Which parts of the team have been the biggest problem areas this season? Using the help of Pro Football Focus grades and statistics, we looked at the four position groups that have stood out the most as weaknesses. Whether through offseason acquisitions or getting players back from injury, these are the areas most in need of improvement.

1. Wide receiver

If we include players such as running back Chris Thompson and tight end Jordan Reed, Washington has some talent in its group of pass catchers. But the Redskins' wide receivers have been a disappointment and haven’t made plays beyond what the team’s conservative passing attack has generated — even before quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colt McCoy suffered broken legs.

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Smith’s average depth of target before he went down was 8.6 yards, around 2.0 yards higher than his career baseline, and good for 18th in the league (as opposed to his typical place of last). Despite that, Washington’s receivers as a group rank in the bottom five in explosive plays (61) and yards after the catch per reception (5.1).

This team desperately needs a high-quality wide receiver who can get open downfield and also make people miss after the catch, turning conservative plays into game-changing events. No wideout on the roster has broken more than five tackles this season; the league leaders have four times that total.

2. Cornerback

If a productive passing attack is the most important aspect of success in today’s NFL, the second-most important is the ability to defend the pass. This, too, is a problem area for Washington: Its defense has allowed 7.8 yards per play in coverage, tied for the ninth-worst in the league.

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The Redskins' safeties have been impressive, particularly D.J. Swearinger Sr., but there are issues at cornerback. The group has flashed big-play potential but simply hasn’t been consistent enough. The only cornerback not to allow a passer rating over 100 when targeted this season is Adonis Alexander, who has seen two targets on all of 10 snaps. Josh Norman, Fabian Moreau and Quinton Dunbar are their three primary cornerbacks, and as a trio, they have been beaten for 13 touchdowns, even with Dunbar missing significant time because of injury.

Washington needs a significant improvement from this group, whether that comes through an injection of talent or fixing its inconsistent play.

3. Interior offensive line

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The offensive line has dealt with more than its fair share of injuries, and when 100 percent healthy, it is a much better unit than we have seen. Even so, the interior line is an area of weakness even with the first-choice players.

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Both tackles and right guard Brandon Scherff are solid starters, but center and left guard are problem spots, giving the team a weakness in the middle of the line. Guard Shawn Lauvao hasn’t had a PFF grade higher than 60 (on a 0-to-100 scale) in the past four seasons, and that number has been trending in the wrong direction. He surrendered more pressure (15 combined sacks, hits and hurries) in four starts (plus three snaps before getting hurt against Atlanta) than Cleveland’s Joel Bitonio has all season (10).

Overall, the team’s run-blocking grade is just 58.2, which includes a pair of liabilities at tight end in Reed and Vernon Davis. Reed’s playmaking ability probably outweighs his struggles here, but Davis has been responsible for his man making the tackle in the run game 19 times, the fifth-most among tight ends.

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4. Quarterback

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You can’t blame the Redskins for losing two quarterbacks to injury, and the truth is that almost any team in the NFL would see its playoff chances disintegrate if that happened.

But in addition to noting that Smith was not among the league’s best passers before his injury, the team missed out on an opportunity to give a young quarterback playing time by not having one on its roster or practice squad after both Smith and McCoy went down. While the Redskins turned to Mark Sanchez and then Josh Johnson — who hadn’t attempted a meaningful pass in seven years — the 49ers were able to turn after Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury to Nick Mullens, an undrafted free agent in his second season who has orchestrated multiple wins and probably has played well enough to have earned a backup spot for the team in the future. Mullens has an adjusted completion percentage of 79.2 percent, just behind Patrick Mahomes and ahead of Philip Rivers.

Washington’s season may have been ended by bad injury luck to its quarterbacks, but its pursuit of potential at the position didn’t need to be.