Tarhog Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 To quote my late great Aunt Leo… Bless our little hearts. Redskins fans worry. We worry a lot. We worry about disastrous drafts. We worry our front office will throw away draft picks on washed up former stars. We worry about injuries to key players. We worry we’ll give away the next Tom Brady or David Akers before we even know we’ve got a future star on the roster. We worry about the 3-4, and the 4-3, special teams, and the offense. We worry about which one of our two average QBs should start. We even worry about whether our owner is a nice guy or not. But nothing, and I mean nothing sets us to worrying like winning a season opener. We’re so used to worrying, our biggest worry is that we can’t trust our own eyes and ears. How can we? Every human sense available to us told us we looked like a decent team out there on the Fed Ex Field turf last Sunday. We moved the ball when we needed to on offense. We made defensive stops and forced turnovers when it was critical. Our special teams took points off the opponent’s board. And we out-hustled, out-adjusted, and simply out-played an opponent who’d been taking our lunch money for years. ‘We’re not supposed to be good this year.’ ‘The Giants are riddled with injuries.’ ‘It’s just one game.’ Our angst-filled inner voices whispered this and much more. There’s a certain solace in expecting the worst. NFL fans and the players they cheer on both fall prey to its lure. To dream of great things is to risk everything. To embrace skepticism and ‘realistic’ expectations is reassuring and safe – most times, one won’t be disappointed. None of us wants to be Billy Mumfrey, whose ****eyed optimism lead to his downfall. Still, my eyes and ears urge me to take a risk, to start believing. This is a different team, literally, and more importantly, figuratively. There’s an echoing refrain rising from the 2011 Redskins locker room. Anthony Armstrong described it this way after the opening day win. “There’s an attitude in this locker room, something is happening with this team that I can’t really explain, but it’s something special and it’s showing up on the field.’ Jabar Gaffney said “I love this team right now. There’s something special in this locker room. Every guy in the locker room believes that we can win and we’re going to try to go out and do that each and every week.” Santana Moss put it this way. “We have a different kind of swagger in here. Everybody is confident in here, everybody in here is about the team. We don’t have any selfish guys and that’s what it’s about. We’re going to help each other win.” “I’ve been saying it since day one that it’s a new team. It’s only game one, but it’s a new team, new characters and win, lose or draw you are going to see a different attitude out there on this team” says Brian Orakpo. When players take the first tentative steps towards the edge, close their eyes, and leap into the abyss of ‘hope’, how can we as fans not follow? Maybe we need to see more. See that improbable performance against the Giants repeated. Experience the sights and sounds of something resembling success and good football over and over again to rewire our neural paths and synapses. Perhaps only time and consistent experience can replace our Pavlovian expectation of doom at the sound of the bell with something more promising. The first tiny seeds of belief have been planted. The Redskins looked, not just competent, but good in the pre-season. They vanquished a hated and previously dominant NFC East foe last Sunday, and did it in convincing style. We remain unconvinced. This weekend’s home matchup against the Cardinals provides the next opportunity for Redskins fans to get religion. You’ve heard of Baptism under fire? Come on in boys, the water is fine. Just remember – it’s only one game, and we can’t possibly be good this year. Click HERE to read other BGO.C.D. blog entries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofdaroad99 Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I Love the Redskins, and I am always full of hope. But I also have a long memory, and Ive heard this "special" talk before. See Mark Brunell voluntarily restructuring his deal for 2006 because we had something "special" after 2005......... that being said I do think this team is much different, younger, and hungrier than that team, so here I come :::JUMP:::::SPLASH::::: damn, I forgot to piss first and now that water is making me want to pee. They restroom is alllll the way over there, well, no one is watching.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted September 17, 2011 Author Share Posted September 17, 2011 Although I don't think we were 'special' then, ironic you mentioned Brunell, since the only playoff appearances we've had since Norv was here he was involved in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofdaroad99 Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 there will always be a special place in my heart for Marky Mark, I was rooting for the Jets to win it all last year just so he could have back to back super bowls ---------- Post added September-17th-2011 at 10:50 AM ---------- oh and dont forget todd collins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldfan Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I didn’t choose to become a skeptic and a realist, TH. I was born that way. So, let me tell you why I think there is cause for some optimism. My reasons are different than yours. I don’t pay much attention to the optimistic quotes from the players. I have heard all that before and it doesn’t amount to squat. Players are just like fans. They jump to conclusions on little evidence. When things are going well, they get high. When they aren’t, you’ll read about players pointing fingers at others to place blame. I see evidence that the roster was improved this offseason, not enough to make me giddy with excitement but certainly enough to be happy about. I see evidence that another year and better players will improve the defense. I see evidence that the offensive scheme is a good one when well-executed. However, I don’t think there’s enough talent on it yet to expect consistency. I think defenses will find Rex easy to defend on his five-step drops when he’s throwing up the middle. The interior linemen only have to get their hands up, timed to block, when he throws on rhythm. My biggest concern: The Giants, missing their top two edge rushers, still got pressure on Rex. That doesn’t bode well for our O-line’s ability in pass protection against more formidable D-lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted September 17, 2011 Author Share Posted September 17, 2011 Nice reply Oldfan. I talked about 'eyes' AND 'ears'. So it's not about player quotes - that's just a piece of it, although even there, I think you're wrong if you don't hear a different tone in those words than we've heard in a long time. That may or may not be meaningful. What I hear in the words is 'buy-in' to what the Shanahans are selling. You didn't hear that with Zorn. At times, you didn't even hear it with Gibbs players. Maybe it's the youth - they still think a coach might know something and are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt - but it's a theme even with vets like Cooley who have seen a lot of failure. I'm really talking about how hard it is for fans to 'believe' vs. taking a position on whether we have enough evidence to take that leap of faith ourselves. I'm right there with you - I like the evidence before my eyes that things are getting better and success (even if its minimal early on) is possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinsInFebruary Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 My biggest concern: The Giants, missing their top two edge rushers, still got pressure on Rex. That doesn’t bode well for our O-line’s ability in pass protection against more formidable D-lines. Yep, I think our OL is improved, but still the weakest and most vulnerable element of our team. I'm one of those guys who believes it all starts with the OL, even a good defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHOPSkins Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 .......Come on in boys, the water is fine..........I for one am tired of thinking its better to be the underdogIts time we were favored and WIN those games Its Time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSO Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I think defenses will find Rex easy to defend on his five-step drops when he’s throwing up the middle. The interior linemen only have to get their hands up, timed to block, when he throws on rhythm. I've been thinking this as well for the longest time, but it seems like it hasn't happened yet. He's doing something right here that we're missing and defense's can't simply adjust to bat the ball down or take away the middle. I think he's forced them enough to respect the deep ball and, thus, the entire field. My biggest concern: The Giants, missing their top two edge rushers, still got pressure on Rex. That doesn’t bode well for our O-line’s ability in pass protection against more formidable D-lines. The Giants have an ability to make any Oline, even superb ones, look ridiculous. Yes, they were missing Tuck and Osi but let's not forget Tuck and Osi both made their careers coming off the bench there in NY. Those guys just know how to pick and coach Defensive linemen. I want to see how we fare against teams that don't build almost solely around their Dline (and let's be honest, the Giants do... how many early round draft picks have they spent on the Dline, again?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted September 17, 2011 Author Share Posted September 17, 2011 I for one am tired of thinking its better to be the underdogIts time we were favored and WIN those games Its Time Yeah - I could've add to the list of things Redskins fans worry about 'We worry about being favored' - because I hear that a lot. As if raised expectations alone are enough to doom us. I hate that. I was thinking about it the other day as some sports radio jock was talking about the Patriot's 28 game home winning streak. There are so many ways to lose games, even if you're a great team, that's just an absolutely incredible accomplishment. I don't need my Redskins to be the team of the century, but it will be rewarding when we're finally a team we expect to reliably and consistently win at home and beat the teams we should beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aireskoi Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I like the competition and the youth. That gives me hope that something special is being built. I don't expect a Superbowl or even a deep playoff run. I'd love it, but I don't think we're there yet. This is a different team & I can see us being competitive for a while with what is happening. I don't see us running the swinging gate in the near future. I'm buying in win or lose tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 John, that was your best work, IMO. You eloquently said what I've been thinking, but couldn't quite explain. Awesome stuff. I think it is kind of a self-defense mechanism to make excuses and downplay our success. I mean hell, how many times have we been burned in the last twenty years? A whole lot more than I'd care to admit. It's only natural to expect that rug to be yanked out from under us yet again. I'm beginning to believe that it won't be though. The atmosphere at FedEx last week was completely different. You could physically feel the excitement in the are. Dare I say it, I, and my fellow Redskin fans BELIEVED we were going to win. It makes no sense. We had no business believing we'd take it to the Giants. They've owned us for years. And it's not like they haven't had injuries before while they were whipping our ass twice a year. Looking back, it was an arrogant feeling to have. I mean, that'd be like a rag-tag militia in a New World saying they're going to spank the world's only super power at the time, and send them out of our brand-new country. It'd be like Joe Willie saying the Jets would beat the Colts. It'd be like the U.S. hockey team saying they were going to beat the Russians in 1980. Come to think of it, all of those things happened, didn't they? And we're certainly not nearly as great an underdog as the little guy in those situations. It's cliche, but you truly do have to believe it before you can achieve it. This team believes. And as they continue to achieve, we'll learn to believe as well. This is an exciting time in Redskins Nation. Granted, we're not witnessing something as dramatic as the birth of a nation. But we're witnessing the birth of a pretty damned good football team. And for those of us who have lived and died with this team all of our lives, it's just as exciting. To steal the slogan my Pittsburgh Pirates used years ago, when they were a heavy underdog and made playoff run, "Why not us?" Maybe that's the question we need to answer now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I find that the angst that you describe is definitely present yet your words made me see past those inner feelings and feel positive going forward. Excellent OP and an excellent read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I'm all about "wait and see" this season. There is no chance of me drinking the koolaid. Having said that I see them beating the cardinals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWFLSkins Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Yep, I think our OL is improved, but still the weakest and most vulnerable element of our team. I'm one of those guys who believes it all starts with the OL, even a good defense. With a shortened off season and the new addtions considered I think we should all give the OL 4-6 games to really see what we have there. Not that I disagree with what you are saying at all, I am just not sure they have "jelled" yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chump Bailey Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Rex is more mobile than we give him credit for I think. He's not a statue back there by any means and I personally was extremely impressed with quite a few of his passes last Sunday. They were a thing of beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVAbrendan Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Great post. This line killed me... None of us wants to be Billy Mumfrey, whose ****eyed optimism lead to his downfall. I'd like to think I'm cautiously optimistic about the team. They've made efforts to improve every position, and from what I've read, the O-Line is continuing to gel together. We FINALLY have a credible receiving corps, and just give off a competitive vibe, it's exciting! But, how many times has a season opener victory come back to bite us in the ass on game 2? Here's to hoping for the best. In Shanny I trust! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 Thanks - wasn't sure if anyone would get that one There's no doubt that history would make being pessimistic about tomorrow's outcome perfectly reasonable. I'm trying to close the door on history and start believing maybe this team and future ones can start writing their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbws Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 I Love the Redskins, and I am always full of hope. But I also have a long memory, and Ive heard this "special" talk before. See Mark Brunell voluntarily restructuring his deal for 2006 because we had something "special" after 2005......... that being said I do think this team is much different, younger, and hungrier than that team, so here I come :::JUMP:::::SPLASH::::: damn, I forgot to piss first and now that water is making me want to pee. They restroom is alllll the way over there, well, no one is watching.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewCliche21 Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 This summed up my feelings perfectly. I am so ridiculously beaten down by our team's performance for the past twenty years that the idea of something positive just causes such cognitive dissonance that my anxiety can't be controlled. It's funny because today I did a foster parent training on loss and grief. One of the things that we covered was how some of the worst behaviors can come from foster children after their foster parents give them the best day that they can remember. They get this little blue screen of death. Error, error, does not compute, launching fail safe program of depression and anger. Even in our pick'em over at BGO (lovely site if you guys haven't been), I am so hesitant to pick the Redskins to win anything. People keep asking me for predictions for this year, and I just have no response. I can't feel excitement because I'm just waiting for it to blow up in my face. Hell, we even see people on the board sabotaging their own feelings, just like my foster kids do. I'm more nervous for tomorrow than I was for my SATs, grad school finals, and licensing exam all put together. And you know what? It's only going to get worse as we get better. Here's to premature death due to ever-increasing anxiety! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEREALTOR1 Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 I want to believe that we have a great combination of young guys and old vets that are vibing off of one another. The old vets, some of them being leftovers from our years of despair, but, in my opinion, they were the "play your guts out and win at all costs guys", while the other vets that are in here are from teams which have experienced more winning seasons than losing. These guys provide a great core for the younger guys to look up to and learn what it takes to be successful (play hard, never give up, etc, etc...). Obviously the young guys just want someone to believe in them, and believe that they can be an integral part of something successful. It makes me wonder possibly how much young talent may have been wasted here in the last decade, simply because they were never offered an environment to nurture their abilities simply because there was a "stench of failure" that permeated its way throughout this organization. I finally feel like that stench has been expelled and everyone is desperately trying to pump in "the sweet smell of success" Its still difficult for me as a fan to forget that smell, but i'm trying, and every week that this team can come out and play equal to or better than the level at which they played the week before, will bring me one step closer in trusting them not to stink up the joint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsFTW Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 I'm just happy that they are finally playing to win and when they make a mistake (fumble) they go back out and get the ball back for the offense and the offense doesn't go into play not to lose mode and puts up more points. Stopping the other team on 3rd/4th and short, etc. The Giants led twice in the game and couldn't stop the Redskins from scoring both times. Once the Skins got the lead the Giants couldn't get anything done on offense. The Defense was all over them. Arizona better hope they get an early lead of 14+. That's their only hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 Point made. Folks were calling it over with 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. This is a different team. We won't win all the close ones, but this team believes it can win. It'll take time and experiencing it with our eyes and ears for fans to catch up with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD0506 Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 This one really rings true, does anyone believe we wouldn't have lost this game in years past? Just given up and gone thru the motions in the 4th quarter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 We're going to have our 'belief' tested this year. Last season, despite all of our flaws, we had way more than our share of cardiac finishes. It's going to go the same way this season. We're moving in the right direction, but we're a very young team. I'm betting we prevail more often than we don't in this year's nailbiters. And we'll continue to doubt what our own eyes are seeing. Next season, we'll start to expect it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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