NFL Power Rankings 2018: Week 6 Edition. Redskins blow it in prime time

The Redskins are still in first place in the NFC East despite being embarrassed on Monday Night Football against the Saints. Thanks to the Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys all losing close games on Sunday, Washington stays on top of a weak NFC East. They took a fall in the power rankings, with 4 rankers actually putting the Redskins higher this week.

The Redskins continue to be hot and cold week to week as their 2-2 record shows. They play the Panthers at home this week, a team that barely beat the terrible Giants on Sunday. Adrian Peterson reportedly dislocated his shoulder yesterday, and his status will have a big impact on this week and the rest of the season. Can they rebound this week and maintain the lead in the division.

Where should this year’s Washington Redskins team be ranked?

Highest Ranking: W1: 14 W2: 8 W3: 12 W4: 7 W5: 7 W6: 13

Lowest Ranking: W1: 26 W2: 23 W3: 27 W4: 20 W5: 19 W6: 20

Average Ranking: W1: 20.5 W2: 15.5 W3: 22.7 W4: 15.1 W5: 14.3 W6: 16.4

13. Walter Football

Alex Smith remains a mediocre quarterback. But hey, at least the Redskins didn’t have a younger, more physically talented quarterback on their roster that they got rid of for him. Last Week: 12

14. CBS Sports(Prisco)

At 2-2, that wasn’t a good look coming off the bye against the Saints. Alex Smith needs to pick it up. Last Week: 7

14. USA Today

They hadn’t played in 15 days, and it showed Monday in New Orleans, where they got embarrassed. Still, 2-2 good enough for first place in NFC East. Last Week: 10

14. Fansided

Head coach Jay Gruden has been relying the veteran combination of quarterback Alex Smith and running back Adrian Peterson. The latter ran for 236 yards and three scores on 56 carries during the club’s 2-1 start. As usual, the efficient Smith turned over the ball just once in three games while hitting on 68.8 percent of his throws for 767 yards and four touchdowns. But the real story to date was the play of the Washington defense, which allowed only 278 total yards per game and six offensive touchdowns in 12 quarters. And if that side of the football can remain effective, the Redskins are a legitimate threat in the division. Last Week: 16

15. Yahoo Sports(Schwab)

Maybe they just got a terrible scheduling spot, having to play the Saints on prime-time when the Mercedes-Benz Superdome would be rocking on Drew Brees’ record-setting night. The Redskins better hope that’s the case, because they looked really bad on Monday night. Last Week: 18

15. NJ.com

This team is one of the most intriguing in the NFC moving forward, and perhaps the biggest threat to steal the division from the Eagles. Last Week: 14

15. Bleacher Report

There’s no shame in losing to the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. The Saints are one of the best teams in the NFL.

But the way the Redskins were waxed Monday night has to be concerning for head coach Jay Gruden. A unit that entered the night first in the NFL in scoring defense had no answer whatsoever for Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense.

Washington was blitzed for 43 points and almost 450 total yards. The Saints could have had more—they chewed the last 10 minutes off the game clock before taking mercy on a Redskins defense that was thoroughly outclassed.

Alex Smith and the offense weren’t much better. Smith threw for 275 yards, but a big chunk of that was in garbage time. And Smith turned it over twice. Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson were non-factors—Washington gained just 39 yards on the ground and averaged only 2.2 yards per carry.

In a week in which the NFC East went winless, the Redskins are still in first place.

But with the Panthers coming to the nation’s capital Sunday, that may not be for long. Last Week: 19

15. Sporting News

The Redskins got an early bye to figure out how to get their passing game going with Alex Smith, but that didn’t show against the Saints. At least they’re still leading a weak NFC East that’s any team’s division. Last Week: 14

16. Athlon Sports

It was an awful weekend in the NFC East but nobody can feel worse about how things went than the Redskins given how they were nearly run out the building in New Orleans. At least they remain in first place but you can see that there’s a clear game plan to make Alex Smith uncomfortable and put this team on their heels. Last Week: 15

17. Washington Post

The Redskins had no answers Monday night for Drew Brees and the Saints. No one should have expected the Redskins to go to New Orleans and win. But they certainly should have played better than that. Last Week: 14

17. The Score

With all three of their division rivals losing Sunday, the Redskins had a chance to assert their dominance over the NFC East on Monday night. Washington proved it’s not ready to take that step. Last Week: 15

17. Pro Football Weekly

What a strange team this is Last Week: 17

17. ESPN

Rest-of-season SOS ranking: 8th. The Redskins’ toughest game this season is at Jacksonville in Week 15, where they have a 35.5 percent chance of winning, according to FPI. Last Week: 19

17. NumberFire

Last Week: 13

17. OddsShark

Last Week: 13

18. Bleeding Green Nation

Monday night’s game showed why Washington’s ceiling is ultimately capped with Alex Smith. He’s not reliable enough to get you a win in a shootout against a much better quarterback. Last Week: 12

18. Houston Chronicle

Washington had a bye week and two weeks to prepare for New Orleans and Drew Brees and got blown out at the Superdome, anyway. Last Week: 12

18. NFL.com(Harrison)

That deal got away quick Monday night, aye? The Redskins’ defense, which entered Week 5 ranked third in both passing defense and total D, couldn’t cover Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith or maybe even Joe Horn. Dudes were running wiiiiiiide open. Any window the Redskins had to crawl back into the game closed quickly when Alex Smith was picked in the third quarter. Trailing 33-13, Smith badly underthrew an open Maurice Harris, with the errant throw wobbling into the waiting arms of Justin Hardee, who returned the ball 77 yards to the end zone’s doorstep. Turned out to be a 14-point swing. With an accurate throw, Harris could’ve walked into the end zone. The Saints walked over the Redskins instead. Last Week: 15

19. Sports Illustrated

The good news for the Redskins is that they still sit alone in first place after all four NFC East teams lost this week. Last Week: 17

19. SB Nation

Last Week: 17

20. NESN

Fresh off a Week 4 bye, the ‘Skins got lit up by the Saints in Week 5. Washington still is the default leader in the NFC East, which tells you how much of a dumpster fire that division is. Last Week: 19