Om Field: DeAngelo Hall Sounds Off - And I Like It

[servumtuum]

Something I am going to find intriguing is how much weight fans are going to put on the Redskins performance in the opener against the Cowboys. In other words, if we were to win by something like, oh say 21-17, will that be taken as a sign of improvement or a harbinger of overly optimistic hopes being dashed-with the seemingly inevitable "oh, crap we still suck" reaction?

The use of the word "dominate" is interesting, as has been pointed out, coming from Hall the credibility of the statement is less than ultimately perspective-changing for fans. I myself was more reassured by the more quiet yet noticeable confidence in some of the comments Chris Cooley made about the new scheme.

It looks like we're a better team than last year on several fronts, and I will expect us to do better-the question is how much better? Well, if we're 4-0 going into the Packers coming to town, I'll say dramatically better. Dominate the division? Decisive wins against Dallas and Philly-14 points or better might make me think that word could apply.

To be honest, that 21-17 win against Dallas I hypothesized and even a very close loss at Philly would solidify my perception that we are noticeably better than we were last season-5-0 going into the Colts game would have me thinking at least Division Championship.

 

[hail2skins]

A win against the defending division champs the open the season, no matter by what margin, would have to viewed as a positive.

Right now I'm expecting the Skins to start strongly, although after last year it would be foolish to think that any of these games are gimmes, even the Rams. And even though we have McNabb and the Eagles will have a relative novice starting at QB, going into Philly is always difficult.

 

[Aston Gambino]

Something I am going to find intriguing is how much weight fans are going to put on the Redskins performance in the opener against the Cowboys. In other words, if we were to win by something like, oh say 21-17, will that be taken as a sign of improvement or a harbinger of overly optimistic hopes being dashed-with the seemingly inevitable "oh, crap we still suck" reaction?

Couldn't agree more, not just the fans, but the players, too. Most would agree we've improved this off season, but just how good are we? Fans are curious, media is curious, other teams are curious, and, the confident Hall aside, our players are probably curious as well. I don't think it's ANY coincidence we're opening in prime time.

But back to the "weight of the game" issue, which I think is very important, especially if we lose. It's impossible not to have a sense of hope and optimism after the sweeping changes we've seen from having a GM, legitimate head coach, to bring in proven QB, and drafting a young elite tackle. But make no mistake, we're in a state of complete transition offensively and defensively, so I wouldn't be at all shocked to see us struggle mightily on opening night.

The question is, do the players fall into the "oh, we still suck" mentality, or can Shanahan instill enough trust in the players to commit to the system and keep their confidence up? What does Hall say to the media if we lose by 20 to Dallas opening night? That we'll go 0-16?

 

[Om]

I think we need to make a very clear distinction between what the players will think about the game 1 results and what fans will think.

The players are professionals in a business. They know teams take time to come together. Their expectations will be based on what they have been able to do over the course of hte offseason and training camp, and will be viewed in context of this being a new team with new leadership, new systems, a new QB and a lot of new faces.

Many fans, on the other hand, will bring expectations colored by past experience, past teams, past disappointment ... and if I may be so bold, probably wildly inflated or unrealistic expectations. Either positive OR negative. It will be based on everything except the actual on-field practice experience the players will have.

The first night against Dallas will mean what it will mean ... the Redskins will either be 0-1 or 1-0. I don't think the players will draw any long-term conclusions from it, good or bad. They'll be up, or they'll be down, but they'll go back to work Tuesday with eyes only toward week two. Not us fans, though. We'll be writing volumes about the Significance of the game. Hell, I probably will be myself.

But I'll also remember by midweek that it's a new regime, with new coaches, and new systems, and new players ... and that any team in that situation needs to be very wary of setting expectations too high in season one, let alone game one.

 

[China]

Many fans, on the other hand, will bring expectations colored by past experience, past teams, past disappointment ... and if I may be so bold, probably wildly inflated or unrealistic expectations. Either positive OR negative. It will be based on everything except the actual on-field practice experience the players will have.

Yes.

Record: 10-6

Uh oh.

The Om Field

 

[Om]

Clever, China.

I'll simply point out the context of that 10-6 "prediction," which I hope is clear from the post. Not to mention from the "uh oh" that resulted when I realized what I'd done.

 

[Aston Gambino]

You wake up Monday morning on September 13th. The birds are chirping, the air is crisp, and the winds of endless possibility blow softly through the neighborhoods of northern VA. You head outside to grab the newspaper, and immediately flip to the sports section. You read the main headline that confirms what you thought was only a dream. Washington 37, Dallas 13.

Inevitably, the thought enters your mind.

At that moment, you think ...

A)

But I'll also remember by midweek that it's a new regime, with new coaches, and new systems, and new players ... and that any team in that situation needs to be very wary of setting expectations too high in season one, let alone game one.

or B)

I liked that part of me grabbed it, held it up to the light, moved it this way and that inspecting it for clarity, and found it exhilirating. And you know what ... why not?

 

[Om]

... or C)

That, my friends, is the way to start a New Regime. Die, you Dallas Dogs, die. Going to bask in this one for a bit ... they don't come much sweeter. Then, come around Wednesday afternoon, I'm going to turn my attention to the Houston Texans, who will come to FedEx on Sunday also looking to improve to 2-0 on the young season. The first battle has been won, ladies and gentlemen. Time to settle in for the war.

 

[Bulldog]

I don't like to see Hall front-running on this team. He has done that in the past in Atlanta and it came back to haunt him as the pressure of failing to live up to expectations caused him to blame others and end up on a rail out of town.

Hall can be cocky all he wants about making the pro bowl or getting INTs in 2010, but he should leave the NFC East predictions to ESPN.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

All the best CBs are/have been cocky, I have no problem with it.

 

[Om]

Yeah, to be honest, I could care less what a guy like DHall says generally ... once a player establishes himself as mouthy, you just kind of roll with it. Deion, Micheal Irvin, Terrell Owens ... the guys were all about making noise to help pump themselves up and/or market themselves. In their cases, it worked.

In DHall's not so much, but only because he hasn't lived up to it on the field, which pretty much makes his talk easy to simply brush off most of the time. I just liked it in this case because of what it might mean elsewhere on the teamp; from Shanahan's possible reactions to the other players.

Then there's the slim possibility that what DHall was saying might actually not just be him motormouthing ... I mean, maybe he's just reflecting the mood of the locker room. If THAT's the case, I'm smilin'.

 

[the Omniscient]

London did come out after the acquisition of McNabb and say something to the affect of: Before we were thinking, 'we hope to make the playoffs,' now we are thinking, 'we are going to the Super Bowl.'

 

[Bulldog]

Fletcher is premature but he does know the value of good quarterbacking having been with Kurt Warner in St. Louis in 1999 and 2001 when those teams went to the Super Bowl.

 

[Henry]

... or C)

That, my friends, is the way to start a New Regime. Die, you Dallas Dogs, die. Going to bask in this one for a bit ... they don't come much sweeter.

That was pretty much how I felt after we beat Dallas in Week Two of 2005. There's really no need to read into a Dallas win, other than it's really great to get one.

Sorry, that's all I got. Carry on.

 

[Aston Gambino]

There's really no need to read into a Dallas win, other than it's really great to get one. .

Especially when the win comes on national television by way of two desperation haymakers in the last round of a fight in which they had won every other round, silencing a stunned Dallas crowd on a night when they were honoring past players with a ring of fame ceremony.