Poke fans confident

[Brave]

Here's a smattering of Cowboys fans' predictions over at KFFL. They seem pretty confident. Can't say I blame them given the streak and all, but I hope we give it to them just like we did the Giant and Eagle fans.

"I just don't see the streak ending for the Cowboys" Cowboys - 21 Skins - 17

cowboys 16 redskins 10 "quincy carter has over 50 yards rushing"

Cowboys 17 Redskins 10

"The Streak' continues!!!"

10-0 Cowboys

"Tony Banks shows why he was released, throwing 4 ints. Or did he already show why he was released in the last meeting?"

Be angry, Lavar. Be very angry.

[Blade]

The Poke fans HERE can only talk about the 2002 draft for some reason... barely even one post about the Skins the whole day.

Wonder why?

[TennesseeCarl]

I was pretty confident each time we played the Lions. What'd we have run up on them - 16 straight or something outlandish?

If the 'Pokes are confident, I suppose they've earned the right to be. Sigh....It's really hard to argue with a straight face when you're 0-8 against a team.

When we were 0-5, I didn't think this game would mean much...now it means almost everything for us.

[ by TennesseeCarl on November 28, 2001.]

[Dale]

I think that the confidence you find amongst Cowboys fans does indeed lie solely upon our winning streak against you all.

It's literally become a laughing matter on the boards that you can chalk up an easy two wins against the Redskins.

Obviously though, football doesn't work that way.

This year's Cowboys team is a tough team to gauge. They show some sparks offensively through the running game, have intensity and some developing / budding talent on defense...but a whacky QB situation and a STs that does as much to lose games as humanly possible.

I, personally, don't see a blowout this week. I see us hanging in there for at least 2.5 - 3 quarters, until either Q or the STs finds a way to lose the game. Quincy has so little experience it's reasonable to suggest he'll faulter in situations where an experienced player wouldn't.

If we turn the ball over much at all, we'll lose. It's as simple as that. Our defense is a quality defense, but can't be working with a 35 yard field like they did in the two Philly games. Our offense can generate some ground running the ball...but what can they do through the air? That's the big question mark. We've seen 5 quarters of Quincy, and that was around 6 weeks ago. And he certainly didn't show much passing ability at the time. A lot has changed about his mechanics, grip, and knowledge of the game since. Will any of it show on the field? A Cowboys fan would certainly hope he'll appear better, but can't have any true confidence that he will.

Any logical prognosticator will go with the Skins in this game. It's the no-brainer of the week, really. A team with a 5-game winning streak against a team with a 3-game losing streak. However, with that said, I can see us jumping up and biting you all square in the butts. Hey, it's happened before

Is there any concern amongst you all that after winning 5 straight, you'll "let up" and let one slip away? It'll happen eventually, and considering the past few matchups between us, I can't help but wonder if it will occur this week. The reason I act as if a "slip up" is guaranteed eventually is because, frankly, I can't see you all finishing the season on an 11 game winning streak I don't think that's too unfair of a notion, either hehe.

[ by Dale on November 29, 2001.]

[OrangeSkin]

Let them have their confidence. They're still going to lose. I don't understand how they can be supremely confident about this game, when their team is one of the worst in the NFL, and we're one of the hottest. In our previous 8 losses to them, they caught us at a bad time. It's called getting lucky. No such luck this time.

As I recall when both teams were 0-4, the writers kept saying the Pokes were the team going in the right direction. It certainly appears they were wrong.

The 'Skins should win at least by 17, and I say that without any doubts at all.

[Brave]

Dale - There is all kinds of concern about a let-up. Partly due to "Norvitis," one madding symptom of which is an inability to play well against Dallas. I think many of us see this game as an appropriate end to the Norv Turner era ... if we can win.

Over the last 8 games vs. Dallas I can thnk of 3 or 4 that we actually SHOULD have won based on our play on the field until some kind of major blunder or series of blunders snatched victory away. In the other games, Dallas took it to us pretty good even though we might have had what most would consider a better team at the time.

So, even though I feel we are performing better right now and should win this game based on our respective play over the last month or so ... I'll believe it when I see it. The biggest positive I've seen yet during our resurgence is a spark of teamwork and emotion that has been missing for some 8 years now. If we can bring that along with mistake free football I like our chances.

[Larry]

Blade,

I also notice, on your link, that the 'boys are discussing what they should do with their top 5 draft pick. (I'm wondering if top 3 might be more appropriate. Heck, #2 can still be made, but I'd rather see Detroit break the record).

[redman]

Originally posted by Dale:

Is there any concern amongst you all that after winning 5 straight, you'll "let up" and let one slip away? It'll happen eventually, and considering the past few matchups between us, I can't help but wonder if it will occur this week. The reason I act as if a "slip up" is guaranteed eventually is because, frankly, I can't see you all finishing the season on an 11 game winning streak I don't think that's too unfair of a notion, either hehe.

I don't think you'll get anyone here seriously predicting 11-5. 10-6 is difficult enough but more reasonable. 9-7 seems more likely, but they'd better beat Philly and win the division games if they expect to win the division and reach the playoffs with that record.

However, I don't see the Cowboys game as a let up game. The team is returning home to play its arch rival to whom it has lost the last 8 games. A win gives us a winning record for the first time this season. And the team appears focused on reaching first place in the division, a possibility this week if Philly loses tonight. Besides, the team just seems focused after having suffered through miserable play for 4 preseason games and 5 regular season games. I think they're enjoying their resurgence and don't want to see it end just yet.

The letup game that I and others fear is the next one, against Arizona. They always play us tough (read as, "we always play down to their level") and I can see us looking beyond them to Philly the following week.

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"Loosen up, Sandy baby. You're just too damn tight!" - John Riggins to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

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"I fear we've awakened a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve."

- Japanese Imperial Admiral Yamamoto, after hearing that the Japanese declaration of war failed to reach the U.S. government before the attack upon Pearl Harbor

[gbear]

Honestly, I see the 8 game losing streak to Dallas as one of the things that makes me confident in thsi game. Otherwise, I would be horribly worried about the let up game after driving so hard to reach .500. The let down game I worry about is next week.

Against Dallas, the guys know about the losing streak. There's no way they can take this game for granted. The fact the game is at home should also help some. We'll see.

[NavyDave]

Definately time for this streak to end.

And hopefully it will be one of those statement wins

[Terry]

Skins/Cowboys games are like Skins/Eagles games - close and hard fought.

Someone mentioned that sometimes we'd be in it late and then some blunder loses it for us. But that only happens when the score is close in the first place.

This is a different Skins team from the Norv era, and even from 5 weeks ago. Cycles do end with the changing of the guard.

But Dallas has shown signs of life this season, only really being blown out by the Iggles. They played the Raiders to within 7 points at their house, and played Denver tough - coming within 2 points at home.

So I believe that we'll end our drought against the pokes this weekend. But I still feel that it will be close.

My prediction, Skins 17-13.

[@DCGoldPants]

until we beat them, I personally can't talk smack. Sunday around 8pm, hopefully I am smile and we'll be 6-5.

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<IMG SRC="http://www.angelfire.com/or/morethanmeetstheeye/images/tf_spin.gif" border=0><IMG SRC="http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20011125/amdf91063.jpg" border=0> -"Give it up for the Comeback kid!"

[bulldog]

the differenc between the Redskins/Lions streak and the Dallas/Washington streak is that the Redskins built the record against Detroit when they were a top echelon team for the most part.

The Redskins rarely if ever went into Detroit with a 2-8 record and starting a rookie quarterback coming off a serious injury.

There really aren't any objective factors that appear to favor the Cowboys this time around. An argument can be made that in the first meeting when both teams were 0-4 and the Cowboys were playing at home that at that moment in time they were in fact the better team.

I don't see that as being the case now. I doubt Dave Campo does either.

I expect to see some razzle dazzle out of Dallas to try and get the Redskins back on their heels.

After watching films of the Denver and Philly games, Campo isn't going to try and match the Redskins in a field position battle, because he knows that is a slow death for his team.

Expect Dallas to challenge the Redskins from the opening gun and see Quincy Carter throw the football downfield.

At 2-8 what does Dallas have to lose?

[Chief26]

From Orangeskin.......

In our previous 8 losses to them, they caught us at a bad time. It's called getting lucky.

[/b]

That's pretty funny. Lucky eight times in a row. Gotta be a record.

[bulldog]

You can never attribute even ONE win to just luck. There are always things the losing team could have done better to win the contest.

That is why when you see teams scream about a particular referee's call I have to laugh for the most part.

There are a few rare blown calls that DO cost games when teams are fighting and playing hard, and that is unfortunate.

But in the great majority of cases, the disputed calls are a cop out for a team that didn't make the most of its opportunities.

The one ace in the hole the Redskins have is they are clearly a different team this season than they have been in the past. In fact they are a different team from just a few weeks ago. LaVar Arrington has quickly moved up the list of elite linebackers in the NFL and the team in terms of ball control and defense has started to follow in the steps of Marty's earlier teams in Cleveland and KC. The one bonus here is I really feel he has more talent to work with than he had with either the Browns or Chiefs.

I know usually fans tend to say that after a big win or two, but truthfully I have never EVER seen a 360 turn like this team has made in the past 30 years of Redskins football.

The 1981 team was also 0-5 but had been competitive in its losses. This year's team had the worst 3 game start in NFL history since 1959!

The 9-7 game against Dallas was the first one the Redskins played really close this season but the team had not yet fully turned the corner. Bruce and Marco were still injured. Bailey was dinged and Smoot went out early in the Cowboys game. Jimmy Raye had not changed the offense to suit Banks and the receivers yet, etc.........

And most importantly Arrington had not put on his Superman outfit yet.

"That leadership thing" as Jeff George called it is very important in a physical sport like football. So is emotion.

He exhibited neither quality and is gone.

In the NBA or in a sport like golf emotion can be a detriment to your ability to perform but in football focused emotion can raise the level of a team's play by 30 or 40% any given week.

The Redskins have had an emotional edge on opponents the past few weeks and that has been an important ingredient in getting the "W".

Of the two teams, it would appear that scenario is not likely to change this weekend.

[Om]

[Raises hand and clears throat.]

Um, wouldn't executing a 360 degree turn be kind of like going nowhere fast?

[Nudges neighbor like any self-respecting smart@ss.]