Here's a look at the remaining games slated for the Redskins following the Week 5 bye. Washington has yet to play two of their division rivals and will have two trips to the West Coast before the season's end.
The Washington Redskins had a grueling first quarter of the season.
Pro Football Reference ranked Washington's four-game slate as the toughest in the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs all sit atop their divisions. The only Redskins opponent not leading their division would be the Oakland Raiders, who recently lost Derek Carr to a multiple-week injury.
Luckily for Washington, the remaining 12 games on the schedule rank among the easiest in the league right now according to FootballOutsiders.com, with many teams posting records below .500 four games into the season.
Here's a look at what's ahead for the Redskins for the rest of the regular season:
Week 6: San Francisco 49ers (0-4, 4th place in NFC West)
Top Passer: Brian Hoyer (858 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions)
Check out the top photos from Weeks 1 through 4 from the Redskins' 2017 season.
Top Rusher: Carlos Hyde (321 yards, 2 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Pierre Garçon
(20 receptions, 285 yards, 0 touchdowns)
The 49ers seemed to have an immediate upgrade at receiver after acquiring former Redskins starter Pierre Garçon in the offseason. However, Garçon's numbers do not quite match up to last year's. This is not at all aided by quarterback Brian Hoyer's high interception total and inability to score in the red zone. The offense has been outscored 49-14 through the air.
The defense is an area that has exceeded expectations. San Francisco has the sixth-highest rate of quarterback pressures through four weeks.
Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles (3-1, 1st place in NFC East)
Top Passer: Carson Wentz (1058 yards, 6 touchdowns, 2 interceptions)
Top Rusher: LeGarrette Blount (249 yards, 1 touchdown)
Top Receiver: Zach Ertz (26 receptions, 326 yards, 1 touchdown)
Quarterback Carson Wentz has refined his game after a bumpy rookie campaign. He already has a third of the passing yards he accumulated last year.
After defeating the Redskins at FedExField in Week 1, snapping a five-game losing streak against Washington, the Eagles will have the comfort of a home crowd in the battle for the NFC East crown.
Tight end Zach Ertz may lead the team in receiving yards, but new addition Alshon Jeffery gives the Eagles a legitimate deep threat at receiver. Jeffery has 215 yards on 17 catches this season with two touchdowns.
Week 8, Week 13: Dallas Cowboys (2-2, 2nd place in NFC East)
Top Passer: Dak Prescott (941 yards, 8 touchdowns, 3 interceptions)
Top Rusher: Ezekiel Elliott (277 yards, 2 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Dez Bryant (16 receptions, 212 yards, 2 touchdowns)
There has been plenty of drama on and off the field for the Dallas Cowboys. Running back Ezekiel Elliot has broken 100 yards on the ground just once through four games and averages two yards fewer per carry compared to last year.
Meanwhile, quarterback Dak Prescott, who only had four interceptions in 2016, has nearly reached that mark through four games.
On defense, the Cowboys have a gem in defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, who leads the NFL in sacks with 7.5. Rookie linebacker Jaylon Smith has also been a force to reckon with, recording a team-high 34 tackles.
The Cowboys were favorited by pundits to win the NFC East before the year began, but so far have just one less loss than they did during the entire 2016 season.
Week 9: Seattle Seahawks (2-2, 2nd place in NFC West)
Top Passer: Russell Wilson (1024 yards, 7 touchdowns, 2 interceptions)
Top Rusher: Chris Carson (208 yards, 0 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Doug Baldwin (23 receptions, 247 yards, 1 touchdown)
Seattle knows how to win with just a few key elements: strong defense and crafty playmaking from Russell Wilson.
Wilson, the team's second leading rusher with 138 yards, has been on the run for most of the season due to a shaky offensive line. Eddy Lacy was brought in during the offseason to fill in as the ground-and-pound running back, a spot previously occupied by Marshawn Lynch. So far, Lacy has been ineffective, notching only 55 yards.
The Seahawks have outscored opponents 108 to 63 and held their last opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, to just three points in the second half of a big victory. The Seattle defense has only allowed a team to score more than 18 just once this season.
Week 10: Minnesota Vikings (2-2, 3rd place in NFC North)
Top Passer: Case Keenum (755 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions)
Top Rusher: Dalvin Cook (354 yards, 2 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Stefon Diggs (22 receptions, 391 yards, 4 touchdowns)
The Vikings looked like the team to beat in the North after quarterback Sam Bradford led his team to a 29-19 win over the New Orleans Saints in the regular season opener. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Bradford went down with a knee injury. It looked like the Vikings would rely on the running game to carry the offense, but rookie tailback Dalvin Cook tore his ACL while making a cut against the Detroit Lions in Week 4.
Now, the Vikings have relied but quarterback Case Keenum and receiver Stefon Diggs to help put points on the board, which may still be the case by Week 10 when the Redskins host Minnesota at FedExField.
The defense remains the one constant for the team, allowing an average of 19 points per game. The team excels in creating interceptions, totaling three on the season, at times but has yet to force a fumble. The run defense has also been impressive, allowing just 285 yards on the ground through four games.
Week 11: New Orleans Saints (2-2, 4th place in NFC South)
Top Passer: Drew Brees (1135 yards, 8 touchdowns, 0 interceptions)
Top Rusher: Mark Ingram (170 yards, 0 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Michael Thomas (25 receptions, 310 yards, 2 touchdowns)
At 38 years old, Drew Brees continues to defy his age. Currently the league's fourth-leading passer, Brees averages 276.5 yards per game as he inches closer to the NFL's all-time passing record.
At running back, Adrian Peterson seems to have taken a backseat in head coach Sean Payton's offense. The 11-year veteran has only 27 carries on the year for 81 yards.
The defense was the biggest concern for the Saints during their first three games. New Orleans had the second highest yards allowed per game heading into Week 4, but quickly turned things around in London, shutting out the Miami Dolphins. By Week 11, it should be clear whether this defensive performance was a fluke, or if serious improvement has been underway in the Big Easy.
Week 12, Week 17: New York Giants (0-4, 4th place in NFC East)
Top Passer: Eli Manning (1113 yards, 6 touchdowns, 4 interceptions)
Top Rusher: Paul Perkins (61 yards, 0 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Sterling Shephard (21 receptions (254 yards, 1 touchdown)
The Giants' 0-4 start might be the biggest surprise in the NFL. Turnovers have played a large part in New York's journey to the bottom of the league.
Manning has thrown the ball to defenders four times, while opposing quarterbacks have yet to throw a pick against the Giants' defense.
The team brought in receiver Brandon Marshall during the offseason to compliment Odell Beckham Jr., but neither wideout has played up to par. Sterling Shephard, however, has burst onto the scene as the Giant's leading receiver, gaining 49 more yards than Beckham and 54 more yards than Marshall.
The Giants have also been seriously outgained on the ground. Opponents have run for 571 yards against New York's defense, while the Giants' own backs have only managed 237 yards.
Washington's last game of the season will be played at MetLife Stadium, and the outcome may shape the final standings of the NFC East.
Week 14: Los Angeles Chargers (0-4, 4th place in AFC West)
Top Passer: Philip Rivers (1107 yards, 6 touchdowns, 4 interceptions)
Top Rusher: Melvin Gordon (168 yards, 2 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Keenan Allen (24 receptions, 334 yards, 1 touchdown)
Facing two teams who started 0-4 may be the morale boost Washington needs heading into the final stretch of the season.
The recently relocated Chargers have had trouble maintaining consistency on defense. Los Angeles ranks last in yards allowed after first contact with 2.6 and has been outgained on the ground 654 yards to 270 yards.
Meanwhile, quarterback Philip Rivers has caught the interception bug, not at all helped by the fact that he has been sacked six times this season.
This isn't to say the Chargers have been a pushover all season. Excluding a 14-point loss to the Chiefs, the Chargers have been outscored by an average of 2.3 points.
Week 15: Arizona Cardinals (2-2, 3rd place in NFC West)
Top Passer: Carson Palmer (1282 yards, 5 touchdowns, 5 interceptions)
Top Rusher: Chris Johnson (93 yards, 0 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Larry Fitzgerald (26 receptions, 276 yards, 2 touchdowns)
It's never good when a quarterback's touchdowns and interceptions totals are equal and his sack total of 17 tops the NFL. However, Carson Palmer and the Arizona offense have found ways to win by the narrowest of margins.
The Cardinals never meant to lean on Palmer's arm, but a Week 1 injury to running back David Johnson severely limited Arizona's ground game.
The defense has created opportunities but has failed to capitalize, forcing four fumbles but never recovering. Three interceptions have led to better field position for the offense, but if Arizona wants to hold its own against Washington, Palmer will have to keep the ball away from Josh Norman and the rest of the Redskins' secondary. So far, Washington's secondary has done well in creating turnovers.
Week 16: Denver Broncos (3-1, 2nd place in AFC West)
Top Passer: Trevor Siemian (888 yards, 7 touchdowns, 4 interceptions)
Top Rusher: C.J. Anderson (330 yards, 1 touchdown)
Top Receiver: Demaryius Thomas (18 receptions, 247 yards, 0 touchdowns)
After once again earning the starting role in the offseason, quarterback Trevor Siemian has performed admirably through 2017. However, his 13 sacks are tied for fifth highest in the league. When the offensive line struggles in pass protection, it exceeds expectations in creating running lanes. C.J. Anderson and the rest of the Denver running attack has outrushed opponents by 369 yards.
This is, in part, due to the best facet of Denver's game: the defense. The front seven contained running backs to 2.4 yards per carry and allowed an average of 50.8 yards a game. The unit also has two recovered fumbles and four interceptions on the year.
Luckily for the Redskins, the Broncos will have to descend from their mile-high city and meet Washington at FedExField for the last home game of the season.
