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The Redskins(3-2) added another loss to the 49ers season, but it wasn’t a dominating win like some expected. The 49ers were in it until the end for a variety of reasons. The Redskins get the W and stay competitive in the NFC East with the division leading Philadelphia Eagles. Monday Night Football will answer a lot of questions about the division. The Redskins need the win to keep pace with the Eagles, and Philadelphia looks to firmly take control of the division early in the year. Disgusting.
The Redskins are in the 6 - 17 range this week, and the majority are in the Top 10, playoff range. The Eagles are at the top of the division with a 5-1 record, and are at the top 3 range of most power rankings this week. The Cowboys(2-3) continue to get bad news with retirements, failed free agents, Zeke getting suspended(for reals this time?), and giving Aaron Rodgers his last win of the year last week. But at least the Giants got a win this week. 1-5 is respectable, keep ruining that draft position New Jersey!
Redskins Week 7 Ranking Average: 10
Is their ranking too high or too low this week?
The Redskins could have put their game against the 49ers away earlier, but it was still a solid win. Chris Thompson continues to impress as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield. The defense was again solid, though there were a few times it let the 49ers off the hook.
Instead of making life miserable on C.J. Beathard, the Redskins allowed him to keep San Francisco in the game. There were far too many big pass plays from a guy seeing his first NFL action for my liking.
The Redskins' passing game is fantastic, though it would be nice to see Kirk Cousins getting the ball to Terrelle Pryor and Josh Doctson more. When the run game is clicking to complement the pass, the Washington offense can be lethal.
Overall, the Redskins are one of the better teams in the NFC.
It may seem odd for Washington to move up so much after beating the winless 49ers, but San Francisco is a tough opponent that competes hard every week. This is a team that was coming off a bye, that wasn't sharp and was missing its best defender in Josh Norman. It still found a way to win. That's the mark of a playoff contender. Last Week: 10
The Redskins "won" on Sunday. Welp, call the triumph over the 49ers "surviving in a parity-laden football league." With the win, Jay Gruden's squad sits nicely in the NFC East at 3-2, with one of its losses coming against the Chiefs, an AFC team. Those are the least damaging, as interconference losses play no special role in tiebreakers. Of course, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Washington is a decent team, but it can ill-afford costly turnovers like the ones made Sunday. Kirk Cousins' pick ended a drive in San Francisco territory, while Vernon Davis' fumble led to a Niner touchdown ( closssssssssse play). Love watching Chris Thompson, who reminds me of a former Redskin player who wore No. 25, Joe Washington. Don't love seeing all these Redskins defenders getting hurt. Last Week: 9
7. USA Today
They're off to better-than-expected start. But if Eagles complete season sweep Monday, Washington's NFC East title hopes probably cooked. Last Week: 11
7. Yahoo Sports
Chris Thompson finally got a chance to get significant carries. He turned 16 carries into … 33 rushing yards (he did have 105 receiving yards). That will be the last time Jay Gruden gives him that many carries. Last Week: 11
Last Week: 10
It’s a bit of a bummer that Washington gets the Eagles twice so early in the season. We’ll see if some of those injuries will hamper the effort next week as the team tries not to be buried further down in the division standings. Last Week: 8
For the first half of their game against the Niners, the Redskins looked like the on-the-rise team they’ve been telling people they are in 2017. In the second half, however, they looked like the same old Redskins who love to play down to their competition. There’s something to be said about gutting out a win in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, which Washington did, but this isn't one that’s going to do much for their resumé. Last Week: 9
Can't really get excited over beating the 49ers by two points, sorry. But I still think they're a solid team- and they beat the Rams earlier this year, so they get the nod for Top 10 honors. Last Week: 11
10. ESPN
This upcoming stretch for the Redskins is pretty brutal. They'll travel to Philadelphia, then host the Cowboys, then travel to Seattle, then host the Vikings and then travel to New Orleans. Four of those five teams are currently above .500, and the Cowboys went 13-3 last year. Last Week: 13
10. Washington Post
It was more interesting than it needed to be against the 49ers. But the Redskins now have beaten both of their former offensive coordinators turned head coaches, the Rams’ McVay and the Niners’ Kyle Shanahan, and there is every reason to believe that they will be the primary challenger to the Eagles in the NFC East. Last Week: 17
14. Sporting News
Kirk Cousins is starting to play better despite the fact that many of his top pass-catchers are struggling to get on the same page with him. He's also dealing with a tough coordinator change away from McVay. Last Week: 14
15. OddsShark
Last Week: 15
17. Chicago Tribune
They’ll be without first-round defensive lineman Jonathan Allen for Monday’s game in Philadelphia, and that’s a real loss. Last Week: 13