Big "D"..... Big Deal!!

What a way to start off the 2010 NFL season for the Redskins. You have to play your biggest rival in prime time at home. Talk about pressure!! Although it was a low scoring game, it was quite entertaining. Amazingly, had Dallas not run that dumb ass play right before Halftime, the score would have been the exact same as the first meeting last year, when the Redskins loss 7-6 after shutting out the Cowboys for 58 minutes of that game. A good win, but hold the presses fellow Redskins fans. There is no way we can beat the Houston Texans playing like we just did Sunday night.

Some positives that came out of the Cowboys-Redskins game were the play of the Defense. particularly our Linebackers. They did a good job of not giving up big runs once the Cowboys Running Backs got to the second level of our Defense and they pretty much took one of the best Tight Ends in the NFL, out of the game. Our Linebackers also did a good job of getting pressure on Tony Romo. We still had to deal with my man Miles Austin torching us for 146 yards on 10 catches, and one TD. But his performance aside, Dallas’ offense did much of nothing. They may have bigger problems than previously thought. I still say that they are the favorites to win the NFC East, but they wont be for long if they continue to play the way that they did Sunday. You could not really expect to Pass Protect when you have an all new Offensive Line. It just doesn’t happen overnight like everyone thinks. But, if I know one thing, Dallas’ GM will address that problem by any means necessary.

Another positive that came out of the game was the fact that Donovan McNabb looked like he was getting comfortable within the Redskins’ offense. It is going to take a while. Sure it is still the “West Coast Offense,” but our version is slightly different than the version McNabb ran in Philadelphia. Santana Moss and Chris Cooley both had 6 catches apiece. Something that I don’t think I have seen in a Redskins game in a while. Anthony Armstrong got early playing time, which tells me that the coaching staff has confidence in him. Trent Williams did a good job of slowing down DeMarcus Ware, who is probably the best DE/LB in the NFL. Ware still had his moments, but the Rookie handled himself admirably. DeAngelo Hall the ballhawk is playing better. It is amazing that people will say that he is not a good cover corner. Maybe not, but if you have a guy like that on your Defense that is always around the ball, does it matter? Brian Orakpo looks good so far. He may not have gotten a lot of sacks, but his pass rushing still caused Pass Protection problems for the Cowboys. LaRon Landry is back at his natural position and looks good. You have Safeties who like collisions. You have Safeties who like to play the pass, and you Safeties who likes to do both, and some do neither. Landry likes collisions. So put him in a situation where you can use his skills. Carlos Rogers did a good job of covering this past Sunday. Know how??!! You did not hear his name mentioned. That’s why!! When you ask your players to play their strengths, amazing things can happen. Hey, he still can’t catch a cold, but I rather have him defense a pass than give up a TD.

Some negatives were Haynesworth not being used on passing downs enough. He has a right to be pissed. I would have been mad at Haynesworth if he was not mad. Casey Rabach was getting his ass handed to him by Jay Ratliff. It is not a surprise since Rabach is kinda small so we have to call pass protections to help him out. Oh wait… That’s his job. I hope we correct that problem soon, because the 3-4 Defense is something that the Redskins are going to face a few times this season. Dez Bryant’s only issues was that Romo did not get enough time. That kids is the truth. Great pick up for Dallas. Clinton Portis had no running lanes. A problem that needs to be corrected and quick. There were too many dropped passes. I’ll let this one go since it was the first game of the season, but this had better not happen next week. And McNabb looked a little jumpy. Maybe it was Dallas. Maybe it was the prime time game. Maybe it was him wanting to play well. If he does not settle down, he is going to have issues next week.

I know I should be happy that we won. Yes, we beat Dallas. We needed it for a morale boost, and it was good to get a division win, something that did not happen last year. But let’s be real people. That game really came down to about 5 plays that if one or two of them were different, Dallas would have won. So please keep things in perspective. This does not mean that Washington is going to Super Bowl this year, but it is a step in the right direction.