Redskins Schedule Set as Draft Approaches
It’s a been an offseason of change and occasional tumult for the Washington Redskins, but the tangible future is finally snapping into view. We’re talking 2005 schedule: time for Skins fans to start marking their calendars and arguing over how the field of opponents is totally going to yield the 10-6 record to make the playoffs. In addition to the division home-and-homes, the Redskins are matched against teams from the NFC and AFC West, as well as the Chicago Bears (who we’ll open against at home) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Five playoff teams are in the mix—the Seahawks, Broncos, Rams, Chargers and Eagles.
Washington’s already buzzing about a Week Two Monday Night Football matchup with the Dallas Cowboys—despite the fact that specific setting and opponent has yielded more than it’s fair share of woe. Both dates with Illadelph are special as well—the home game wil be broadcast in prime time on ESPN, while the away game will be played on New Years Day. It’s not the toughest schedule in the world, but it should be noticed that the teams we’ll face on the road have done a good job protecting their house of late—last year, those opponents went a collective 39-25.
Of course, at DCist, the thought of matchups with Seattle, Chicago, and New York fills us with one thought in particular: hot –ist blog side bet action!
The next big worry for the Redskins is this weekend's NFL Draft. The Redskins, picking ninth, will have the opportunity to acquire an impact player in the first round, but after that, it’s nappy-nap time for Coach Gibbs and Vinny “Harken back to my brief ESPN career” Cerrato, because they won’t pick again until the third. Addressing a singular need is the goal with that first round pick, and the word is that Washington intends to think cornerback. Some say Pacman Jones is the player to have—this DCist says Antrell Rolle is the player to have. Mel Kiper, Jr, for his part, says the Redskins will likely take Jones, but he’ll probably change his mind about nine times over the next seven days, as is the wont of a man who has convinced the world to pay him to do nothing but incorrectly forecast NFL Draft futures.
So the season is coming. It’s time to move away from speculation, from unreturned phone calls, from crybaby meltdowns. The Skins have had a pathological aversion to winning in the past few years. Lavar’s probably just abroil with emotion because he knows gets paid too much money to lose and the reverberations are seeping in. Just another in a long string of offseason dramas that have plagued the Skins. Or, maybe he's genuinely sad that Smoot and Pierce, two thick and thin mates, are gone and public blubbering is a coping mechanism. Just win, boys, win and win again. Win two or three in a row. Win 10. Win a playoff game. Win like it's your job. Win like winning owes you money. Once you win, you will not whine. Winning cures all.
(Austinist contributor Travis Mills contributed to this report.)