Watt the hell did we just watch? The so very sad start to the Redskins’ season

After waiting 8 long and difficult months to watch the Redskins take the field in a meaningful regular season game again, I couldn’t have been more excited for 1 o’clock to roll around this afternoon.

Less than three hours later and I’ve already fallen into a huge hole of depression that usually takes me about ten to twelve weeks to bury myself in.

Before getting into the negatives, let’s focus on the positives. Because while I have, for years now, gone through absolutely brutal stretches of Redskins football, I refuse to give up on a team that has given me a plethora of reasons to do so. I always try to look at the glass half full.

So: Keenan Robinson looked good. Alfred Morris looked good. That’s about it.

The negatives? Hope you have some time on your hands:

– Ah yes. It’s not Redskins football until the team burns a timeout on their first drive of the game. So glad to see they’ve brought back this tradition even under Jay Gruden.

– Jordan Reed, who is supposed to be the offense’s X factor this year, caught a two yard pass, got destroyed, and left with a hamstring injury. Who knows when he’ll return. He’s the Derrick Rose of the Redskins: every catch is followed with an “Okay now get down and don’t get hurt.” It’s not fun.

– Darrel Young tackled Andre Roberts. Darrel Young and Andre Roberts play for the same team. Darrel Young prevented Andre Roberts from having a big punt return.

– Speaking of special teams, there was a punt blocked which got returned for a touchdown. Can’t say I didn’t call that one. Just didn’t think they were capable of producing it so early in the season. At least they got it out of the way!

They also had their lone PAT blocked by JJ Watt. I wonder what it’s like to root for a team where lining up for a punt/PAT/field goal doesn’t cause my heart to beat rapidly. *sigh*  

– Speaking of JJ Watt, he singlehandedly ruined my day. And RGIII’s day. He stopped the run, he got pressure, and he batted down passes (and really low Kai Forbath extra points). I knew he was the best defensive player in the game. I just didn’t know he was able to wreck an entire offense by himself.

– The offensive line wasn’t particularly good in pass protection. Is it me, or does Robert Griffin end up on the ground after EVERY play? He either gets hit, gets sacked, or has to scramble to the sideline and throw it and then slips on that slippery stuff they have on the team’s benches. Seriously. Watch him. Take a shot of liquor every time RGIII finishes a play standing upright and you won’t feel a buzz until Week 5. 

– I guess it was because they were so afraid of the pass rush, but good lord almighty, I’ve never seen so many six yard comebacks in my entire 19 year life. It was absurd. It was like they were playing in Madden and could only choose from the same two plays in the playbook, one of them a run and one of them a pass where all three receivers run six yards and turn around. RGIII completed like 20 passes in the first half for 32 yards. 

– The defense was good all day (but I’m not sure how to take this since they were facing Ryan Fitzpatrick). However, when the team needed a stop the most late in the fourth quarter, the previously mentioned homeless looking Fitzpatrick scrambled to pick up the crucial first down. Jake Delhomme, Eli Manning, Ryan Fitzpatrick; I feel like stand still quarterbacks always pick up a key first down with their legs against the Redskins. 

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This was one of the crappier games I’ve ever seen this team play. This goes right up there with the Kansas City game at home last year in the snow and the 59-28 Monday Night loss against the Eagles a few years back. Now I probably sound so cynical writing like this, with my snarky comments and stupid jokes, but I am a ride or die, ’til the end, always wear my jersey Redskins fan, yet after today even I’m feeling super down in the dumps. 

Seriously. They scored six points. They had me anxiously awaiting their season debut and all they could do was score six points? In a column yesterday I predicted a 24-21 win for the Skins. I’m never doing another prediction. Next week, they have Jacksonville at home, which would make me feel better except the Jags looked semi capable in Philly today and the Redskins haven’t had a home field advantage in years. It’s one week into the season and I’m already in panic mode. I hate people who overreact after Redskins games, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight after seeing how badly they played, and I don’t think that’s an overreaction. They looked absolutely terrible.

Wow. Let us all take a moment to hope and pray they can get their stuff together in a week and come out and win next Sunday. It’s a long season Redskins fans. I’m not mailing it in yet, I never do, but my god, I didn’t know it was possible to be so sad after Week 1. Let’s just hope we don’t feel even worse next weekend.