ESPN NFL Preview: Redskins

[Gmanc711]

Of course everyone is going to pick us to finish last, but if you read some of the writeups on it, they're basically saying were going to be the Eagles of last year. A team that finishes about 8-8, who will miss the playoffs by a game or so, and would have won just about any other division in the league, bla bla bla. Who cares? They all picked NY to finish last , last season. They all picked us to finish last in 2005, whatever. This means absolutley nothing until December. I could see us finishing in any slot to be honest, I guess I can understand where a lot of these guys are coming from, but I still dont understand all the love for Philadelphia..

[skins86fan]

i agree with one person jermey green !!!!!!!

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by mredskins

You are forgetting the age of that team at key postions. Plus you can have the best QB but with no one to throw to what good is he. You don't think people will be stacking the box on Westbrook this season.

No matter what happens on O, their D will keep them in every game. Don't get me wrong, I hope they go down like the Titantic, but for a pre-season analysis, they have less question marks and less weaknesses than us and the Giants.

[GusFrerotte]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Seems like most of the consensus here is, well someone has to finish 4th.

Brilliant.

When aren't we picked to finish 4th is my question. In recent memory, we are lucky if a preseason mag pegs us at 3rd place in the division. No biggie, but these mags usually are right about where we end up.

[Jacobylookalike]

We will know soon enough. Giants chances in the division depend on a good start as their schedule is brutal later on. If the Skins can hang in there through the first five games they will be spending every night, except 2 or 3, in their own beds from 10/6 - 11/22. In December, though 3 of 4 are on the road the 3 are the NFL weak vying for high draft picks.

What I get, but don't think is fair, is how the Cowboys schedule is written. However, we are well aware of the skins gripe: games 1, 4, and 5 on the road in division then 11, 13, 16 home (good spacing). Eagles have a similar predicament: good spacing with 2-away, 5-home, and 10-home then 14 and 16 away, with Browns at home in between, finalized by 17 at home. NY got the worst: Redskins at home opening night then 9-home, 10-away, 13-away, 14-home, and 15-away.

And in the new NFL, where division games bear greater meaning because there are less of them and therefore playoff placement rides on their results, the 2007 Division winning
Cowboys are 'saddled' with this:
2 and 4 at home, 9 and 11 on the road (don't worry! there's a Bye week in between them) then 15-home, the challenging Ravens at home, then probably meaningless 17-away. So, every team in the division gets at least one back-to-back division scheduling except the Cowboys?

[KLHJ2]

I hate these things. Everyone thinks that they know, but they don't know. I pick the skins to finish anywhere but last in the division. Whatever

It's not where the writers start you, it's what your record is when you finish.

[GTripp0012]

It doesn't make a lot of sense that everyone (save Yasinskas and Wikersham) at ESPN.com thinks the Cowboys are going to win the division. You can make an argument for all four teams, but apparently, no one really wants to.

I think if you (or ESPN.com, or SI.com) are going to release a consensus predictions article, you should force someone to make arguments for other teams in the division (unless you are picking the Patriots and Chargers...where no one is even close to challenging them). Otherwise, what's the point? Just so you give people something to come back to when you're wrong.

Why do I need to go to ESPN or SI to find out that a lot of people think the Cowboys will be good? Anyone?

For the record, I think consensus picks from like ten experts is a good thing to read...but not if they all talk to each other on a daily basis and largely think the same way.

[SKINSnCANES]

If I were a writer I would pick us to finish 4th too....

We are in the toughest division in football.

We have a rookie head coach calling plays for the first time

We have a new system to run on offense

We lost our defensive cordinator

Two of our top picks were receivers which usually have little impact...and receiver is a position we were hurting with last year.

Honestly there more reasons to assume, as a writer, that we will have a growing year this year but have long term potential.

But with that beign said. Were going 19-0

[doughtydoubter]

This division is the toughest. It always is every year.
I predict we wil be third or fourth in it this year based on a few things
1. the tough beginning sched and we dont look "ready"
2. the doughty experiment...im soory i know it seems biased...but he is the weakest player on d.
3. the fact that it jut wouldnt be a washingtong redskins season if we didnt have near win games that resulted in heart attacks, anger and strife for its fans. The angst weve grown to feel over the past 15 years...it has become redskins football. This is our MO

[mcarey032]

I don't think that NY is going to be all that great this year. They have some injuries and needs that need to filled. There is some chaos with AP wanting a new contract as well as Plaxico Burress wanting a new deal as well. I think that we finish better than the Giants.

The eagles are a decent team, but they are missing some players on offense to be a real threat. I think that we are better than the eagles.

The Cowboys are probably the best team in our division and they aren't missing a whole lot. They have good skill position players and they have a really good defense. The thing with them is that their skill position players are really old and they didn't really do anything to add depth at the WR position.

1.) cowboys (unfortunately)
2.) Redskins (me being a homer)
3.) Eagles ( I don't really see what all the underrated hype is about?)
4.) Giants (Missing secondary, DE, unhappiness about money, etc.)

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by mcarey032

I don't think that NY is going to be all that great this year. They have some injuries and needs that need to filled. There is some chaos with AP wanting a new contract as well as Plaxico Burress wanting a new deal as well. I think that we finish better than the Giants.

The eagles are a decent team, but they are missing some players on offense to be a real threat. I think that we are better than the eagles.

The Cowboys are probably the best team in our division and they aren't missing a whole lot. They have good skill position players and they have a really good defense. The thing with them is that their skill position players are really old and they didn't really do anything to add depth at the WR position.

1.) cowboys (unfortunately)
2.) Redskins (me being a homer)
3.) Eagles ( I don't really see what all the underrated hype is about?)
4.) Giants (Missing secondary, DE, unhappiness about money, etc.)

Pierce wants a new deal? I guess he's in the last year of his deal or close. This would be his 4th year in NY.

[doughtydoubter]

you know the one good thing we have going for us..is wade phillips teams all get worse over the years never better....there is hope.

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by mredskins

why for the life of me do they pick the Eagles second in the NFC East. They suck and have no one to throw to.

Philly has more going for it than most believe. McNabb is 2 years removed from ACL reconstruction, so his mobility will be back. DeSean Jackson has been the best looking rookie WR this pre-season, and will have a chance to start immediately with Kevin Curtis injured. L.J. Smith is fully recovered from his sports hernia. Westbrook may be the best dual threat back in the entire league. On defense, they have a ton of depth on the D-line, a young and athletic LB corps, and perhaps the best secondary in the division. Bottom line, there are no easy outs in the NFC East.

[DIRTEE]

I've never been a follower of Billy McMullen's career, is this the best preseason he's ever had?

I hate for any team that I root for, to be thought of as last in the division. If the Redskins are proficient on offense, you can erase every last comment made by that panel. Prepare to get on the bandwagon.