The Redskins would be 0-4 were it not for Alex Barron’s inability to block and Jason Avant’s butterfingers. The Redskins would be 3-1 if the defense didn’t lay down and Graham Gano’s muscle memory could replicate a successful kick. (There is no hypothetical reversing the outcome of the Rams game, unfortunately.) The reality is that the team sits at 2-2, with both wins coming against NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia. It’s becoming increasingly clear that each team in the NFC East is going to be plagued by inconsistencies this year. Dallas has both the best offense in the division and the tendency to flake out at the worst possible time. The Giants have been maddening, alternating between getting their ass kicked by Indianapolis and laying a defensive beatdown on the Bears. Philly has to pray that Vick gets healthy soon, because Kevin Kolb is not the answer at quarterback. Is it so wacky to think that the similarly inconsistent Redskins could find a way to sneak away with the NFC East title for the first time since 1999?

Any optimism about the 2010 edition of the Redskins that was left in reserve after last week’s heartbreaking loss to the Texans has surely evaporated after yesterday’s humiliating 30-16 loss to the St. Louis Rams. Yes, they lost to a Rams team that was starting a rookie quarterback, sporting a 3-31 record in their previous 34 games and hadn’t scored more than 23 points in a game during coach Steve Spagnuolo’s tenure. But the Redskins Charity Express rumbled on, faithfully keeping expectations low and handing out wins to undeserving opponents (see Detroit, Carolina, and Kansas City last season).

At first, it looked like a laugher in progress. It ended as a nailbiter. In a slogging game punctuated by missteps and flukes, the Washington Redskins escaped with a win at home against the Arizona Cardinals. How’d Washington pull out the win? On balance, they just reaped slightly larger benefits from the errors, but credit some missed kicks and the strangest two-point conversion call I’ve ever seen for the victory. By and large, scoring opportunities…

Jason Campbell couldn’t miss, the defensive line looked like a wrecking crew, Carlos Rogers actually intercepted a pass (and returned it for a touchdown!), and Baby Jesus announced his preference for Joe Gibbs over Jon Kitna in a beating of the Detroit Lions so savage that Daniel Snyder had plenty of free time to stop worrying about the state of his football team, and start worrying about how the rides from his terrible theme parks…

>> A singer-songwriter showcase featuring Martin Royle of Washington Social Club, Mick Coogan of The Dance Party and Stephen Kilroy of Middle Distance Runner is being billed by MDR as “Steve, Martin tonight at the Black Cat!” Which is technically true, though we’re guessing the show will be a little more earnest guitar playing and a little less Wild and Crazy Guy. Black Cat’s back stage. $8, 9 p.m. >> Redskins CB Carlos Rogers…

One of the things we love about the NFL is how consistently entertaining the games can be while at the same time not making a whole lot of sense. After fifteen weeks, here’s the stuff that seems understandable: San Diego and Baltimore are probably the two best teams in the league, Houston really should have drafted either Vince Young or Reggie Bush, the Cardinals should really think about ending their 25-year experiment of not having…

Turns out we didn’t have to wait one more week. In a move that’s sure to be met with approval by the hordes of fans at FedEx Field who have clamored for his insertion for weeks, Washington Redskins Head Coach announced yesterday that second-year quarterback Jason Campbell would get the start against Tampa. The bad news is the move is tantamount to conceding the season. The good news is that this brings the Mark Brunell…

War Eagle, baby. The first round of the NFL Draft was steeped in Auburn mania, and the Washington Redskins played a big part in it, selecting Auburn alumni with both of their first round picks. Having lost Fred Smoot to free agency during the offseason, the Redskins’ chiefest need in the draft was in the defensive backfield. Washington used their ninth pick to select Auburn cornerback Carlos Rogers, one of a trio of top…