I think it moved

[86 Snyder]

I could be wrong, but I'm thinking a lot of folks can relate to this vibe.

 

I'm 40 and have been a fan of this team since my earliest memories of life.  Those Gibbs teams shaped my youth.  The Sunday calendar revolved around Redskins football and, if for some reason my parents did the unthinkable and circumstances wouldn't let me watch, Frank, Sonny, and Sam had my back.  George Michael and Jim Vance injected highlights and enthusiasm into my veins every week.  When we won, their words marked the celebration.  When we lost, our commiseration provided comfort.

 

Our beautiful franchise was a beacon of what was right in the world.  A passionate, dare I say rabid, fanbase.  A group of good men of character, lead by the best man of all.  We were the good guys, the Avengers coming to take down down the Deplorables.  I'm that oh so perfect age where I can remember those days fondly, but they also feel like a mirage.

 

When I was seven, I wrote "Doug Williams, Zachary, Louisiana, 70791 on an envelope and poured my guts out in appreciation.  Somehow, that zero address letter reached him and he sent back an autographed photo and handwritten letter.  A few years later, I recognized Monte Coleman and Charles Mann at Chesapeake Bay Seafood House while with my family for dinner.  They greeted my interruption with smiles and made sure to come sing me Happy Birthday when dessert was later served.

 

And yada, yada.  This thread isn't about ME.  It's for anyone that's felt disconnected.  Disinterested.  Even...Anti.  

 

The last few decades have been quite dark, with only a few lightning bolts here and there to reward our interest.  The last couple years have been the most dismal of all.  No hope to cling to.  Just a piece of **** owner and a completely toxic culture that we are still peeling back.  I let my season tickets go a few years back.  Last year I started relegating the Skins to my laptop while I watched "real" games.  This year I could barely muster that much, despite finally having a White Knight in Rivera and a playoff chase (lol) to follow.

 

But it all changed last night.

 

I don't know about you, but that was the most fun I've had watching this team in a long, LONG time.  There I was, sitting on the edge of my seat again.  Wearing my jersey.  Yelling at the TV and running laps around the basement after we made big plays.  Lighting up Facebook with posts, obnoxiously texting everyone I know...teleporting back into a body that seemingly died and was buried six feet under.  

 

Maybe it was the underdog nature of it all, but Taylor Heinicke brought me back from the dead.  I'm not proclaiming him to be the team's savior or anything, but his performance woke up parts of me that were long gone and I am grateful to feel them again.  I had absolutely no idea how much I missed it.  Maybe he did the same for you.

 

I feel like George Costanza after he ate the mango.  "I think it moved".  No, no...it definitely did.  It's back.  Snyder be damned, I can still love this team and wasn't sure that was possible.

 

Maybe some of you can identify with this story.  Maybe some of you have also been stuck in the Upside Down and felt something strangely familiar last night.  I just wanted to take a second to hallmark when the lights turned back on for us.  

 

Dear Taylor Heinicke: Thank you.

[TK]

This gets a "sticky" at the top.  

 

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I agree, last night was a lot of fun.  Maybe not the most fun I've had in awhile (beating the piss out of Dallas on Thanksgiving was a high mark) but watching the team fight last night was great.  Watching Taylor Heinicke go toe to toe with the GOAT was fantastic.  

 

I will say it's the first time in a long time that I can remember the season ending and I'm already looking forward to the next one.  Things are looking up, for sure.

[London Kev]

Great post. Nothing moved for me, but I am more convinced that we have turned a corner than at any time since 2012.

 

The combination of a strong coach, good recent FA & drafting, an exciting defense, and the possibility of having found a diamond-in-the-rough QB has really raised my hopes.

 

We improved by four wins from last year., going from awful to middle of the pack, which is quite a feat. If we could have another good FA/draft and improve next season by another two or three wins then we will be knocking on the door of being a good team.

 

Why not us.

[Cooleyfan1993]

I’ve always had a giddy feeling leading up to games even in bad seasons, but i definitely understand why others had lost that feeling, or interest for a long while. 
 

with that being said, i agree, i think/Hope last night changed peoples feelings towards the team and that more of our fans will want to attend home games next season and fill FedEx Field 

[Captain Wiggles]

I like Heinicke. I hope he's the QB Washington can build around on offense. I think both he and Kyle Allen are playmakers and look forward to them re-signing.

 

I'm 41 and feel very similar @86 Snyder. The player that made me really care again is Chase Young tho. Since Gibbs left in 2007 I've been pretty meh on the WFT. CY and Rivera have made me a believer again.

 

 

[tmandoug1]

Agree with post......."it" is here and I was excitedl last night. We have a team build going on that has me anticipating every turn. Culture change is here and  I can't wait to be a part of it. 

 

HTTWFT

[Dark Acre]

Yeah, this is the first time I've been not just optimistic, but excited, at the end of the season since 1991 (and we know how that ended).

[KillBill26]

Agreed, I haven't been this excited going into the offseason in a long time.   

 

Even after the magical 2012 season, rg3 had just torn his ACL and a lot of wind went out of our sail with that news, and the whole rg3 giving demands about plays he will and won't run. 

 

Even tho we lost last night, we looked like we figured some things out and started to click.  I'd say 1999 was the last time we entered an off-season with hope that we were heading in the right direction.

 

With all the insanity in the world, it's nice when you have a hobby that actually gives you joy. Not just aggravates and disappoints you.  I felt we may have gotten that back last night.

 

Hail.

[BleedBNG]

I wished we had played the Bears. Better matchup.

[Burgold]

2 hours ago, TK said:

This gets a "sticky" at the top.  

 

 

It moved and then it got "sticky?"  Umm...

[Burgold]

1 hour ago, London Kev said:

good recent FA & drafting,

This is such an interesting observation. At the start of the season, so many were frustrated that we never waded into the free agency market and only got guy who were cheap and unwanted. I'll admit I thought the approach was to put Band-Aids on positional holes that could later be filled with draft picks or better free agents once Rivera got a chance to assess the team.

[Cooleyfan1993]

18 minutes ago, BleedBNG said:

I wished we had played the Bears. Better matchup.

Yep. Them or the Seahawks. We only lost by 5 against them, and i have a feeling if we faced them yesterday with Heinicke starting, we would’ve won the rematch 

[skinsmarydu]

2 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

I agree, last night was a lot of fun.  Maybe not the most fun I've had in awhile (beating the piss out of Dallas on Thanksgiving was a high mark) but watching the team fight last night was great.  Watching Taylor Heinicke go toe to toe with the GOAT was fantastic.  

 

I will say it's the first time in a long time that I can remember the season ending and I'm already looking forward to the next one.  Things are looking up, for sure.

My phone has blown up ... all my friends that are Falcons fans gave me mad props...most of them had Gibson & McLaurin on their fantasy teams...and they all said it was good to see me enjoy a playoff game.  That was cool. 

[LD0506]

I used to be proud of our team, the players and the way they carried themselves, the coaches and the example they set for their players, the way the franchise was a team and represented all of us.

 

That seems so long ago, another life. TheDan was and is a curse on us all, and I never expected to be able to be proud of this team again.

 

I am very content to be proven wrong.

 

Ron Rivera, in a short time under incredible pressure, has transformed this franchise. The team, the spirit of this team, is amazing and so far from where we were just over a year ago you couldn't see it with the Hubbell telescope.

 

 

[ANONYMOUS SOURCE.]

We lost but no one is laughing at us because we showed up to play when it mattered.  When was the last time that happened ?  There’s a long way to go but the foundation is built I  believe. First time ever  I’m hoping I’ll have to seek medical attention because I’d love for this to last more than 24hrs. 😂

[London Kev]

11 minutes ago, Burgold said:

This is such an interesting observation. At the start of the season, so many were frustrated that we never waded into the free agency market and only got guy who were cheap and unwanted. I'll admit I thought the approach was to put Band-Aids on positional holes that could later be filled with draft picks or better free agents once Rivera got a chance to assess the team.

 

Fuller, KPL, McKissic, Logan Thomas, Lucas and Ronald Darby have all contributed. I think that we also traded for Kyle Allen (my memory is a little fuzzy today).

 

Maybe I'm being a little bit of a homer, but I wouldn't call them Band-Aids.

[dyst]

I am still cautious due to our history. We have a lot of holes. We don’t have a QB, we don’t have a consistently strong running game, our offensive line needs improvement, the WRs are lacking. Hopkins is spotty and we don’t have a good return man. Defense is better and I don’t have much complaints there. 
 

Lots of obstacles against us due to personal shortcomings I just listed but still, we finished with only 7 wins against an awful NFC East. I need two playoff spots in a row and at least one 10 win season to get really hyped.

 

With that said, the young talent and coaching staff is what gives me hope. The holes are still there but I like the talent we have. I don’t necessarily think things can only get better. That’s not how the NFL works. We can regress also. All in all, what a fun year.

[skinsmarydu]

This is the "we're hyped about what we accomplished when everyone has laughed at us for decades" thread. 

 

No regression.  Onward. 

[Riggo#44]

It did more than move...

 

 

 

I don't think we've been this close in a long, long time, no matter what Bruce Allen has said in the past. That defensive line is a group of monsters--even if the LBs not named Holcomb are the equivalent of the small guy in the fight yelling "hit him!" while cowering behind his bigger friends. Kam Bam was a steal, I like Hudson as a role player. But we have several highly replaceable people: Bostic, Moreland, crApke/Reaves primarily, whomever is playing opposite Holcomb. We have the makings of a legitimate, elite defense--and Chase Young will only get better. Which should make opposing QBs crap..ke...their pants. We had 5 defensive players over 26 this year: Thomas Davis, Deshazor Everret, KPL, Bostic, and Kerrigan. That's it.

 

Offense is well, that's the bigger issue.

 

Offensive line: Right sight good. Left side...not so good. Left side is great depth, but mediocre starters. I'd love if Charles can stay healthy at LG. Get an LT--possibly at 19--I don't think there are any good LTs in FA. I think we can get by with Charles/Schweitzer at LG.

 

Running Back: Gibson is one of two playmakers on offense--and is really promising. JD McKissic is a good 3rd down back. Barber is a plugger. Maybe replace Barber with someone more dynamic next year and this is a good stable.

 

Wide receiver: Terry McLaurin and...anyone? Bueller? Cam Sims flashed, but I don't think  he's an answer beyond a 4th WR. AGG battled injuries and was totally ineffective. Has any receiver in recent history looked that bad in their 1st year and had a good career? I can't think of very many off the top of my head. Steven Sims has to be one of the most disappointing players in recent memory. I was hoping for so much from him and he fell really flat. Good thing there are good receivers in FA and several in the draft.

 

Tight End: I love Thomas, he was better than anyone thought. But he was hardly dynamic--72 catches, he's a really reliable target, but he isn't going to stress a defense. We can live with him, but I'd love to add an athletic, but can't-block-for-utter-**** type project in the 4th-5th round.

 

Now...the big one. Quarterback. Allen? Heinicke? Smith? I think Smith will retire. He was a fantastic story but wholly ineffective his last couple of starts. Allen and Heinicke flashed--the latter was fantastic last night--but really, are they long-term answers? No. They're backups. Heinicke is Scott Mitchell, Brock Osweiler, Matt Flynn. I do not want to trade for Stafford. How many times have teams tried to trade for the vet QB and it worked out? Very few. However, I have no idea what the solution is--trade up for a hopefully-falling Trey Lance? Mac Jones? I guess it depends on how this offseason plays out.

 

Now--we have been here before. An amazing 2nd half run to a division title, only to lose in the playoffs. 2007, 2012, 2015...feel familiar? We took advantage of one of the worst divisions in a long time. We took advantage of a injured and poorly coached Cowboys team. The Eagles imploded spectacularly. We took advantage of a Nick Mullins lead 9ers. We lost to the Lions, Giants (2x), and Panthers. But then, we beat the 11-0 Steelers. We ran with the Seahawks, holding their very good offense to  20 points. We ran with the Goat in the playoffs and held our own.

We have a legitimate, respected, and talented coaching staff. And, even more, the players love it here now. When was the last time anyone said that about this organization? Ever? Bruce Allen is drinking Coors Light somewhere, possibly looking like White Goodman at the end of Dodgeball. There is no sycophant, political jackass to ruin things. Jason Wright is amazing. However, we need to keep Snyder locked in a closet--he is the biggest impetus to what we're building. He needs to go--or be severely limited in his role and influence. 

 

But, like the pleats in Ron Burgundy's pants--we are definitely pointing up.

 

 

[London Kev]

17 minutes ago, skinsmarydu said:

This is the "we're hyped about what we accomplished when everyone has laughed at us for decades" thread. 

 

No regression.  Onward. 

 

Agreed. But what we all want to know is; did it move for you, Mary Du? 🙂

[skinsmarydu]

Just now, London Kev said:

 

Agreed. But what we all want to know is; did it move for you, Mary Du? 🙂

Well played.   

[Koolblue13]

I'll never understand the erection jokes when it comes to watching football, but some of you dudes do watch Adult Wrestling.

 

It's weird. But so is being super happy feeling like a competitor again.

[skinsmarydu]

9 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I'll never understand the erection jokes when it comes to watching football, but some of you dudes do watch Adult Wrestling.

 

It's weird. But so is being super happy feeling like a competitor again.

Really?  I'm like, "Honey, stop...it's game time." 

[NoCalMike]

The playoff loss against the Bucs was pretty much everything we wanted and needed to see about this team.  On the positive side it showed the work Rivera and JDR have done to change the culture, get players to buy-in, play hard on every down etc etc....they were right there going toe to toe against the GOAT and one of the NFL's better offenses.  On the flip side it also showed everyone where the holes in this defense are and what it means to have a good defense versus a great defense and why, in the playoffs, you better have a great defense if your offense isn't explosive.  

 

Plenty of areas to improve, but I agree that was one of the more "proud losses" I have witnessed from this team in a long time.  I didn't have the fool's gold of feeling of Gruden's one playoff appearance or the "omg I have just witnessed a career changing/ending disaster" feeling I had after the 2012 playoff game.  

 

I also turned 40 this year and to be honest, that puts me at the age of most of my Gibbs 1.0 era memories at the tail end.  The 1991 season & Superbowl win against the BIlls was really my childhood peak at this franchise being a total machine. I was 12 and for all I knew that was what I would expect to see from this team for years to come.......yikes.