Report: Alex Smith expected to return from calf injury for season finale

The Washington Football Team is in desperate need of stability at quarterback with a playoff berth on the line in Week 17. Fortunately for them, it sounds like Alex Smith is close to making his return.

Smith missed Washington’s last two games with a calf injury, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the veteran is expected to play on Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

That is good news for Ron Rivera’s team, which has a very simple formula for making the playoffs — win and get in. Even though they are 6-9 after Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, Washington still controls their own destiny. They would clinch the NFC East with a win over Philadelphia in Week 17.

Smith’s injury has been described as a calf strain and may sound minor, but anything involving his surgically repaired right leg is complicated. We recently got an explanation for why it is taking him longer to fully recover.

Dwayne Haskins turned the ball over three times before being benched in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to Carolina. The poor performance came after he was stripped of his captainship and fined for an off-field incident.

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