Washington Redskins' Playoff Chances Likely Ended With Loss To Philadelphia Eagles, Key Injuries

It’s hard to believe it was just a few weeks ago that the Washington Redskins were 6-3 and in control of the NFC East. The team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Monday night extended their losing streak to three games and probably ended any hope they had of reaching the playoffs.

Washington’s deficit isn’t exactly insurmountable. The Redskins are a game behind the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the division, and they trail the Minnesota Vikings by a half-game for the conference’s final wild-card spot. Too many key injuries, however, will make it difficult for Washington to end the season on a hot streak.

Maybe the Redskins could’ve survived losing Alex Smith for the season with a broken leg and replacing him with backup quarterback Colt McCoy. Now that McCoy is done for the year and Mark Sanchez is the No.1 quarterback on the roster, Washington has little chance to make a late-season run.

Sanchez posted a 53.7 passer rating when he came into Monday’s game, completing 13 of 21 passes for 100 yards and an interception in the 28-13 loss. The quarterback hadn’t thrown a pass since Week 17 of the 2016 season.

The Redskins do have a fairly easy remaining schedule. None of their final four games will come against teams that currently have a record above .500. They play the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, both of whom are in last place, over the next two weeks. Washington will conclude the season on the road against the Tennessee Titans and at home against Philadelphia.

Three straight losses have dropped the Redskins to the No.9 seed in the NFC. They’ve got the same record as the Eagles and Carolina Panthers but don’t currently hold the tiebreaker. Washington does have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Carolina if it comes down to that.

The Redskins rank 27th in total offense and 19th in total defense.