New Year, Same Results So Far

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/13/AR2009091302918.html

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. The Redskins got preliminary answers to their big offseason questions Sunday in Giants Stadium. Unfortunately for them, the preliminary answers all were "no." Or, at best, "not yet."

Has Jason Campbell improved dramatically in Jim Zorn's West Coast offense? Has Albert Haynesworth transformed the Redskins' anemic pass rush? Have the Redskins found a second wide receiver to open up their deep passing game? And has the broken offensive line, whose pass blocking collapsed late in '08, been fixed?

There's nothing definitive about any season opener. Still, early results were worthy of concern. None of these areas showed appreciable improvement. As a result, the Redskins fell behind quickly by 17 points and trailed by 13 with fewer than two minutes left to play. Seldom has a team's modest margin of defeat been more deceptively respectable.

Essentially, the Redskins' offense didn't arrive in Giants Stadium until there were only three minutes left. So, the Giants built a massive edge in time of possession and had a 350-200 superiority in yards before the Redskins drove 72 yards against a loose defense to score with 1 minute 37 seconds left.

Only a special-teams touchdown, scored on a fake field goal run by holder Hunter Smith, and a field goal after a DeAngelo Hall interception deep into New York territory, kept the game in hand. Except for their final drive, the Redskins' offense did not generate a touchdown and only had one march inside the Giants 43-yard line.

"Everybody probably turned the TV off," said running back Clinton Portis, proud that the Redskins kept fighting.

With their dignity intact, something that has often not been the case in the nasty Meadowlands, the Redskins will approach the next five weeks -- the soft part of their schedule -- with their morale still high.

"We felt like we played right there with 'em," Campbell said.

"We're not discouraged at all. We're a better team than we showed today. Eli Manning said [to me] after the game, 'We had a tough start in '07.' But they won the Super Bowl."


When the Giants try to lift your spirits, is it time to worry?

Sarge said:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/13/AR2009091302918.html


"We felt like we played right there with 'em," Campbell said.

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Wonder what game he was watching? We were lucky to be in the game at all.

Agreed. We were blown out until the last couple of minutes of the first half

I remember Fox showing the stats. It was uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugly

Sounds like both Zorn and CAmpbell need to beam up to the Mothership

MikeSr619 said:

we were one fumble recovery for a TD away from winning. and we were one onside kick away from having a chance to pull out a win.

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Unfortunately, we weren't one long, sustained, authoritative drive away from a TD. Take away the trick play for a TD, the score looks worse

MikeSr619 said:

take away osi's fumble recovery for a TD and its the same thing.

The title alone of this article lets me know what the angle is. How can you judge that a week one loss automatically means same results? same results as what? we lost to the gnats last year week 1 and then went 6-2. so does that mean we are going to put together a nice long winning streak? if so then I am down to lose every opening week game from here on out.

the sky isnt falling yet. it isnt even raining out. we lost to a team that has the best front 4 in the game and we didnt tackle on defense. this isnt the end of the season and we dont need to start wondering how much we are going to pay tebow or if shannahan is available or not.

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I'm not into any of that yet, but I'm starting.

As for the title, to me it refers to a trend. And that trend is of an inconsistant football team that has no identity and no leaders. No Mike Singletary's, no Wilbur Marshalls, not even a quite Art Monk type to get the team fired up and focused. We have Clinton Portis dressing up. We have Moss losing his mind. We have a safety going for the highlight reels. In other words, we have a bunch of "I's", and as the old saying goes, there's no "I" in "TEAM". Add to that is the fact that we have a QB that apparently doesn't have either the charisma and/or the comprehension to run an NFL offense very well.

When is the last time you saw the Skins drive down the field, consistantly, with no trick plays,goofs by the other side or the other side being in a prevent defense, and smash a ball in for a TD?

Been awhile, hasn't it?

Seeing something like that on a consistant basis is the only trend I care about seeing from this team anymore

I admire your passion a lot Mike. And you are right in many respects. After watching the game again last night the NY Giants were the better team on the field but they could not put us away. We had chances until the end.

I pose one question without trying be rain on your parade. Why do you think the Redskins have difficulties coming from behind in games that they can win?

MikeSr619 said:

no, actually it hasnt been a while. its been one week sarge. this isnt halfway thru the season and we did have a nice sustaining drive in the 4th to score a TD with Cooley.

No Singletary's or Marshall's? Who is London Fletcher to you if not the leader of this defense? Guy had over 13 tackles and a great hit on Jacobs. He has been the soul of this D and a player we can always count on.

Portis hasnt dressed up in a couple of years and he played out of him mind the first half of last year. He was leading the NFL in rushing for a good portion of the season until they started stacking the box.

But you are right; the title does refer to a trend. A trend of people taking cheap shots and bashing the Skins. It is pretty easy and we can all do it...but I would rather just support my team and root on the burgundy and gold.

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Again, with the Giants playing not to lose. Again, the trends. I posted somewhere else here about our abysmal record since the danny took over. No consistancy. "5 in a row or we don't go" mind tricks to get into the playoffs, if we get there at all. The list of head coaches. The list of free agent busts. The "lists" go on and on. A trend in and of itself.

Basically, I'm tired of the ineptness...........in every department of the team. Am I panicking? No, because I've come to expect 8-8 every year from this team, and I'm not raising my blood pressure 30 points or screaming at TV when (And note I said "when" and not "if") they do something stupid anymore.

It is what it is. They are what they are. If you're happy with a middle of the road football team, that's cool. I just look around the league and know our lot could be different.

Gotta say, I totally, completely and in all other ways agree with Sarge's last post.

No the sky isn't falling. But the sun isn't shining either, and it's been cloudy in DC for a LOOOONG time.

Henry said:

Gotta say, I totally, completely and in all other ways agree with Sarge's last post.

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I think I found my new sig

Henry said:

No the sky isn't falling. But the sun isn't shining either, and it's been cloudy in DC for a LOOOONG time.

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I'm afraid so. We spend enough money on talent that we're not consistently bad, but we're incompetent enough from the top down that we're not consistently good. Just stuck somewhere in the middle.