The St. Louis game will no doubt be most remembered for the fact that the fans at FedEx, frustrated with the red zone letdowns, booed their team when the Redskins went into the victory formation to kneel out the game. Not everyone booed, but most felt a kind of dejection that didn't match the fact that the Redskins had a victory this Sunday. I think what prompted the booing was the sense that the performance against the Rams was so nakedly mediocre that it killed off a sense of hope that the Redskins could be an exciting Cinderella team that surprised the league this year.
Essentially, we beat the Rams, but we failed to beat the expectations of the power rankings and the columnists who don't see this year's team as a contender. For fans like me, the Redskins need to be beating not only the squad across the sideline, but the doubters in the media booths and television studios. Making the talking heads mention the Redskins when they discuss the NFC East makes a win a real victory, and the Skins failed to accomplish that this week. If this were week 14, and the Redskins already had 7 or 8 wins, there wouldn't be booing because the win would be more important than earning the league's respect. But it's too early in the season for a win that doesn't generate any more respect to feel all that good. Last year's improbable road victories against the Eagles and Cowboys, and home win against the Saints were more than just Ws - they were performances that demanded respect.
The road ahead does not look promising for the Skins - the next five games could each result in victories without added respect. A loss in any of those games will be a double whammy.
There were many positive developments in this game but the fans were left without a signature moment of explosive success, one that we could carry around with us in our imaginations in the weeks ahead, thinking that Dallas better watch out, because we'll drop that bomb on them any time we please. Instead, our heads are filled with the image of Clinton Portis overthrowing a fade route to Chris Cooley in the endzone.
We "sounded" like pure shite on the radio as I listened to this pathetic game. Yes, we won. Yes that is what's most important, but you are correct in saying the fans felt let down and the media will quickly dismiss this team. I don't care how many completions you, what your passer rating is, or how many yards we can drive the ball. If you can't score a touchdown after reaching the red zone 4 times, you will have a losing season. I certainly hope for a miracle of change next week, but we very well may lose to the f'ing Lions if we don't take this game seriously from the kickoff to the end.
ReplyDelete...and we did.
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