NFL Report

POINT-COUNTERPOINT

Each Friday, columnist Dan Daly and Redskins beat writer Ryan O’Halloran debate an NFL issue. This week’s topic: In this era of widespread layoffs and cutbacks, which NFL teams would be candidates for contraction?

Ryan O’Halloran: Since the league would have to whack two teams at a time to make sure one team wouldn’t have a Week 1 or Week 17 bye, I’ll start with Oakland. The Raiders don’t draw anymore (the stadium is half empty), they go through coaches like Alex Ovechkin goes through hockey sticks and they’ve been a national punch line since going to the Super Bowl in the 2002 season. If it weren’t for Cleveland, the Raiders would be the worst team statistically this year - 31st in offense, 29th in defense, last in points scored. At least they have punter Shane Lechler.

Dan Daly: Now that’s topical. If the NFL weren’t so devotedly socialist and every franchise had to stand on its own, it would look… a lot like baseball, I suspect. The Raiders would be the Pittsburgh Pirates - and serve as a farm club for the Haves. The Lions are in the same category. If they weren’t being propped up by shared revenues, they definitely would be a candidate for contraction because of their blackouts and generally horrendous play over an extended period of time. The Jaguars are another possibility - but for a different reason. They’ve had pretty good success on the field, but they’re struggling in this economy because Jacksonville is only the 47th-largest TV market. Plus, the team doesn’t have very deep roots; it has been around only since 1995. That makes it more vulnerable, too.

RO: I’ll throw Atlanta under the bus. It’s just a miserable sports town, just ahead of Miami. The Falcons don’t have blackout problems, but they have little tradition (this might be the first time in franchise history with consecutive winning seasons). When the Redskins visited last month, Georgia Dome felt like FedEx Field South. The smell test on this topic: Would people outside the city miss the team? Nobody outside Jacksonville would miss the Jaguars (they’ve got the Gators) and nobody outside Atlanta would miss the Falcons (they’ve got the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs and that little golf tournament called the Masters).

DD: If things really got bad for some NFL teams, I wonder whether the answer might not be a merger rather than contraction. Instead of having two doormats that are a drag on the league, why not combine them to create one OK club - and go from there? You could give each ownership group a 50 percent stake in the new club - and that way, maybe, the NFL wouldn’t have to pay owners to fold up their franchises. Believe me, guys like Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones would never want to buy anybody out. But that’s probably what they would have to do to eliminate a few weak sisters.

WEEKEND PICKS

REDSKINS THIS WEEK

SAINTS (11-0) at REDSKINS (3-8)

Sunday, 1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 5

Line: Saints by 9 1/2

Outlook: There doesn’t appear to be any way the Redskins can slow down the New Orleans offense (first in yards and points). Albert Haynesworth is expected to return at defensive tackle, so maybe they can pressure Drew Brees. The Saints will provide their best shot even though they’re coming off the biggest regular-season win in franchise history - the Vikings are only a game back in the chase for home field in the NFC.

The pick: Saints 34-21

GAME OF THE WEEK

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