Ah yes, the familiar taste of August Kool-Aid when you're a Redskins fan, hoping against hope that this year is different - that this year the team will be what you want it to be. For DC, it's as perennial a pleasure as beach vacations and Restaurant Week. And with one preseason game in the books, I can say that this year's batch of Kool-Aid is f*cking delicious.
Granted, the game was against the lowly Buffalo Bills, who were still able to march down the field and put up 3 points against the Skins' starters, but this post is not about the warning signs - it's about 42 points!!!
In the spirit of the season, I'll leave off the realism and focus on the positive and hopeful.
To lead off, the stadium experience is a huge improvement from the 2009 debacle - the video boards are amazing, almost too amazing. I sometimes found it easier on the eyes to watch plays at the other end of the field on the epicly bright monitors, rather than the live action on the grass. I felt like a bit of a sellout doing so, but I can't complain about the extra details you pick up on when Brian Orakpo is 35 feet tall. The fan experience was markedly improved, with more cheering and Bills' false starts flowing therefrom than I could remember from last year. Maybe my new and improved seats this year have given me burgundy-colored glasses, but I really felt like the whole crowd was in a better mood due to the video boards and the knowledge that Vinny Cerrato wasn't hovering around waiting to screw up everyone's fun like a field trip chaperon who hates his life.
Next, the offense looks great. We now have a WR controversy! In a good way! With Portis, Johnson and Torain, there are going to be three very good running backs on this team, and we'll have to let a couple decent RBs go. The O-Line protection was fantastic and probably the greatest reason for the positive vibes. It's hard to get excited about an offense when the QB is marked for death on every down, but on Friday, McNabb and Grossman got to do what was unthinkable last year - execute the plays as designed. While standing up. Oh, and Grossman - wow. Wherever that confidence came from I don't know, but it quieted my anxiety about a McNabb injury a fair bit. Cooley reminded us that he was the man, Davis remained in excellent form and even Devin Thomas looked at times like he might be a dependable receiver.
On defense, the greatest news was that Albert is getting to like this system. Conditioninggate is over, and Shanahan's gamble paid off in a big way. Coach made Big Al his bitch in front of the team and the city. For his part, Haynesworth thanked coach for the lesson by easily absorbing and at times pushing through double teams (admittedly second-stringers, but still) at the line. D Hall made a play after the defensive front put Buffalo's QB in a panic, and while patchy in run stopping, the LBs covered and tackled well.
On special teams, Brandon Banks returned a punt more than 6 yards, did the John Wall dance on television, and there was much rejoicing among the people.
It's so easy to root for a guy who would have to look up to Snooki - and did you see him burn past the punter before he even realized that he was going to have to try to make a play? That is something special, and while I know it's preseason, Banks needs to make the team just to have a "secret weapon" in the minds of the fans - we're going to get loud every time that guy gets the ball, and he's earned three free fumbles before I'll change my tune.
I now have hopes that this team will be able to win a couple games this year by comfortable margins, just by having the system, personnel and confidence to execute a handful of plays in a row and get a rhythm going. Last year, I remember this feeling that no matter the play before, each down was a chance for things to go horribly wrong, or to simply be the start of an ineffectual drift into the loss of possession. This year, kicking back with a tall glass of the red stuff, I'm not afraid anymore. Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
