It’s just one game, but is it the window to the season?
The Redskins open the NFL season tonight at defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. Oddsmakers say it will be close, but even the Redskins really have no idea what’s about to happen.
“I would be lying to you if I said we are all calm and ready to play. We are all geeked,” receiver Santana Moss said. “When it comes to what you have done all offseason, during OTAs and all of training camp, it is like you have done a million things to play this first game. You can’t get wrapped up into it being the end of the world, but we want to go out there and produce and look good doing it.”
After a disjointed 3-2 preseason when starting fast and finishing badly, the Redskins will likely know their playoff fate after the next five weeks when traveling to three NFC East opponents and hosting two NFC playoff contenders. It is a brutal opening stretch nearly matched when playing four of the final six games away. Frankly, the middle of the schedule isn’t much easier with Pittsburgh and Dallas night games. Practically three-fourths of opponents are expected playoff contenders.
Coach Jim Zorn admits being nervous. He should be. The Redskins are a bubble playoff team with real concerns.
The West Coast Offense must have stalled over in Tombstone because it’s looking DOA lately. The two rookie receivers who were supposed to be the biggest offseason help have instead shown nothing. The offensive line is suspect. Quarterback Jason Campbell needs to make chicken soup out of chicken feathers and he’s no Emeril Lagasse himself.
The defense’s best player is sidelined after Jason Taylor narrowly avoided a season-ending knee injury last month. Regardless, the line was shoddy against the run. The secondary has cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety LaRon Landry coming off injuries and Shawn Springs no longer a shutdown corner.
And special teams threatens to scare Redskins fans regularly. Who knows what rookie punter Durant Brooks will do. Same goes for kicker Shaun Suisham.
Let’s not forget this is Zorn’s first time calling plays. He said the offense was vanilla during the preseason. Let’s hope it doesn’t become tutti fruiti. The Redskins gambled on Zorn given he has never called plays. What happens if his brain locks, like calling consecutive time outs against the opposing kicker?
For a veteran team, the Redskins have far too many uncertainties.
A .500 season is probably the best most fans expect. Some are wondering whether it’s another 10-loss season. That’s why the opener is so important.
If Washington upsets New York, then the past two weeks of doubts following bad losses are meaningless. Beating the Giants will show players they can fight through the season. If it’s a lopsided loss, everyone may feel it’s over faster than Emeril can say “Bam!”
“We are going to know where we are at Thursday,” running back Clinton Portis said.
Hopefully, it’s better than many expect.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
