Despite having a 1-2 record and coming off of two frustrating losses in the past couple of weeks, things are actually going a bit better than expected in Washington. Thanks to a putrid NFC East, they are tied for the top spot in the division, and outside of some unfortunate quarterback play in Week 3, the offense has looked pretty solid, while the defense remains capable of making some big plays.
With all of this taking place, head coach Ron Rivera has been put in an interesting spot of needing to decide if he wants to put his future plans on hold, and instead make the necessary moves in order to chase a playoff spot and potentially win the NFC East division.
Ron Rivera said "the next few weeks will be telling" for his team. He feels that when the next couple of games pass, he'll have a better idea of whether to pursue the division or really focus on the future. Those two ideas are running close together right now
— Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) October 2, 2020
Luckily for Rivera, that decision is likely going to be made for him over the next couple of weeks. Washington has a tough schedule coming up, with games against the Baltimore Ravens (2-1) and the Los Angeles Rams (2-1) in the next two weeks. Depending on how his team fares in those contests, plus how the rest of the NFC makes out in their respective schedules, the decision will likely be pretty clear-cut a few weeks from now. After Washington gets over this hump of tough matchups, they actually catch a little bit of a break in the scheduling department, where they face the NY Giants twice over the following four weeks, with games against the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions in there as well.
Even if Washington is to lose to both the Ravens and Rams, heading into late November with a 4-5 or 5-4 record is absolutely not out of the question.
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So what would the ‘necessary changes’ look like for Rivera if he chooses to chase a playoff spot? Well, it starts and ends with the QB position. We’ve seen a disturbing lack of progression from Dwayne Haskins, and Rivera has made it known that they are willing to bench him should nothing improve. Earlier in the week, the head coach stated that he has guys on his roster that are playing incredibly well, and it’s unfair to them to have one player bring down the success level because of his play. Might this mean that they would go to Kyle Allen or Alex Smith for the rest of the season while Dwayne continues to develop on the side? It’s definitely possible, and something to keep your eye on.
The main takeaway is that Washington by no means thinks they are out of it, and decisions are going to be made with this in mind going forward. This team can still win some games and put together a nice record when all is said and done. Whether they will aim for a playoff spot is still yet to be known, but a couple of weeks from now, we will definitely get a clear picture.
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