1. THREE overtime wins for this team now--3-1 in our four OT chances this season. While it does not qualify us for anything more than some extra TV time, when you are trying to "Learn How To Win", this kind of sudden-death success is good for the psyche. Since I am always thinking about tailgating, a potential unintended consequence of our season occurred to me. Next season, when they are slotting Sunday and Monday night games, we are not likely to get shut out based on our crappy record. Granted, we had a crappy record last season and we still got on both Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football this year. Those night games offer the best tailgating opportunities, allowing you to really build up to the game over the course of the whole day. It stands to reason that network executives are paying attention to the fact that our games have--for the most part--come down to the wire all year long. I will put the Over/Under of SNF/MNF games for the Skins next year at 3.5, and I will take the Over right now. Never underestimate the ability of a network executive to explain away the crappiness of this team in his/her efforts to find the most marketable game that can stay undecided as long as possible.
2. Is it just my rose-colored glasses or is it amazing how close the Redskins are to being the crappy team that makes the playoffs that has no chance to win but nobody wants to play because of our ability to bring out the crappiness in everyone else? I mean, don't get me wrong, 6 or 7 wins is not getting it done. And I am not suggesting that if the ball bounced our way a few more times and we had 8 or 9 wins we would be any less crappy. I am merely pointing out that we were that close to a few more wins (theoretically) and that could have been enough--maybe--to send us on the road to get clobbered in the Wild Card Round.
3. Imagine if we put yesterday's team on the field in the playoffs. Holy Crap! I mean, how great would the press conference be?
Mike Shanahan: We are looking to evaluate some guys this week to see what we have.
Jason Reid: But Coach...this is the playoffs.
Shanny: I simply need to know what I have going into next season.
Kelli Johnson: You activated your whole practice squad. Care to comment on your chances to get a first down in the playoffs with this roster or where in the world this idea even came from?
The Great Evaluator: I have to do the right thing for this team. I have been talking to the janitor about this move for a week or two, so...yes, this is something I have been thinking about.
OK...necessity was the primary driver of our roster makeup yesterday. But the fact that we did anything at all in that game against a team that thinks it deserves to be in the playoffs was slightly impressive.
4. Looks like Josh McDaniels might be a genius after all. I wonder how many other people imagined McDaniels listening to the Broncos game on the radio in a white robe, a la Dennis Hopper from Hoosiers. When Tim Tebow ran for that go-ahead TD in the waning minutes, you know they had to put a straight-jacket on McDaniels. And like ol' Shooter, you know it didn't even bother Josh none.
5. I won't say Gano is "the" kicker we have been waiting for in this town. But I will say that he is as close as we have gotten in a very long time, and I would seriously doubt that there will be any kind of competition for his job next season. His buttocks kickoffs are sublime.
6. Fine, Carlos...you caught it. I had to laugh when you pulled it in though, because it was not a pretty catch. That ball came SOOOOOOO close to bouncing off your shoulder pad. Don't act like you weren't as surprised as the rest of the world when you were able to secure that thing. After the play was over and couldn't be challenged, reversed or replayed, I quickly turned it to the weather channel to see if if there were any predictions of the Rapture. Video footage of Philly and New York is inconclusive...Armageddon still possible. Thanks Carlos.
Bonus: If anyone was watching the all-day Star Wars marathon on Spike on Christmas day, then you were treated to the Trojans Vibrator commercial 2,789 times. Nothing says family and the birth of Jesus like women giving each other Trojans Vibrators in a mock wedding shower. And that guy who bangs the counter and says, "SWEET!" when his fiance tells him they got THREE vibrators (you know...the one they "had talked about")--wow. Simply amazing.