Things This Redskin Fan Learned Yesterday Evening...

Well the season is over. It was one of the toughest seasons ever to be a Redskins fan, but one that really proved to many in the DC area what is so wonderful about being a sports fan... you deal with excruciating lows and exhilirating highs. The DC fanbase may be somewhat fickle about certain teams (namely, the Wizards), but I deny my co-contributors' assertions that the Redskins fanbase has ever been fickle. We get pissed. We get frustrated. But damned if we stop caring about this team. I was sullen yesterday for about 45 minutes, primarily because, as Dennis Green said, "We had 'em where we wanted them. And WE LET THEM OFF THE HOOK!" But I'm over it now. And upon reflection, here are a few points from yesterday's game....

1) Todd Collins came slightly back to Earth, but he was not exactly helped by his receivers. For those who will look at yesterday and say that it's proof that Collins was a flash in the pan, I'll remind you that he had to play from behind and was forced to throw, and that he was getting no help from his O-line, which brings me to...

2) This offensive line did a pretty damn good job the last four games of the regular season without two of its stars, Randy Thomas and Jon Jansen. We saw yesterday that they are a much better team playing with a lead than playing from behind when the opposing D-line knows that the 'Skins QB is going to be dropping back. Just wait until we have our full offensive line back. And mad props to Stephon Heyer, who started after the injuries in his rookie year, being signed to the 'Skins as an undrafted free agent. He had a tough game yesterday. But he single-handedly kept Michael Strahan in check two games ago. And he also happens to be one of the nicest guys to ever strap on the Terp's Under Armour. Speaking of ex-Terps, who saw how awesome rookie Adam Podlesh punted for the Jags last night? Raise your hands if you think the Terps will miss Ray Rychleski who is left as the Terps Special Teams Coach to go to South Carolina. I have to hands up. This guy personally groomed Brooks Barnard, Nick Novak, Adam Podlesh, and Dan Ennis. Which brings me to...

3) Special teams is normally only noticed when it plays poorly, but it's magnified 100 times when it blows a playoff game. Now, to those who say that Shaun Suisham's kick lost the Redskins game yesterday, there was a lot more that went into it. But it was a huge momentum changer. Not to mention the fact that Suisham's kickoffs were landing around the 15, sometimes the 20. The last time the 'Skins had a rock-solid kicker was Mark Moseley back in the 80s. It's time to spend some significant money and grab one of them when they're a free agent. Look how that panned out for the Colts grabbing Vinatieri. Well, it also didn't pan out so well with John Hall. But Shaun, that was one of those kicks that a fanbase does not forget. You seem like a nice enough guy, but your time in DC is done.

4) Seattle is losing its NBA team, can barely support its MLB team, but damn do they come out and scream for their NFL guys. It's funny, because ex-Seahawk players say that the Seahawks really aren't the sensation all-season long in the papers and on sports talk radio the way that the Ravens, Redskins, Giants, Eagles, and most other teams are. The town is not enraptured by the NFL. However, whoever designed Qwest Field deserves a gold star. That place was ridiculous yesterday, and it showed in how the 'Skins were tentative in getting off the line, not wanting to incur false start penalties.

5) Joe Gibbs' future? Too much to talk about in this post.

There's probably more that I can add, but being a married guy, and being in the housing market (I'm one of the few), I have to go spend my Sunday looking at Open Houses right now. Which is probably for the better because I don't have the NFL playoffs in my heart right now. But thank you 'Skins for a good season.