Commanders Post at The Warpath - View Single Post

BringBackJoeT · 11-05-2007, 02:00 PM

Of course we're all happy with the win, and indeed, style points count for zilch in the NFL. But to the extent that the sentiment in this thread is that a win alone should end the discussion, I don't think that's fair. Look, what is every sports fan hoping for each year? A championship, no doubt. But even new Yankee owner Hank S. admitted last week that to expect it each and every year is nuts. So, knowing this, the legitimate hope each year is that your team will make the playoffs, and/or beat its rivals. But right below this hope is that your team won't be humiliated, which is exactly what happened last weekend. That 52-7 loss wasn't just any loss, it was the 3rd worst in franchise history. Sure, it was to a team that might actually go 16-0, but no opponent of that team has lost by that many points. So, why is this relevant to a potential discussion of yesterday's performance? Because of what yesterday's performance might say about the possibility of another humiliating loss this season. We couldn't get into the end zone against a 1-7 team with one of the worst defenses in football until the 4th quarter. The Skins needed overtime to beat this team, much like they needed overtime to beat the 0-8 Dolphins. It was just the same type of victory they had experienced over the Dolphins, and the Eagles, and the Cardinals, the type that ultimately should have foreshadowed the absolute blowout the team suffered when it faced one of the elite teams in the league. The victory over the Lions? Looking more and more like an anomoly with each passing week. The fact is that what so many of us were hoping for was a performance by this team that would convince us that, though we may not be nearly as good as the best team in the NFL, we're not as pathetic as we looked against them when we played them. What did we get? A victory no doubt, but the same type of victory that leaves one thinking that this is a team setting itself up to being horribly exposed again. And that is exactly what fans ought to reasonably dread--having their team BLOWN OUT! If we think that the team can reasonably expect to gain 240 yards on the ground against the Cowboys, or the Bucs, or even the Giants, well then fine. But my guess is that these teams might do just a wee better job on the D-line, which means that the Skins might actually have to throw the ball a couple of times. How much more faith in the passing game did we develop after yesterday's loss?

Again, I'm happier being 5-3 than 4-4, or worse. But I didn't turn off the tv yesterday being that much more confident than I was after last week's game that this team won't get its ass KICKED when they play Dallas in Dallas in two weeks. Hope I'm dead f-ing wrong.

11-05-2007, 02:00 PM	#19
BringBackJoeT Impact Rookie Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Washington D.C. Posts: 597	Re: Be Happy Of course we're all happy with the win, and indeed, style points count for zilch in the NFL. But to the extent that the sentiment in this thread is that a win alone should end the discussion, I don't think that's fair. Look, what is every sports fan hoping for each year? A championship, no doubt. But even new Yankee owner Hank S. admitted last week that to expect it each and every year is nuts. So, knowing this, the legitimate hope each year is that your team will make the playoffs, and/or beat its rivals. But right below this hope is that your team won't be humiliated, which is exactly what happened last weekend. That 52-7 loss wasn't just any loss, it was the 3rd worst in franchise history. Sure, it was to a team that might actually go 16-0, but no opponent of that team has lost by that many points. So, why is this relevant to a potential discussion of yesterday's performance? Because of what yesterday's performance might say about the possibility of another humiliating loss this season. We couldn't get into the end zone against a 1-7 team with one of the worst defenses in football until the 4th quarter. The Skins needed overtime to beat this team, much like they needed overtime to beat the 0-8 Dolphins. It was just the same type of victory they had experienced over the Dolphins, and the Eagles, and the Cardinals, the type that ultimately should have foreshadowed the absolute blowout the team suffered when it faced one of the elite teams in the league. The victory over the Lions? Looking more and more like an anomoly with each passing week. The fact is that what so many of us were hoping for was a performance by this team that would convince us that, though we may not be nearly as good as the best team in the NFL, we're not as pathetic as we looked against them when we played them. What did we get? A victory no doubt, but the same type of victory that leaves one thinking that this is a team setting itself up to being horribly exposed again. And that is exactly what fans ought to reasonably dread--having their team BLOWN OUT! If we think that the team can reasonably expect to gain 240 yards on the ground against the Cowboys, or the Bucs, or even the Giants, well then fine. But my guess is that these teams might do just a wee better job on the D-line, which means that the Skins might actually have to throw the ball a couple of times. How much more faith in the passing game did we develop after yesterday's loss? Again, I'm happier being 5-3 than 4-4, or worse. But I didn't turn off the tv yesterday being that much more confident than I was after last week's game that this team won't get its ass KICKED when they play Dallas in Dallas in two weeks. Hope I'm dead f-ing wrong.