Throwback Thursday: The Redskins at 2-2

Fight for Old DC: The Redskins at 2-2 in 2012

The last time the Redskins started 2-2, they managed to come away with their first NFC East title in 13 years. The Redskins' tackled the New Orleans Saints (40-32, win), the St. Louis Rams (28-31, loss), the Cincinnati Bengals (31-38, loss), and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (24-22, win) in three away games and one home game.

After a 2-2 start, the team ended up 3-6 at the bye, but came storming back with a six game winning streak to finish 10-6. Their offensive attack, consisting of rookies Alfred Morris and Robert Griffin III propelled the team to the #1 rushing attack in the league, and players walked away with league-wide recognition for their excellence. RGIII won Offensive Rookie of the Year, and six players (RGIII, Morris, Trent Williams, Lorenzo Alexander, London Fletcher, and Ryan Kerrigan) took a trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.

Modern Day State of Affairs: The Redskins at 2-2 in 2015

With three more games until the bye week, there's a chance the Redskins could be something like 3-4 after week 7.  When you consider the drama of the off season, the injuries to expected key pieces of the Redskins' puzzle, and the questions about how McCloughan and Gruden's first year together would go, the fact that the Redskins have a chance at being .500 at the midway point in the year is something that should give fans hope.

In the first quarter of the 2015 season, the burgundy and gold are off to a somewhat surprising 2-2 start.  Their home vs. away ratio was the complete opposite of 2012's, as they played three home games and one away game.  They took on the Miami Dolphins (10-17, loss), the St. Louis Rams (24-10, win), the New York Giants (21-32, loss), and thePhiladelphia Eagles (23-20, win).  At this point in their schedule, the Redskins have already played two of their six division games of the season, and they've walked away with a 1-1 division record.

And the winner is...

Totally dependent on what you want from your team.  If you want a division championship (followed by a broken quarterback and a chaotic off season), then 2012 is your winner.  If you want a team that may not win a division championship this year, but is building a solid foundation with a strong defensive front seven and an offense that is leaning on the run game and dominating the time of possession battle, then 2015 is your winner.  I think I'll take the potential for long term success that comes from this year's team over the one year flash of the 2012 season.