As you probably know, the Redskins upset the 9 win Saints last Sunday. No one gave Your Washington Redskins a chance to win this game besides your homer host.
I'm the loudest and most obnoxious fan when bad decisions lead to losses as I have repeatedly questioned play calling on this website. Particularly against the Eagles, when a decision to kick a field goal (while losing) ultimately may have cost us the game. I also -- kind of sort of -- operate under the mindset that the right decision is the one that leads to a win. Winning cures all ills but it also vindicates decisions retroactively (note: to a degree).
With just over 4 minutes to go in the game, the Redskins hanging on to a 3 point lead at 13-10, your kicking unit jumps on the field on 4th and 3 on the Saints 4 yard line. Three yards gets us a first down. Four yards gets us a touchdown. Perhaps Joe Gibbs should have gone for it?
Water. Under. The. Bridge. as far as I'm concerned, but I'll sound off anyways. With about 4 minutes remaining in a game, there's a difference between leaving four points on the field when you're down by 5 points (Philly) and protecting a lead against the best offense in the league (New Orleans).
The reality is that Suisham (pronounced Your Washington Redskins Kicker) made the kick and the Saints were forced to go for a touchdown on their final drive. They couldn't convert, but had all the time necessary to march to the Washington 15 yard line -- safe FG territory.
You go for it and fail to convert the 3 yards, you're sending a message to your defense: I wouldn't trust you to baby sit my pet rock, let alone hold a lead. Then they have to go out there and stop Drew Brees' Saints? Not happenin'.
You kick that field goal you are telling your defense to win the damn game for once. I took more from the fact that our defense looked like a 2004 unit than I did from the win itself; Gregg Williams suddenly looks like the kind of coordinator we can trust. A "bad" defense can look like a mediocre one every blue moon. But never does a "bad" defense go into the Best Offense In The League's House and embarrass them throughout (of the first 7 possessions, 4 were three-and-outs and only one went for more than 26 yards) only to close the game with two downs of near perfect, clutch, defensive play.
Players remember that kind of thing. And now fans can remember that Joe Gibbs challenged his defense to win a football game and they did precisely that. Sometimes this is called Coaching.
[editor's note, by Skin Patrol] I should note that Tandler agrees and was a day ahead of me on this.