Let’s take a look at the schedule the Washington Redskins will play in 2009. First, we start off with the obvious point that divisional games [there are six of them, as always], will be critical. This is particularly true in the NFC East, where winning the division is difficult [the Skins haven't won it since 1999 -- before owner Dan Snyder starting making decisions] and thus tiebreakers often decide which teams go to the playoffs and which teams make vacation plans early. So, let’s take another look at the schedule:
Sept. 13 Redskins at New York Giants, 4:15
Sept. 20 St. Louis at Redskins, 1
Sept. 27 Redskins at Detroit, 1
Oct. 4 Tampa Bay at Redskins, 1
Oct. 11 Redskins at Carolina, 1
Oct. 18 KC at Redskins, 1
Oct. 26 (Monday) Philadelphia at Redskins, 8:30
Nov. 1 Bye
Nov. 8 Redskins at Atlanta, 1
Nov. 15 Denver at Redskins, 1
Nov. 22 Redskins at Dallas, 1
Nov. 29 Redskins at Philadelpia, 1
Dec. 6 New Orleans at Redskins, 1
Dec. 13 Redskins at Oakland, 4:15
Dec. 21 (Monday) NY Giants at Redskins, 8:30
Dec. 27 (Sunday) Dallas at Redskins, 8:20
Jan. 3 Redskins at San Diego, 4:15
Sept. 20 St. Louis at Redskins, 1
Sept. 27 Redskins at Detroit, 1
Oct. 4 Tampa Bay at Redskins, 1
Oct. 11 Redskins at Carolina, 1
Oct. 18 KC at Redskins, 1
Oct. 26 (Monday) Philadelphia at Redskins, 8:30
Nov. 1 Bye
Nov. 8 Redskins at Atlanta, 1
Nov. 15 Denver at Redskins, 1
Nov. 22 Redskins at Dallas, 1
Nov. 29 Redskins at Philadelpia, 1
Dec. 6 New Orleans at Redskins, 1
Dec. 13 Redskins at Oakland, 4:15
Dec. 21 (Monday) NY Giants at Redskins, 8:30
Dec. 27 (Sunday) Dallas at Redskins, 8:20
Jan. 3 Redskins at San Diego, 4:15
First of all, how do the Redskins, a team that was boring and mediocre in 2008, get three national games, including two on Monday night? Anyway, the key for the Redskins will be getting off to a hot start. Early games in Detroit and at home against the Rams and Tampa Bay will be critical wins if they can get them. Tampa Bay is a team in transition, having fired Jon Gruden and putting together a new offense and defense. Detroit and the Rams are just plain awful. If the Redskins can win those three, it will help make up for probable losses against the Giants in the Meadowlands and the Panthers in Carolina. If the Redskins can steal one of those two tough games, so much the better. Then a home game against the terrible KC Chiefs gives the Redskins a very reasonable chance to be 4-2 after 6 weeks. That’s not bad.
The Redskins then get a home game on Monday night against the Eagles. Let’s just call that one a win, though it could easily go the other way. The Redskins and Eagles usually play each other tough and a season split is often the way it goes. So we now have the Skins with a very nice record of 5-2 [1-1] going into the bye week.
The Redskins come out of their bye week with a game in Atlanta
against what will probably be a very good Falcons team. I call that a
loss. The record falls to 5-3, with all 3 losses in the conference.
Washington then returns home against a very beat-able Denver Broncos
team that has a new coach and might be unsettled at QB and TB — not to
mention their horrible defense. Let’s believe in magic and call that a
6-3 record. The Skins should be in the thick of the playoff chase now.
against what will probably be a very good Falcons team. I call that a
loss. The record falls to 5-3, with all 3 losses in the conference.
Washington then returns home against a very beat-able Denver Broncos
team that has a new coach and might be unsettled at QB and TB — not to
mention their horrible defense. Let’s believe in magic and call that a
6-3 record. The Skins should be in the thick of the playoff chase now.
The
week before Thanksgiving, the Redskins head down to Dallas to play the
Cowboys. I don’t think the Skins beat Dallas at home so the record
falls to 6-4, with a 1-2 record in the division and all 4 losses in the
conference. I think the Redskins probably lose the next week, as well,
since they don’t usually beat the Eagles in Philadelphia. Now the
Redskins are 6-5, with a 1-3 record in the division and all 5 losses in
the conference. People are starting to talk about another second half
collapse.
week before Thanksgiving, the Redskins head down to Dallas to play the
Cowboys. I don’t think the Skins beat Dallas at home so the record
falls to 6-4, with a 1-2 record in the division and all 4 losses in the
conference. I think the Redskins probably lose the next week, as well,
since they don’t usually beat the Eagles in Philadelphia. Now the
Redskins are 6-5, with a 1-3 record in the division and all 5 losses in
the conference. People are starting to talk about another second half
collapse.
Then the New Orleans Saints come to
DC. The Saints could be a very improved team in 2009 and their offense
ought to be explosive, in any case. Nevertheless, it is an outdoor game
in December and the Redskins usually play well against the Saints.
Let’s call this a win and put the Washington record at 7-5. That win
probably saves the season, preventing a crippling 6th loss in the
conference — for now.
DC. The Saints could be a very improved team in 2009 and their offense
ought to be explosive, in any case. Nevertheless, it is an outdoor game
in December and the Redskins usually play well against the Saints.
Let’s call this a win and put the Washington record at 7-5. That win
probably saves the season, preventing a crippling 6th loss in the
conference — for now.
The Redskins then
travel west to play the Oakland Raiders. Winning games on the opposite
coast is very difficult — we certainly saw that this past season.
Nevertheless, the Raiders are godawful in every way and I think Jim Zorn will know how to beat them. The record goes to 8-5, with the Skins feasting on an awful AFC West division.
travel west to play the Oakland Raiders. Winning games on the opposite
coast is very difficult — we certainly saw that this past season.
Nevertheless, the Raiders are godawful in every way and I think Jim Zorn will know how to beat them. The record goes to 8-5, with the Skins feasting on an awful AFC West division.
That’s
when things get real serious again. Washington plays 2 division games
in a row, the first a Monday night game against the Giants and the
second a Sunday night game against the Cowboys. This is the key to the
season. If the Redskins win both of those games, they will almost
certainly make the playoffs. That would put the Redskins at 10-5, with
a 3-3 record in the division and 7 conference victories. That’s a
playoff record in the NFC, though not necessarily in the AFC, as the
Patriots learned last year. If the Redskins split those games, they are
9-6, with a losing record in the division, 6 losses in the conference
and a must-win game on the road against the San Diego Chargers. The
Chargers are not the Raiders and will probably defeat the Redskins –
unless the Chargers have already wrapped up their division and have
nothing to gain by playing their starters the entire game. If the
Redskins are swept in those December games against the Giants and
Cowboys — meaning they go 1-5 in the division — they are almost
certainly eliminated from the playoffs.
when things get real serious again. Washington plays 2 division games
in a row, the first a Monday night game against the Giants and the
second a Sunday night game against the Cowboys. This is the key to the
season. If the Redskins win both of those games, they will almost
certainly make the playoffs. That would put the Redskins at 10-5, with
a 3-3 record in the division and 7 conference victories. That’s a
playoff record in the NFC, though not necessarily in the AFC, as the
Patriots learned last year. If the Redskins split those games, they are
9-6, with a losing record in the division, 6 losses in the conference
and a must-win game on the road against the San Diego Chargers. The
Chargers are not the Raiders and will probably defeat the Redskins –
unless the Chargers have already wrapped up their division and have
nothing to gain by playing their starters the entire game. If the
Redskins are swept in those December games against the Giants and
Cowboys — meaning they go 1-5 in the division — they are almost
certainly eliminated from the playoffs.
So,
there it is. There are two keys to the season for Washington look –
right now — to be getting off to a strong start against weak teams
like the Lions, Rams, Chiefs and maybe the Buccaneers and getting at
least a split with the Cowboys and Giants at FedEx Field in December.
Those are going to be tough, ugly division games played in nasty
weather against determined opponents. We’ll find out something about
Jim Zorn and his players in those two weeks.
there it is. There are two keys to the season for Washington look –
right now — to be getting off to a strong start against weak teams
like the Lions, Rams, Chiefs and maybe the Buccaneers and getting at
least a split with the Cowboys and Giants at FedEx Field in December.
Those are going to be tough, ugly division games played in nasty
weather against determined opponents. We’ll find out something about
Jim Zorn and his players in those two weeks.
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