1. I sense more excitement for this Washington-Dallas game than any that have been played in a while, especially for an early-season game. It’s amazing what two wins can do for a city. But, correct me if I’m wrong, I also think it speaks to the optimism of where the Redskins are headed. When they get there, who knows? But – and speaking as an observer – it also seems that people really like this team. Is it because they are finally distraction free? Maybe it’s the mindset and the fact that they drafted a rookie class that actually looks like it will help. And that provides hope for the future. And Rex Grossman is not a disaster. He’s looked competent and you can make a case that at worse he’ll be up and down. Add it up and there’s excitement about the Redskins, the rivalry and life in general.
2. If the Redskins win this game it does more to help them than a loss would hurt them. If they get to 3-0, you’re staring at a playoff run – especially with struggling St. Louis on Sunday. They’d be two games up over the Eagles and Cowboys and have a one-game lead plus the tiebreaker over New York. Consider that since 1971, the Redskins have opened the season 3-0 seven times – all three Super Bowl champions started this way. They made the playoffs six times when starting 3-0 and their worst finish was 8-8 in 1978. They’re a combined 71-29-1 when opening 3-0. A 2-1 start is not the end of the world. They’re playing on the road against a quality opponent. So a loss does not kill them by any means. But a win would vault them to a different place.
3. To win on the road, you need a tough mindset. The Redskins have that and in some ways it trumps some of their deficiencies. It can’t overcome them all, but it is a good place to start. It’s probably the best thing Mike Shanahan has turned around since he came to the Redskins. The last team I felt had this same sort of vibe was the 2005 team. But I thought that team was more talented; this offensive scheme is better, however. And that team started 3-0 before losing six out of eight – and then turning it around. Why? Because they knew how to respond to a punch in the mouth (unlike 2000). This team is similar to 2005 in terms of mindset; it just had more holes entering the season.
4. One guy to watch tonight is Dallas’ Felix Jones. The Cowboys have been unable to run the ball and he’s ailing with his shoulder (when isn’t he hurt?). Wonder if this could mean more for rookie DeMarco Murray, a third-round pick with some explosiveness and good hands out of the backfield. I’ll be curious to see if they try to get him on some screens, to take advantage of the Redskins’ aggressiveness. The increased athleticism in the front seven could make this tough for Dallas. One of the fun things to watch tonight will be the respective front sevens for both teams. Which will have a bigger impact? Also, I wonder what LaRon Landry’s will be. No doubt Dallas will test him; guy is going to be so fired up the Cowboys will try to catch him being overaggressive. He’s a terrific weapon, but he hasn’t played since November. Will he be the same player or will it take a few weeks. Anxious to find out.
5. One thing with the Redskins running game: It worked well last week in part because the Cardinals did not have a very good front seven. Dallas’ front seven is much more athletic, so one of the things to watch is what that does to the stretch zone. I remember talking to the coaches after the 2010 opener and the backs gained 72 yards on 21 carries; their point was: it’s hard to run the stretch zone at times vs. a 3-4 because the backside tackle must now contend with an athletic linebacker as opposed to a defensive end. It just puts better athletes against this sort of rushing attack. In the second meeting last year, Ryan Torain gained 53 yards on 11 carries but the Redskins had to throw because of how the game unfolded. Also, the Redskins came out throwing in that game (12 passes on the first 18 downs; two of the six runs were end arounds to Santana Moss). The Redskins will try to run a lot more than they did in the second meeting. As we saw against the Giants, it’s really about commitment to the run as much as it is about domination. It’ll probably still come down to how Grossman handles the pressure from Dallas’ front seven. There are big plays to be made if he does. And he must avoid the sloppy mechanical issues that lead to big negative plays.
