A new coaching staff and fresh regime have instilled the Washington Redskins with an influx of confidence for the future seasons. With quarterback Dwayne Haskins at the helm, a solid stable of offensive stars around him, and a dominant defense doing its thing, a feeling that this team can finally crawl out of the league’s basement is everpresent in Washington.

Be careful about getting your hopes up too early, though. The 2020 season could potentially be another tough one to watch.

When the NFL schedules were released last week, we predicted that the Redskins would go 5-11 next year, missing the playoffs once again, of course. ESPN predicted 6-10. Now that some time has passed, USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire has given their two cents, and they think Washington will finish at 3-11, right back where they were in 2019.

Ron Rivera is taking on a rebuilding project in Washington. He will have Chase Young to add to the defense. Another Ohio State product, Dwayne Haskins, could be the biggest challenge for Rivera if Washington doesn’t look to add a savvy veteran. Cam Newton, anyone?

If we were forced to look on the bright side, enduring another dreadful 3-11 season would likely put the Redskins in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick, where they could select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, or Oregon LT Penei Sewell — two prospects that everyone is already clamoring over, even a year out. Those of you who are now screaming that the Redskins don’t need Lawrence because they have Haskins, it’s important to realize that, if Washington were to end up with the No. 1 pick in 2021, it’s likely because Haskins failed to make a leap in Year 2, and the team is justified in searching for his replacement.

Of course, we can hope that all of this is just conjecture, and the Redskins 2020 season closer follows the ESPN prediction, rather than the Touchdown Wire prediction. If not, it could be another long year ahead of us.