered on ball control, Washington will bide its time until the inevitable Cutler implosion and nab a rare road victory.
Prediction: Washington 20, Chicago 13
Toughest: No. 3, Week 17 at Dallas Cowboys
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The Redskins have beat them at their worst, and at their best. And yet, the Dallas Cowboys still rank as one of their tougher opponents on the 2015 slate. Just call it the state of a rivalry.
Dallas no longer sports DeMarco Murray on its roster, or Bill Callahan on its coaching staff. Nonetheless, as a team that was one catch away from the NFC title game, the Cowboys present the same problems they posed last year to Washington.
And chief among them is one Tony Romo. He completed over 62 percent of his throws, threw three touchdowns and 508 yards against the Redskins last season.
Blown out 44-17 in its season finale, Washington was unable to muster the same pass rush it utilized to upset Romo and the Cowboys in Week 8. It had 5 sacks in that victory as opposed to zero in its defeat.
With a gaping hole in the spot Brian Orakpo vacated this offseason, the pass rush remains a question mark for this team. Lacking the secondary to neutralize Romo, the Redskins will again fall victim to Dallas' high-powered offense.
Prediction: Dallas 34, Washington 20
Easiest: No. 3, Week 10 New Orleans Saints
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These aren't the New Orleans Saints of yesteryear.
Jimmy Graham? Gone.
Kenny Stills? Gone.
Drew Brees' days of getting solid protection? Over and done with.
Then there's what hasn't changed in New Orleans. Despite coaching one of the league's worst defenses a season ago, Rob Ryan remains in his post as the team's defensive coordinator.
Last against the rush and 27th against the pass in Football Outsiders' defensive rankings, the Saints won't stand much in the way of the Redskins offense.
With its bolstered defensive line neutralizing Mark Ingram and its offense unopposed, Washington will come out ahead in this contest.
Prediction: Washington 28, New Orleans 20
Toughest: No. 2, Week 3 at New York Giants
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Two years running, the Redskins haven't beat the Giants. In the past 10 years, they've won in New York twice.
What exactly is going to change the result this year?
Eli Manning, for one, had a field day against Washington's secondary in 2014.
He threw for 550 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception. Manning had Victor Cruz in one contest, and Odell Beckham Jr. in the other. In 2015, he'll have both at his disposal.
Chalk it up to whatever you like, but he'll again pose problems for the Redskins defense.
Looking to how the Skins will counter on offense, the lot will fall on Alfred Morris' shoulders. He only received a total of 26 carries in last year's matchups against the Giants' 30th-ranked rushing defense.
As a result, particularly in its Week 15 win, New York's pass rush was able to tee off on the quarterback to the tune of nine sacks.
To keep this from recurring, and for the team to keep Manning and his boast of weapons at bay, Morris will have to eclipse this total in this outing alone.
All told, though, the odds aren't in the Redskins favor here.
Prediction: New York 30, Washington 17
Easiest: No. 2, Week 6 at New York Jets
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New head coach Todd Bowles led a top-tier defense in Arizona.
Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are both back in Gotham City. Still, at the end of the day, it comes down this: Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick are the New York Jets' quarterbacks.
Not even the Redskins envy the state of their quarterback position.
Griffin will struggle passing against the New York secondary. And the same can be said about Morris running into the likes of Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. But this is where Smith or Fitzpatrick come in.
In the first 19 games of his career, Smith had six interceptions returned for touchdowns. Fitzpatrick isn't on Smith's level in this regard. Nonetheless, with 101 interceptions in 96 career games, he too will give Washington's defense an opportunity or two to score if he's the starter.
Points will be at a premium, but save turnover-prone Kirk Cousins finding his way into the lineup, the edge goes to Washington here.
Prediction: Washington 13, New York 7
Toughest: No. 1, Week 9 at New England Patriots
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Not only are the New England Patriots the defending Super Bowl champs, but they're playing at home in this contest.
In three of the past four seasons, the Pats haven't registered more than one loss at home. Oh, and there just so happens to be a guy named Tom Brady lining up at quarterback for this team.
The Redskins' pass defense can't be any worse than last year's edition. Trust, though, that Brady will still be licking his chops to go at this defense.
Turning to Washington's offense, New England's secondary is vulnerable minus Revis and Brandon Browner. With weapons like Jackson and Garcon, Griffin will have an opportunity to make plays in the passing game.
But who are you taking in a shootout?
Not that Griffin needs help struggling with defenses, but you can count on Bill Belichick making him the latest quarterback to be stifled by his scheme.
Prediction: New England 38, Washington 21
Easiest: No. 1, Week 8 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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There's two ways of looking at the Redskins' matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Yes, the Bucs won just two games last year. That's one side. The other? Well, one came against Washington, and it was by 20 points!
Upon further review, the win had much more to do with Washington's faults than anything Tampa did.
Missed assignments led to Mike Evans tallying 209 yards and two touchdowns. As for Tampa's other touchdown, it came on a pick-six.
So there you have it. That's how the worst team in the NFL wins a game by 20. How will the Skins reverse this outcome?
They can start by riding Morris. He ran for 96 yards in last year's meeting and the team as a whole finished with 155 yards rushing.
Secondly, the defense has to just maintain its assignments—no linebackers covering receivers! The Bucs only averaged 2.3 yards per rush and converted three third downs. Without the big plays, they couldn't sustain drives.
Factor in the likelihood it's starting a rookie quarterback this go round, Tampa's offense will find it even harder to operate against an improved Washington defense.
Prediction: Washington 20, Tampa Bay 7
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