A non-scientific “Redskins related” look at the “blowout” loss (or win), and it’s so-called ramifications

[Commander PK]

Ok, basically I went through the entire season thus far, and made note of every game that ended with a “blowout” final score. Then I went back through those games, and deleted every game where the final score did not end with at least a “3 score” difference at the end, (17 points), and where at least one of the teams didn’t have a winning record or .500 record through Week 11. (Excluding tonight's game between the Chargers and Broncos)

Here are the results.

Week 2

Giants @ Colts

Colts win 38-14 (Colts are 6-4, Giants are 6-4)

Jaguars @ Chargers

Chargers win 38-13 (Chargers are 4-5, Jaguars are 6-4)

Week 3

Titans @ Giants

Titans win 29-10 (Titans are 5-5, Giants are 6-4)

Steelers @ Buccaneers

Steelers win 38-13 (Steelers and Bucs are both 7-3)

Philadelphia @ Jaguars

Eagles win 28-3 (Eagles are 7-3, Jaguars are 6-4)

Week 4

Patriots @ Dolpins

Patriots win 41-14 (Patriots are 8-2, Dolphins are 5-5)

Week 6

Titans @ Jaguars

Titans win 30-3 (Titans are 5-5, Jaguars are 6-4)

Saints @ Buccaneers

Saints win 31-6 (Saints are 7-3, Buccaneer are 7-3)

Week 7

Jaguars @ Chiefs

Chiefs win 42-20 (Jaguars are 6-4, Chiefs are 6-4)

Browns @ Saints

Browns win 30-17 (Browns are 3-7, Saints are 7-3)

Raiders @ Broncos

Raiders win 59-14 (Raiders are 5-5, Broncos are 3-6)

Week 9

Patriots @ Browns

Browns win 34-14 (Browns are 3-7, Patriots 8-2)

Week 10

Chiefs @ Broncos

Broncos win 49-29 (Broncos are 3-7, Chiefs are 6-4)

Eagles @ Redskins

Eagles win 59-28 (Eagles are 7-3, Redskins are 5-5)

Week 11

Raiders @ Steelers

Steelers win 35-3 (Raiders are 5-5, Steelers are 7-3)

What should be plain as day, is that a “blowout” victory, or a "blowout" loss is not necessarily a good indicator of overall season performance, or whether a team is a legitimate playoff contender or not. Look at some of the teams that were victims of lopsided losses this season. The Broncos whipping the Chiefs. The Browns annihilating the Patriots and Saints. (The Browns are 3-7, but two of their victories have been blow-outs over supposedly Super Bowl contending teams) Some of the teams who lost these games early on, are now considered to be serious contenders for playoff positions. Some of the teams that lost these lopsided games, went on to beat teams, that beat the teams that pummeled them.

What all this means to me is quite simple. A bad game is just a bad game. Sometimes for whatever reason, even with really good, above average teams, the wheels just come off the wagon. Nothing goes right for you, and everything goes right for your opponent.

How does all this relate to the Redskins? Putting the victory over the Titans to the side for one second. The ugly side of the loss to the Eagles, the manner in which the Redskins lost, means absolutely nothing as to how this Redskins season will end up, and it's impossible to draw any real conclusion from that game. The Redskins weren't awarded two losses because the Eagles scored 59 points. The Eagles don't get two wins because they pummeled the Skins in front of the whole country on Monday Night Football. If the Skins lose 32-28, or 59-28, it's still mathematically, just ONE loss.

When it is all said and done, the Redskins suffered the 2nd worst blow out loss of the season last week, to a team that will likely never perform that well again this season. I would go out on a limb and say, if the Skins somehow end up playing the Eagles again this season. The game would be a lot different the next time around. Maybe we lose, maybe we win, but the odds of the Skins getting destroyed again like that by the Eagles, slim to none.

What an encouraging thought while we move ahead with the rest of the season, one game at a time.

[TSO]

Where were you 5 days ago when about 10,000 posters imploded, lol?

[Commander PK]

Where were you 5 days ago when about 10,000 posters imploded, lol?

I was here, trying to be a voice of reason. (After I settled down a bit) I was angry as hell also, won't say I wasn't. I get very emotional during the games, and usually say things that I don't really mean when the Skins frustrate me. I plan on posting a lot less in the game day threads from now on. Too much of the "sky falling" or "sun rising" on every individual play. I also said last week, that the Skins were just not very good, and they aren't a legitimate contender this season. Maybe they aren't, but the fact is after looking over all the games played this year, the same could be said of a lot of teams. There are a lot of teams in our position right now. Some of them will make the playoffs.

[TheGreatBuzz]

Painkiller, I believe you may just have to much time on your hands......just sayin'

[Commander PK]

Painkiller, I believe you may just have to much time on your hands......just sayin'

Lately, I have. FMLA for over 2 weeks. Once I go back to work, I won't have the time for this anymore.

[tehhunter]

The problem is that we were down 35-0 at the beginning of the second quarter, at home. After that, the Eagles players knew they had it wrapped up so they pretty much just gave it a whimsical effort the rest of the game, allowing us to score 28 garbage points.

[Darth Tater]

I think one thing you are seeing is that many NFL blowouts are really not much more than a really close game where just one or two plays went right for the team doing the blowout. For instance, in the Colts game, 4 plays go their way and they would have blown us out like 41-17 while if our last play had gone our way, we would have won 31-27. Just 5 plays difference between a huge beat down and a come from behind win. Heck, even in the Eagles game, if just 4-5 plays go our way, we might have won. If another couple of plays had gone the Eagles way, it'd have been a historical beat down for us.

[Commander PK]

The problem is that we were down 35-0 at the beginning of the second quarter, at home. After that, the Eagles players knew they had it wrapped up so they pretty much just gave it a whimsical effort the rest of the game, allowing us to score 28 garbage points.

The point of this thread is not to debate the loss itself, but to show that just because it was a god awful ugly loss, that doesn't mean that the Skins aren't a legitimate threat for the 2nd half of the season. Other teams this year have lost ugly also, but they haven't been counted out over the long-term, and neither should the Skins. The win over the Titans shows that this team can still compete with anybody, despite losing so ugly to the Eagles.

[Commander PK]

I think one thing you are seeing is that many NFL blowouts are really not much more than a really close game where just one or two plays went right for the team doing the blowout. For instance, in the Colts game, 4 plays go their way and they would have blown us out like 41-17 while if our last play had gone our way, we would have won 31-27. Just 5 plays difference between a huge beat down and a come from behind win. Heck, even in the Eagles game, if just 4-5 plays go our way, we might have won. If another couple of plays had gone the Eagles way, it'd have been a historical beat down for us.

Exactly. The Eagles will likely never have that many things go right, where they are able to get up 35-0 that fast again. I think many of our fans need to realize how rare that kind of a game really is. To be down 35-0 barely into the 2nd quarter? The last time anything similar happened to the Skins was in what, 1954 or something like that?

Remember the Skins game against Dallas at home back in 2005? The Skins were up 28-0 at the half. Ended up winning 35-7. Were the Skins that much better than the Dallas? Yes, that night they were. Realistically, any other night, and that game is probably a lot closer. I was there. That night everything went right for Washington, and nothing went right for Dallas.

[THEREALTOR1]

I plan on posting a lot less in the game day threads from now on. Too much of the "sky falling" or "sun rising" on every individual play. I also said last week, that the Skins were just not very good, and they aren't a legitimate contender this season. Maybe they aren't, but the fact is after looking over all the games played this year, the same could be said of a lot of teams. There are a lot of teams in our position right now. Some of them will make the playoffs.

I haven't posted in the gameday thread during our last several games, and I gotta tell ya, it feels great! In fact I try not to even be looking at ES a few hours before and after our game, exactly because of what you stated above. I also think you're correct about the current state of the Skins. We're not a great team. We're an average team. I told myself before the season that I just want us to play better than we did last year, and I thought we'd end up somewhere around 8-8. I think thats exactly who we are. I still let my emotions get to me and start dreaming up scenarios that will allow us to get into the playoffs, but with each passing week i'm starting realize that those scenarios are longshots at best, and its about time to settle in and get real comfy with expectations, because we're probably much more likely to end up where I thought we would then where I wish we would.

I don't know if any of that even makes any sense :twitch:

[Mr. Sinister]

So instead of 59-28, how about 31-17?

[Commander PK]

So instead of 59-28, how about 31-17?

Still just one loss.

[Boss_Hogg]

a loss is a loss. I don't care if it is by 1 point or 100 points.

We've already beaten the Eagles this year.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I'm still holding out hope that this game might be something similar to our 1990 Bodybag game vs. Philly. We were beat up in a completely different way, but maybe this loss will galvanize this team to finish strong in 2010 and make a run in 2011.

[Botched]

Nice thread.

We lost to the Giants 36-0 in 2005, and made the playoffs. We lost to the Patriots 52-7 in 2007, and made the playoffs. I'm pretty sure the Giants were blown out at least a couple times that same year...and they won the Super Bowl. It's definitely a week-to-week league.

FWIW, I didn't even log on to ES last week. I knew it would be ugly in here

[KingGibbs]

I give myself 24 hours to vent after a loss, especially after being humiliated like we were in front of a national audience, against a division foe and at home. Any passionate fan would feel that way and I make no apologies for feeling that way.

That being said. While I appreciate the OP's effort, why rehash a game we all want to forget? I'm thrilled about the fight this team showed Sunday and their ability to put the debacle in the rear view. We should do the same.

[hail2skins]

I also think what added to people's angst about the loss to the Eagles was that we had lost to the Lions before the bye. The Lions, despite everyone saying how improved they are, etc....are 2-8 the last time I checked. A team we should've beaten. People probably expected a better-prepared team than we saw last Monday night. Some folks talk about how beneficial the bye week should be, but I believe in some cases it can have the opposite effect and teams can come out very flat from it. Sure seems like that's what happened last week.

[Commander PK]

I give myself 24 hours to vent after a loss, especially after being humiliated like we were in front of a national audience, against a division foe and at home. Any passionate fan would feel that way and I make no apologies for feeling that way.

That being said. While I appreciate the OP's effort, why rehash a game we all want to forget? I'm thrilled about the fight this team showed Sunday and their ability to put the debacle in the rear view. We should do the same.

again, it's not about rehashing that game. From a fan's perspective, It's about showing "proof" by way of comparison, that the manner in which that game unfolded doesn't really mean anything over the long term. (admittedly not scientifically. There are a lot of factors that go into a final score) The Eagles pummeled us, and everybody lowered their expectations, but the truth is we still have just as good a chance as anybody. The Titans pummeled the Eagles, and we just beat the Titans. We aren't doomed to a sub-par season now, just because of the ugliness of that one loss.