I actually think they have a respectably strong season under Shannahan in his third season. But I also think the strength of that team will be the defense, specifically the front 7.
I like their Dline - Stephen Bowen & Barry Coefield are underrated players. And they're getting a talented if yet unproven D-end in Jarvis Jenkins back from knee injury. He has the potential to be very good.
I like the linebackers of Kerrigan, Orakpo, and London Fletcher. But a very talented linebacker they have that I also really like is Perry Riley. He's been getting better every year. Probably will never be a superstar, but a solid, underrated player that I'd take in Dallas in a heart beat.
Their secondary isn't a strenght, so we'll be best served spreading them out a lot.
On offense, they have likely upgraded the QB position unless RGIII is hot garbage. And naturally they'll have a dynamic running game. Roy Helu came on last year as a receiver and runner. Evan Royster looked good as well. Both are perfect for Shannahans system, one cut and go.
The receivers I don't if I'm worried about or not. Josh Morgan and Pierre Garcon really don't do much for me. Maybe I'm still jaded from 2005, but Santana Moss is still the receiver I worry about most on that team.
We've beaten the Redskins three straight games, and we're 6-2 over the last 8. But aside from that 17-0 win to close the 2009 season, the margin of victory for the winning team during that stretch has been the following:
6 (7-13 Skins)
2 (24-26 Skins)
3 (33-30 Dallas)
2 (18-16 Dallas)
3 (27-24 Dallas)
1 (7-6 Dallas)
4 (14-10 Dallas)
I could easily see us losing to the Redskins at least once this year.
I could easily see the Giants struggling and not looking like a defending SB Champ (although I said that last year as well).
And I could easily see the Eagles having more problems, or Vick suffering an injury again.