Well, the NFL Football season has come to an end, and it is time to wrap up the Redskins 2019 season. All I can say is that the future of our team depends on what happens with the quarterback position next season. Dwayne Haskins’s development going forward is the critical factor here. Alex Smith is still out there recovering, making public statements about playing again. Plus, there are a bunch of questions surrounding this team.
1-Dwayne Haskins will have to beat out Smith for the starting job?
If Alex Smith is healthy, of course. There should be a quarterback competition in training camp and Haskins will have to earn the starting job.
2-Will they trade away the number 2 pick for a bunch of picks? Or Are they all in on Chase Young?
They should be all in on Chase Young. Our defense will be elite with Young in the roster. We are a few pieces away from becoming elite.
3- Figure out the Trent Williams situation.
Get him back at all costs. It’s a no brainer, Trent is probably the best left tackle in all of football.
4- Re-sign Brandon Scherff.
An essential piece of our offensive line.
5- Keep Adrian Peterson.
Peterson Has been the most consistent running back the last two seasons for the ‘skins. He is an excellent insurance policy in case Derrius Guice gets injured again. Even our young running backs have not produce like Peterson has produced the last two years.
6– Draft a Tight End or pick one up on Free agency.
Vernon Davis is retiring. Jordan Reed did not play for the entire season, so the new medical staff needs to evaluate him, and if he is not ready to contribute, they need to release him. We are going to need some experienced tight ends to come in and help immediately. Greg Olsen just became available, and I’m sure he would love to reunite with Rivera.
7-Release Josh Norman, or re-sign him at a lower price.
I would be ok with Norman staying if he reconfigures his contract. I feel like he can still contribute with experience and leadership. Norman’s connection to Rivera is important, especially with understanding Rivera’s defensive schemes, but it was apparent early in the season that Norman was no longer an elite corner.
All those questions will be at the very center of the entire fan base during this offseason. The next few months will be interesting to see how this new coaching staff prepares and approaches the upcoming NFL draft. It is a new era at Redskins park, not just a new coaching staff, but also a revamp of the front-office personnel, which is something previous coaching staffs like the Shanahan staff or the Gruden staff did not have. Both coaching regimes had to deal with the same fron-office politics and incompetence. Rivera will start things off with a clean slate. I’m beyond excited for what the future holds for my Redskins, a new era, and a new season starts now!!
SUPER BOWL GAME
Chiefs 31-49ers 20
It was 10-10 at halftime, and it looked like the 49ers running game was starting to suffocate the chiefs defense. By the end of the 3rd quarter, San Francisco was up 20-10 and seemed to be running away into victory. But for whatever reason, Kyle Shanahan got away from running the ball and put it all on Jimmy Garapolo’s hand, big mistake. Jimmy G failed to get anything going, he overthrew Emmanuel Sanders on a play where Sanders had outrun the Chiefs DBs for what should’ve been a runaway touchdown and at this point, it became evident that the momentum had entirely switched over to Kansas City. Pat Mahomes turned it on, and the Chiefs defense kept the pressure on, and it was basically all she wrote. And although, Mahomes made plays when it counted, still, he struggled to dominate like he did during the playoffs. The 49ers defense made things difficult for Mahomes. None of these two quarterbacks had a good game, but Mahomes was good in the 4th quarter when it mattered. Kansas City’s much-maligned defense put the 49ers away with pressure and interceptions. Steve Spagnuolo has now overseen two Super Bowl-winning defenses—very impressive. Andy Reid has finally won a Super Bowl, and Kansas City has their second Lombardi trophy after 50 years.
All in all, it was a pretty good game. It was a great game to end the season. I have a feeling that these two franchises will be back contending for another Super Bowl next season. Look, San Francisco was the better team for sure, but the 49ers need to address Jimmy G’s future in this offense. Quarterback play made the difference here, especially towards the end of the game, and its clear Garappolo is the weakest link for San Francisco. Maybe they should cut him loose and pick some more experienced free-agent quarterback. Possibly Tom Brady could be an option. The Chiefs will continue to get better and better, but I believe the Raiders will be their biggest divisional foe in the years to come.
Signing off my football blog until the Draft….
Rod Rioja 