.500 In 2018 Would Be A Good Year For The Skins

[Veryoldschool]

Going into 2017 I expected the Skins to go 10-6 and possibly beat out the Cowboys for the division championship.  I had no idea that Philly would turn out to be really good or that the reworked Skins receiving corps would suck and the roster would be depleted with injuries throughout the season.  Looking back 7-9 was a good showing for the Skins and I think 8-8 in 2018 would be a positive development given the loss of Cousins.

 

I think mediocrity is the father of modest success in the NFL that can beget real success.  It is possible to go from awful to good but after watching the NFL for over 50 years I think it is a lot more common for a team to gradually spiral upward and that is what I hope the Redskins will do in 2018.  After averaging less than .500 for 15 years the Skins played .500 ball for 3 years and I hope they can achieve that in 2018 which I believe would be a major accomplishment. 

 

It would be great to do better than .500 and of course, we all hope for more but I think it is more likely that they fall back than move forward in 2018.  I think Cousins was able to prop up the team and prevented a 2-14 or 3-13 type year.  I will be really pleased if the Skins go 8-8 in 2018 and build from there rather than regress.

[Bonez3]

You crazy, I like you, but you crazy... CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

[CTskin]

8 minutes ago, Veryoldschool said:

Going into 2017 I expected the Skins to go 10-6 and possibly beat out the Cowboys for the division championship.  I had no idea that Philly would turn out to be really good or that the reworked Skins receiving corps would suck and the roster would be depleted with injuries throughout the season.  Looking back 7-9 was a good showing for the Skins and I think 8-8 in 2018 would be a positive development given the loss of Cousins.

 

I think mediocrity is the father of modest success in the NFL that can beget real success.  It is possible to go from awful to good but after watching the NFL for over 50 years I think it is a lot more common for a team to gradually spiral upward and that is what I hope the Redskins will do in 2018.  After averaging less than .500 for 15 years the Skins played .500 ball for 3 years and I hope they can achieve that in 2018 which I believe would be a major accomplishment. 

 

It would be great to do better than .500 and of course, we all hope for more but I think it is more likely that they fall back than move forward in 2018.  I think Cousins was able to prop up the team and prevented a 2-14 or 3-13 type year.  I will be really pleased if the Skins go 8-8 in 2018 and build from there rather than regress.

It's waaaay too early to make any sort of prediction on the season... but the off-season is when Skins fans have our fun, so let's dance.

 

If I ran the team, I'd be very quiet with this weak FA class and save up the cap space to roll over to next year, pick up a bunch of comp picks, and have a feast of a 2019 offseason (I know, I'm a broken record from the free agency thread). If the FO took my advice and looked further down the line than the 2018 season, we wouldn't exactly be going into this year with a ton of confidence; 7-9 would be the goal. 

 

Being that all reports point to the Skins being nearsighted and aggressive this FA, I assume that means they'll blow through the $25M cap space and the goal may get jacked all the way up to your 8-8 prediction.

 

That being said, we can't completely discount the fact that we were again the most injured team in the league. It's now become a trend and I see no reason for it to turn around, but in the event that it does, 9-7 is feasible. 

[Veryoldschool]

9 minutes ago, CTskin said:

That being said, we can't completely discount the fact that we were again the most injured team in the league. It's now become a trend and I see no reason for it to turn around, but in the event that it does, 9-7 is feasible. 

 

 

I don't know if that is a fact but it certainly looked that way in 2017 but I don't remember feeling that way in 2016 or 2015.

[Silvernon]

1. Alex Smith takes the shots and runs the offense the way Gruden wants
2. More than Jordan Reed (who is healthy) in the passing game
3. The run defense is night and day with a real nose tackle, and depth
4. The new RB thrives behind a healthy OL
5. Moreau is an upper end CB2
6. Nicholson stays healthy

 

All that happens, and this team is 10-13 wins. More likely 8-11 because there will be key injuries and drop-offs.

[Veryoldschool]

1 minute ago, Silvernon said:

1. Alex Smith takes the shots and runs the offense the way Gruden wants
2. More than Jordan Reed (who is healthy) in the passing game
3. The run defense is night and day with a real nose tackle, and depth
4. The new RB thrives behind a healthy OL
5. Moreau is an upper end CB2
6. Nicholson stays healthy

 

All that happens, and this team is 10-13 wins. More likely 8-11 because there will be key injuries and drop-offs.

 

I hope you are right!  Please pass it to me because I want some too...

[Rufus T Firefly]

18 minutes ago, Silvernon said:

1. Alex Smith takes the shots and runs the offense the way Gruden wants
2. More than Jordan Reed (who is healthy) in the passing game
3. The run defense is night and day with a real nose tackle, and depth
4. The new RB thrives behind a healthy OL
5. Moreau is an upper end CB2
6. Nicholson stays healthy

 

All that happens, and this team is 10-13 wins. More likely 8-11 because there will be key injuries and drop-offs.

7. An unknown rich relative bequeaths me $997,000. I become a millionaire. 

[Silvernon]

The most improbable of my criteria is #2, 5 and 6. Hardly as improbable as you guys are making it out to be. 

[hail2skins]

I somewhat agree with the OP, but at the same time it saddens me. When the schedule comes out I'm sure I'll look at it and find 8 wins somewhere, but again, its pretty sad that as a fanbase, we've been reduced to celebrating (what would be) four straight ~.500 seasons as progress. 

[Burgold]

Frankly, I was thinking we'd be lucky to go 8-8 with Cousins. He has never proved adept at getting us much above that with or because of the handicaps the Redskins have in personnel and coaching.

 

I'm curious to see how much backsliding we do with Alex Smith? Part of me thinks not that much for the simple reason that in Cousins two seasons as a starter the team started so slow and Kirk himself started so slow. So, if Smith takes a few games to get to  speed in this offense it will be exactly like Cousins is still at the reins.

[Rufus T Firefly]

6 minutes ago, Silvernon said:

The most improbable of my criteria is #2, 5 and 6. Hardly as improbable as you guys are making it out to be. 

So under the "not improbable" category is a run defense that is 'night and day' from last year and the success of an as yet nonexistent RB.

 

OK, then.

[zoony]

51 minutes ago, Silvernon said:

All that happens, and this team is 10-13 wins.

 

I can only assume youre including the preseason

[Cooleyfan1993]

.500? JUST .500? Is that what dan and Bruce have made you believe?? 

 

Shouldnt we expect MORE than 8-8, as fans? 8-8 won’t get us in the playoffs now, will it? I THINK NOT!!  10-6 or better. 

[skins island connection]

34 minutes ago, Rufus T Firefly said:

7. An unknown rich relative bequeaths me $997,000. I become a millionaire. 

So, you have relatives who fart on you too, eh? 

[skins island connection]

This team, with the lack of good offensive players, will be lucky to reach 5 wins. Who knows what the defense will look like.

I'm thinking 5-11.

 

I hope I'm wrong, but something tells me Alex Smith will not have a good year.  I dunno if it was Gruden not being aggressive enough on taking downfield shots or if it was Cousins' reluctance to tarnish his image in his resume' year but even when this team had comfortable leads, they disappeared in most games because of conservative playcalling. 

 

[hail2skins]

7 minutes ago, Cooleyfan1993 said:

 Shouldnt we expect MORE than 8-8, as fans? 8-8 won’t get us in the playoffs now, will it? I THINK NOT!!  10-6 or better. 

At this point it isn't "expect," but hope to be pleasantly surprised.

 

This is the non-divisional opponents:

 

Home: ATL, CAR, HOU, IND, GB

Away: NO. TB, JAX, TEN, AZ

 

I can see .500 from that slate. But then we get to the division. I see 2-4 at best within the East, which leaves us at 7-9.

 

Fingers crossed for better, and I know there's a lot of off-season activity to go, but tough to see. 

[Vanguard]

Let me tell everybody something.  And I'm being 100% serious.  I can't sit through another .500 season.  I have already emotionally detached myself from this team after what transpired this year.  I watched every game.  But not with the same fervor.  If they go anywhere but up this coming season.  I don't know what I'll do.

 

I can't take it.

[Veryoldschool]

14 minutes ago, skins island connection said:

This team, with the lack of good offensive players, will be lucky to reach 5 wins. Who knows what the defense will look like.

I'm thinking 5-11.

 

I hope I'm wrong, but something tells me Alex Smith will not have a good year.  I dunno if it was Gruden not being aggressive enough on taking downfield shots or if it was Cousins' reluctance to tarnish his image in his resume' year but even when this team had comfortable leads, they disappeared in most games because of conservative playcalling. 

 

 

I can easily envision a 5-11 year or worse, that is why I hope for 8-8 and improvement in subsequent seasons.  I've been a big Cousins booster and saw him elevating what was otherwise a poor team so I am hoping Smith and a healthier roster can get to 8-8 in 2018.  It is easier for me to imagine the bottom falling out and the Skins going 3-13 than it is for me to see them getting hot and going 13-3.

[Rufus T Firefly]

3 hours ago, Vanguard said:

Let me tell everybody something.  And I'm being 100% serious.  I can't sit through another .500 season.  I have already emotionally detached myself from this team after what transpired this year.  I watched every game.  But not with the same fervor.  If they go anywhere but up this coming season.  I don't know what I'll do.

 

I can't take it.

 

<MOD EDIT, RULE 6, CIRCUMVENTING THE PROFANITY FILTER (VIA GIF)>

[Taylorcooley1]

Fervor?

[onedrop]

1 hour ago, Silvernon said:

The most improbable of my criteria is #2, 5 and 6. Hardly as improbable as you guys are making it out to be. 

yeah but what is the probability of your entire list occuring simultaneously?

 

what are the chances of THIS franchise pulling all of it off?

[Rufus T Firefly]

1 minute ago, onedrop said:

yeah but what is the probability of your entire list occuring simultaneously?

 

what are the chances of THIS franchise pulling all of it off?

I hope you're not suggesting that every part of the Redskins team getting dramatically better all at once would qualify as "improbable" because

 

[Veryoldschool]

Rofus is bringing it....LOL

[Warhead36]

8-8 is probably our best case scenario. I think 5-11 is more likely. The division is very strong(Giants will bounce back). We lost the one guy who kept our team competitive. We still have the same bozos in the FO who will probably screw up FA.

 

 

[max21]

If we go 8-8 I’ll be pissed.