Washington Football Team 2020 Season Preview
Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Posted on 8/18/2020.
Washington Football Team Free Agency Recap
Washington signed Kyle Allen at quarterback to replace Case Keenum. On defense they added free safety Sean Davis from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Washington also got Cornellius Lucas a backup right tackle on the Chicago Bears and cornerback Kendall Fuller, a member of the Super Bowl 54 Champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Washington Football Team was less active in Free Agency compared to previous years so it will be interesting to see how this pans out.
Washington Football Team Draft Recap
The Washington Football Team took Chase Young second overall. It remains to be seen if Young ends up as an edge rusher at 4-3 defensive end or whether he temporarily moves to 4-3 right outside linebacker due to Washington having veterans like Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat at pass rusher. Washington has a gadget player in Antonio Gibson out of Memphis that they drafted in the third round. Their fourth round pick Saahdiq Charles was Joe Burrow's blindside at LSU. Wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden out of Liberty may end up starting at wide receiver next to Terry McLaurin.
Washington Football Team Quarterback Summary: Washington has three quality quarterbacks. Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith, and Kyle Allen will be competing for the starting quarterback job. Washington has Carolina Panthers quartterback coach Scott Turner, taking over as the offensive coordinator with Ken Zampese returning to the NFL as a quarterback coach. Zampese was Baker Mayfield's quarterbacks coach during his rookie season in Cleveland which is something to be optimistic about if Scott Turner makes the transition from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. Turner did well with Kyle Allen last year so I can't fault Ron Rivera for bringing his former quarterbacks coach to the Nations Capital where he will get the opportunity to be an offensive coordinator.
Washington Football Team Running Back Summary: Washington has Adrian Peterson, Bryce Love, and Antonio Gibson in their backfield. All three running backs are competing for the starting job, but Peterson seems like the front-runner to start at this point. Randy Jordan did well enough to retain his job as the running backs coach with the Washington Football Team as he's been their running back coach for at least three seasons.
Washington Football Team Wide Receiver Summary: Washington has moved their slot receiver Terry McLaurin into their number one receiver role. Also with Kelvin Harmon tearing his ACL, rookie Antonio Gandy-Golden out of Liberty is set to be the number two receiver that starts across from McLaurin. Trey Quinn and Dontrelle Inman are competing for the slot receiver job. Jim Hostler was the wide receivers coach with Carolina last year. He went to Washington with Rivera and Scott Turner and is now the wide receivers coach for the Washington Football Team.
Washington Football Team Tight End Summary: Jordan Reed is gone. They have five tight ends with Jeremy Sprinkle, Richard Rodgers, Marcus Baugh, Logan Thomas, and Thaddeus Moss. Pete Hoener was Carolina's tight ends coach from 2011-2019 as he coached Greg Olsen after Carolina got him following his tenure with the Bears. Now Hoener has a lot more tight ends to work with. The downside is none of these tight ends are as good as Greg Olsen.
Washington Football Team Offensive Line Summary: Washington will have competition at left tackle, left guard, and center. Before I break down those positions, I'd like to mention that Washington has a very strong right side of their offensive line with Brandon Scherff at right guard and Morgan Moses at right tackle.
The left tackle job will be a competition between Cornellius Lucas, the former backup to Bobbie Massie at right tackle on the Chicago Bears and Gerod Christian. Lucas only gave up 1 sack in 8 starts at right tackle with the Bears in over 500 snaps. Washington's offense can do something if he plays that well as Washington's left tackle. Honestly, both of these guys feel like downgrades over Donald Penn and Trent Williams. One depth chart I saw had Lucas as the left tackle, but a Washington reporter said that Christian was the starting left tackle in Training Camp so who knows who wins the left tackle job.
Wes Schweitzer and rookie Saahdiq Charles are competing for the left guard job. Chase Roullier is expected to beat out Ross Pierschbacher for the starting center job, but I feel like both Roullier and Pierschacher can be effective at center.
John Matsko was the offensive line coach with Carolina from 2011-2019. At least four offensive coaches that were with Ron Rivera in Carolina are on this staff in Washington.
Washington has the tools to be a top 25 offense in every category as long as these coaches make an impact right away. If they don't then it's going to be a long year for this football team in the Nations Capital.
Washington Football Team Defensive Line Summary: Washington's defensive line consists of Ryan Kerrigan at 4-3 right and Montez Sweat as their 4-3 left end. Washington has Daron Payne and Matt Iodannis at 4-3 defensive tackle. Right now Chase Young their rookie that they took second overall is the substitute defensive end. Washington also has Jonathan Allen as a substitute defensive tackle. Sam Mills III was the defensive line coach when Ron Rivera was in Carolina making him the fifth coach with Rivera to join Washington.
Washington Football Team Linebacker Summary: Thomas Davis will likely start at 4-3 right outside linebacker. He thrived at that position when he was with Ron Rivera in Carolina. Cole Holcolmb had 105 total tackles during his rookie season at 4-3 middle linebacker. The former Tar Heel asserted himself as a starting middle linebacker. Reuben Foster is determined to make a comeback and he's expected to start at 4-3 left outside linebacker.
Washington has three coaches that specialize in developing linebackers. Those coaches are head coach Ron Rivera, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, and linebackers coach Steve Russ who was the linebackers coach in Carolina.
Washington Football Team Defensive Backs Summary: Fabian Moreau is now the field cornerback after being the nickel cornerback his first two seasons before playing bounday cornerback last year. Moreau enters a contract year and this will be his first year facing number one receivers. Kendall Fuller is Washington's boundary cornerback after being a backup cornerback on the Super Bowl 54 Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Jimmy Moreland is the nickel cornerback. Landon Collins at strong safety and Sean Davis at free safety will be the strength of this defensive back unit with the Washington Football Team relying heavily on their safeties.
Chris Harris was an assistant defensive backs coach with the Los Angeles Chargers. Now he's the defensive backs coach for the Washington Football Team.
Washington has their best defense in years. Last year I said this team may have a top 10 defense on their hands if everyone is healthy. Injuries occurred last season, but this team is deeper at both defensive line and has potentially better starters and better coaches at linebacker. Washington also has strong safety play with cornerback being the biggest weakness on what appears to be a very strong defense on paper.
Washington Football Team Special Teams Summary: Dustin Hopkins has remained the starting kicker with Washington. Tress Way is the punter. Steven Sims Jr. takes over as the return specialist for kick returns and punt returns. Their special teams coordinator is Nate Kaczor who enters his second season as special teams coordinator. Kaczor helped Way make his first Pro Bowl and did well with Hopkins.
Washington Football Team Worst Case Scenario: The Washington Football team goes 0-16. This team gets ridiculed for changing their logo.
Washington Football Team Best Case Scenario: Washington goes 8-8. This team somehow manages to win 8 games with this staff. They have the second best front 7 in this division behind Dallas.
Washington Football Team 2020 NFL Schedule
Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Time |
Cable Network |
Result |
Week 1 |
September 13 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 2 |
September 20 |
AT  |
4:05 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 3 |
September 27 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 4 |
October 4 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 5 |
October 11 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 6 |
October 18 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 7 |
October 25 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 8 |
|
Bye Week |
|
|
|
Week 9 |
November 8 |
VS |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 10 |
November 15 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 11 |
November 22 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 12 |
November 26 |
AT |
4:30 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 13 |
December 6 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 14 |
December 13 |
AT  |
4:25 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 15 |
December 20 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 16 |
December 27 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 17 |
January 3 |
AT |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
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