By DCist contributor Don Pitz

After the Washington Redskins’ frustrating loss to the St. Louis Rams last week, a spectre of disbelief fell upon the team’s troubled fans. Local sports talk radio became a cacophony of queries—what if their punter Sav Rocca hadn’t given up a blocked punt for the second game in a row? What if receiver Josh Morgan hadn’t received a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct during their last drive? It was as though the fans were trying to summon the Ghost of Redskins Future out of the ether to save them from this cruel scene.

Truth be told, the Redskins probably should have and could have won their matchup with the Rams, if not for those critical mistakes. Morgan found out the hard way that the Internet is serious business when he received death threats on Twitter. From one person who has received death threats to another: you only need to take death threats seriously if they are real. Hope that helps.

If the heartbreaking loss wasn’t enough, fans also had to deal with the news of critical injuries: linebacker Brian Orakpo is out for the season, along with defensive end Adam Carriker. Orakpo led the team in sacks last year. The Redskins will have to try to manufacture a pass rush without him.

Well, there’s no better way to get out of the sad-bastard doldrums than a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, right? Well, not exactly.

The Bengals made the playoffs last year. Carson Palmer doesn’t play for an NFL team anymore; he plays for the Raiders instead. Their second-year quarterback Andy Dalton is a ginger, and their second-year receiver AJ Green is NOT AC Green.

The game kicked off with some trickery. In the first play from scrimmage, Bengals rookie receiver Mohamed Sanu took a direct snap and hit Green with a 73-yard touchdown pass. The Redskins’ punting unit atoned for its past sins when it pinned a Rocca kick to the one-yard line. Orakpo’s replacement, Rob Jackson, then intercepted a Dalton pass in the endzone for a touchdown.

What about Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III? The good news is that he threw no interceptions. The bad news is that he fumbled three times, turning the ball over once. He completed 21 of 34 pass attempts for 221 yards and a touchdown. He was the Redskins’ leading rusher, gaining 85 yards on 12 attempts, with a touchdown. On the other hand, he was sacked six times and hit a whole lot more. The team must do a much better job protecting its star quarterback.

Down 38-31, RGIII was given the opportunity for one final drive to tie the game. The ‘Skins drove to the 19-yard line, but again fell victim to mistakes. They gave up another sack, and RGIII almost fumbled the ball again. They were able to spike the ball for one final play, but Fred Davis was charged with a false start penalty. With seven seconds left in the game, there was mass confusion as to whether or not there would be a ten-second runoff due to the penalty—which would have ended the game.

Washington’s coaching staff went onto the field, screaming their heads off that they still had one play left. The referees assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to the Redskins as a consequence, most likely due to the behavior of Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan, although the referees didn’t announce who drew the penalty. This brought the ‘Skins to its own 41-yard line. RGIII’s Hail Mary attempt was batted down. The Redskins lost, 38-31.

After the game, the atmosphere at The House on Georgia Avenue was one of vile self-destruction. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth among the faithful. This is a loss that will haunt them for some time, they said. There will be many questions to follow, they opined. How can they win with a defense that gives up 478 yards to the Bengals, they inquired. How can they protect their quarterback, they asked. And whom will they threaten with death this week?

Here’s hoping it’s not this writer. (Or anyone else, for that matter.)