Eye On the Enemy: Washington Redskins edition

Two installments into the Eye On the Enemy series and the NFC East isn’t looking great. First, the New York Giants had too many question marks to exceed a 6-win prediction. Next, the Washington Redskins lack the firepower to keep pace with the better offenses around the league.

On The Kist & Solak Show #99 we went into more detail about the Redskins front office, coaching staff, offense and defense before giving our final predictions. Despite their seemingly excellent 2019 NFL Draft, we still saw Washington as an organization in constant strife and disorganization. The results have reflected that as they’ve only had five winning seasons in the twenty years Dan Snyder has owned the team.

More changes within the organization and specifically on the coaching staff could be on the way soon if Mark Bullock of The Athletic is to be believed.

“During the offseason, the Redskins flirted with the idea of replacing defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. Several candidates were interviewed, including Todd Bowles and Gregg Williams, but neither opted to join Washington, and the Redskins retained Manusky for another season. They did, however, add two high-profile coaches to the defensive staff. Ray Horton and Rob Ryan accepted positions as defensive backs coach and inside linebackers coach, respectfully. Both have significant experience as defensive coordinators, and both could be viewed as potential candidates to replace Manusky during the season if the defense starts poorly.” - Mark Bullock

That’s a pretty heavy hedge for such a crucial role on the staff. Manuksy coordinated an average defense last year and we’re not sure if it got better or worse throughout the offseason. Montez Sweat’s development opposite of the supremely underrated Ryan Kerrigan will have a big impact on the unit’s success.

Overall, the Redskins look like a team that will have to grind games out. Do they have an offensive line or defense capable of staying in more games than not? That’s yet to be seen, but that’s a big reason why both me and Benjamin Solak projected them to be well under .500%. We also don’t trust their medical staff (and Trent Williams might not either) as the Redskins have been one of the most banged up teams over the past five years.

You can hear all that and much more in-depth analysis on The Kist & Solak Show #99! Listen on the media player below or click here if the player doesn’t load. New to podcasts? Check out our guide on how to listen to BGN! FLY EAGLES FLY!