Not So Fast, Everyone

"Entering Week 6 of the 2008 season, Buffalo was 4-1 and led the AFC East. Denver was 4-1 and led the AFC West. Chicago was 3-2 and led the NFC North. Dallas and Washington were both 4-1, just a half-game back in the NFC East. None of those five teams made the playoffs, and we haven't even mentioned the Jets, who started 8-3 but didn't get to play in January, or a Patriots team that finished 11-5 and became the first 11-game winner to miss the dance since the 1985 Broncos.

To look at it another way, last season at this point, four of the six eventual AFC playoff teams were either 2-2 (Miami, Baltimore, Indianapolis), or 2-3 (San Diego). In the NFC, two of the conference's eventual playoff teams were under water at 2-3 as Week 6 dawned (Philadelphia and Minnesota). Add those totals together and half of the league's 12-team playoff field last year was playing .500 or worse ball through the season's first five weeks." --Don Banks, Sports Illustrated

I knew it. I knew there was a glimmer of hope, a reason to remember that that the 2008 Arizona Cardinals, who made it to within 2 minutes of a championship, stunk most of the time. Its not about how well you start, as most bitter Redskins fans know, its about how you are playing in November and December. With Stephon Heyer and Mike Williams starting at offensive tackle, chances are the Redskins will be lousy and embarrassing in November and December like they are now, but in the NFL crazy shit happens as the temperature drops. Things that don't make any sense occur. Fast start teams fade, and lousy "I thought those guys were totally finished" teams rise up.

Why are the Redskins most likely excluded from this? The offensive line that takes the field on Sunday will be awful. NFL Europe. World League. XFL. University of Michigan pickup games at Elbel Field. Heyer-Dockery-Rabach-Montgomery-Williams. I imagined a couple of conversations at Redskins Park this week:

Snyder: So, what's the plan. How are you gonna make it happen this week?

Zorn: Are you fucking kidding me? Have you seen our offensive line?

5 minutes later....

Zorn: So, what's the plan. How are you gonna make it happen this week?

Campbell: Are you fucking kidding me? Have you seen our offensive line?

Zorn and the Redskins and Snyder and Cerrato have been getting butchered by the media this week. It is all but assumed that Zorn will be fired, which could happen as early as the bye week starting October 26--the night Philadelphia will probably humiliate us on national tv for all to see.

Joe Theismann said that the Redskins aren't playing professional football. John Riggins made a youtube video saying that Zorn is over his head and will be removed, no offense. Jimmy Johnson and Brian Billick said it all starts at the top and their troubles are their own doing.

A local writer, John Feinstein, suggested that Redskins boycott the team--no attendance at games, no souvenirs, no hot dogs, no parking.

Steve: "what are your guys' thoughts about John Feinstein's proposed boycott of the Skins/Chiefs game? At first, I thought it was dumb and juvenile. But now I think it could actually be a good idea. Thoughts? Have you already purchased tickets?"

Dan: "We're not boycotting. This thing is going overboard. Its depressing and frustrating that our team stinks for reasons that were entirely avoidable but repeated, but its not the first time the team has stunk. Yes, we got tickets."

Dad: "I agree with Dan, but I am sympathetic to your sentiment. I don't want to boycott, because it is too extreme, but let's face it: our decision not to retain the season's ticket is in the boycott neighborhood, because we dumped our season's ticket, Pete turned it in, and Danny has one less family willing to shell out $4300 for a crappy product. Was he able to resell the four seats in Section 104 Row 23? Who knows? Is his crackerjack marketing team dumping those seats to SbubHub or some other broker at a loss? Who knows? Danny is probably seeing a far less robust return on his investment now than in the past. Who is willing now to shell out $90 for a Redskins jersey? If I didn't have my Jurgensen, I very much doubt I would want to buy one now.

The sad thing is, if Danny is feeling an economic sting, that does not mean he will "reform." More likely, he will panic and hire another has been coach like Shanahan or Holmgren or something, rather than do what he must do: Write the checks and get the hell out of the way. There is no way that little jerk is gonna put in place a world class management structure and team. And as long as he keeps himself in charge, we are gonna stink."

Snyder and Cerrato have made terrible personnel decisions, but the responsibility doesn't fall solely on a couple of delusional idiots playing fantasy football with our team. It also has to do with a philosophy that EVERYONE bought into in 2004 when Snyder brought Joe Gibbs back for us.

The philosophy was: He's not young anymore. He's not gonna be coaching here for 12 seasons. He's here to right the ship, and he's here to make a run at a Super Bowl. We don't have time for draft picks to develop. Let's get rid of them so we can fill holes on the starting lineup so we can be in constant contention for the next few seasons while Joe is here. If he wins one, its worth it.

Guess what? We got what we wished for. In those four seasons, the team made 2 playoff runs, and won 1 playoff game. Was it worth it? Yeah, probably. But we can't think it was worth it and then pretend to be shocked when we have Stephon Heyer and Mike Williams starting at offensive tackle this Sunday.

So Dad and I will gear up in our layers (the weather is supposed to be awful on Sunday) and enter the arena in new seats we got from Stub Hub, and try to push this faulty squad of beleagued men over the top so it can get to .500 at week 6.

Wishful thinking prediction: Redskins 17 Chiefs 10