"Step right up, step right up, and see plenty of amazing circus acts! In the first ring, we have an amazing illusionist, the man who magically sweeps problems under a rug as if they're not even there - the Owner! In the second ring, we have a man with a stubborn will of iron, able to make poor decisions that ignore the scrutiny of dozens of fans, hundreds of shareholders, even millions of fans - the Head Coach! And in the third ring, we have a player with an ego 10 times the size of a normal man's, with more pride than knee ligaments - the Quarterback!"

From the outside looking in, this past year in our nation's capitol looked like a complete sideshow, complete with rumors of over-the-top narratives and comically ludicrous in-fighting. The sad thing is that it all ended up being absolutely true.

What can you take away from a season in which the worst thing that happened probably wasn't their 3-13 finish? Washington still has on its hands a major controversy and scandal over the team's official nickname. Mike Shanahan and owner Dan Snyder let private disagreements turn into a public feud. And star quarterback AdvancedNFLStats.com, and his partner-in-crime, 32nd at the position in Advanced NFL Stats' Expected Points Added per Game metric. Meriweather just barely qualifies as a hypothetical "starting" safety in the NFL. The run defense, too, was stagnant, repeating a 16th-place finish in rush defense. But the defense wasn't the only problem this year.

In his rookie campaign, Robert Griffin put together a Total NEP score of 132.92, good for sixth among all quarterbacks in the league. Where he really did damage to opposing defenses was with his ability to make plays happen on the ground. In his first year in the league, Griffin had a 59.29 Rushing NEP, best in that category for all players in 2012. To put it in a historical perspective among quarterbacks, only Michael Vick's 2004 season earned a better Rushing NEP score than Griffin's 2012 since we've started tracking the metric.

With a busted knee, though, Griffin was nowhere near the offensive dynamo in 2013 that he was last year. We saw it in his play, but the numbers back our eyes up here. In 2013, Griffin's own Rushing NEP plummeted to a mere 7.62, good for 18th in the league among quarterbacks. And yet, that's not the full extent. The team rushing offense sunk from 71.35 (1st in 2012) to 3.13 (14th in 2013). Without the threat of a read-option or play-action, due to Griffin's limitations, Alfred Morris' efficiency dropped too, from ninth among running backs to 25th.

What Do They Do?

Shoring up a middling defense that is getting older and more expensive by the day will be important. The defense is a major sore spot that will need to be addressed in the draft or free agency, especially as three-time All-Pro linebacker Brian Orakpo may depart the team via free agency in the spring. This unit is in desperate need of impact players on the defensive line (16th against the run), and the secondary (19th against the pass). Griffin may get the most attention from the cameras, but he's not getting picked on nearly as much as his teammates on the other side of the ball.

Washington also must find explosive playmakers for their franchise quarterback to get the ball to on a consistent basis. In 2012, RGIII did quite a lot with very little, but in 2013, that clearly caught up to him. Washington needs to add receiving playmakers to complement their young star this offseason.

Lastly, they need to make sure their quarterback is completely healed before they let a single one of his cleats touch the sideline. So simple, yet such a feat if they can pull it off. Fortunately, new head coach Jay Gruden has gotten more success out of a less-talented quarterback than his new signal-caller, so I'd look for him to make over this offense and bring in some true consistency.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Now that 2013's show is over, send in the clowns.