Peter King of NBC Sports is one of the more prominent NFL analysts in the media world. Before his current “Football Morning in America” column at NBC Sports, his “Monday Morning Quarterback” columns at Sports Illustrated were a must-read for every media member and fan.
In his latest FMIA column, King ranked all NFL teams 1-32, and, to one’s surprise, he had Washington in the middle of the pack at No. 15.
So, why No. 15?
Here are King’s thoughts on the WFT in 2021:
I think everyone looks at WFT and figures, Nothing to see here. They’ll fall to earth with a thud this year. Not me. Washington went 5-2 down the stretch last year to steal the all-time-lousy NFC East, then gave the Bucs a game in the wild-card round. In that 5-2 run, Washington allowed 15.9 points per game. Four of the wins came on the road (Dallas, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Philly), and each of those foes scored in the teens. Edge twins Chase Young (22) and Montez Sweat (24) might be the best young rush combination in the game. I’m bullish on this team—if Ryan Fitzpatrick is efficient leading the offense. No guarantee there, because, well, there’s never a guarantee with Fitzmagic. This is a 9-8 or 10-7 team, if it can survive Chargers-Bills-Saints-KC-Packers in the first seven weeks.
King is right. I believe Washington can reach double-digits in wins if Fitzpatrick plays as he did for Miami last season. Sure, he had the typical Fitzpatrick moments, but there was also plenty of Fitzmagic.
The stretch King referenced is tough. However, if Washington can finish Week 7 with a 4-3 mark before going on the road and facing a tough Denver team in Week 8, this team will be in a good position come December.
There are multiple reasons for optimism in 2021. First, the young defense is a year older. Second, head coach Ron Rivera brought in first-round linebacker Jamin Davis and free-agent cornerback William Jackson III to take that side of the ball to another level.
Then, on offense, Fitzpatrick may not be an elite passer, but he seems to improve with age. This is also one of, if not the most, talented teams he has played on. Washington did a nice job of adding weapons for Fitzpatrick this offseason, too.
Most importantly, in King’s rankings, he had Washington ahead of all the other NFC East teams. The New York Giants were the next NFC East team at No. 20.