NFL Preview- Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins come into 2014 looking to bounce back from a dismal 2013.  They have a new head coach in offensive guru Jay Gruden, and, hopefully, they now have a fully healthy Robert Griffin III.  While Owner Dan Snyder deals with pressure from some members of Congress and several media pundits to change the team name, the Redskins are simply looking to get back to the playoffs with a new offensive scheme.

Griffin is entrenched at quarterback and is looking to bounce back from a tough year.  He rushed back from major knee surgery and it showed last year.  This year, Griffin is back to full health and needs to show that he can be that mainstay at QB the front office expects him to be.  If Griffin happens to go down with another injury, the Redskins have Kirk Cousins ready to step and has looked like he is ready to earn a starting spot somewhere in the NFL.

Pierre Garcon returns as the top wide receiver, but he may not keep that spot for long.  New acquisition DeSean Jackson could become Griffin's favorite target this year.  Either way, the two make for top notch duo for Griffin to throw to.  Santana Moss and Andre Roberts are also at Griffin's discretion.  Jordan Reed looks very much like one of the top tight ends in the league if he can stay healthy.

Alfred Morris returns for a chance at the rushing title.  Morris has been a great catch for Washington as a sixth round draft pick.  Roy Helu Jr. is also back to be the change of pace to Morris.  Helu is the better receiver of the two and will be used a lot in passing situations, but will also give Morris much-needed breathers.

On defense, Bryan Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan are back to lead the pass rush. London Fletcher has retired and they need to find his replacement in the middle of the defense.  DeAngelo Hall returns as the cornerstone of the secondary.  Brandon Merriweather and free-agent signee Ryan Clark add to the secondary at the safety positions.

Let's see how 2014 looks for the Redskins:

Week 1- Washington opens up in Houston to face the Texans.  With the better QB, the Redskins get the win and begin 1-0.

Week 2- The Redskins get an easy home-opening win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Skins are now 2-0.

Week 3- They head to Philadelphia, but are unable to keep up with the Eagles' offense.  Washington drops to 2-1.

Week 4- Just four days later, the Skins host the New York Giants and bounce back to their winning ways.  They jump up to 3-1.

Week 5- They host the defending Super Bowl champs, but it won't matter.  The Seahawks will put on a hard lesson on Washington.  Redskins are now 3-2.

Week 6- Washington heads west to Arizona and lose a tough game to the Cardinals.  They fall to 3-3.

Week 7- The Redskins get a nice home win against the Titans and are now 4-3.

Week 8- They head to Dallas to face their bitter rivals.  The Cowboys walk away with the first game after an exciting game.  Washington fall to 4-4.

Week 9- The Skins head to Minnesota and get a win against the struggling Vikings.  They get above .500 heading into their bye week at 5-4.

Week 10- A much-needed late season bye week.

Week 11- They host the up-and-coming Buccaneers and squeeze out a tough victory to get to 6-4.

Week 12- Washington heads west again to face the San Francisco 49ers again.  Griffin and company struggle to move the ball against the 49ers' defense and take a tough loss.  They are now 6-5.

Week 13- Another tough road game in Indianapolis, setting the top two QBs of the 2012 Draft.  Andrew Luck shows why he was the top pick with the win, in the first of what could be many classic battles between the two.  Skins drop to 6-6.

Week 14- They bounce back with a nice win over the struggling St. Louis Rams and improve to 7-6.

Week 15- The Redskins head to East Rutherford and earn the sweep against the Giants and get to 8-6.

Week 16- They host the Philadelphia Eagles and do better the second time around but still lose.  They are now 8-7.

Week 17- The Redskins close out against the Dallas Cowboys for what could be the final playoff spot.  Griffin has the game of his life to get the win.  Washington finishes the season at 9-7.

While there will be an improvement for the Redskins, Gruden will still have his fair share of struggles with a QB that still looks to run too soon in his progressions.  Griffin will remain an injury risk until he is able to fully evolve into a successful pocket passer.