Year two of the Jim Zorn era may resemble the first.
The Washington Redskins coach could start fast and stumble late. The Redskins are looking 8-8 again with a cruel finish that will likely bring owner Dan Snyder’s 896,751st coaching change.
The NFL schedule maker blew a kiss towards Redskins Park with St. Louis, Detroit and Kansas City among the first seven games before the Nov. 1 bye, which also is a good midseason break. However, the final month means two West coast trips and two home games at night.
This schedule has more potholes than Benning Road. The Redskins may be calling AAA for a jump start come December.
Does the schedule maker figure Redskins fans take the Christmas holidays off? Monday and Sunday night games against the New York Giants and Dallas respectively that week? Nobody will be at work the next morning unless leaving straight from FedEx Field. There’s also another night home game against Philadelphia on Oct. 26. That means all division home games are at night. That’s really inconvenient for fans. Save your personal leave for the fall.
Opening the season for the second straight year at the Giants and ending the season on the west coast at San Diego is also strange. The over/under is whatever state Redskins One is flying over when Snyder jettisons Zorn.
Overall, the Redskins look close, but not quite in the postseason. Of course, picking the schedule five months out is like taking the Wonderlic blindfolded.
Washington should start 4-3 — beating St. Louis, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Kansas City and losing to New York, Carolina and Philadelphia. After the bye, Washington loses to Atlanta, beats Denver, loses to Dallas and defeats Philadelphia for 6-5 entering December. New Orleans is a wild card game — who knows where the Saints will be at that point — but let’s say Washington loses.
The final month means everything once again. Washington wins at Oakland, but loses again to New York for 7-7. The Redskins have to win the last two games to become a wild card and beat Dallas.
Ironically, it comes down to defeating former Redskins coach Norv Turner and San Diego. Oh, the sweet irony. San Diego is probably a better team at season’s end than start and will eliminate Washington. Don’t think Norv isn’t smiling afterwards.
The only sure bet is things are always interesting around Redskins Park.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected].
