Sometimes rage is a good thing. The Washington Redskins started yapping with the Seattle Seahawks during pregame warmups on Sunday and continued it through the coin toss and into the first half. It seemed all too personal, but there were only seven Redskins remaining from the team that lost to the Seahawks in 2007 playoffs.
No, it was really two teams angry with themselves. Washington hadn’t won in nearly two months. Seattle has gone from a crummy NFC West champ last season to a crummy team, period.
Both teams knew this was a rare chance to win and let their emotions overwhelm early play. It wasn’t until the second half, with the adrenaline spent, that both teams settled down. Washington then rolled past Seattle 23-17.
After a decent effort in the 27-24 overtime loss to Dallas and a middling victory over Seattle, is Washington finally turning a lost season into a lost draft? Each win further distances the Redskins from getting a franchise quarterback. Or is it merely that teams always have a chance in the NFL and Washington simply outlasted another bad team?
Most likely it was the latter. With the New York Jets and New England Patriots at FedEx Field the next two weeks, Washington will learn whether its offense really has a pulse after it combined for 47 points the past two games.
Rex Grossman passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns, but “Bad Rex” also threw dumb interceptions into triple coverage and downfield. Then again, Grossman said he’s finally comfortable in the system after nearly three seasons and two teams. The 50-yard game-winner demonstrated that.
Washington even found a ground game, with Roy Helu gaining 108 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries. He also blocked well. Helu, who set a Redskins single-game record with 14 catches a few weeks back, appears to be the long-term solution at running back.
Santana Moss’ return after missing six games, all losses, shows just how valuable having a No. 1 receiver is to the offense. Moss caught four passes for just 29 yards, but he stretched Seattle’s defense.
Can a team that was shut out once and failed to score a touchdown in two games really be ready to compete with spare parts still filling roles? Is winning worthwhile when even one more victory likely would end Washington’s chance at a top-10 draft pick?
Winning is always worth it. Even though many fans openly were rooting for a 12-game losing streak that would result in a top-three pick, the Redskins can use the final weeks to launch a 2012 playoff bid.
When Washington opened 0-7 in 1998, coach Norv Turner gave players the bye week off, hoping to refresh them mentally. The Redskins returned to win six of nine games and the following year won the NFC East.
Maybe this season is lost, but next year isn’t. If the Redskins can rage through the final weeks, maybe they finally will learn how to win regularly in 2012.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
