REALITY CHECK

hogproud · Post by **hogproud** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:24 am

I think it's time to truly put the Redskins season in perspective.

Clearly, the two road wins "IN DALLAS...IN PHILLY!" elevated expectations. As well they should have. Not only for winning, but more precisely, HOW those games were won. The Redskins demonstrated a brand of football in those two games that translates into enduring success over the course of a long, arduous season.

The loss against the Rams was not pretty, but look around the NFL. REALLY good teams sometimes hit a road bump.

The three turnovers vs the Rams were uncharacteristic and somewhat fluky...and the Redskins still had a chance to win it vs a team that was:

a) desperate
b) breathing new life under a new voice (Jim Haslett)
c) was oportunistic and fortunate.

So...here's my point. As I looked at the schedule back in August, absolutely best case scenario thru six games would have been .500

The fact that my team is sitting there at 4-2, and more importantly, 2-1 in division with all the NFC East roadies out of the way makes me giddy.

But perhaps what makes me most excited is that they are as legit a 4-2 as you can get and it gives me confidence that this is a team that is as good as any in the NFL and has a chance to do something special.

It makes me proud to be a loyal, long-time Redskins fan.

hawaiiantribe · Post by **hawaiiantribe** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:16 am

The lost still made me a grouch to be around yesterday, but I like your brand of optimism.

The Dancing Bear · Post by **The Dancing Bear** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:55 am

I like the fact that Washington is sitting at 4-2 right now, but I am now really interested in seeing how this team rebounds from a bad loss. I am also starting to wonder if the whole "NFC East is the best division" talk may have been a little premature.

RedskinsFreak · Post by **RedskinsFreak** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:30 am

To continue the thought ... if Cleveland can play that way against the Giants ... they can do it here.

That might have been the best thing for Zorn to use in this week's preperation.

As if the loss to Rams wasn't more than enough to begin with.

VetSkinsFan · Post by **VetSkinsFan** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:12 am

The Dancing Bear wrote:I like the fact that Washington is sitting at 4-2 right now, but I am now really interested in seeing how this team rebounds from a bad loss. I am also starting to wonder if the whole "NFC East is the best division" talk may have been a little premature.

We lost by 2 points i the waning second of the game. Granted they were winless, but a lot of people drinking the Kool Aid keep forgetting that this is a rookie coach. We're bound to have hiccups; it's inevitable. This next week will be a nice illustration of where JZ actually is in his maturity as a HC and the skins in his scheme. I'm still on the bus, I'm still drinking the Kool Aid. I haven't lost sight that this is a building process and there are bound to be setbacks. As long as he leans forward and learns from the mishaps, I'm happy like a Hog in Mud!

SkinsJock · Post by **SkinsJock** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:37 am

I'm a lot like VSF and probably a little more optimistic - not that there was anything negative in that post. :wink:

I totally agree about where we stand and what we have accomplished as a team and with both the coaches and players individually making this a better team. The effort put forward (until last Sunday) has been above our expectations.

I look at 2 things - the balance of our schedule and the rest of our divisions schedule.

1 We have a lot of games we should win and a few testers. I'll bet we lose a game we should win but I'll also be very surprised if we don't win a few of the more difficult games.

2 The other teams (in the NFC East) have a lot of difficult games ahead and a few breathers (if there are any in today's NFL). We are really looking very good in our division.

Based on what we have seen so far in the NFL there are a lot more teams not playing to their potential than those like us who are playing much better than we or anyone expected. :lol:

I think this game coming up will re-establish Zorn as one of the better coaches in the NFL this year and at least as a coach who can handle the losses that should not happen but do and still have his team more than ready for the next game. :wink:

Now I'm not suggesting that the rest of the season is at all easy but I am saying that based on what we have seen this year, this team is looking pretty damn good to end up as one of the top 5 in the NFC - now who could have thought that a possibility at the begining of the season. :lol:

SkinsFreak · Post by **SkinsFreak** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:45 am

OK, I'll play... let's have some perspective.

The G-Men got man-handled by a 1-3 team last night, proving to the haters that in this game, the old adage... "any given Sunday" (or Monday night, in this case) rings with certain truth.

Looking at our schedule before the season started, seeing that in the first 6 games, we were playing all of our division rivals (NY, Philly, Dallas) on the road and two very good teams in the Saints and the Cards, with very strong offenses...

... looking at that schedule, if someone had asked me before the season started if I'd be happy going 4-2 after 6 games.... I would have said 'hell ya...'.

Even though this loss to the Rams really sucks, I like where this team is at so early in Zorn's tenure. A loss like that can bring some perspective and motivation to this team. Sometimes a loss like that can be a good thing, especially early in the season. I'll take this 4-2 record at this point and be pretty darn satisfied.

My 2 cents

SkinsJock · Post by **SkinsJock** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:25 am

To add a little more:

NYG - the record for the teams they have played = 8W - 19L (4W are ours!)
NYG - the record for the teams they have to play = 31-27

Dallas - the record for the teams they have played = 16W - 13L
Dallas - the record for the teams they have to play = 29W - 25L

Redskins - the record for the teams we have played = 19W - 15L
Redskins - the record for the teams we have to play = 22W - 32L

nothing is a given but our schedule looks a lot better than these other 2 teams. We all have to play the Ravens who are a lot tougher than their record would appear BUT that is why they play the game :wink:

NY giants have only 2 teams on their schedule (11 games) with losing records at this time - 49ers and Ravens

Dallas has 4 teams left with losing records at this time

Redskins have 6 of 10 games remaining against teams with losing records.

just loved to see the giants get blown out by the Browns - they are going to lose a bunch more games this season :wink:

SkinsJock · Post by **SkinsJock** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:29 am

btw - 3 of the 4 games remaining against teams with winning records are against Dallas, giants and eagles

ALL 4 games remaining against teams with winning records at this time are at home!

Deadskins · Post by **Deadskins** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:21 pm

Wrap that up and send it to Roger Goodell. We may be able to just take the division title by default, and not have to play those remaining 10 games.

PulpExposure · Post by **PulpExposure** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:46 pm

JSPB22 wrote:Wrap that up and send it to Roger Goodell. We may be able to just take the division title by default, and not have to play those remaining 10 games.

Yeah...as we just saw most recently (and painfully), just because you're playing a team with a crappy record doesn't mean you're going to win that game...

SkinsJock · Post by **SkinsJock** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:48 pm

I hear you JSPB - I am really hoping that last game was more than just a reality check - we heard from Zorn all week how tough it was to win games in the NFL and I hope that the players got a huge dose of reality last week.

That being said, there were some good spots last week and there is nothing really bad (well maybe the punting) that needs to be addressed BUT these guys have to know that they cannot just play hard in the NFL - you cannot make mistakes and allow teams like that to stay close enough that some bad call or minor miracle will cause you to lose a game when you clearly are a better team.

We are a good team but we will only be successful if we do not allow the teams we play to have any opportunities that they do not deserve.

In today's NFL, teams more often lose games than win games and last weekend was a perfect indication of that in so many games where better defenses and better offenses were clearly outplayed by their counterparts.

This game was lost in many ways - no excuses - lets just take care of the games we play in and let the other teams try and do their part - I have a lot more faith in our players and coaches than I do in the other guys in our division.

I am looking forward to seeing how the players and coaches respond this week.

PulpExposure · Post by **PulpExposure** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:51 pm

SkinsJock wrote:In today's NFL, teams more often lose games than win games

I know what you're trying to say, but this made me laugh. Statistically, teams collectively will lose and win games an equal amount... :lol:

VetSkinsFan · Post by **VetSkinsFan** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:13 pm

PulpExposure wrote:
SkinsJock wrote:In today's NFL, teams more often lose games than win games

I know what you're trying to say, but this made me laugh. Statistically, teams collectively will lose and win games an equal amount...

LIES!!!!

SkinsJock · Post by **SkinsJock** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:39 pm

Okay - I agree that did come across badly - for those who did not understand (unlike PulpExposure) - Its been my opinion for some time that there are a lot of times that teams lose games when they clearly outplayed other teams in every facet like we did against the Rams - the Rams deserved to win but the stats do not bear that out.
Then there are teams that played both above their previous level against an opponent that basically did not show up and play like they had been playing previously like the Colts and Ravens game :shock:

anyway - not a big philosophical thing - just a fact that makes every game a case for "any given Sunday" OR if you are like some here at THN who constantly like to point out - "just another opportunity for this Redskins team to let us down" and the reason they espouse is "well that's what this team always does"

now I ask you - does that make any sense at all? then again, I'm a little positive and hopeful that things are improving here despite the evidence of gloom and doom. :wink: