Washington is off to a strong start in the NFL this season, even if the team's 2-2 record does not exactly scream "impressive" to the outside fan. Still, the team suffered a close-fought loss to the Chiefs (on the road) this week and Washington's defense has been quite stout in the early going.
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Unfortunately, Jay Gruden's team will now be without one of its best players for the next four weeks, as Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman will be sidelined as a result of a rib and lung injury.
Specifically, Norman has a rib fracture and a puncture in his lung, which sounds obscenely painful. On the bright side, Norman seems encouraged when it comes to his diagnosis and almost excited when it comes to the stated timetable.
Washington likely won't be quite as dangerous defensively without Norman in the lineup but the schedule is relatively kind. The team has a bye week this week before returning home to take on the San Francisco 49ers. After that, things ramp up a bit with a road trip to Philadelphia and a home game against Dallas but that isn't an insane test for the secondary and Washington should be able to survive this hiccup.
