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2020 Washington Redskins Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info
May 7, 2020
Ron Rivera has his work cut out for him.
The former Carolina Panthers head coach accepted the Washington position this offseason, meaning it is up to him to turn things around after an abysmal 3-13 effort in 2019. Pass-rusher Chase Young and quarterback Dwayne Haskins give the NFC East team building blocks, but the latter was inconsistent during his rookie campaign.
Whether Rivera can help Haskins establish more consistency and tap into his potential will go a long way toward determining if Washington can snap a streak of four straight playoff-less seasons.
Here is the 2020 schedule it will face while attempting to do so:
Washington's 2020 Schedule
Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 2: at Arizona Cardinals
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns
Week 4: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 5: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week 6: at New York Giants
Week 7: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 8: bye week
Week 9: vs. New York Giants
Week 10: at Detroit Lions
Week 11: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 12: at Dallas Cowboys
Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 14: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 16: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 17: at Philadelphia Eagles
Analysis
There is a saving grace in the 2020 schedule for every NFC East team.
The division was terrible last season.
The Philadelphia Eagles were the only team with a winning record, and they were just 9-7. The division as a whole was a combined 16 games under .500, which means Washington will have an opportunity to improve on last year's efforts with a handful of winnable games.
However, the cross-divisional games represent a challenge. Washington plays the AFC North, which means matchups against reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, an always difficult Pittsburgh Steelers team with a healthy Ben Roethlisberger, a talented Cleveland Browns squad that underperformed last year and a Cincinnati Bengals franchise starting a new era with No. 1 pick Joe Burrow.
Games against the NFC West will also be challenging.
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs and have Russell Wilson under center, the Los Angeles Rams are just one season removed from a Super Bowl run and the Arizona Cardinals added DeAndre Hopkins to an offense guided by reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray.
Pivotal Matchups
It is difficult to envision Washington having sustained success in those difficult matchups with the AFC North and NFC West.
Still, its chances at reaching the playoffs come down to how it performs in its divisional showdowns against the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Eagles. After all, Washington was an ugly 0-6 in NFC East play last year, all but ending any realistic chance it had at competing for the playoffs.
The 2015 campaign was the last time it featured a winning record in divisional play.
It is not an accident that is also the last time Washington made the playoffs. It will need to perform better against the NFC East in 2020 if it wants to end its postseason drought.