A preseason quarterback competition is seldom a positive sign, and nothing happening in August is pointing to the Redskins as a playoff team. If rookie Dwayne Haskins is starting early in the season, Washington will be a lost cause. Haskins is not ready, but will the Redskins play him anyway or try to piece together a respectable record by playing one of their veterans, Case Keenum or Colt McCoy? It’s a lose-lose situation for a chaotic and dysfunctional organization.
The focus of coach Jay Gruden’s offense will be running backs Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson, who needs to run like a desperate veteran with financial problems. The quarterbacks are in a tough spot behind a bad line minus elite left tackle Trent Williams and with no big-play receivers.
Washington ranked 15th in scoring defense (22.4) last season, and defense again will be the team’s strength. Four of the Redskins’ first five games — Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, New England — are against 2018 playoff teams, so it should be rough sailing early, and speculation will heat up about Gruden going down with the ship.
Last season, 12 NFL teams finished with six or fewer wins. The rebuilding Redskins, not the Giants, will sink to the bottom of the NFC East.
The plays: Redskins Under 6 wins (-110) at William Hill and Under 6 ½ wins (-140) at South Point in Las Vegas.