Last Word on Pro Football is ranking each team’s easiest and hardest games of the 2017 schedule. Games will be ranked in order of difficulty, with one being the most difficult. This series will be split up into the eight most difficult games (1-8) and the eight easiest games (9-16). In this article, the Washington Redskins will be discussed.
Washington Redskins Most Difficult Games in 2017
1. Week 9 at Seattle Seahawks
Seattle is a perennial playoff team and Super Bowl contender. Russell Wilson is a franchise quarterback, and one of the best in the league. Seattle’s defense is elite and features the “Legion of Boom” secondary. Michael Bennett and Bobby Wagner are two other players that help round out a great defense. Washington will see Seattle’s defense slow down their offense. Also, Washington’s defense has to be able to stop Russell Wilson, which is very hard to accomplish.
2. Week 17 at New York Giants
Division games are always difficult. The NFC East usually sees every team beat up on each other, with no clear cut best in the division. Washington was able to split games with the Giants in 2016. New York has a tough defense with a lot of talent. Now, Eli Manning has Brandon Marshall to throw to out wide. Odell Beckham Jr. has been one of the best receivers in the game since being drafted by the Giants. New York’s high powered offense might be too much for a Washington defense that had its struggles in 2016.
3. Week 3 vs. Oakland Raiders
Oakland saw a successful season end short after Derek Carr went down with an injury late in 2016. The team isn’t only expected to bounce back in 2017, they should be even better. Also, Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement to join an offense with arguably the best offensive line in football. Also, Washington’s secondary will struggle against Carr throwing to Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Jared Cook. Oakland’s defense is young and growing, but Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin know how to get to the quarterback.
4. Week 13 at Dallas Cowboys
Rookie phenoms Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott carried Dallas all the way to a playoff spot in 2016. Dallas might be suffering from a lot of player suspensions and a weak defense. Dak and Zeke should still be able to put up big numbers behind the best offensive line in the NFL.
5. Week 12 vs. New York Giants
Washington and New York will be battling it out both times they face off in 2017. The effectiveness of New York’s defense cannot be understated. Kirk Cousins will have his hands full with a tough Giants defense that was top three in many defensive categories last season. Also, Washington’s offensive line might struggle against pass rushers like Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon.
6. Week 8 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Washington needs to beat Dallas at least once in order to even have a chance of sniffing the playoffs. Dallas were the NFC East champs in 2016. Dallas might not be as good as they were last season, but they should still be good. Washington is a worthy opponent for Dallas. It’ll be a tough game to try to win.
7. Week 4 at Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City is one of the hardest places to play for visiting teams. A great home field automatically hurts the Redskins. Also, the Chiefs still have a really good defense despite being on the older side. Andy Reid is a great coach that will find a way to beat Washington if they aren’t fully focused. Even if Kansas City takes a step back next season, They are still a good team.
8. Week 7 at Philadelphia Eagles
Carson Wentz looks like the franchise quarterback the Eagles desperately need. Philadelphia has holes on both sides of the ball, but they are still a solid team. Wentz doesn’t have all of the weapons around him yet to be extremely successful. Philadelphia’s defense is no joke and they should be very good in 2017. The Eagles can compete with every team in their division and this includes the Washington Redskins.
Be sure to check out the eight easiest games on the Washington Redskins season.
