It was a tight game, decided by three points. Early in the game the Skins had lost a key player, Jon Jansen, at one of the positions where our depth is most questionable. Our quarterback is still learning the offense, but played well enough that he led Redskins deep into Miami territory in the fourth quarter and set up the field goal that would tie the game. John Hall lined up to kick, within his range, but it hooked wide left. . . My apologies, I slipped into the nightmare that was last year’s opening game: a new offense that had yet to click, losing Prioleau on the first play of the game (in an already weak secondary), and an excruciatingly close game that simply broke in the wrong direction for the Redskins. And with that, the 2006 season began. Losing away at Dallas, they showed some promise by creeping back to 2-2 before dropping three straight and losing almost all of their hope at 2-5. What a difference a single game can make. Now the Redskins sit at 1-0, facing Philadelphia next week in Philly, a game that the Redskins don’t need to win. In the next three weeks they face a weak Giants squad at FedEx followed by a bye, and then Detroit (again at home). Coming out of this stretch at 3-1 is expected, and 4-0 would be a bonus. Were the Redskins sitting at 0-1 after today’s game, 3-1 would be a stretch and 2-2 would be what we would hope for. What a difference one game can make. Not that this Redskins squad doesn’t have some serious problems to address. But for right now those don’t matter quite as much, and the sting of seeing Campbell struggle, or Moss drop a few balls, or Rogers getting burned, or Lloyd being a non-factor. . .it’s diminished: for now. These problems aren’t salt in the wound, they are issues a winning team can address. This team will be able to win games this, and that’s what this opening day showed more than anything…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"