Predictions for the season

[brandies]

Here it is; I say 11-5. Defense dominates. Campbell takes a step forward as either Thomas or Kelly steps up and second year in west coast; He throws 23 tds and 13 interceptions. The offense is slightly above average.
NewYork 9-7-time for a lull
Philly 10-6 - adjusting to new players, McNair slows and deals with nagging injuries.
Dallas 8-8 I like the head coach as a person, but?

If we do not finish 11-5 or better I will buy any member who visits Superior Montana a beer.

 

[Sarge]

I'll go 9-7 and miss the playoffs. I think the O line will be our weakness again this year, and Campbell needs to finally prove himself

The Giants are still on top

Dog fight for the basement between the Cowpies and Philly

 

[Henry]

8-8. We start out strong but wear out and fall apart around week 7, particularly on offense.

Until we actually do something else one of these years, that's what I gotta go with.

I can see Philly and New York at around 9-10 wins each, and Dallas ... I think they are due for a lull, especially considering the way it appears that the coaching staff is losing the faith of the players. They may start out hot but I doubt they'll top 8 wins.

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

I have the Skins around the 10-6 mark.
I see Dallas falling apart and winning 5-7 games
If Mcnabb and Westbrook can stay healthy and the Eagles D doesn't suffer that much with Johnson out (for now) and Dawkins.

 

[Ax]

11-5
At least one playoff win (Super Bowl run with no major injuries)
Campbell - 30+ TD's
Portis - 1,800 combined yds.
Devin Thomas - 50+ catches (8 for TD's)
Orakpo - Defensive Rookie of the Year
Offense - Top 10
Defense - #1 or 2
Blondie schools at least one newbie, and countless oldtimers.

 

[Chris]

I see 9-7, due to the favorable schedule, and a third place finish in the NFCE behind the Giants and Eagles.

 

[Hog Fever]

If we do not finish 11-5 or better I will buy any member who visits Superior Montana a beer.

Hey, if we finish 11-5 I might just fly out and buy YOU a beer to celebrate. Always wanted to see Montana and that would be as good an excuse as any.

I always try to be a "glass half full" type guy but as I have to use history as my guide I can't predict anything better than about a .500 season. If all or most of the questions we have going into the season are answered in the positive we could be in the playoff hunt and get to double digit wins. I just don't see us catching that kind of break. QB, WR, O-Line.....8-8

 

[brandies]

Hey, if we finish 11-5 I might just fly out and buy YOU a beer to celebrate. Always wanted to see Montana and that would be as good an excuse as any.

I always try to be a "glass half full" type guy but as I have to use history as my guide I can't predict anything better than about a .500 season. If all or most of the questions we have going into the season are answered in the positive we could be in the playoff hunt and get to double digit wins. I just don't see us catching that kind of break. QB, WR, O-Line.....8-8

5 pound trout jumping in the river in front of my house right now

 

[Hog Fever]

Don't tempt me man.

 

[romberjo]

I'll go with 9.5 - 6.5. (Not that I think we'll tie--but 9-7 feels a shade too low and 10-6 a bit ambitious for the NFCE.)

Campbell's YPA will go up, his completion % will go down, the offense will be fair to middling, with fewer games in which we can't do anything. The D will be solid, get more turnovers though give up more yardage, particularly through the air. Orakpo will flash some moves but will disappear for long stretches.

 

[Boone]

9-7 and we squeak into the wildcard by the Skin of our teeth. And Colt Brennan is our QB the last 4 games of the season

 

[Pravda]

I'd say 8-8 with another see saw uneven season where at times we look good and at times we don't.

No blowouts.

We don't score over 35 points in any game, but we don't score fewer than 7 in any game either.

At least two of our starting five offensive lineman will be out by the end of week 12.

Campbell plays well at times, but not well enough and leaves Washington at the end of this season.

Portis plays 13 games.

McIntosh has a break out year and so does Landry.

Haynesworth does ok--but gets hurt and ends up blaming production on Greg Blanche and Griffin (who also gets hurt).

No playoffs and back to the drawing board for another band-aid offseason.

And Ax is certainly right about one thing "Blondie schools at least one newbie, and countless oldtimers."

 

[Henry]

The stretch to watch is weeks 4 through 12. Somewhere during those middle 8 weeks we inevitably hit a wall and discover a losing streak.

In fact, we haven't had a winning record during those eight weeks since 2001, when Marty Schottenheimer's Redskins started out 0-5 and then won five straight.

Consistency is our problem. This team hasn't played a complete season in almost 20 years.

 

[Om]

Maybe it's more my annual cop-out than prediction, but ...

Until proven otherwise, the Redskins remain a middle-class, could-go-either-way team.

They don't suck--unless they lose half the starters to season-ending injuries, they won't lose double-digit games and own a top-ten pick next April.

They aren't established contenders either--unless they get major upgraded performances from certain key areas (QB, OL, overall offensive synchronicity), they're one of a dozen on-the-bubble teams that could either break through or break down, depending on the million variables that are part and parcel of every NFL season (injury to friend or foe, scheduling breaks, lucky/bad bounces, good/bad officiating calls, etc.).

All of which means, when it comes to "predicting" the season, I put them in a range of 7-9 and 11-5. And I'm leaning more toward the high end than the low because I think they're headed in the right direction.

It is nice not to have a team you know has no shot coming out of the gate. For all our bitching, we do have a team that with a few reasonable breaks could be a factor in late January. But we're a team that has not proven worthy of contender-level expectations, either. We're firmly in the middle of the pack, arguably on the ascent, but still waiting to see which way the wind blows.

Unless, of course, Jason Campbell can really, truly play ...

 

[skinsfan44]

16-0 and we win the super bowl.

what? you expected a guy who was a member on EXTREME skins and is BG OBSESSED to say anything less?

You and me both.

I think we are going to have a break out year and go 12-4 and win the NFC East.

Then beat the Cowboys in the NFC Championship for the 3rd time.

Then win the Super Bowl against the Steelers.

You heard it here first.

 

[Neophyte]

This schedule sets up well for a fast start. There is a better than even chance of this team being 5-2 or better at the bye. The problem is that those 2 losses would be in the division, coming to the Giants in the opener and the Eagles at home the last game of that stretch.

Good thing too because following the bye things get ugly with a record of 4-5 being a very real possibility. There are 4 division games in there, 2 road and 2 home and a pair of west coast away games against the Raiders and Chargers. Not to mention games against the Falcons, a playoff team last year, and the Saints who now sport one Gregg "Two Gs" Williams as DC. Don't you just know he would love to make life tough for Campbell, Portis and company, especially in our own house?

That puts this team at 9-7. With a key injury or two that could easily turn into 7-9. Of course, with any kind of improvement from Campbell and any one of the WRs it could also turn into 11-5.

Going to be another fun and agony filled ride my friends. Buckle up.

 

[servumtuum]

O.K., I'll dive in on this one. Basically I see the Skins at 6-4 after the 11/22 game at Dallas-barring unforseen injury of course. Haynesworth scares QBs enough to throw off their concentration until the teams adjust to him and Orakpo is an unknown with what appears like great potential-again, the opposition will have to adjust to the upgraded defense.

Then the "fun" begins. Considering all the variables I've seen mentioned the last six games will be where the season gets decided-all goes as planned, very few injuries, Orakpo looks like defensive Rookie-of-the-Year, Mike Williams is at 345 and the Skins learn how to create fumbles it could be an 11-5 " OMG-we're-in-the-playoffs!" season. Going the other way, players busted up. Campbell leaves, Williams balloons to 380, Orakpo is overwhelmed by the idea of being DE and OLB, Haynesworth's hurt, an aging OL finally collapses and it's 7-9...or...gulp...worse.

Soooo,...I'll split the difference, call the last six games a 3-3 split and the Skins wind up 9-7

 

[Grumpy Vet]

7 and 9 if everything goes "well".

Defense changes significantly from last year and takes a while to gel....once it does - it is amazing....overall the "D" finishes top 5 again. Hall, Orakpo and Haynesworth prove to be great additions.

That said...from the beginning the offense continues it's flaccid march through the NFL. Even w/ our defense continuing to pull more than it's fair share - we struggle to put more than 2 scores on the board. Portis' wheels come off...Campbell continues to have problems....the sophomore trio has a rough go....and the only bright spots are Moss and Zorn finally figured out how to use Mr. Cooley.

...and then in February 2010....we start to rebuild....again.

Submitted here this 23rd day of the seventh month in 2009.

I hope I'm wrong.

GV

 

[Boone]

Flaccid?

That's never good.

I hope you're wrong too, and I think you will be on the offense. We won't be a juggernaut, but we'll be reasonably productive and are going to get a lot of short-field chances. Campbell won't last the season though - I don't think this O-Line can hold up for 16 games, and he goes down with an injury by week 10 or 12....

 

[Sarge]

Flaccid?

That's never good.

I hope you're wrong too, and I think you will be on the offense. We won't be a juggernaut, but we'll be reasonably productive and are going to get a lot of short-field chances. Campbell won't last the season though - I don't think this O-Line can hold up for 16 games, and he goes down with an injury by week 10 or 12....

Thats why we'll have trouble inside the 20 again this year. The line can't get us to the end zone.

Just one year I wish we'd do what Tuna did in Miami and draft nothing but linemen