Thursday, November 11, 2021

Washington Football Team Week 10 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Washington Football Team rank in terms of average, best and worst:

  • Average ranking: 27.4 (27th)
  • Best ranking: 27th (Multiple)
  • Worst ranking: 28th (Multiple)

Below you will find a Week 10 roundup for Washington in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 27

Bold second-half prediction: Washington will finish with a 5-12 record.

That record will qualify as a huge disappointment after a 5-2 finish last season led to bigger expectations in Ron Rivera's second season. But Washington will be lucky to even be favored in more than two games the rest of this season -- it still plays Tampa Bay, Seattle (with Russell Wilson most likely), Las Vegas and two vs. Dallas. Rivera's teams typically improve in the second half of the season -- 42-30 in his career in a full second half. Also, of the five times his teams were under .500 in the first half, they posted a winning record in the second half four times. However, with lackluster quarterback play combined with numerous injuries and a difficult schedule, a turnaround will be exceptionally difficult. -- John Keim

NFL.com -- Rank: 28

Much was made of Washington's fearsome front seven entering the season. Anchored by a pair of rising stars in Chase Young and Montez Sweat, the belief was that Young & Sweaty (my nickname, not theirs) would disrupt game plans on a weekly basis and put Washington in position to successfully defend its NFC East title. It hasn't worked out that way. Young, last year's No. 2 overall pick, has disappointed with just 1.5 sacks, and Sweat is now on the shelf for up to a month after sustaining a broken jaw in Week 8's loss to the Broncos. Ron Rivera's defense was built to win up front -- it's just one of many things that haven't come together as planned for the Football Team.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 27

Coming out of their bye, they have to hope they can turn things around quickly as one of the biggest flops of the year. It won't be an easy start to that process with the Bucs on tap.

USA Today -- Rank: 28

A loss to the Bucs on Sunday will drop the WFT to 2-7 -- exactly where they were a year ago before sprinting to the NFC East crown. Just sayin' ... history.

The Athletic -- Rank: 27

Are they good? Not hardly. At least they have injuries to blame on offense, with Ryan Fitzpatrick out since the opener and Curtis Samuel practically the same. On defense, this is a bottom-five unit in yards and points allowed, and now they're without Montez Sweat for a month. Maybe the prospect of facing Tom Brady can wake Chase Young up from a far-too-quiet sophomore season, with just 1 1/2 sacks and only four total QB hits. We want to say "they were 2-6 last year and won the division" but we just can't do it, even as bad as Dallas looked against Denver.

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