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It must suck for teams to be the thirteenth best team in the league or seventh best in your conference. The distinction usually means you were "almost good enough to be a playoff team" and no one ever remembers you were that close.
This year, the Washington Redskins are the odd man out as one team that had a down year in 2012 is likely to surge back into elite status in 2013. I also happen to be a Mike Shanahan detractor, so that is probably making a strong play in this decision.
13. Washington Redskins (2012 Record: 10-6)
There is a good chance Robert Griffin III has a sophomore slump as he works to come back from a rather horrible knee injury late last season. Unless he rehabs as well as Adrian Peterson, RG3 may not be as dynamic as he was last season and the Redskins as a whole could suffer for it.
I still give them a winning record, if only because Mike Shanahan has a knack for getting his teams at least close to .500. The Redskins draft wasn't great, but that is likely due to betting the farm on RG3 - a bet that is already paying off.
With Brian Orakpo coming back full strength, the Redskins defense should improve. It was tough to place them this low, but I do think the offense will not be as strong this season, so that's going to put pressure on their defense. I'll give them a winning record, but no playoff berth in the competitive NFC.
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