Let’s Talk About the Redskins' (Very Slim) Chance of Making the Playoffs in 2019

When examining the comically inept NFC East standings with five weeks remaining in the 2019 regular season, a gif comes to mind.

Two trash cans — one gray, one green — slide down a street in the midst of a heavy rainstorm. Fittingly, the gray one (Dallas) is slightly ahead of the green one (Philadelphia), but both are trash.

Is there a more fitting way to describe those two teams and the rest of the division?

The Cowboys started hot in their first three games, ripping off wins against the lowly Giants, Redskins and Dolphins — teams now with a combined record of 8-28. Since then, Dallas has won 30% of their games and hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record but still lead the NFC (L)East at 6-7.

That’s because the Eagles, who entered the season with an over/under win total of 10 games — the fifth-highest mark in the league — have severely underwhelmed. Philadelphia lost in embarrassing fashion to Dallas in mid-October and has dropped its past three games, but with a win, the Eagles will be tied for first place in the division.

All of that means that, despite what’s been a trainwreck of a season so far, the Washington Redskins have a legitimate chance of pulling off one of the most improbable playoff pushes in NFL history.

If rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins and the Redskins upset the Green Bay Packers (9-3) at Lambeau Field on Sunday, things get interesting. Washington plays the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys, in that order, in weeks 15-17, though winning out won’t be enough.

The Redskins need four straight wins and help, including three losses from the Cowboys, who play the Rams, Eagles and Redskins to close the season, and three losses from the Eagles against the Giants, Redskins and Giants again to close the year.

Stranger things likely haven’t happened, but it’s fun to dream about what could be for Washington in its first season with Haskins and its last with former head coach Jay Gruden.

What won’t be fun is watching the dreadful football to be played in football’s worst division in the coming weeks, epitomized by what’s sure to be an ugly game on Monday night between the Giants and Eagles.

Yikes.