Washington Redskins 2015 Schedule Breakdown

The NFL schedule was released last night so now we know exactly when the Redskins are facing each of their opponents. While I will do a schedule prediction later, I thought it would be good to look at why the Redskins can win or lose each game.

Week 1: Miami Dolphins:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Redskins are at home to start the year and their revamped defense should be good enough to give the Dolphins some problems. Miami has had serious offensive line issues the past few years and if they aren’t fixed the Redskins defense could take advantage of them. Right now the Dolphins are lacking a little bit in the weapons department so the Redskins secondary shouldn’t be as seriously challenged as it will in other games.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-QB Ryan Tannehill continues to improve every season and he looks ready to make the next jump up the quarterback ladder. If the Redskins defense hasn’t gelled yet, he could take advantage of any issues in the secondary. The Dolphins offensive line has been an issue in the past, but they have some high draft picks from recent years that they are high on and a few guys coming back from injury so it could end up being better than expected. Defensively the Dolphins added the top free agent in Ndamukong Suh who along with Cameron Wake should give the Redskins offensive line fits. Though the Dolphins are on the road, the advantage is lessened week 1 since Miami can come to town early and will be fully prepared for the game.

Week 2: St. Louis Rams:

Why the Redskins will win:

-Well the Redskins are at home again and they aren’t even coming off a road game, while the Rams will be coming off a tough home game vs the NFC Champs the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams still have a lot of question marks along the offensive line and at WR so it shouldn’t be a tough match-up for the Redskins defense.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-The Rams came into town this past year and dominated the Redskins 24-0 and really the game was even worse than the final score showed. Last year the Rams were led by Shaun Hill, so Nick Foles is a definite upgrade. The real threat though with the Rams isn’t their offense, but their impressive defense. Their defensive line of Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Chris Long, Michael Brockers and Nick Fairley is the best in the league. Last year the Redskins offensive line was abused by them and the addition of Fairley this year makes them even better. Also if Robert Griffin III is starting, and he hasn’t learned how to get rid of the football this could easily be a double-digit sack game for the Rams.

Week 3: @New York Giants:

Why the Redskins will win:

-After facing some tougher defenses the first two weeks, the Redskins get what appears to be an easier defensive challenge week 3. The Giants still have some big holes on that side of the ball and this is a game the Redskins pass catchers could have some big plays. This is also the first game that Alfred Morris could go off in a big way. If the Redskins can get up early, they can run Morris all day and wear down a Giants defense that had trouble stopping the run last season.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-This is a Thursday night game and traditionally the road team is at a serious disadvantage in these games (though the Giants didn’t have much of a problem last year). The other concern of course is can the Redskins defense slow down Eli Manning and the Giants passing attack. Manning had two big games versus the Redskins defense last year and Odell Beckham Jr. absolutely embarrassed the Redskins in that 2nd contest last year. If the Redskins can’t slow down this passing attack it will make it tough for them to get Morris going which is their best chance of winning.

Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Redskins will be coming off a longer week after playing Thursday night, and come back home for the 3rd time in four games. The Eagles on the other hand will be heading on the road for the third time in this game. It’s tough to really know what the Eagles will look like at this point, but their offense definitely appears to be less scary than it was in the past. Sam Bradford figures to have a good bit of rust (assuming he’s healthy), and their receiving corps looks a lot less intimidating without Jackson and Maclin from the past two seasons. Defensively the Eagles appear better, but still should have weaknesses that the Redskins offense can exploit (like they did twice last season).

Why the Redskins will lose:

-While plenty of people want to say that Chip Kelly went too far with reshaping this roster, he shouldn’t be counted out just yet. He’s gone 10-6 in each of his first two seasons despite starting Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Matt Barkley and Mark Sanchez at quarterback. He’s shown he can win without great QB play and that alone makes the Eagles dangerous. Despite losing LeSean McCoy the Eagles running game figures to be improved with the additions of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews. Sam Bradford could be a good fit for this offense if he’s healthy, and while the receiving options appear weaker, Kelly has done a great job scheming guys open.

Week 5: @Atlanta Falcons:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Falcons struggled last year and had major issues on defense, along the offensive line and at running back. While Matt Ryan is one of the better QB’s in the league and their receivers are pretty good, this looks like a winnable game for the Redskins, particularly with a better defense. Even if the Redskins offense is struggling next year, they should be able to produce versus an underwhelming Falcons defense.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-The Redskins are going back on the road and while this is a favorable defensive match-up on paper, that could change if Falcons new HC Dan Quinn can turn that unit around quickly (particularly if they are defensive heavy in the draft). The bigger concern though is stopping or at least slowing down Matt Ryan and his receivers. Ryan is quickly becoming an elite QB (at least on the cusp of that designation), and if the Redskins secondary isn’t up to the task he will make them pay. Ryan at home vs a questionable secondary is typically advantage Falcons.

Week 6: @New York Jets:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Jets struggled mightily last year and are now under a new head coach in former Redskins DB Todd Bowles. The Jets have a mess of a QB situation with either Geno Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter currently. If it’s Geno Smith that should be a big advantage for the Redskins defense. Fitzpatrick represents a better option as he can be that game manager, but he doesn’t figure to carry a team. If the Redskins defense keeps the score low this is a very winnable game for Washington.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-The Redskins are back on the road and unlike the week before when they face a questionable defense, they will face off what appears to be one of the better defenses in the league. The Jets already had a defense that could stop the run and rush the passer, but they had a major hole in their secondary. They fixed that hole in free agency bringing in corners Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine as well as safety Marcus Gilchrest. Now with a shutdown secondary the Jets pass rush figures to be even better. Offensively the Jets should have a solid run game, and they have improved their offensive line, while bringing in Brandon Marshall at WR. The Jets are also coming off a bye so the Redskins will have their work cut out for them.

Week 7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Buccaneers figure to have one of the weakest rosters in the league and figure to be starting a rookie quarterback. The Redskins defense should hopefully be able to harass him into making some crucial mistakes. Offensively the Redskins should have the advantage versus a Buccaneers defense that has struggled overall. At home the Redskins should be able to put up points and have a comfortable lead allowing them to pin their ears back rushing the passer.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-The Buccaneers were a really bad team in 2014 and they still came in and embarrassed the Redskins at home this past season. While the Redskins should have an overall match-up advantage, they need to find a way to contain Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, particularly if the Buccaneers QB play improves. On defense the Buccaneers have one of the premier defensive talents in the league in Gerald McCoy who could cause major problems in the middle of the Redskins offensive line.

Week 8: Bye:

Week 9: @New England Patriots:

Why the Redskins will win:

-Maybe Tom Brady doesn’t show up? Seriously though, there is always a chance to win in the NFL, the Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles last year despite the fact that both teams were clearly better than them. The Redskins will need to get extremely lucky here, but if they keep the game close there is always a chance.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-Even with some big free agent defections the Patriots remain one of the top teams in the NFL, led by one of the few elite QB’s in the league. This one could definitely get ugly fast. To make matters worse, not only are the Patriots at home, but they are coming off a Thursday night game giving them a long week, which helps to counteract the Redskins advantage of having a bye in week 8.

Week 10: New Orleans Saints:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Saints really struggled last season and while they are trying to revamp their team this year, they lost top match-up nightmare, TE Jimmy Graham in the process. It’s still a very dangerous team with Drew Brees at the helm, but their weapons and defense aren’t as good as they’ve been in the past (note: the Saints have a number of early round picks so they could be adding some serious talent in the draft). For as good as Brees is, he’s struggled outside of dome environments of late so being at Fedex is a big positive for the Redskins.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-The Saints playoff window is closing so they get off to a good start early in the season this could be a big game for them as they try and improve their chances. Drew Brees on the road is generally more average, but I wouldn’t count him out, particularly vs a secondary with question marks. The Saints were a better team than their record showed a year ago, and if they are healthier this year and some of their early round picks hit, they could be a good solid team this year which could put the Redskins at a disadvantage even at home.

Week 11: @Carolina Panthers:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Panthers overall roster remains underwhelming, as they lack talent at receiver, offensive line (particularly at OT), and in the secondary. Cam Newton remains an up-and-down player who has yet to take his game to the next level. He’ll have some good games, but if you get pressure on him he’s very beatable. Given the Panthers question marks at OT, the Redskins have a chance to put a lot of pressure on him in this game. Offensively the Redskins receivers could take advantage of some average talent in the Panthers secondary. Alfred Morris may have a good game as well as the Panthers struggled to stop the run this past season despite pretty good front 7 talent.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-Being on the road doesn’t help, and while the Panthers aren’t the most impressive team on paper, the past two years they have still proven themselves to be a dangerous team. Defensively they should be pretty good this year thanks in part to a strong front 7. Offensively their are holes, but Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen represent two really good targets that could give the Redskins fits. If the Redskins don’t get a good edge rusher complement to Ryan Kerrigan, Cam Newton could make them pay with his feet.

Week 12: New York Giants:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Redskins get this one at home, which is a plus. If the Giants aren’t in the playoff hunt things could be ugly in New York as it would likely mean that Coughlin is a lame duck coach for the rest of the season. That could allow the Redskins to take advantage of positive situations like for instance the Giants weak run defense. If the Redskins are still in contention this would be a must win for them as they start their tough stretch at the end of the season.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-Pretty much the same reasons as the week 3rd game, as stopping Eli and Beckham won’t be easy. If they can’t stop them being at home won’t help their odds too much.

Week 13: Dallas Cowboys:

Why the Redskins will win:

-Well the Redskins are at home and they were able to knock off the Cowboys once a year ago. The Redskins defense should be improved and hopefully they will present a tougher match-up versus a Cowboys offense that lost their star RB DeMarco Murray. This would be another must win game if the Redskins are in contention, and even if they aren’t they have a shot to get the win.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-Outside of the whole “anything can happen in a rivalry game” thing, the Cowboys are clearly the better football team. Even without DeMarco Murray this is a dangerous offense, led by Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, along with one of the premier offensive lines in the NFL. The Cowboys figure to once again be in contention for the playoffs so expect them to bring their “A” game.

Week 14: @Chicago Bears:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Bears were a bad football team last year and couldn’t stop anyone defensively. Jay Cutler remains an average QB who turns the ball over too often to be considered a major threat. Chicago also lost top receiver Brandon Marshall leaving a hole on their offense. This could be a big game for Alfred Morris as the Bears run defense was horrible last season. If Morris has a big day the Redskins will have a great chance to come away with the victory.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-Going on the road to Chicago late in the year can lead to some weather concerns, which likely won’t favor the Redskins. The Bears like the Redskins have spent the offseason rebuilding their defense and they figure to be improved from a year ago. Jay Cutler may not have a ton of respect among fans, but he still performs well overall. He’ll have some awful games, but most weeks he’ll have the Bears in a spot to win the game. Though he lost Marshall, Cutler still has Matt Forte, Martellus Bennett and Alshon Jeffery so he’s pretty good in the weapons department.

Week 15: Buffalo Bills:

Why the Redskins will win:

-The Redskins are making their home finale so if they are in the playoff hunt expect them to play their best this week. The Bills look to either have Matt Cassel or E.J. Manuel under center next year so the quarterback isn’t going to be an advantage for the Bills.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-Though the Redskins are at home, there isn’t a lot going for them in this game. The Bills figure to be in the playoff hunt so don’t expect them to take this game lightly. Their defense was top 5 in yards, points allowed and turnovers, and they should be just as good or better this year. Last year they only allowed more than 250 yards passing in 3 games and they held 8 teams under 100 yards rushing. Offensively they are weak at QB, but that is pretty much it. Their offensive line looks to be at least solid, and if a couple guys develop it could be pretty good. At running back they have a 1-2 punch of LeSean McCoy and Fred Jackson, while having Charles Clay at TE and Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin and Robert Woods at WR. Even average QB play makes them a dangerous football team.

Week 16: @Philadelphia Eagles:

Why the Redskins will win:

-Whether the Redskins are in the playoff mix or not they have a chance to play spoiler so expect them to get up a little big for this game. If the Eagles still have the same struggles as in the earlier season game they could be very beatable.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-It’s likely the Eagles will be back in the playoff mix and while the Redskins could play spoiler again, expect the Eagles to play better this year, particularly at home.

Week 17: @Dallas Cowboys:

Why the Redskins will win:

-Another chance to play spoiler for the Redskins, also it’s possible that the Cowboys are resting up starters if they have already locked up everything for the playoffs.

Why the Redskins will lose:

-If the Cowboys still have something to play for this figures to be a very tough game.