5 Scenarios That Have the Washington Redskins Winning the NFC East

Although preseason predictions don't carry much merit, they seem to especially lose their fire when they come from a backup quarterback

Even so, that didn't stop Redskins' quarterback Rex Grossman from making his predictions for the 2011 season public when he was interviewed by Comcast SportsNet.

"We're fine being the sleepers right now," Grossman said Tuesday in the interview. "You know, we're just waiting in the wings, ready to take over the NFC East."

"Nobody's talking about us. That's right where we want to be. You look at us from top to bottom out here, there's a bunch of great players. And we don't need people saying we're the best right now, but when it's all said and done, I really feel like this team's gonna win the East."

Many of us probably didn't label this year's Redskins as sleepers to begin with, but you have to respect Grossman's optimism. Some remain critical of Grossman's comments and his jinxing of the upcoming season, but what he said really isn't all that bad.

At the end of the day, what is he supposed to say? That the Redskins will once again finish last in the division?

Here are five scenarios that Sexy Rexy is hoping for in order to prove to everyone that his crystal ball is working just fine.

5. Philly Feels the Pressure

Since pursuing their summer shopping spree and becoming the most talked-about team in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles have also picked up a lot of pressure along the way.

With an already explosive offense that included Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, the team went on to greatly improve its defense by trading for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and signing big-time free-agent Nnamdi Asomugha.

The Eagles had high expectations going into 2011 before their offseason activity and this summer's acquisitions have only increased them.

Arguably favored to win the NFC East before the offseason, the Eagles have improved their chances of winning Super Bowl XLVI to an incredible six-to-one Las Vegas odds, tying themselves with the New England Patriots and the reigning Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

If the Redskins want any chance of taking the division in 2011, they are going to need some sort of downfall from the Eagles. Whether it is difficult injuries, team player drama or just a slump as a result of pressure, the Redskins are going to need a favor from the football gods.

As division rivals, the Redskins and Eagles will meet each other twice this season, once at FedEx on October 16th as the Redskins return from their bye week, and then again on New Year's Day in Philadelphia to wrap up the season. 

Like so many that are predicting the Eagles to sweep the 'Skins this season, Washington will at least have to pull out a split and win one of the two matchups.

4. Improving Pass Protection

Although we've seen just two preseason games so far this season, the newly revamped starting offensive line has already shown, what looks to be, their glaring weakness.

In Shanahan's system, establishing the run is priority No. 1. Pass blocking isn't necessarily second fiddle, but it does take a partial backseat.

Hopefully, by the time the regular season starts, Shanny and the Redskins can improve their pass-blocking skills and help to keep the inexperienced John Beck off his back. It's not that the sack numbers for the preseason are way up, but it's easy to watch individual linemen and notice them struggle during passing plays.

Preparing to hit this season with a new quarterback is risky. For one, no one knows what to expect. For two, the team doesn't have much to turn to in the case that the new quarterback doesn't pan out. And finally, the new guy's confidence is more easily affected when he faces pressure on nine of 10 dropbacks.

As the saying goes, a football team can only be as successful as its play within the trenches, both offensive and defensively. Especially with Beck under center, this season is no exception.

3. Another Year in the Scheme

It wasn't long ago that fans were calling for the end of the Redskins' newly implemented 3-4 defensive scheme. Not even halfway through the 2010 season and people were screaming for a return to the old and boring 4-3 alignment.

For those impatient ones, this year will have you taking back those comments.

The Redskins not only acquired new 3-4 personnel through the draft and free agency, but the entire defensive unit is now in its second season under defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, and that experience will go a long way.

So far, rookie Jarvis Jenkins has shown great strides in practice, former defensive tackle Barry Cofield is excited (and willing) to play the nose, Adam Carriker is looking to continue where he left off last season and defensive end Stephen Bowen will end up proving that he's worth much more than people anticipated.

The Redskins defense was atrocious last season, as a result of an attempted 3-4 with 4-3 personnel. This season is guaranteed to be much different, as the talent is already miles ahead of where it was last season.

2. Beck Proves Shanahan Right

It has been said that John Beck is the greatest NFL quarterback in lockout history.

It has been said that the worst thing that could happen to Beck is for him to start a regular-season game for the Washington Redskins.

It has been said that the "unknown" surrounding Beck is much more entertaining than what we'll actually see on the field.

It's about time to scratch all of that.

I'm confident that Beck will suit up as the Redskins starter come Week 1 this season, and Shanahan has joined Redskins Nation in crossing their fingers, toes and ears in hopes that he really found something in the 29-year-old BYU alum.

We know absolutely nothing about Beck. For those that refer to his stats as a Miami Dolphin—please stop. The Redskins have absolutely nothing to lose by starting him, and they have everything to gain.

What would be the point of starting Rex Grossman? Have we not seen enough of the mediocre Grossman for the last eight years of his career?

At this point, with the possibility of Beck being something special, Grossman should serve as nothing more than a worst-case scenario.

If Beck can come into the starting role, establish a rhythm and gain some confidence, then his natural abilities and tools can carry him a great deal.

The quarterback position remains one of the most crucial on the football field, and the Redskins will go as far as Beck takes them. This, of course, also depends on the play of the offensive line, and the effectiveness of the team's backfield.  

1. Staying Healthy

It's been a hunch of mine since the beginning of the season, notably marked by the end of the lockout.

The Redskins had a great draft, they began to sign some quality free agents and they re-signed important pieces of the puzzle. Everything seemed right.

But the more I think about the Redskins and the luck of us fans, the more I lean toward something bad happening this season.

With the talent upgrades we've seen so far, I don't believe the team will finish with anything less than six wins. But there are a lot of other things besides talent that can hamper a team during the season. Arguably the most frustrating is being hit with the injury bug.

The depth on this Redskins team, or lack thereof, is a major concern this year. With guys like Ryan Torain, LaRon Landry and O.J. Atogwe already battling injuries, it's also apparent that the offensive line, quarterback and secondary positions are one or two injuries away from complete disarray.

If the offensive line can stay healthy and remain committed to keeping John Beck off the ground, then they could be all right. But Landry's lingering injury could really cause issues for the Redskins defense.

Keeping the young guys fresh, the old guys fresher and the starters up to par could really be the key to the Redskins' potential success this season.