Calm down, people. This is not our year, it never was.
It is not as if the World is coming to an end. We do not have a great defense in terms of points per game or total points allowed. Our defense has allowed 63 points in two games. That is the SECOND WORST in the entire league. Only Buffalo's defense has allowed more points at 65 (if two points are any consolation). We are also 28th in total yards allowed, 810 in two games).
Our strength on defense was and still might be in the front seven. I believe and agree that the replacements for Carriker and Orakpo will play adequately and even may make great progress. HOWEVER, that is not the greatest concern. Anybody who saw what Brees/receivers and Bradford/Amendola did to us knows that our secondary is in real trouble.
It is not the end of the World NOW because we did not have a Superbowl team to start with from the beginning of this season. This team was and still is a work in progress and many parts are beginning to look in place for next season.
So, these injuries and the loss to the Rams serve to arrive at two conclusions:
1) Put into perspective that RGIII is not superhuman. He will make mistakes and still needs good players around him. Garcon alone might have made a difference in some key plays (remember the big drop by Robinson, for example). The OL, together with the defense game plan by Hasleet, looked horrible against the Rams.
2) We had questions about our secondary coming into the season and we are getting answers already after two games. The loss of two starters may add further pressure to the secondary.
However, the real answer to these two injuries lies in adjusting and developing better game plans for our defense. We will get abused BADLY if we repeat and keep that zone defense all the time against some teams in the NFC East.
Will the coaches adjust? They will. But it is an almost different ball game on defense and we can hardly afford any further injuries.
So, for a team that was expected to have a miserable season by most "experts", I say that we are close to achieve an 8-8 season.
The World has not come to an end. What may come to an end soon are the overly exaggerated expectations of failure and another bad losing season by many "experts", and also the overly exaggerated expectations of playoffs and even Superbowl for some Redskins fans ater the Saints game.
Perspective, people. Perspective.

Daniel Snyder has defined incompetence, failure and greed to true Washington Redskins fans for over a decade and a half. Stay away from football operations !!!