Kick-start to the season

Britney Spears’ belly. The Madden Cruiser. And a heck of a traffic jam. Yup, the Monday Morning Quarterback was ready for some football. And what a game it was, especially early on.

The Redskins and Jets opened by trading long scoring drives. Then the counter-punches started flying. The scoring settled down. As the two-minute warning came and went, the clubs were tied. And then kicker John Hall won it in the final seconds.

If nothing else, Washington proved it’s for real this year. Preseason concerns about a flop, about a combustible mix, about coach Steve Spurrier throwing down his visor and walking out at some point were premature. The Redskins may or may not be a playoff team, but they certainly have some hope.

Q: Was that the playoffs you mentioned? We knew you’d come around.

A: Not so fast. Last night’s good-looking effort had something to do with the Jets not exactly being world-beaters. It’s way too early to start predicting the Redskins for the postseason. That said, the way they played under last night’s spotlight was very impressive. They could have been looking ahead to a grueling opening stretch and flopped.

Q: Patrick Ramsey was running like crazy for the win. Where did he get those wheels? A: Ramsey is slowly learning the nuances of the game. In the preseason he looked like a wounded duck trying to waddle for a first down. Last night his instincts — not his big arm — landed Washington in field-goal range for John Hall’s game-winner.

Q: Was that really a big win? It sure seemed like it.

A: Even though the two teams aren’t highly considered around the league, it was an exciting night for football. It probably was the most hyped game Washington has played since the Monday night contest against Tennessee in 2000 — the one where both teams entered on a roll, and the Redskins played well except for a couple big returns.

Q: Wasn’t Norv Turner fired a few games later?

A: Things change quickly in the NFL, especially around here.

Q: Would the Redskins have been in this one if Chad Pennington had played?

A: Probably. The Redskins defense was cohesive and inspired out there. Vinny Testaverde couldn’t make a lot of plays, and a big part of that was Washington. The linebackers have become the focal point of this defense, and its ranking can be good if the line simply holds up. Pennington, by the way, looked like something out of Marvel Comics with that club on his left arm.

Q: Were the pre-game introductions switched around?

A: Yup. The Redskins changed the order they announced the defensive starters to make Bruce Smith the final one. We’ve thought for years that they needed to tweak the order (who wanted to finish with Sam Shade?), but LaVar should be last. He gets the biggest cheers, hands down. It was anticlimactic to run through a ho-hum defensive line and then finish with Smith.

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