How will you 'fan' the rest of the way - pray for wins or hope to lose out?

[Boone]

It's a hot button topic, but as you respond, remember that all Washington fans ultimately want a winning franchise. We just may differ in how to get there.

With 7 games remaining, what is your preference?

Win out?

Or lose out?

And why did you land where you landed?

This is not about what you think WILL happen, but what you PREFER to happen.

 

[HTTR]

I tend to fall on the side of tanking for draft capital, which in this case would include shutting down Jayden. Once there’s nothing left to play for in a season, seems to me more draft capital will be better than less draft capital going forward.
But this year I’m of a little bit different mindset. It really feels like psychologically this franchise needs a lift—some kind of positive momentum or energy going into next season. Otherwise we are looking at a somber off-season with very little juice for recruiting free agents and also the fan support that we are still trying to build up. This to me is actually more important than the difference between picking say 8th or 13th next year.
So I know we’ve already had this discussion, but that’s why I’m falling on the side of letting Jayden play if he is healthy, even if we have been eliminated. If the choices (once we are mathematically eliminated) are win out or lose out, I’ll go with win out in the context of this particular season… But my philosophy remains that it’s usually better to lose out for draft capital.

 

[Boone]

We finished last season nearly at the top of the NFL. How’d that carry over? I’m just saying - I’m not sure confidence and winning ways carry over from one season to next.

 

[RingHisClock]

Never want to lose, but its about priorities. The injuries have made the playoffs a distant hope. I don't want us to be in no mans land in the draft when we desperately need new young blood. Going on a late run this season would harm the team more in the long term imo.

 

[Chris]

Tanking means intentionally trying to lose, right?

Unlike in the NBA, when one player can completely turn around a franchise, in the NFL it cannot. (The closest chance is when a team doesn’t have a quality QB. For example the Commanders prior to the 2024 draft.)

I was all-in on tanking the 2023 season for that reason. I am against it this season for a multitude of reasons: chief of which is what is the limited upside of the strategy? Potentially moving up a couple of draft spots? No, thank you.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

I wanna win!

 

[Simeon]

Can we lose every game by 1 point in the last second after playing well overall?

 

[Boone]

I’m not implying they will intentionally try to lose, just that they lose out.

 

[Riggo44]

It's entirely possible to lose out, and then still be a good team next year. The Eagles were injured as bad as we are in 2020 and won 4 games--they were in the Super Bowl 2 years later. They had a lot of the pieces in place in 2020 that were a part of the 22 Super Bowl losing team.

It's not 1:1, exactly, but it's not dissimilar. We need to improve the receiver room and a lot of the defense through FA and the draft. They also went from 31st in defense in 2023 to #1 in a year, replacing Sean Desai with Vic Fangio, and adding players like Baum, Mitchell, and deJean.

It's not impossible. It also speaks to momentum carrying over year-to-year.

 

[Blaze Thunderball]

I'm tired of losing. Draft position isn't everything, guarantees nothing. I'll take as many wins as the team has in them.

 

[Chris]

I’m not implying they will intentionally try to lose, just that they lose out.

I wasn’t insinuating that you were, I was referring to the poll choices. #2 references ‘tank’ and there are some that are actively in favor of that.

Ftr, I don’t think they need to try to lose out, that it’s possible to do so without trying, but I hope they try their best to win.

 

[Boone]

I wasn’t insinuating that you were, I was referring to the poll choices. #2 references ‘tank’ and there are some that are actively in favor of that.

Ftr, I don’t think they need to try to lose out, that it’s possible to do so without trying, but I hope they try their best to win.

It's all good. I've adjusted the poll choice so it's clear what we are asking.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

The only time I was happy the team lost was in 2023. We were at my sister's house for Christmas dinner and we all went wild when they lost to the Jets. That felt like the right move and In still ecstatic they got Jayden Daniels. I’m hoping for a rebound next year, but last year was so special. More special than any year since 1991. Losing that year paid off.

This year though, I want them to win. They need a confidence boost, a shot in the arm, momentum, fill in your cliche. Everything has just gone wrong this year outside of maybe the Chargers game. I want to see them click and build back that winning culture. I’d love to see Daniels play again this year, but only if he’s healthy. They should not be rushing him back just to play him. But I think it’s important they win, especially for Quinn. Fans are fickle and some will turn on a coach the moment he loses. But I do worry about him losing some on the team. Showing he can coach and building on those relationships with the players through winning.

 

[SkinsOrlando]

6 wins and we're still drafting in a good spot, I only see 3 potential wins remaining at "this time." Doesn't mean all of a sudden they can't catch fire but doubtful. Losing on purpose or fielding a team that we know cannot compete at all, fuck that. As far as Jayden goes, if hes 100% and I mean not even a hang nail, he plays. Live speed play in the NFL can only be achieved by this thing called actually playing. As Herm Edward's said, "we play to win the game."

 

[AngryChuckT]

It is impossible for me to root for them to lose. Whether draft position or gambling - I just can’t do it. They are my Skins, and even when it is better in the end to lose I can’t be happy with it happening.

 

[Boone]

I'm very skeptical fans ever 'root for the team to lose'. That being said, barring a miraculous run to get to the playoffs (which I consider impossible at this point), there is nothing to be gained from wins. The only one who benefits from winning beyond the Miami game are fans who are hungry for something positive to cheer for.

Beyond that, winning meaningless games doesn't help the team.

Yeah, it's true, a higher draft position doesn't guarantee great picks. But obviously, it is better to have higher rather than lower draft picks. More importantly, if losing the rest of the way happens, we may find ourselves in a high enough draft spot to trade down and recoup some of the picks we gave up in last offseason's trades.

That would be very helpful in the effort to bounce back from this 2025 season of woe.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

I'm very skeptical fans ever 'root for the team to lose'. That being said, barring a miraculous run to get to the playoffs (which I consider impossible at this point), there is nothing to be gained from wins. The only one who benefits from winning beyond the Miami game are fans who are hungry for something positive to cheer for.

Beyond that, winning meaningless games doesn't help the team.

Yeah, it's true, a higher draft position doesn't guarantee great picks. But obviously, it is better to have higher rather than lower draft picks. More importantly, if losing the rest of the way happens, we may find ourselves in a high enough draft spot to trade down and recoup some of the picks we gave up in last offseason's trades.

That would be very helpful in the effort to bounce back from this 2025 season of woe.

Yeah....I never 'root for them to lose, but am resigned to the fact that losing in a season that's already lost could help us down the road, so I've come to grips with it.

 

[RedWolf]

I never want us to lose but at this point this season of course I want the best draft position. It's a very tough decision I did not vote

 

[Whiskeypeet]

I'm very skeptical fans ever 'root for the team to lose'. That being said, barring a miraculous run to get to the playoffs (which I consider impossible at this point), there is nothing to be gained from wins. The only one who benefits from winning beyond the Miami game are fans who are hungry for something positive to cheer for.

Beyond that, winning meaningless games doesn't help the team.

Yeah, it's true, a higher draft position doesn't guarantee great picks. But obviously, it is better to have higher rather than lower draft picks. More importantly, if losing the rest of the way happens, we may find ourselves in a high enough draft spot to trade down and recoup some of the picks we gave up in last offseason's trades.

That would be very helpful in the effort to bounce back from this 2025 season of woe.

There is a problem w/this mentality. If the team can't win meaningless games, its a moratorium on the existing staff. Understanding the injury situation, the inability to row the boat in the upward direction is no bueno. Feels like they showed the ability to lift the boat last year, if they cannot this year, its going to raise legit questions I think we'd prefer not to have as fans.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I'm very skeptical fans ever 'root for the team to lose'. That being said, barring a miraculous run to get to the playoffs (which I consider impossible at this point), there is nothing to be gained from wins. The only one who benefits from winning beyond the Miami game are fans who are hungry for something positive to cheer for.

Beyond that, winning meaningless games doesn't help the team.

Yeah, it's true, a higher draft position doesn't guarantee great picks. But obviously, it is better to have higher rather than lower draft picks. More importantly, if losing the rest of the way happens, we may find ourselves in a high enough draft spot to trade down and recoup some of the picks we gave up in last offseason's trades.

That would be very helpful in the effort to bounce back from this 2025 season of woe.

No game in the NFL is meaningless to the players and coaches. Every game is a chance for players to gain experience. They see new things, have different looks thrown at them, new coverages, blitzes, route combinations, etc. If you are Ertz, Wagner, and Miller (probably a few more), yeah you've probably seen it all before. The rest of team, every snap is an opportunity to learn. Now, there are times that coaches decide there is nothing to be gained by having players play. Usually that's the last game when guys rest for the playoffs or rest for next season. Additionally, injuries late in the year are treated with more care if you are not a playoff team. But the coaches have a responsibility to the guys on the team to do what it takes to win the games. That means putting their best players on the field and putting them in position to win. They also have a responsibility to teach the players how to play the games. That includes playing hard for the whole game and the whole season. To play hard and fight even when things don't go the way you want them to.

So yes, while as fans we may see a game as meaningless, to the players and coaches and the front office, every game has meaning. This is their job and their jobs hang on every game.