The Washington Redskins closed the book on a turbulent 2016 campaign with a deflating Week 17 loss that ended their playoff hopes and raised fresh questions about the franchise’s direction. In a season defined by offensive firepower, defensive inconsistency, and high-stakes contract drama, Washington entered the regular-season finale with everything to play for and left with only what-ifs. This breakdown examines how a once-promising year unraveled at the finish line, what the final game revealed about the team’s core, and where the organization must turn its attention as it heads into a pivotal offseason.
Playoff Hopes Collapse as Washington Redskins Falter in Week 17 Spotlight
Under the bright lights and with the postseason on the line, Washington delivered its most uneven performance of the year, unraveling on both sides of the ball when composure was essential. Kirk Cousins, who had been the engine of the offense all season, struggled to find rhythm against a disciplined defensive front, forcing throws into tight coverage and missing on key third downs. The ground game provided little relief, as inconsistent run blocking and predictable play-calling allowed the defense to dictate tempo. Critical drops from receivers and a costly turnover in the red zone compounded those issues, turning what should have been scoring opportunities into stalled drives and frustrated sideline huddles.
Defensively, Washington failed to seize momentum, surrendering chunk plays at pivotal moments and showing familiar breakdowns in coverage that have haunted this unit all year. Missed tackles in space and a persistent inability to get off the field on third down exposed the lack of in-game adjustments. Key late-game sequences highlighted a team not ready for the pressure of a de facto elimination contest, as the defense bent and ultimately broke while the offense failed to respond. In the aftermath, the season’s narrative was distilled into a few crushing moments: an offense that couldn’t finish, a defense that couldn’t hold, and a roster that let its postseason shot slip away on home turf.
- Key Offensive Issues: Turnovers in critical territory, stalled red-zone drives, ineffective rushing attack.
- Defensive Breakdown: Soft coverage on third down, missed assignments, minimal pass rush in key series.
- Situational Failures: Poor two-minute execution, questionable play-calling, lack of discipline in crunch time.
| Category | First Half | Second Half |
|---|---|---|
| Points Scored | 10 | 3 |
| Third-Down Conversions | 4/8 | 2/9 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Rushing Yards | 48 | 27 |
Kirk Cousins Under the Microscope Offensive Inconsistencies Define Critical Loss
For all the optimism surrounding a contract-year quarterback, the season’s final act was a reminder that volatility still shadows Kirk Cousins’ production. Against a defense with little left to play for, he delivered a stat line that looked respectable on paper yet hollow in the game’s pivotal moments. Washington moved the ball between the 20s, but stalled when the reads tightened and the windows shrank, exposing familiar flaws in timing and decision-making. The quick-game concepts that had been a staple all year suddenly lacked rhythm, and the deep shots designed to stretch the secondary either arrived late or never came out of his hand at all.
The tape reveals a troubling pattern that defined this critical loss: inconsistency when the margin for error disappeared. Drives that should have ended in points were derailed by misfires, hesitation, and missed opportunities to exploit single coverage. In key sequences, Cousins’ mechanics and field vision wavered, leading to conservative checkdowns in aggressive situations and forced throws in obvious passing downs. The contrast between his early-script efficiency and late-game struggles was stark, underscoring why this performance will loom large in any offseason evaluation of his long-term future under center.
- Red-zone execution faded as pressure increased.
- Third-down reads often came late, killing momentum.
- Ball placement on intermediate routes lacked consistency.
- Pocket management broke down in obvious blitz looks.
| Situation | Attempts | Completions | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd & 6+ | 8 | 3 | 2 Punts, 1 INT |
| Red Zone | 5 | 2 | 1 FG, 0 TD |
| Final 5 Minutes | 7 | 2 | Turnover on Downs |
Defensive Shortcomings Exposed Missed Tackles Soft Coverage Doom Washington
For all the talk about offensive inconsistency, it was the defense that ultimately unraveled Washington’s postseason hopes. Angles were poor, pursuit lanes collapsed, and open-field tackling looked optional against a motivated New York offense. Missed one-on-one stops on the perimeter routinely turned short gains into drive-sustaining plays, putting added strain on a secondary already backing off the line of scrimmage. The cushion given to receivers on critical downs invited quick throws, allowing the Giants to dictate tempo and keep Washington’s pass rush neutralized. What should have been a physical, playoff-style contest instead exposed a unit that too often relied on splash plays rather than disciplined fundamentals.
The pattern was stark on film and on the stat sheet, with repeated breakdowns at all three levels of the defense. Safeties arrived late in support, linebackers overran cutback lanes, and cornerbacks struggled to shed blocks on the edge. Key moments underscored the broader trend:
- Open-field whiffs on third down extended drives that should have ended short of the sticks.
- Soft zones on the outside surrendered easy completions on hitches, slants and outs.
- Poor leverage allowed receivers to work inside releases uncontested in the red zone.
- Limited adjustments from the sideline left the same vulnerabilities exposed quarter after quarter.
| Defensive Metric | First Half | Second Half |
|---|---|---|
| Missed Tackles | 5 | 7 |
| Avg. Cushion (yds) | 6.5 | 7.2 |
| 3rd-Down Conversions Allowed | 5/8 | 4/7 |
What Must Change in 2017 Front Office Roster and Coaching Adjustments Needed Now
For Washington, the offseason begins with a hard look upstairs before any on-field fixes can be trusted. The front office must establish a unified vision on roster construction, locking in a clear philosophy on how to value draft capital versus short-term veteran patches. That means clarifying the power structure between the general manager, coaching staff and scouting department, then aligning it with a data-driven approach to player evaluation. Contract decisions on key contributors, especially at quarterback and along the defensive front, cannot repeat the year-to-year uncertainty that has undercut continuity. The franchise also needs to modernize its use of analytics, integrating it into game-planning, draft boards and free agency targets so that talent acquisition is proactive rather than reactive.
- Clarify the personnel decision-making hierarchy
- Rebuild depth on defense with a long-term blueprint
- Commit early on core offensive pieces to avoid distractions
- Integrate analytics fully into scouting and game strategy
| Area | 2016 Reality | 2017 Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive Identity | Inconsistent, reactive | Physical, assignment-sound |
| In-Game Adjustments | Slow, predictable | Aggressive, opponent-specific |
| Player Development | Veteran-heavy reliance | Defined roles for young talent |
On the sideline, the mandate is sharper execution and accountability. The coaching staff must overhaul its approach to situational football after repeated failures in red-zone efficiency, clock management and third-down defense. That will likely require staff reshuffling, particularly on the defensive side, and a renewed emphasis on fundamentals during practice. Scheme flexibility has to improve; coordinators need to tailor game plans to opponent weaknesses instead of leaning on static systems. With the division tightening and margins for error shrinking, Washington’s coaches must deliver cleaner game scripts, stronger halftime adjustments and a culture in which assignments are non-negotiable and underperformance, regardless of contract status, has consequences.
To Wrap It Up
As the curtain falls on the 2016 campaign, the Washington Redskins are left to confront a familiar reality: promise unfulfilled and questions unanswered. A season that once hinted at genuine progress instead closes with regrets over missed opportunities, uneven execution, and a failure to deliver when it mattered most.
The offseason will now bring hard decisions about personnel, coaching, and the long-term direction of the franchise. Contracts must be evaluated, schemes reexamined, and a roster with undeniable talent must be reshaped to produce more consistent results. For a team that flirted with contention but ultimately fell short, incremental improvement will no longer be enough.
In the coming months, the Redskins’ response to this setback will define more than just the 2017 season. It will determine whether 2016 is remembered as a frustrating detour on the path back to relevance-or as another missed chance in a cycle the organization still hasn’t fully broken.
