It's painful to lose any game, but the cut is just a little bit deeper when it's Dallas doing the slicing. I didn't get to see much of the game on Sunday, which means I have to draw most of my conclusions from looking at the box score, and from the 10% or so of the game I did catch. See if you can tell the difference.
I promise it won't happen again.
Offense: D
Defense: C+
Special Teams: D+
Overall: D+
It's only fitting that the Redskins, the model of inconsistency, follow their highest point total (last week's 27-point outburst against the Broncos) by matching their lowest, a six-point game against the Chiefs that prompted a swirl of controversy about Jim Zorn's future and the starting quarterback position.
Perhaps most disappointing is that kicker Shaun Suisham recorded both his first and second misses of the season this week, including a 39-yarder at the end of the first half that could have been the difference in the game. But my anti-game-ball goes to Jason Campbell, who once again showed that you can have deceptively solid numbers to back up a terrible performance. He had the 10th most yards passing in week 11, but couldn't guide his offense into the end zone, couldn't stretch the field, and overall was just unable to make the offense go.
The defense isn't off the hook, though. You can't give up 153 yards on the ground and expect to win football games, even if you're able to shut down the opposition's passing attack. They were able to generate a couple turnovers, though, which has been long looked at as a weakness of the defense. Furthermore, they were forced to go without superstar defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, but still generated decent pressure on Tony Romo.
Sunday was another injury-heavy day for the Redskins, losing running back Ladell Betts and replacement lineman Chad Rinehart. I know, injuries affect every team, but between Haynesworth, Clinton Portis, Chris Samuels, Chris Cooley, and Randy Thomas, I'd say the Redskins were missing five of their top ten players, and four of their top five. It's hard to win with your best players unavailable.
I'm embarrassed to say I looked at potential playoff scenarios after last week's victory (if we win the last seven to go 10-6...), but that brief, positive sentiment has now passed. I'm ready to move forward with plan B, which involves playing out the string, then hiring a new coach, acquiring a new QB, and maybe a little voodoo magic.
Around the League
- Ricky Williams seemed to thoroughly enjoy reminding us that he was a premier running back from 2000-2003.
- Remember when I made fun of Kansas City and Oakland last week? Umm, oops?
- When I think about the Broncos, I find myself thinking about Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, when John Candy and Steve Martin are driving the wrong way on a highway. Martin: "He says we're going the wrong way." Candy: "Oh, he's drunk, how would he know where we're going?"
- Sure the Jaguars won, but it'll only be so long before Jack Del Rio finds a way to ruin his team again. He's awful.
- Didn't the Lions win over the Browns remind you of the luchador matches in WCW in the late 1990's? The fighters may not be headliners, but the match was super-entertaining.
- The Seahawks went into Minnesota and got their face knocked in, and Brett Favre is continually building a case for his third (or fourth, depending who you ask) MVP award.
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