Indianapolis will beat Washington, 31-23, in Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4.
There you go, the next five months neatly summarized. I can’t pick your fantasy team, but you now know the outcome of the coming season. Sorry if I ruined the ending for you.
The Redskins may not win the NFC East — the New York Giants take it again — but coach Joe Gibbs won’t need it to reach the Super Bowl as a wild card. Washington’s regular season will be bumpy, but the Redskins won’t need to win their last five games to reach the postseason this time. Just the last four.
You can put the Redskins down for a win on Monday against visiting Minnesota. The Vikings’ Love Boat Tour II opens with a loss. Howevever, Washington wide receiver Santana Moss doesn’t repeat the “Daggers in Dallas” in a Week 2 loss at the Cowboys.
Washington will rebound with victories over Houston and Jacksonville for a 3-1 start. Fans will start feeling pretty good. A split against the New York Giants (loss) and Tennessee (win) still provides a 4-2 start.
Then — whammo — the Redskins will lose four of six to stand at 6-6. Figure a loss at Indianapolis, victory over Dallas, loss at Philadelphia and victory at Tampa Bay before consecutive home defeats to Carolina and Atlanta.
It will seem oh so familiar. Lose any of the final four and risk elimination. Naturally, Gibbs leads the Redskins to victories over Philadelphia, New Orleans, St. Louis and the Giants.
Deja vu — 10-6 and a wild card.
Seattle, Chicago, Carolina and Philadelphia win divisions while Atlanta gains the other NFC wild card. Washington survives Philadelphia in the first round and heads for a rematch of last year’s second-round game at Seattle. The difference this time is Antwaan Randle El’s two touchdowns in the 14-10 victory.
It’s onto Carolina for the NFC Championship. Bet the under as Washington wins, 13-11.
The Redskins reach the Super Bowl versus Indianapolis, which edges Cincinnati in the AFC Championship. Ticket scalpers get $2,000 for end zone seats as Redskins fans flock to Miami. South Beach is barred for Sean Taylor and his “U” teammates, but that won’t stop Mayor Linda Cropp from a fact-finding mission while Washington is buried under a foot of snow.
Alas, the Redskins find Colts quarterback Peyton Manning just too much. Washington workers fall into a funk. The Federal Reserve raises interest rates, Valentine’s Day sales plummet and Dan Snyder raises prices for both FedEx Field and Six Flags parks.
Gibbs lectured reporters on Thursday to just worry about the Redskins winning the opener against Minnesota. However, it’s time to say ‘Why not?’ for Washington making the Super Bowl. The Redskins have the dream team of coaches. The offense hasn’t forgotten how to score. The defense remains a top 10 unit.
So plan your party at the Clevelander bar in South Beach. They sell beer by the buckets and offer a “manicure and a martini.”
Maybe Danny’s buying after the game.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
