Washington Falls Flat Against Eagles

The writing was clearly written on the wall all through the preseason, yet the Washington Redskins continued to tell the media that all was well, until it truly wasn’t. The Redskins have started out 0-1 for the fourth time in coach Jay Gruden’s tenure in DC, and things are not pointing upward at all after an abysmal week one performance on both sides of the ball. The franchise committed four turnovers to an improved Philadelphia Eagles squad, and had little reason to celebrate during the Sunday afternoon.

What happens to a team when they start believing that “everything is not going to be alright?” For starters, some may start to finger point at members who they think cost them the game. Unfortunately, the Redskins would have run out of fingers to point towards on Sunday, as there weren’t too many players who would be worthy of a game ball, even if they found a way to somehow win a game they didn’t deserve. Additionally, with so many players on one-year deals (Kirk Cousins, Terrelle Pryor Sr, etc.), it’s hard to see any clear direction for this franchise’s future.

Another factor in this brutal week one loss is how quickly the local fans turned on their squad.  A brief look at the Redskins Twitter feed yesterday showed fans dealing with years of frustration under the Daniel Snyder era that is starting to go way beyond its boiling point. You would think the Redskins were blown out based on the sheer number of responses, as words such as “boycott,” “embarrassing,” and even “dumpster fire” were used as adjectives to describe their beloved hometown team. In all honesty, I can’t say that I blame this fanbase that has grown accustomed to losing season after losing season, with very little reason to cheer for a team that does not provide their fans a reason to tune in, much less attend their games.

It really seems as if the tumultuous off-season drama of Kirk Cousins’ contract is bleeding into a season where the team is looking less prepared than ever for regular season action. Where will this team begin to turn for leadership when chaos reigns from the top down? The answer is that this team is going nowhere fast, with multiple players on contract years potentially departing far away from this mess in DC when the off-season eventually rolls around. Buckle up DC, it’s going to be another bumpy year, with very little reason to be excited for this season or any future ones as well.

Photo Credit: Virginia Pilot