Despite record, Redskins might not be giants

By Joe Versage  |   Thursday, September 20, 2007  |  Comments( 8 )

Washington Redskins
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"2-0 has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you say?" The question was posed to me Tuesday evening at a sports bar in Washington, D.C., and I couldn't help but chuckle inside. While the Redskins' 20-12 defeat of archrival Philadelphia on Monday night was impressive, I had to provide a reply that would bring the happy-go-lucky fan back to reality.

"Yes, it does sound nice," I said. "But are the 'Skins what you thought they were?"

My response had a touch of sarcasm to it, but I intended to spark an interesting conversation.

Are the Redskins simply fortunate to be unbeaten, or are they better than expected? And will they continue their joy ride or come crashing back to earth in the coming weeks?

When former Arizona head coach Dennis Green coined the phrase, "They are who we thought they were," he was way off-base in his description of the Chicago Bears. Green obviously let his emotions get the best of him after watching his team blow a 20-point halftime lead in prime time. But instead of being a pretender who got lucky, the Bears were a force to be reckoned with. And in time, they proved it, with a dominating run to an NFC championship and a Super Bowl appearance.

Don't get me wrong -- "Redskins Nation" has every right to be encouraged with Washington's 2-0 start. And fans in Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburgh and San Francisco should gloat, too. But early season success should not be taken for granted.

Among the 10 teams with unblemished records, only the Colts, Cowboys and Patriots made the playoffs last year. The rest had a combined record of 46-66.

In other words, players and fans should temper their excitement until winning becomes expected.

Nobody knows that better than Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs.

"We all know this thing can flip on you," said a cautious Gibbs after his team's win over the Eagles. "Injuries can turn things. It's two weeks. Can we continue to do this?"

The answer to that question will come soon enough, perhaps this weekend. The Redskins play host to the New York Giants on Sunday, with another new face on their offensive line. Former New York Jets starter and Dallas reserve Jason Fabini will replace guard Randy Thomas, who came up lame against the Eagles with a torn triceps muscle. Thomas underwent surgery on Wednesday and may not return this season.

The injury bug depleted the right side of Washington's line for the second time in two weeks. On opening day at FedEx Field, 'Skins starting right tackle Jon Jansen was lost for the year when he broke his right ankle and fibula. Todd Wade filled in admirably for Jansen and will get his second start this weekend.

Meanwhile, the Redskins are doing all they can to downplay their accomplishments. It is probably a wise decision, because they will be playing a team that might not be what its record indicates. At 0-2, the Giants are reeling, with a defense that has surrendered 80 points and an offense that is battered and bruised. But they still have enough talent to overcome their injuries and right the ship.

Despite a 35-13 home loss to Green Bay last week, the Giants were thrilled with backup running back Derrick Ward. Playing in place of the injured Brandon Jacobs, Ward totaled 125 yards from scrimmage. Jacobs will miss his second straight game this week with a sprained knee, but some of his Giants teammates have been willing to play through their pain.

Last week, Eli Manning surprised some in the media, specifically Chris Mortensen, who falsely reported that he had suffered a separated shoulder in Week 1. He started against the Packers and threw bullets to wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who played despite a sore ankle.

In the meantime, the Giants are facing up to their winless start with a renewed sense of urgency. They believe that both of their losses were the result of their own undoing. Untimely penalties and missed opportunities frustrated the Giants against the Packers. They also had numerous defensive breakdowns in a 45-35 season-opening loss in Dallas.

"Primarily what we have to do is go back to one of the oldest axioms in football," said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin at his Monday briefing with the media. "(We have to) keep from beating ourselves before we can expect to go forth and beat someone else. I think that is where we are."

If that is where the Giants are, then there is nowhere to go but up. According to Coughlin, the team approached practice this week with urgency and anxiousness. The Giants collectively feel that they are better than their record suggests and can turn their season around Sunday. And if recent history is any indication, they have a reason to be optimistic.

A year ago, New York swept Washington for the first time since 2002. But it was the 27th sweep for the Giants in the 75-year history between the two rivals.

After Monday's divisional win over Philly, the Redskins are sitting atop the NFC East with Dallas, while the Giants and Eagles are cellar dwellers. As Dennis Green would say, "If you want to crown them, crown them!" Just don't expect the Redskins to be something they're not.

Both of Washington's wins have come by very close margins and staying unbeaten will be a challenge against New York. In fact, if the Redskins let the road team "off the hook," they may breathe new life into a sleeping Giant.
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About Joe Versage

As a native of upstate New York and a life-long fan of the Buffalo Bills, I have witnessed some of the greatest highs and greatest lows an NFL team can endure. But despite a gut-wrenching 4 consecutive Super Bowl defeats, I never lost faith in the Bills and was fortunate to cover them for 3 years ...
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CommentsComments: 8  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Jonathan		02:32 AM
09/21/2007
Joe, I hate to break it to you, but the Redskins ARE the home team this weekend. And what they are is a Joe Gibbs coached team, ...
No.2
Adam Hankins		04:27 AM
09/21/2007
What planet are you living on? You don't even know who the home team is in this matchup, so how can you be qualified to judge the ...
No.3
Luke		09:50 AM
09/21/2007
I love how even though the Redskins have won their first two games, everyone still thinks they suck because of their record last ...
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