The 5 o’clock club is published Wednesday to Saturday during the

season Shawn Lauvao Jersey , and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.Since this is the last Saturday in the regular season, this will also be the final 5 o’clock club post of 2018.This does not mean I expect to die or disappear, simply that the 5 o’clock club will go into hibernation, probably to reappear sometime in early September of 2019.A quick peek backwardsBefore we move forward to look at the challenge the Redskins will be facing when they host the Eagles on Sunday, let’s take a final quick look back at last week’s gritty loss to the Titans in Nashville.The Redskins led for much of the game, and played competitive football for roughly 58 minutes last week, until a late interception thrown by Josh Johnson ended the Redskins drive that could have tied the game or given Washington the lead, and perhaps the win.With that interception, all hope of a playoff berth came to a crashing end.Last weekend, ahead of the Tennessee game, 5 o’clock club readers were invited to vote on over-under predictions for the game. Let’s see how we did.Predictions & actual results for last week’s Tennessee Titans gameThe Redskins generate 259 yards of total offense against the Titansprediction: over (53%)actual: The Redskins actually had reasonable offensive production against the Titans, putting up 292 total yards of offense (the Titans put up 291).The breakdown was:Passing: 131Rushing: 161Given that the Redskins were starting two guards that no one in Washington had heard of a fortnight earlier, the rushing success was fairly impressive, and due to a combination of the line getting good push against the Titans and Adrian Peterson running like a Hall of Fame back.Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty ImagesThe Redskins score 15.5 points against the Titansprediction: over (66%)actual: The Redskins barely squeaked this one out to make the fans right, scoring 16 points.The penultimate Redskins drive (the one that ended in the interception) could have made a huge difference in this game had it been successful.With the Redskins in 4-down mode, on 3rd & 3, had the team opted for a running play with Adrian Peterson, with one more down left for desperation, if needed Deshazor Everett Jersey , the drive could have potentially taken the Redskins to 19 or 23 points.The final desperate 20 seconds, which — like a few other games in the Jay Gruden era — ended with a turnover and a defensive TD for the opposition, wouldn’t have happened, and the Titans would have lost 23-19, scored on a miraculous TD drive to win 26-23, or the game would have gone to overtime.In any event, the first interception ended the Redskins scoring, and the second changed the outcome for a huge number of gamblers and their bookies.The Redskins will be +0.5 on turnover differential against the Titansprediction: over (74%)actual: The entire game was turnover-free until the Redskins final two drives ended with interceptions.This game was always going to be won by the team that won the turnover battle.Season-long history was on the side of the Redskins going into the game, but it was easy to see that the defense was tacking the player (usually Henry) instead of attacking the ball in this game.It improved tackling, but reduced the opportunity for forced fumbles.The Redskins defense should have had one interception that likely would have changed the game, but the ball went right through the hands of HaHa Clinton-Dix.That non-turnover was huge in this low-scoring game, as the Titans ended up kicking a field goal at the end of the drive.Jim Brown-USA TODAY SportsWho will throw more interceptions on Saturday?prediction: Marcus Mariota (41%)actual: Mariota ended up getting injured on a sack and leaving the game.Blaine Gabbert came in as his relief.The Redskins did not manage to sufficiently rattle the backup, and the Titans finished the game without committing a turnover of any kind.Josh Johnson, for the Redskins, played a pretty good game until the 1:22 mark of the 4th quarter when he threw an interception.Getting the ball back with :20 left on the clock, he threw two passes, to end the game — the final one a pick-6.Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty ImagesPrior to those final 3 plays, JJ was 13-20, 153 yards Cheap Preston Smith Jersey , 1 TD — very much the kind of numbers the Redskins were getting from Alex Smith during the first half of the season.Had Johnson managed to finish the final 1:22 with a score, instead of an interception, the Redskins might be playing for a playoff berth in Week 17.Which defense will generate more sacks this Saturday?prediction: Redskins (68%)actual: The Fans got this one right — the Redskins got 3 sacks on the day, versus just 2 for the Titans.Kerrigan, Foster and Allen got one sack each.Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty ImagesDerrick Henry rushes for 114 yards against the Redskinsprediction: under (58%)actual: The RedskinDerrick Henry ran well on the first drive and the last drive of the day for Tennessee.In between, he was mostly bottled up by the Redskins, who held him to 84 yards and a TD.That’s a good day, to be sure, but it was nowhere close to the 204 yards per game he had averaged in the previous 2 weeks.Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty ImagesThe Titans leading receiver will have 62.5 yards against the Redskins on Saturdayprediction: over (67%)actual: The Fans got this one right, but it was very close.Taywan Taylor snagged 3 passes for 64 yards.The Tennessee offense never really broke loose on the day, though it proved sufficient to get the win.Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsDustin Hopkins scores 8.5 total points on Saturday against the Titansprediction: over (61%)actual: Hopkins went 3/3 on field goals and added an extra point, scoring 10 points on the day.Hopkins is hitting on nearly 90% of his field goal tries, and is perfect under 40 yards this season.After hitting on just 81% and 82.4% in ‘16 & ‘17, this is a promising return-to-form for the kicker, who has also missed one XPA in three of his four seasons with the Redskins.All in all, Hopkins is having a good season, and seems to be a solid kicker for the Redskins.Adrian Peterson will carry the ball 16 times against the Titansprediction: over (85%)actual: The Redskins gave the ball to Adrian Peterson 26 times in the game, and he rewarded the team with 119 yards.AD carried the team on his back, not for the first time this season.Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty ImagesI think it’s worth reprinting some of the information that James Dorsett wrote earlier this week:Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty ImagesShifting the focus to the Philadelphia EaglesSunday’s game was shifted to the late time slot because it has playoff implications — not for the Redskins Cheap Ryan Kerrigan Jersey , but for the Eagles.If the Eagles win and the Vikings lose to the Bears, Philly goes to the playoffs. If the Redskins win the game, the Eagles are out, no matter what happens to the Vikings.This means that Redskins fans have a reason to cheer for their team to win.The result would be an 8-8 record for both the ‘Skins and the Eagles, and a regular season split with every team in the NFC East.The Redskins can’t keep the Cowboys out of the playoffs, but they can end the Eagles’ dreams of back-to-back superbowls right here, in Week 17.Photo by Elsa/Getty ImagesIt’s likely that the game, although played at FedEx Field, will take place in front of more Eagles fans in green than Redskins fans in burgundy & gold.The reasons go far beyond the fact that the Redskins are out of the playoff race.In fact, Redskin home games have been lightly attended all season long — at least by Redskins fans.This week saw a move by Dan Snyder that would have passed unnoticed by most fan bases.On the day after Christmas, Dan fired Brian Lafemina, who had been on the job for about 8 months, and who was charged with improving fan relations, improving the game day experience, and increasing ticket sales to Redskins fans.The incident has been widely reported, so I won’t review it here, but I do want to make a comment on why I think it is significant that three marketing guys got sacked this week.I felt — and I don’t think that I was the only one — that a certain critical mass had been achieved in 2018.Following the ugly firing of Scot McCloughan, there had been a series of moves, including the reorganization of the front office Cheap Jordan Reed Jersey , which seemed to reward the right people, and the hiring of Lafemina and his team, that signaled a move in a positive direction.The blunders of 2018 mostly seemed to fall at the feet of Bruce Allen, and I thought, for the first time, that there was a very real probability that Allen would be fired come ‘Black Monday’.The termination of Lafemina and his team appears to snuff out that hope.It occurs to me that, if Bruce Allen isn’t fired after the shitshow that has marked his tenure to date, then he will never be fired.Bruce Allen has won out yet again.Photo by Win McNamee/Getty ImagesThat’s the tragedy of seeing the three marketing guys sacked (and one other resign).It’s what it signals — the eternal bungling rule of the sycophant.I’ll be cheering on the Redskins players on Sunday, but with a deep level of misgiving about what won’t happen on Monday, when it won’t be announced that Bruce Allen has been thanked for all he has done for the franchise and relieved of his duties.That’s why the players, who deserve better, will end up playing the finale at home in front of a lot of Eagles fans instead of cheering, loyal Redskins fans.Because of Dan & Bruce.I hope for a good performance by each of the Redskins players, but despair at the newest low point in the Redskins ownership and executive offices. Is it not a good thing that for the past week or so (if not longer) that there have been rumblings about how good Simmie Cobbs is and how he has been progressing on the Washington practice squad?Well the New Orleans Saints, a playoff contender, think Cobbs has been progressing as well and signed him today. In the latest chapter of roster mismanagement the Redskins let another promising player get away. Cobbs (6’3, 220 lbs) wasn’t known for his breakneck speed but he produced at a high level during his time at Indiana in college and was known for his reliability and ability to physically outplay his opponent. Cobbs has a lot to prove on the professional football field of course but letting something happen like this given the circumstances of the roster and position is just plain dumb. You may be wondering why there is even an article about this. Ask yourself, if the Redskins were trying to win how does Jehu Chesson give them a better shot on the active roster than Cobbs? In a season that is deteriorating at breakneck speed not matter how much lipstick people try and put on this pig its ‘little’ moves like this that really highlight the incompetence of the adults in charge at Redskins Park. Custom Cleveland Browns Jerseys