Several thoughts and reactions from yesterday's game.

[Going Commando]

Hi everybody, huge win yesterday, and it sets us up to be sitting very pretty by the end of next week if we can bet the Eagles. Everything is kind of jumbled in my mind, so I am going to try and put down my thoughts and reactions from the game here in a single thread.

1.) First off, I think the writing was on the wall for a Redskins victory yesterday given all of the comments Cowboys players made following their Green Bay win. Bradie James, a team leader no less, talked about how 3-0 meant nothing to them, and that all they cared about was what happened in January! How in the world can you be so foolhardy as to look ahead to the playoffs and Superbowl after 3 f-ing games? Serves them right. That kind of thinking always comes back to bite teams.

2.) Look at our Quarterback! As the season progresses I am becoming more and more impressed with our QB, and I feel confident in any situation when he is under center. I can't remember the last time I've felt like that about a Redskins' QB, if I ever have. How long can his stretch of making incredibly good decisions last? He's also made some really heads up, athletic plays too, like the botched handoff to Ladell Betts yesterday. JC can be a star.

3.) Terrence Newman is a Probowl Cornerback? He was dreadful in the first half. Randle El beat him for a long gain, Santana Moss beat him I think twice for long gains, and James Trash beat him for a touchdown! and I think all of that was in the first half. I saw nothing to suggest to me that he was an elite CB yesterday, which makes me think that he, just like Roy Williams and Marion (sp?) Barber, got popularity invitations due to the vast numbers of Cowboys fan voters.

4.) We shouldn't be too quick to dismiss Reed Doughty and annoint Chris Horton. Yes, Horton made that beautiful interception and has a nose for the ball, but he also gave up that touchdown (I think it was Witten's) where Marcus Washington got beat. There should have been safety help on that play and Horton made the wrong read and got burned covering the far left side of the field where no one else was. It was a rookie mistake, and while he probably deserves to start over Doughty, neither player, by any means, inspires the same confidence in me the way the other four big guys in the secondary do. Also props to Smoot, he had a really nice game until he got hurt.

5.) What's become of Anthony Montgomery? I understand Kedric Golston has had a brilliant few last games, but it strikes me that Montgomery has been uncharacteristically subpar. Is he hurt? On a more positive note, Carter and Griffin have been terriffic at least.

6.) I'm normally not a fan of him as a returner, but solid punt returning effort by Randle El yesterday. On the whole, we saw drastic improvement by the special teams which is encouraging.

7.) Finally, I get the feeling that the final score was a lot closer than it had any business being. For God Sakes the Redskins had the ball for 16 more minutes than the Cowboys did!! We are still stalling drives in the red zone, and the defensive playcalling was way too conservative at the end of each half. The defense essentially gave away 10 points through conservative play, which let the game hinge on a damn onside kick attempt. When your pass defense is playing so well all half, why would you drastically alter your playcalling such that you give away a field goal in order to avoid a TD Greg Blache? Same story for the final three minutes of the game.

Well, we still won a huge game and big ups to Jim Zorn for being the first Redskins coach since George Allen to beat Dallas on his first try. There is still room for improvement, but man am I looking forward to watching it happen as the season goes on. HTTR