The Washington Redskins are coming into the season with very high expectations after making the playoffs last season with Roger Griffin III and so far in the preseason things have looked good with a 22-21 victory over the Titans, but the team might be banged up next week against the Steelers for their Monday night preseason game.
Head coach Mike Shanahan is dealing with some injuries around the roster, including to Philip Thomas and wideout Donte Stallworth, as both are expected to be out next week. According to ESPN.com, Stallworth will miss the Steelers game next week with a hamstring issue and Shanahan said that he will need extra time to deal with it and heal up. Last season Stallworth made only one catch for 63 yards and a touchdowns and this season he could get a chance to contribute for the Redskins if he stays healthy.
Stallworth has been dealing with the hamstring issue during training camp and he will have to show that he can stay healthy to get past names like Pierre Garcon and Santana Moss in the receiving corps. Thomas left the game last week with a foot injury and the rookie will likely miss the preseason but should be ready for the regular season after not suffering a fracture or anything more serious.
Last season the Redskins made great headway in the development of RG3 and he appears to be an elite quarterback in the league going forward now and after going 10-6 to win the NFC East, the team is expecting those results again. The Redskins ranked 20th in passing and first in the league in rushing last year and while the defense ranked 30th in passing yards allowed, Shanahan is working to retool things to get more consistent next season. The team ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game and the Redskins feel that they are the team to best in the NFC East.
