With less than a week away until the 2020 NFL season kicks off for Washington, it’s time to delve back into the schedule and look towards the future.
While Washington is expected to be a bit better than they were last year, their schedule doesn’t get easier, with a brutal stretch of games to open up the season. Right off the bat, Washington starts with games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Los Angeles Rams. A couple of winnable games are mixed into the middle of the season, but a finishing stretch of games again, the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks is a rough way to finish the season.
With all of this being said, Washington has the 12th hardest SOS entering 2020, based on Football Outsider’s DVOA. Here’s how our friends over at USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire broke it all down.
Average Opponent DVOA: 0.1%
Ron Rivera has navigated quite the road in his new job as the head coach of the Washington Football Team. Scandal continues to rock Washington, with owner Dan Snyder under the microscope for a culture of sexual harassment that goes all the way to his desk.
On the field, Washington looks to continue the development of second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins, recently named the starter. Games against Dallas and Philadelphia will be tough tests, as will dates with the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers, all teams rated highly by DVOA.
We’ll see if Washington can manage the tough stretches and pick up some easy wins when they are available. but it might be smart to keep your expectations low for yet another season.
