Now comes the fun part for the Redskins. That 27-7 first-half deficit against the Eagles last week was just an hors d’oeuvre (albeit one that featured a stale cracker and a moldy chunk of cheese). As Dan Snyder’s 2-5 cellar-dwellers wade back into their schedule after a soul-searching bye week, they face the prospect of playing eight of their last nine games against teams that are currently above .500.
Which means… mark this date on your calendar: Dec. 13. That’s when the Redskins play at Oakland, and it might be the only Sunday the rest of the way when they won’t be the underdog. But that’s not the only reason the game figures to be fraught with significance. On top of that, the two teams could be fighting it out, steel-cage style, for the seventh pick in next year’s draft. (To the loser would go the spoils.)
Boy, this is grim, isn’t it? Nine weeks left in the season, and you’re running your finger down the Redskins’ schedule wondering: Who exactly can they beat from here on out? But, hey, it’s not like we haven’t been here before. In fact, this is the fourth time in the Decade of Dan the Redskins have been 2-5. It’s also the eighth time since Joe Gibbs’ first retirement in 1993 the club has been 2-5 or worse after seven games. Heck, that’s every other year, just about.
In other words: Welcome to 2-5 Town. But don’t even think of putting that on a sign and trying to sneak it into FedEx Field. It’ll just get confiscated at the gate - lest you block somebody’s view of Jason Campbell getting sacked (or of Antwaan Randle El returning a punt 5.2 yards).
All 2-5 starts aren’t created equal, of course. Some can be a prelude to better things. The Redskins started 2-5 in 2006, for instance, and made the playoffs the next season. The ’98 Redskins started 0-7 and won the division the following year.
But this 2-5 start is worse than most of the others because there’s no sense of anything being built. Indeed, Snyder is almost certain to blow it all up in 2010 and start over again with a new coach, a bunch of new players and possibly even a new general manager. That makes it hard to look at these last nine games as anything more than Marking Time.
Think about it: The quarterback is at the end of his contract and is expected to move on after the season. The running back, Clinton Portis, may also be leaving if the new coach decides to go younger at that position. Anybody with a big contract, really, could be bidding adieu to Washington in a few months - especially if there’s no salary cap next year.
Take a guy like LaRon Landry. He has two interceptions in 39 regular-season starts, and yet he’s one of the highest-paid players on the roster (because he was the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft). Are we seeing the last of him? The Bills, I’ll just point out, took a free safety - Jairus Byrd from Oregon - in the second round this year, and he’s picked off two passes three weeks in a row.
Something tells me that no matter who the new coach is, we’re looking at a major housecleaning. The Redskins simply have too many players who are paid like stars but perform like planets, if not moons… or even asteroids. Any franchise that rewards mediocrity (or worse) to the extent this one does is asking for trouble - or in this case, a 2-5 record, year after year.
On the plus side, at least we get to watch London Fletcher make tackles a while longer. Thank heaven for 5-foot-10, 245-pound favors.
A few other passing thoughts as the Redskins prepare to buckle their chinstraps again:
c I’d be a lot more excited about Brian Orakpo getting “at least a half-sack” in four straight games if the Giants’ first-round pick, Hakeem Nicks, hadn’t caught a touchdown pass in four straight games.
c The only kicker who’s made all his kicks this season (and hasn’t missed any action) is - brace yourself - Sebastian Janikowski, the Raiders’ celebrated bad boy (12-for-12 on field goals and 6-for-6 on extra points). The Redskins’ Shaun Suisham (9-for-9 FGs, 9-for-10 PATs) just missed joining him, though.
c Jared Allen is going absolutely bonkers for the Vikings. How’s this for a stat? In just eight games, Allen already has a sack (a league-leading 10.5 to be exact), a touchdown, a safety, a forced fumble (three) and a fumble recovery (two). Only a handful of defenders in the last 20-odd years have done that in a full season, never mind a half one.
The short list (according to my research): Jason Taylor with the Dolphins in 2003 and ’05, Joey Porter with the Steelers in 2000, Derrick Thomas with the Chiefs in 1998, Tracy Scroggins (yes, Tracy Scroggins) with the Lions in ’97, Tony Bennett with the Colts in ’95, Chris Doleman with the Vikings in ’92 and Clyde Simmons with the Eagles in ’88. Porter also had an interception - as did Doleman - so Allen has something else to shoot for.
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