The Washington Redskins suffered a crucial loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12. It appears safety D.J. Swearinger may have an idea of what attributed to their lackluster performance.

There were a number of issues that factored into their 31-23 loss to the Cowboys. According to Scott Allen of The Washington Post, Swearinger feels the team did not take practice seriously enough:

“I just feel like when we’re in certain preparations — when it’s Friday, when it’s Saturday, when it’s time to lock in and really be focused in — I feel like it’s a little bit too much playing,” Swearinger said. “Whether it’s on Friday or whether it’s the Saturday walk-through. A lot of guys just walk through that Saturday as if that Saturday doesn’t mean much. But truth be told, that Saturday means a lot. If you’re a focused individual, every time that you step on the practice field — whether it’s a walk-through, whether it’s a real practice — any time the coach is saying something, that means business. When we have our walk-throughs on Saturdays, I feel like it’s a joke, to me — with the amount of focus that we have, with the amount of playing that we have, the amount of lack of discipline that we have on those Saturdays and Fridays, on days where I feel like we should be tuned in. That’s where those comments come in.”

Swearinger's comments hardly come as any surprise. This is not the first time Swearinger has called out the team's practice habits. It seems that Washington was never able to get the issue resolved.

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The fact that Swearinger feels the team was not locked in during such an important week is certainly telling. Although they have been plagued with injury throughout the 2018 NFL season, they still managed to build a comfortable lead in the abysmal NFC East. Unfortunately, they have since ceded their top spot to Dallas following two straight losses.

Swearinger's comments may not sit well some of the players in the locker room. However, this seemingly recurring issue with focus has to be a cause for concern in Washington moving forward. Considering this team's failure to reach the playoffs in recent years, it is hard to deny that they may be true.