Here is what you need to know on this Tuesday, September 18, five days before the Redskins open their home season against the Bengals.
Adversity
How quickly things change. On Sunday morning they were 1-0 with a good chance of moving to 2-0 against an improved but beatable Rams team. As of Monday afternoon they were 1-1 and found out that they were going to be without two defensive starters for the year. That is a defense that even with Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker has now given up 31 points or more in six of their last seven games.
Add to that the cloud of a questionable decision to kick a field goal at the end of the game that had virtually no chance of being successful and you have a team that all of a sudden doesn’t have much to feel good about.
Yesterday I got a tweet from a distraught fan with the screen name @Cleg74 asking me, “What can we take away from game to not feel like same old Skins?”
The simple yet accurate answer is that the “same old Skins” did not have a quarterback like Robert Griffin III. When the old Redskins—meaning prior to Sept. 9 of this year—gave up 30 points they had virtually no chance of being competitive, much less winning. They lost those four games at the end of last year where the defense gave up over 30 points by an average of 10 points. This year, the defensive has given up 32 and 31 points and they are 1-1 with an eight-point win and a three-point loss.
If you have a quarterback, you have a chance. If you have a very good quarterback who displays flashes of greatness very early in his career, you have a good chance of staying competitive in almost every game.
So as the Redskins face some adversity, with No. 10 behind center they are much better equipped to handle it than they were on the past.
Davis and the possibility of a concussion
This probably belongs in “In case you missed it” but it’s an article from late yesterday and there still seems to be confusion over Fred Davis and the possibility that he has a concussion. Click on the link to see exactly what Mike Shanahan had to say about the situation.
Today’s schedule
Off day, no media availability
In case you missed it
Shanahan says the officials almost lost control of the game.
A personal foul certainly should have been called on the hit that Davis took that raised the concussion questions.
Days until: Home opener vs. Bengals 5; RG3’s first division game @ Giants 33; RG3 vs. Vick @ FedEx Field 61; Thanksgiving @ Cowboys 65
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