Ready For More?

With three games left in the regular season and the playoffs a long shot, the Redskins are already looking toward 2018.

- Brian McNally

Injured players must decide if it’s worth it to return for games that hold little meaning, free agents are auditioning for contracts and the coaching staff is pushing for a strong finish to at least reach .500 and gain momentum heading into next year.

“We’re going to play like we’re still in it,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “I know it’s a long shot, but this is a 16-game season. We know that anything can happen, so we’re going to continue to play to win. That’s the only way we know how.”

The schedule features winnable games against the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos and New York Giants. None of those teams has a winning record and the Giants have already fired coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese. Washington might realistically be out of the playoff race, too, but it still has a shot at a respectable record.

“I enjoy playing the game and I love the challenge, regardless,” Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “I don’t play Week 1 or 2 really thinking about the playoffs. I just think about that individual game and the individual series and the individual play. I can have that same perspective in these last weeks.”