1. Only because I have experienced this feeling so many times before in the last 20 years can I so easily recognize the unique, soul-crushing nature of being disappointed by the Washington Redskins.
2. The Washington Redskins are 3-6...AGAIN. You will be hard-pressed to find many people who will credibly suggest that this squad is capable of winning seven in a row again. SERENITY NOW!!! Sometimes when I watch this team play, I wonder if we are filming one of those movies where the opposing team has a player that is terminally ill and everyone kind of agrees to let him make some plays to pump him up and make everyone feel good. How else can you explain the Hall of Fame cases we routinely make for sub-par players in this league?
3. I have heard of halftime adjustments, but it has been a long time since I saw a team come out of the tunnel for the third quarter with such a clear and well thought-out strategy for how to blow an insanely winnable game. Who gave the halftime speech? General Custer?
4. I recently saw a team get five more first downs than their opponent, 126 more total yards than the opposing offense, 100 more rushing yards and a 36 minute to 24 minute time of possession advantage. Against all odds, this team dug deep and found a way to lose despite these advantages.
5. After appearing in the playoffs in 2012, we all expected to see just enough evolution up and down the roster for the Redskins to make serious noise in 2013. It has become clear that there is very little evolution possible behind that offensive line. You have to really tip your hat to Alfred Morris' efforts. That guy consistently gets hit at or behind the line of scrimmage and still manages to finish the game with a very solid stat line. Robert Griffin III has not been so lucky. Who's dialing up this pass protection scheme? Steve Spurrier? Griffin has taken more hits behind that line than Matthew McConaughey at a bongo festival. We're talking about one of the fastest, most athletic quarterbacks in the game--knee injury and all--and he STILL can't dodge the onslaught. I haven't seen someone so consistently at the bottom of a pile of dudes since Jenna Jameson put out her Greatest Hits video.
6. If we don't have THREE new starters on the offensive line in 2014, I predict that we will continue to see stunted growth from this offense that is so clearly on the edge of being a truly elite unit in this league. They are so close it hurts. They looked like world-beaters on a few plays night, but then on a slow-motion replay, there was Tyler Polumbus failing to get more than a HAND on the guy across from him. If it was a game of tag, he STILL WOULD HAVE ALMOST LOST! Can someone please explain how two men can line up two feet from each other before the snap, and then when the play starts, and the defender advances TOWARD THE OFFENSIVE LINE, the offensive lineman can only barely graze the other guy with his fingers? It was like Polumbus was part of a game of Madden, and the guy playing the video game and controlling Polumbus was blind...and using his feet to work the controller.
We all know the limitations this team had thanks to the salary cap penalty and the RG3 trade. We don't have a first-rounder again next season, but we will have money to spend in free agency. If the Washington Redskins ever hope to protect leads and impose their will on opposing teams, they will need a lot more talent on the offensive line. It really is that simple.