-
Artur Davis Says Scandals Are Real
May 19, 2013 | 3 comments
-
Good New Book: ‘Precipice’
May 19, 2013 | 1 comment
-
A Long Record of Obamite Thuggery
May 16, 2013 | 4 comments
-
DeMint Supports Defense
May 14, 2013 | 5 comments
-
Update on Tom Perez
May 14, 2013 | 0 comments
The Spectacle Blog
Okay, I’m ready to go way way way out on a limb: The NFC Champions, and therefore that conference’s representatives in the Super Bowl this coming winter, will be the Washington Redskins.
No, I’m not smoking peyote (or whatever you do with peyote). And no, I’m not a Skins fan — haven’t rooted for them since they let George Allen and Billy Kilmer go without ceremony or thanks at the end of the 1970s, and have strongly disliked them since they maltreated Richie Petitbon after leaving him am empty cupboard in the early 1990s.
But I really think the Skins are the real deal.
How could that be, you ask. Didn’t they go 4-12 last year?
Yes. But seven of those 12 losses were by less than a touchdown. Most of those were games in which the Skins led until late. In short, they were ohsoclose to being a good team. Their defense, which was superb anyway most of the year, returns at full strength — but this time with Albert Haynesworth in much better shape, and this time also under the stewardship of Jim Haslett, whose history is of doing a great job with his units in his first year anywhere, before he rubs them all the wrong way.
Now, add to that good defense a MUCH improved offense. Jason Campbell was a solid, middle-of-the-pack NFL quarterback. Donovan McNabb, who replaces him, is probably going to end up in the Hall of Fame. Last year the running game went to hell when Clinton Portis went gimpy. This year Portis is joined by Larry Johnson and Willie Parker; if one goes down, one of the others surely will fill in ably. Last year the offensive line was held together by bailing wire and, frankly, was mediocre. This year they have a first-found draft choice, highly rated, to play one tackle, and a former Pro Bowler, Jamaal Brown, to play the other. They got Brown for a song from the Saints, who won the Super Bowl last year while he sat on injured reserve and thus found his salary expendable. But he’s very, very good. Last year several journeymen offensive linemen were seeing their first-ever serious playing time. This year, if called upon (a couple might be backups again rather than starters), they will enter the game with a ton of hard-won experience. Last year TE Chris Cooley got hurt. Fred Davis stepped in and proved to be a superb player. Now BOTH of them are healthy, meaning the Skins can be a serious, serious threat when they use a two tight-end set.
Finally, last year the head coach was the classy, thoughtful, hard-working but overmatched Jim Zorn, undermined by a less-than-skillful GM and undermined by an interfering owner who had different rules for different players. This year the owner finally seems to have taken a back seat, because his GM is Bruce Allen (son of the aforementioned George, brother of the George who was U.S. Senator from Virginia), who has been successful elsewhere, and the coach is no-nonsense, two-time Super Bowl champion, perennial winner, tough-as-nails Mike Shanahan.
All of which means that my New Orleans Saints, the Dallas Cowboys, and any other pretenders to the throne will need to keep a close eye on the Washington Redskins.
You read it here first.
Pete| 8.10.10 @ 10:29AM
You lost me at "McNabb in the HOF."
dac| 8.10.10 @ 10:48AM
Quin, you're not chewing peyote, you're smoking crack.
This is a dead-and-buried franchise, until Little Danny (1) sells the team; and (2) dies himself. He has gutted the team, poisoned the fan base, alienated every long-time Skins fan I know. I grew up in the DC area during the glory days, but now am a former Skins fan and will remain so until the occurrence of 1 and 2, above.
Your arguments are technical and would be worthy of consideration if this franchise were not run by Little Danny. But it is, and so, medocrity at best, failure as habit, are certain.
Mike M| 8.10.10 @ 11:01AM
NFC CHAMPS??? They won't even beat the Lions.
Curly Smith| 8.10.10 @ 11:21AM
I'm tempted to ask if it's April 1st but you posit an entirely plausible scenario.
The Redskins of last year were like the GOP... they lost largely because they lacked confidence and expected to lose. Even when they were ahead they expected to lose so they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. But, unlike the GOP, they changed their leadership.
The Redskins loses may have been the result of a turnover here, a penalty there, plus some ill-timed injuries. With the GOP, it's strictly a case of unforced errors. The Redskins will learn from last year and change their game plan. The GOP is still running away from the game plan that it knows will lead it to continued victory. One team wants to win, the other wants accolades for how nice they look sitting on the sidelines. One team might make history, the might be history.
Oldefarte| 8.10.10 @ 12:10PM
Nah, Quin, you obviously have been working too hard, are stressed out and need some serious R&R. No way the Skins have any success if for no other reason that McNabb, who IMO is a total loser and worthless besides. His long term tenure in Philadelphia is testament to this, since the talent level [in addition to have defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's expertise] surrounding him there was more than adequate to propel them to much more success than they experienced. In the one Super Bowl appearance, McNabb fumbled and threw interceptions to the Eagles' predictable defeat. During McNabb's injury caused benching, Jeff Garcia did a surperb job as QB and nearly led the Eagles to the SB. The Eagles were wise to rid themselves of McNabb and should have done so years earliar. Rush Limbaugh was 150% accurate in claiming that McNabb was a sports media primadonna placed upon a pedestal [and sadly was fired by ESPN for telling the TRUTH]. No way the Skins can win with him, not to mention have Daniel Snyder as an owner. PS----GO SAINTS!!!!
TimG| 8.10.10 @ 12:59PM
You and every other Deadskins fan in metro DC say the same thing every year, and every year the team manages to go t*ts up. This year will not be an exception. The little gnome who owns the team will find some way to alienate Shanahan, just as he as every other coach he's brought in. Even His Lordship Joe Gibbs couldn't resurrect this corpse.
RSE| 8.10.10 @ 1:13PM
As a season ticket holder of the Eagles for McNabb's entire tenure in Philadelphia, I advise you not to get your hopes up with Donovan. Eventually you will tire of him throwing the ball at the feet of or ten yards over the head of wide open receivers (and, classically, thumping his chest and saying "my bad!"), throwing 70 mile an hour fastballs to safety valve receivers ten yards away, holding on to the ball and taking sacks when he has plenty of time to throw it away (sadly, in 11 years in the NFL he's never been able to master the art of throwing the ball away), never hitting crossing or slanting receivers in stride, throwing three consecutive passes with goal to go to receivers short of the end zone, etc. At one time McNabb was the mayor of Philadelphia, a daring young quarterback who did whatever it took to win. Then he broke his leg in 2002 and has never really been the same.
Oldefarte| 8.10.10 @ 1:42PM
Great comments, RSE, but I don't think his BROKEN LEG had anything to do with his athletic problems!!!!!
Chief Zee| 8.10.10 @ 1:16PM
I've suited up as an Indian for over thirty years to root for the Redskins and even I don't think the Redskins will win the NFC championship.
Lil' Dan| 8.10.10 @ 1:19PM
We will win the championship. Tom Cruise told me so.