The Redskins were heavy favorites facing an awful opponent. It should have been an easy afternoon.
Tennessee won 25-22 in 2006 after starting 0-5.
Oakland triumphed 16-13 in 2005; the last of four Raiders victories that season as they lost their final six games.
Arizona surprised 16-15 in 2000 as a one-time 6-2 Redskins became 7-6 before firing Norv Turner.
Get ready for another trap game. Maybe a series of them as St. Louis (0-4) visits FedEx Field on Sunday with Cleveland (1-3) and Detroit (0-4) following. It would be so easy for the Redskins to think 7-1.
And that’s the trap, especially the Rams game. Washington (4-1) comes off impressive road victories over NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia to cap a four-game winning streak. The Redskins haven’t started this well since 1999. The playoffs would be nearly impossible to miss if 7-1.
But, the Redskins were repeated losers in can’t-miss games over the past decade. It became a staple during 15 years of mediocrity. The NFL is built upon parity, but it was usually the Redskins trying to believe they could be the upset winners on any given Sunday. Now they’re 13 1/2-point favorites over the Rams. Success is sometimes harder to survive than failure.
“Those are very dangerous teams to play,” said offensive tackle Jon Jansen yesterday. “I’ve learned it the hard way a couple times. You learn real fast you have to go out and play. … It doesn’t matter if it’s a team with no wins or a team that hasn’t lost.”
But seriously, the Rams are abysmal. Maybe the worst of four winless NFL teams. The Rams are 31st in overall defense and 30th in overall offense. The only worse defense is Detroit, who the Redskins meet in two weeks. The only worst offenses are Cincinnati and Cleveland — the Redskins host the latter next week.
See how easy should life be over the next three weeks? It’s like tricking preschoolers out of their Halloween candy by performing “safety checks.”
St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger ranks last among NFC passers in completions and yardage. Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs should rest his calf another week. Take the rest of the secondary with him. Washington could just play seven defenders to make it interesting.
That Al Saunders offense just keeps on clicking. The Rams have scored 43 points this season.
Can Redskins fans really stand seven straight weeks of joy? It might make you forget those retirement plans now include working until 70.
And then you remember Tennessee, Oakland and Arizona. Sorry to be a buzzkill, but coach Jim Zorn might turn into Lou Holtz in praising every opponent like the second coming of the 1985 Chicago Bears.
Sorry, no one’s buying it. Redskins fans have waited since 1991 to enjoy this moment. No one’s tainting it with reality.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
