Jumbo Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 "Disclaimers" determined to be unfortunately necessary: We have long endured disappointment after disappointment after getting our hopes up, and my feet are firmly on the ground. And it's early in the season, though I'll remind a .500 year, or just under to well under, is what we all supposedly expected, though we want to see improvement and progress. But that doesn't mean we can't post articles that do say something positive. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/perennial-losers-redskins-tied-1st-nfc-east-2-214016630--nfl.html After six last-place finishes in the past seven seasons, spending a week atop the NFC East - even at only 2-2, and tied with two other clubs - is a big deal to the Washington Redskins. ''It's a great feeling to win like this,'' defensive endChris Baker said, ''because we have been losing a lot around here.'' <edit> ''Being 2-2, it's not 4-0, but we're tied for first in the division after the first quarter (of the season),'' Gruden said Monday. ''We're happy about that.'' <edit> ''There's a lot of things we can improve on. Obviously, the penalties are an issue still. The turnover margin's minus-4; we've got to try to fix that,'' Gruden said. ''But there's a lot of progress, I think, being made. You look back at the games you lost and you (think), 'Dang it, if we'd have done this or this or this, (there's a) chance to be 4-0.' You look at the games we won, a couple things could have happened, could be 0-4.'' In the locker room after Sunday's victory, some players who've been with the team for a while spoke about all of the changes they sense nowadays. New players. New upper management. And more. ''I feel like our attitude's a lot different,'' running back Alfred Morris said. ''When you're not on the same page, it makes it hard to work toward a common goal. ... More so this year than past years, we're all on the same page. We're all tired of losing.'' Gruden kept telling his group the importance of resilience. For at least one game, he saw them heed that advice. ''I like the fact that we're competing. I like the fact that our guys are giving great effort,'' the coach said. ''And I think the way they're preparing, the coaches are preparing, it's going to pay dividends for us in the long run.'' <edit> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnFoRcEr_uPu Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I like this post if for no other reason than your realistic disclaimer. I think a lot of fans lose sight of that and open themselves up for a big let down. Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I thought this might be from the Onion at first. "Perennial losers glad to be in three-way tie thus avoiding the ignominy of last place." Or "Redskins, and losers, always whine about doing their best. The Patriots go home and ___ a supermodel." Or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Baby steps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 Well, second post in---at least it wasn't the first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Hey, I've been positive (in spite of some targeted skepticism) all preseason and this year. I was not shocked at all by the win vs. Philly, though I would be against, say, New England. I also urged everyone to move on from the nightmare of a Thursday night game and that we'd learn a lot more about the team from other games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zazzaro703 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Sucks the timing of some of our games this early season. I think most of us knew that damn Giants game in NY Thursday night was looming disaster. Killed our momentum after a great Rams game. Now we have another of those games against the red hot Falcons down in Atlanta. I just hope we keep it competitive with a chance to win in the 4th quarter. I guess it could be worse and it could be the Pats off their bye but still this is another game that could launch the hype train right off the tracks. Other than the Giants game I do like the way this team has played the other 3 weeks although it appears now that Miami team was pretty awful and we really let that game get away from us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBass1724 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 It's such a week to week league. You're never as good as you think when you play well and you're never as bad as you think when you're playing poor. With the crappy attitudes of a ton of posters here, they thought we'd be 0-4. But we're not. We are 2-2 and are fielding a competitive squad. Suck it, haters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I've tried to keep the "positivity" all season. I've tried to keep it like this: wins are great and losses aren't the end of the world. Progress, attitude and development are what we need to look at. Scot is slowly trying to transform the culture and it looks like Jay, Bruce and even old Mr. Yucky Pants, Snyder himself, are all on board. This is an assessment year for Scot to see who wants to be here this year, next year and in the future. Good times...good times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gortiz Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 show up to ATL, get off the bus ... leave it on the field, and let's have two real good outings a row. that's a huge step for this team. not even worried about winning. Show up and play well for two weeks in a row. Let's just not have another Giants game. Oh yeah, and let's run 50 shallow crosses with Crowder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goskins10 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I like the optimism. I had them at 6-10 to 7-9 as an improvement from the beginning. Not sure I have seen anything to really change that but I am very encouraged by our overall play. It was what I hoped to see when I made my prediction. We just still have too many holes and now injuries are really taking their toll. The philly win was big for so many reasons, not the least of which was the guys getting that feeling of winning a big game at home. Make no mistake, it was a big game for us. These guys need to learn how to win and they took a huge step Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsailand Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Don't get too optimistic. This was probably the easiest quarter of our schedule, four teams that range from mediocre to bad, and we went .500 against them, because we are a mediocre or bad team ourselves. Miami is 1-3 and just fired their coach, but we couldn't beat them. Rebuilding, especially rebuilding from the mess Snyder has put us in, is more than a one season process. We are still at least two full draft classes behind NFL teams with real GMs. The goal for this season is to identify some of the guys who will win games for us in the future, develop them, and hopefully give them a taste of winning. If those things are done well, the season is a success, even if we go 6-10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Its nice (these last few years the ship has been sunk almost immediately), but if we're talking Thanksgiving-mid Dec and thus team is still at or near .500, fighting like hell, I'll take it. Emphatically Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 We're about to go on the road to face a 4-0 team that has been humiliating their opponents and is loaded with people who may have a score to settle with us. Enjoy the next few days.....stock up on valium and antacids for the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 We're about to go on the road to face a 4-0 team that has been humiliating their opponents and is loaded with people who may have a score to settle with us. Enjoy the next few days.....stock up on valium and antacids for the weekend. I ain't skeered. Bring it on. I expect Chester to be a swinging gate that could lead us to victory. But yes, enjoy the next few days. I just wanna still be holding onto some optimism after the first eight games. Halfway there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliSkinsFan92 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 We're about to go on the road to face a 4-0 team that has been humiliating their opponents and is loaded with people who may have a score to settle with us. Enjoy the next few days.....stock up on valium and antacids for the weekend. Humiliating? naww. They beat the Eagles by 2, The Giants by 4, The Cowboys by 11, and The Texans by 23. Now if the trend continues and they beat the Redskins by 46... lol that might hurt the optimism. But really it'll be tough ain't nobody on the Skins or anywhere covering Julio Jones. I think you just have to hope for the best and try not to get too high, or too low based off one game. I think it's going to be a win a game, lose a game kind of year. Especially on the nfceast dumpster division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superozman Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 The scariest part about facing Atlanta? ATL came out the gate winning with a new coaching staff. With their blowout of Houston, not only are they winning, the offense is firing on all cylinders. Week 1 vs the Eagles they had a script and stuck to it. WR screens, short passes, etc. It looked like, to me, vs. Dallas everything was on the table (and vs. Houston). Kyle's playbooks is in full use - and the Falcons are executing. Jones is going to get his. But we need to limit it. OBJ was the only true #1 WR we've faced, this will be a real test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I had us at 10-6 taking the east. I still think it possible. I'll be honest, that Giants game took a ton of wind out of my sails. I'm in wait and prove it to me mode now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Atlanta blew out Houston because the Texans turned the ball over a thousand times. If we don't I expect us to be in the game. Texans have Watt, but our front is more balanced than Houston. I think we get to Matty Ice a few times, maybe cause a fumble or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndorf25 Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Sucks the timing of some of our games this early season. I think most of us knew that damn Giants game in NY Thursday night was looming disaster. Killed our momentum after a great Rams game. Now we have another of those games against the red hot Falcons down in Atlanta. I just hope we keep it competitive with a chance to win in the 4th quarter. I guess it could be worse and it could be the Pats off their bye but still this is another game that could launch the hype train right off the tracks. Other than the Giants game I do like the way this team has played the other 3 weeks although it appears now that Miami team was pretty awful and we really let that game get away from us. I agree, Zazz. Let's break it down though and peel the layers off this onion that is Redskins in the 1st quarter of 2015... Week 1 LOSS vs the Dolphins who came into the season with plenty of hype but have since proven to be one of the league's biggest disappointments so far resulting in the firing of their HC after only 4 games. Week 2 WIN vs the Rams who are believed (at least at the time the Redskins played them) to have the most feared D-line in all of football. However, since that win what have the Rams shown? That they are still a mediocre team with a nice D-line that got man-handled by our O-Line that day. Week 3 LOSS at the Giants. I just KNEW this game was gonna be a stinker for our Redskins. History. Prime-time. Desperate division rival on their field. I gave the Redskins very little chance and they, indeed, wilted come game time. Now, I do personally believe the Giants are a decent squad and one that very well could wind up winning this, rather weak, division. But the Redskins did have faint chances in that game but were not able to take advantage (I'm looking at those underthrows to Reed, that should have been touchdowns). I just never felt that game was in doubt for the Giants, though. Week 4 WIN vs the Eagles who came into this game still trying to prove that they are the class of the NFC East, despite their record...surely they would take care of business on the road vs the lowly Redskins. It didn't happen. The Redskins were game and fought hard at home against a...now 1-3 team. So. Where does that leave us at this juncture in the season? The team is 2-2 and I believe that is right were they belong. One question that could be asked is "are they closer to 4-0 or closer to 0-4?" I'd probably say closer to 4-0, even though I never really thought they were gonna pull out a win vs the Giants. Closer to 3-1, than 1-3 is probably a better assessment. No. I am not feeling a victory this Sunday in Atlanta. I just think, at this juncture, the Falcons are playing with more confidence and with more play-makers and AT HOME in a noisy dome. The deck is clearly stacked against the Redskins this week. In fact, I am betting pretty hard against the Redskins in this one. I'm confidently picking the Falcons in my Survivor League, grabbing Ryan, Freeman and our old pal, Hank in Fan Duel. But...I do expect the Redskins to continue to show cohesion, development and toughness. I really think that message is effectively trickling down from this team's GM. I feel it is starting to take shape and while it may not mean victory this week against the BEST opponent this Redskins team has faced, I do think it is hear to stay. This team's arrow is pointing up, even if they lose this week. And If they do win? Oh boy. The optimism vs fear of letdown this fan-base has endured over the last 20 years will be one of the most interesting balancing acts we have witnessed since 2012. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big z Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Blah blah...Superbowl or bust! Go Skins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Right now, I see the NFL broken up into thirds. The top third are the good teams. These are your perenial playoff teams and the guys just dominating and blowing people away this year. The middle tier is for the mediiocre teams. Those are the every given Sunday teams and play up or down to your opponent teams. The final tier is for the bad teams. For the time being, I see the Redskins at the top of the bad team tier or the the bottom of the mediocre tier. That can change.The teams we have beaten have all been bad (Rams and Eagles). The teams we have lost to include a bad (that we dominated except on the score board) and a mediocre team that we crumbled against while shooting ourselves in the foot. I don't necessarily mind us being there. Last year, we were in the bottom of the bad category. If by the end of the year, we can move up to a every given Sunday we have a chance kind of team... especially with all the injuries, then I'll feel pretty good. For us to do that, we have to stay consistent with our strengths and steal a few games. What comes first the chicken or the egg? Being good or being confident? I think you trick yourself into becoming confident on the way to becoming good. Here's to a competitive year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Right now, I see the NFL broken up into thirds. The top third are the good teams. These are your perenial playoff teams and the guys just dominating and blowing people away this year. The middle tier is for the mediiocre teams. Those are the every given Sunday teams and play up or down to your opponent teams. The final tier is for the bad teams. So, you see us in the middle of the top of the bottom tier, but possibly moving into the bottom of the bottom of the middle tier, however with a chance to be top of the bottom of the middle tier, with a chance to be bottom middle of the middle, with a chance to make middle middle of the middle tier, possibly even upper middle of the middle tier? That 3 tier system of yours is right on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I shed a tier comprehending all of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I'm very encouraged by what i see, and i still think we're a 7 to 8 win team. what gives me optimism is the attitude.. they are not laying down, they are not getting pushed around. A lot of people this week are saying that they were surprised when they scored with 24 secs to go to win, and I was TERRIFIED the defense would give up a big play to allow a field goal or worse.I loved the drive to win. LOVED it. And just as much i LOVED the defense slamming the door.THAT gives me confidence. They did not roll over and die, they did not get beaten by a stupid mistake or bad play call or a blown assignment. They think they can win, and both of the wins they've gotten were through excellent execution by a well prepared football team. Plenty of room to improve, and based on what i see, i believe improving is something we'll be doing steadily going forward. It's nice to be in first place, even if it doesn't last.I think the Giants are pretty damned good, and if not for two unlikely collapses would be undefeated. If we can keep pace with them as we improve, who knows what can happen down the line? A couple of lucky bounces... But, i fully expect blunders, bad bounces and a game or two to get away.. like Miami. I expect Kirk to have another bad game or two, i fully expect rookies to make mistakes, and i fully expect our special teams will cost us at least 2 or 3 more games. 2 areas of our team are showing signs of life, and our special teams are absolutely horrendous again. So, not there yet. But it sure does seem like we're on the road. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.