Vision Quest: Turning Point or Fluke

One of the more exciting things about being a Washington Redskins fan is also one of the most frustrating. And that is the anticipation of what team will show up on Sunday. From week to week and sometimes even from half to half we just don’t know what incarnation will take the field. Will the defense be effective like in the Miami and Philadelphia games? Or will they flounder hopelessly like the second half of the NY Giants game? Will the offense click and control the clock like the first half of the Giants game? Or will it stall out and barely produce, like every other time this season?

Rarely in the last 4 years have we seen a performance like what we got this last Sunday. All phases of the game seemed to click as one. The defense generated pass rush and shout down a decent offensive team. The offense had long drives that for the most part resulted in scores. The Special teams had long returns and decent coverage throughout the game. The coaching staff went for the jugular and never let the opponent off the floor. All of this resulted in a 34-3 drubbing of the Lions was the biggest win in two years.

With all the inconsistency over the last 5 years the question still remains, was this performance a turning point in our season, leading to a playoff run. Or was it a fluke performance and the Redskins will slide to a mediocre or losing season?

At 3-1 the Redskins are now 2nd in the NFC East (Dallas is 5-0 and the luckiest team in the western hemisphere. Jerry Jones must have sold his soul to the devil. And why do you need a soul if all your other body parts are replaced already?). The first quarter of the season is over and looking at this impartially, we are about where we expected our team to be. I know I figured to lose in Philly, but beat the Giants at home. We flipped the outcomes of those games.

The hardest part was the way we lost to the Giants after dominating them for an entire half of football. Many of us, including yours truly, took this as a sign this team would not take the necessary step forward to deliver on the promises made by the return of Joe Gibbs 3 years ago. This was not a reaction to one game but more of a series of decisions both on the field and off that have left us with sub-par football on Sundays.

That is until this last week. I don’t want to make too much of one win, because truly there are a lot of caveats to the win. Sure we got pressure from our front four but the offensive line for Detroit is pitiful. The Redskins scored the most points in a game in over two years, but this same Detroit team gave up 51 to the hapless Philadelphia Eagles (who are averaging just over 9 points in their other three games). The Redskins even had an interception return for a touchdown, but it came late and they also failed to fall on 5 previous fumbles by the Lion offense.

But at least there is hope this week. The coaching staff, for the first time since 2005, put together a complete game plan and executed it with precision. The defense totally dominated the Detroit high ranked offense while suffering through injuries to Marcus Washington and Phillip Daniels. The offense moved the ball with efficiency allowing Jason Campbell to have his best day as a pro. Even Mike Sellers got into the Act grabbing 2 TDS and a whole bunch of hits on hapless Lion defenders. He hit Kenoy Kennedy so hard he dislocated his soul.

But if this team is truly going to make the next step and become a true contender, then the next four games are important. The NFL season can be broken up into four quarters. If you win each quarter (3-1) you will win your division and get a home playoff game. If you want to get to the Super bowl, then you have to start there. The Redskins won their first quarter, so 1/4th of the job is done.

Unfortunately I think the next four games is our hardest quarter of football this season. First we travel to Green Bay who will be looking to avenge their first loss of the season last week. Then we host the Arizona Cardinals whose offense is starting to Gel now that the QB shuffle has stopped. We then travel to New England to face the best team I have seen play in my lifetime, and no, I am not kidding. Last we finish up against the Jets in the Meadowlands, where we have not won in Gibbs II.

If we are to go 3-1 this quarter that means a win in Title Town. Then hold serve againstArizona and the NY Jets. I doubt highly we can beat New England. But then again I doubt Jesus coaching the 11 disciples (Judas is on the Inactive list) can beat the Patriots. And if you have seen St. Peter you know he throws a hell of a Hail Mary.

But for right now, this second, there once again remains hope in Landover. Hope that we are headed in the right direction and that instead of the mediocrity of most of the last 16 years we can see the start of something special.

5 Things We Know Now

1.) That Jason Campbell Trade was pretty good. At the time of the trade in 2005, many including me, wondered why we were trading our future for a QB from Auburn when we had the future of our franchise, Patrick Ramsey, scheduled to start. My, how wrong we were. Jason Campbell is developing into not just a competent, but a very good professional quarterback. Each game he is getting better and he put up career numbers (23-29, 248 yards passing 2 TDs) against Detroit. This kid is a gamer and has a chance to be a Redskin for a long long time.

2.) That Brandon Lloyd Trade was not so good. A 3rd and a 4th, $10 million in guaranteed cash for what? 24 catches, 374 yards, and 0tds. And that includes his incredible 1 catch for 9 yards last week. If it was not for the Adam Archueletta he would already be gone. Now he is in the press admitting to loafing on the field getting him benched. Well Lloyd it is going to get you released next year. Brush up on the rap skills.

3.) Joe Gibbs coaches better when he is pissed. Mid week Coach Joe blew up at a reporter when asked about Detroit’s 0-20 (now 0-21) mark in DC against the Redskins. Is this the reason the redskins did so well? Probably not. But just in case Dan Snyder should hire a lackey to follow Gibbs around and taunt him every few seconds.

4.) Keenan McCardell can still play. 4 Days in the offense and he came in for an injured Moss and Randle-El to get 2 catches for 39 yards, both critical first downs. With Randle-El still hurt the old man may get the #2 job this upcoming weekend. In one game he has more then doubled some other high paid bench warmers.

5.) Hell has frozen over. The last time a Redskin has returned an interception for a touchdown was Iffy Ohalete in 2002. On Sunday Carlos “Stone hands” Rogers took one to the house late. Seriously, I saw Satan, he was wearing long johns.

Looking Ahead

Many saw the Detroit game as a make or break game. Not me. Quite simply if we had lost to Detroit then we are, to borrow a phrase, what most people thought we were, pathetic. By beating Detroit the Redskins have silenced some of their critics, even if their critics were many of their fans. But at the end of the day all they really did was beat up on a fatally flawed team in their house.

Nope the real make or break game for me is this one. If the Redskins are a legitimate playoff team and want to contend for the division, then we need to go on the road a few times this year, and win in a hostile environment and hold serve at home. We won inPhiladelphia, but since we lost at home to the Giants, we have to make it up on the road.

Green Bay is essentially a one-dimensional team, unable to run the ball relying on the pass. But that passer is future Hall of Famer Brett Favre who is still lighting up defenses around the league. Putting pressure on Favre will be key, but hard to do. Favre is still a mobile QB and the offensive line is one of the best in the league.

As Always until next time Hail to the Redskins!!!!