‘Skins vs. Rams – 09-20-2009’
courtesy of ‘carldunniii’

Redskins
Record: 1-2
Last Two Weeks: 1-1
Place: Last in the NFC East

Hooboy. What can you possibly say after the Redskins gave Detroit their first victory in 20 games? In 18 months? What can you possibly say about the squad?

Well, for one, you could say to Jim Zorn, “You’re Fired.”

Perhaps that’s what Dan Snyder will do, as he has about as much patience as your average mobster waiting for a loan to be repaid. I’m not about to make excuses for Zorn, whose playcalling has been about as atrocious as it could be, but let’s give the guy a chance to right the ship before sending him packing. Of course, a lot of the discussions overnight have been about the quote from John Riggins that ESPN 980 retweeted: “There are team specific issues 4 sure & some individual issues 4 sure but the owner ultimately is a loser and you can’t fix that”

So, where’d we go wrong this week? 100 yards in Penalties are a good place to start. Detroit very nearly had three interceptions, but as their defense has all the hands of a teenage klutz, they only managed 1, despite an opportunity for a pick-six. The lack of Red Zone determination was maddening, especially the 4th-and-1-at-the-1 where Portis just couldn’t break through.

The Skins take on Tampa next weekend, and if the Giants’ 24-0 thumping of the Bucs, this should be an easy 2nd win for the Skins. I would’ve thought that about this week, though, as well.

‘DSC_6961’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

Nationals
Record: 52-103
Last Two Weeks: 2-10
Place: Last in MLB

The end is near. That’s the best possible news for the Nats fans out there. There are just 7 games left for the Nationals, a series at home against the Mets that runs through Wednesday (tickets are available and cheap) and four games in Atlanta. Get out and see them this week, one last chance at a half-smoke and a beer and a ballgame before the offseason. I’d say they take two from the Mets, and then just one from the Braves, putting their final record at 55 and 107. That’ll be good enough to pick up the 1st pick next year, which will likely be Bryce Harper.

The Nationals have a lot of work to do in the off-season, and I suspect Rizzo and his gang will be busy signing relief and starting pitching. The Nats have shown flashes of being a real baseball team, even if they were quickly pulled back into terrible mediocrity. Here’s hoping for a good hot stove, and a fresh new year.

D.C. United
Record: 8-7-12
Last Two Weeks: 2-1-0
Place: Fourth in the East

A pair of wins for United did wonders for their CONCACAF hopes and dreams, but a loss to San Jose put them back on the playoff bubble for the MLS, their primary league. There are just three MLS contests remaining, and two of them are against teams they’ll have to fight with to beat. Kansas City should be a pushover, but Chivas and Columbus are both in good position. Look for a strong push from Emilio and Santino, and the fire of Josh Wicks to push United into the post-season

Capitals
Record: 4-2 (Pre-Season)
Last Two Weeks: 4-2 (Pre-Season)
Place: 2nd in the East (Pre-Season)

Look for a detailed preview from Ben Rome on Wednesday morning. Suffice it to say, the pre-season for the Caps this year has been pretty solid so far, but there are definitely question marks for our boys in Red.

Tom Bridge

I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.