Where has this type of effort been all season?
The Redskins finally scored more than 17 points. The crowd cheered to the end. The running game worked; the offensive line held. It was even sunny and pleasant.
Finally, things went right.
“We’ve had a desert experience,” coach Jim Zorn said. “Very arid if you will the last few weeks. … You almost don’t know how to feel, but we remembered very quickly.”
The Redskins are only 3-6 after beating the Denver Broncos, 27-17, on Sunday. The victory means little aside falling a few slots back in the spring draft. The playoffs remain a bigger long shot than Zorn remaining after the season.
However, a five-week death grip on the franchise has been lifted. Fans remembered why they support this troubled franchise. They saw the offense flourish with backup runners and patchwork line. The defense recovered from third-degree burns after multiple downfield torchings early to spend the second half tormenting backup Broncos passer Chris Simms, which seems only fair since the latter’s father was a Redskins-killer during his New York Giants career.
The postgame locker room, virtually empty after four straight losses, overflowed with laughter. It felt good for many to exhale, to smile once more. To remember it’s a game that’s supposed to be fun for players and the public.
“[Winning] let the air out a little bit,” defensive end Andre Carter said.
Pressure threatening to crack the franchise’s foundation received a quick patch. Maybe it starts fragmenting again on Sunday at Dallas, but sports talk shows won’t be filled with expletives all week.
The Burgundy Revolution surely doesn’t stop with one win. There were still 15,000 or so no-shows against Denver, especially in the upper deck. Fans will return with signs in three weeks now that owner Dan Snyder buckled to criticism of suppressing free speech, though reversing the policy 2 1/2 hours before kickoff when most fans were already in the parking lots or traveling to FedEx Field was silly. Fans still want a new general manager and coach.
But even one victory defuses frustration. Denver is probably overrated with three straight losses, but beating someone other than the dregs of the league was a confidence boost.
“This win feels better than the first two,” center Casey Rabach said. “We understand the frustration fans are having. They’re used to winning football teams. They haven’t had that in a long time so you can understand the frustration. We’ve felt that frustration along with them. This was the first step of many steps to come to put this offense back.”
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where this type of effort has been. Only that it stays.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
