Denver Broncos Opponent Preview: Washington Redskins

Our final 2017 Opponent Preview brings us to the Nation’s Capital. The Broncos will face their final NFC opponent in Week 16, the Washington Redskins.

The Denver Broncos have never had an NFC opponent this late in the season for quite some time. In fact, since the 2012 meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Broncos have never faced an NFC opponent past the month of November in the regular season. That changes when the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins face off on a Christmas Eve afternoon game.

This will be the final time this season that the Denver Broncos play at the 1 PM time slot. It will be great for the players to get this game out of the way in order to get on the plane home to spend it with their families.

For both of these teams, it will be an interesting game.  We could see both the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins in the discussion for the playoffs by the time this game kicks off. While it will not be a conference matchup for either team, a win could propel them to the playoffs.

However, on paper, it appears as if the Denver Broncos are the better team. The Washington Redskins look like a team that could be rebuilding soon, in my opinion. The team franchise tagged Kirk Cousins for the second year in a row. It is uncertain if he returns in 2018.

And with the NFC East looking to get younger, this could be a long season for Washington. But I would not be surprised if they won a few games during the year to keep things interesting.

Let us take a look at what the Washington Redskins have done this offseason.

2017 NFL Draft

Jonathan Allen, Defensive End, Alabama

Ryan Anderson, Linebacker, Alabama

Fabian Moreau, Cornerback, UCLA

Samaje Perine, Running Back, Oklahoma

Montae Nicholson, Safety, Washington

Jeremy Sprinkle, Tight End, Arkansas

Chase Roullier, Center, Wyoming

Robert Davis, Wide Receiver, Georgia State

Josh Harvey-Clemons, Safety, Louisville

Joshua Holsey, Cornerback, Auburn

Key Arrivals: Terrelle Pryor (WR), Stacy McGee (DT), Terrell McClain (DT), D.J. Swearinger (CB)

Key Departures: Desean Jackson (WR), Pierre Garcon (WR), Chris Baker (DE)

Closing Remarks

Depending on where both teams are when Week 16 comes around, this could be interesting for one or both teams. I would say that the Denver Broncos have the edge in this game on paper. The defense could be too much for Kirk Cousins to handle.

And with not a lot of weapons, this could be a long day for their NFC opponent. There could be a chance if Cousins stays clean as far as being pressured and turnovers and has a big day.

If the Denver Broncos are in playoff contention when this game kicks off, this should be chalked up as a win. But the Washington Redskins can be tricky if they can get their game going early.

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Whomever starts at quarterback for the Broncos will need to be on their A game against the Washington Redskins. And I could see either Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch having a solid game against them.

That is why the game is played on the field. It should be an interesting game if both teams are in the playoff hunt by Week 16.