What is this feeling? Is this… hope?

December 24, 2007

I’m still not sold on Gibbs as Head Honcho (can’t we get him out of the coaching box and into an office?), but there’s no arguing with the results of the last three games. He makes his mistakes, but the man is a great motivator and a diligent game-planner. The Redskins have dominated three teams known for their toughness on both sides of the ball, played smart football, and won the turnover battle, and now all they’ve got to do is beat a Cowboys team that will surely be resting most of its starters.

Of course, it would be just like the Skins to lose against the Cowboys’ second stringers, but this feels different from the franchise’s annual collapse. And, truth be told, no matter how next week goes, you’ve got to be impressed with what they’ve done since Sean Taylor’s death. Just watching them actually step up in big games, play their best, and give themselves a shot at the postseason is enough to satisfy me this year.

Most promising is the fact that they’re doing this without a ton of contributors—Sean Taylor, of course, but also half of their offensive line, Carlos Rogers, Rocky McIntosh, Jason Campbell, and quite a few others. If they can maintain this year’s focus and intensity while plugging those big talents in next year, these guys have a shot at really making some noise. In the meantime, they’ve got as good a chance as they could ask for at getting into a playoff game against a beatable Seattle team.

Posted in Redskins