The Washington Redskins had a pretty good season last year. In 2005, they won some games they shouldn’t have won, but they made the playoffs. While their defense played above their talent level, the offense was a bit lacking at times. Will this year be different? Let’s find out by breaking down the main units of the equipment.

quarterbacks

Who is the quarterback? Mark Brunell is growing in years and is not consistent. He is 36 years old and showed signs of wear and tear last season. Expect him to play well in the first 5-8 games of the season and for him to go down. If he gets hurt or tired, who takes his place? The answer is Todd Collins, if you call that an answer. Collins is a decent backup, but that’s about it. The Redskins are average in this area.

runners

The Redskins are above average in the running game thanks to Clinton Portis. I’m looking for him to have a solid year running the ball. They have solid players at fullback. The running game could become the bright spot of the offense this year. Manuel White, winger, broke his leg last year. He will have the opportunity to produce this season. If he can stay healthy, White will be a great addition to the running game.

receivers

Is this receiver core worth anything? On the surface, it looks like the Redskins are average in the receiving game, but there’s more underneath. They acquired Antwaan Randle El from the Steelers. It could be just what they need to further stretch opposing defenses. Between Randle El and Santana Moss, opposing defenses could be very busy. The downside is that Randle El also has the potential to be a huge bust.

Defense and Special Teams

The defense is expected to perform well in 2006. The secondary is above average. Shawn Springs is now 31 years old and can still cover well. His main problem is staying healthy. Carlos Rogers showed the potential to justify picking him number one in the 2005 draft. The rest of the defense is pretty average. They need to perform above their potential to give the Redskins a real shot at winning big games.

2006 prediction

I think last season was a fluke. The Redskins were the recipients of some lucky rebounds. I count 5 games they could have easily lost, some of which they should have lost. The fact is; the 2005 Redskins could have gone 7-11 or 6-12. Not much has changed for them this year and their schedule is much more complicated. There are only four games against fairly weak opponents: New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams. Even those four games are not guaranteed. The Redskins should contend for the basement in the NFC East this season. Getting to 8-8 will be a real achievement. The playoffs are going to have to wait until at least 2007 for this team.