NFL Power Ranking Preseason Edition: NFC only gets better

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FOXBOROUGH, MA – AUGUST 9 : Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins looks on during the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Washington looks like a team who could either fall flat on their face or make a playoff push late in the season. They added a game manager at quarterback in Alex Smith, but they lost one of his biggest weapons already with rookie Derrius Guice tearing his ACL.

Smith knows how to get a team to the playoffs; he’s done it the past three years and five times the last seven between Kansas City and San Francisco. He’s only got two playoff wins in seven games, unable to make the final push to the promise land.

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He’ll have plenty of help on offense with Paul Richardson, Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, and, hopefully, a healthy Jordan Reed. Washington is 3-1 when the tight end Reed has 100 receiving yards in a game.

Washington took Alabama’s front seven and put them on their first team this year. Da’Ron Payne and Jonathan Allen could be a dynamic duo up front with Matt Ioannidis, Ziggy Hood, and rookie Tim Settle providing depth.

I think Washington has one of the deepest linebacker rooms in the league with Mason Foster, Preston Smith, Ryan Kerrigan, and Zach Brown starting and Ryan Anderson, Shaun Dion Hamilton, and Pernell McPhee providing depth.

After losing Kendall Fuller in the Alex Smith trade, the Redskins defensive back room remains strong with a couple of rookies coming in. Troy Apke had an athletic interception against Philadelphia, and Adonis Alexander came in through the Supplemental Draft.

Washington has a lot of pieces to like, but their division and conference are too tough for them to push themselves into a Wild Card game.

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