Week 5 is too soon to call a game a “must-win.” But the Redskins have a huge opportunity Monday when the franchise takes on the New Orleans Saints in primetime.
Not only would a win propel them to a 3-1 record, but Washington could also extend its first-place lead in the NFC East after the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys lost on Sunday.
The Redskins last played a game in Week 3 and in that time, the NFC East is a combined 1-5 — giving Washington the chance to have a one-and-a-half-game lead in the division.
Now 2-3, the Eagles fell to Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings in a 23-21 loss.
The Cowboys, too, sit at 2-3 after a 19-16 overtime loss to the Houston Texans. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett made a controversial decision to punt the ball on fourth-and-1 in overtime from the Texans 42, setting up a Houston game-winning drive.
But the Giants (1-4) might have had the most heartbreaking loss of the afternoon. Following a comeback by Eli Manning, the Panthers marched down the field with 1:08 left to set up a game-winning 63-yard field goal from kicker Graham Gano.
This season, the Redskins have been inconsistent when it comes to recognizing key moments.
Washington snapped a four-game losing streak to start the season under coach Jay Gruden, though blew the chance to start 2-0 by losing 21-9 to the Indianapolis Colts in its home opener. The Redskins, though, came back the next week and pulled off an upset win over the Green Bay Packers.
The Saints are another test for the Redskins in that regard.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.