A few rambling thoughts about last night's disastrous Giants v. Deadskins tilt:
- That's as sharp as I've seen Eli Manning play in a while, and that 1 INT aberration was about a nanosecond from being a 6th TD (1 rushing). I don't even want to discuss Larry Donnell's coverage-shredding. But if this version of the Giants shows up for the rest of the season (and then in the playoffs), we might be seeing another one of those infuriatingly inexplicable Super Bowl victories.
- Poor Captain Kirk. Somewhere between this and his relative brilliance versus the Jaguars and Eagles is where we'll find the real Kirk Cousins, but now we're left wondering if this last performance will leave scars. I haven't witnessed an erosion of confidence that rapid since my last bumbling attempts to pick up women in a bar more than a decade ago. The first INT was arguably as much the receiver's fault as his. But as the 'skins fell deeper and deeper into point-debt, Cousins' comfort level vanished, and stared-down receivers and long, forced passes became the norm. A rattled QB is easy to spot, and KC8 became one in that debacle of a 3rd quarter. That being said, I thought he'd played a fine game up until that point, more or less comparable with his efforts the past 2 weeks. His response to this game will be telling. Unfortunately it's against the Seahawks.
- Riding shotgun with that last point, the team's response to this game will define their season. Injuries have mounted, and the depth is being sorely tested on both sides of the ball. They need this 10-day break. But make no mistake: just as so many 'skins teams before them, they've now begun that familiar, invidious slide toward a precipitous downward spiral. And it barely took 4 weeks.
-They're lucky to be looking ahead to a Monday Night game, but few (if any) opponents would be worse. The only silver lining is that the game is at FedEx against the East Coast, Away Seahawks--likely their most beatable form. Regardless, the game presents a potential bottoming-out moment, where they'll either let themselves be buried or resolve to crawl out of the darkness. And at this point, even another respectable loss has to be considered a step toward Option B.
- On the brighter side, Kerrigan got another sack and currently leads the NFL with 5. Too bad the other 4 came against J'ville. As much as I hate to say it, the 'skins pass rush just isn't getting home fast enough. The talent between Orakpo, Kerrigan, and Hatcher is undeniable, but you'd be hard-pressed to call any one of them elite. The pass rush is the part of the game I loved most when I played, and it's hardly ever as much about sack numbers as it is about disruption. To the front four: good effort so far. But more chaos, please. And hell, get the ball a time or two while you're at it.
-My good friend and former roommate--we'll call him Mr. 9/23--has spent the last 5 years building a tradition of going to the 'skins home game nearest his birthday. Washington is 1-4 in these. I will do my best to convince him to stop this nonsense immediately.
-I'll be masticating on this game well into next week, but I'm done doing it here.
Until next time, sports fans. If there is a next time.
P.S. - If you like reading fiction that's almost as dark and bloody as that football game, check out lastcausatum.blogspot.com.
- That's as sharp as I've seen Eli Manning play in a while, and that 1 INT aberration was about a nanosecond from being a 6th TD (1 rushing). I don't even want to discuss Larry Donnell's coverage-shredding. But if this version of the Giants shows up for the rest of the season (and then in the playoffs), we might be seeing another one of those infuriatingly inexplicable Super Bowl victories.
- Poor Captain Kirk. Somewhere between this and his relative brilliance versus the Jaguars and Eagles is where we'll find the real Kirk Cousins, but now we're left wondering if this last performance will leave scars. I haven't witnessed an erosion of confidence that rapid since my last bumbling attempts to pick up women in a bar more than a decade ago. The first INT was arguably as much the receiver's fault as his. But as the 'skins fell deeper and deeper into point-debt, Cousins' comfort level vanished, and stared-down receivers and long, forced passes became the norm. A rattled QB is easy to spot, and KC8 became one in that debacle of a 3rd quarter. That being said, I thought he'd played a fine game up until that point, more or less comparable with his efforts the past 2 weeks. His response to this game will be telling. Unfortunately it's against the Seahawks.
- Riding shotgun with that last point, the team's response to this game will define their season. Injuries have mounted, and the depth is being sorely tested on both sides of the ball. They need this 10-day break. But make no mistake: just as so many 'skins teams before them, they've now begun that familiar, invidious slide toward a precipitous downward spiral. And it barely took 4 weeks.
-They're lucky to be looking ahead to a Monday Night game, but few (if any) opponents would be worse. The only silver lining is that the game is at FedEx against the East Coast, Away Seahawks--likely their most beatable form. Regardless, the game presents a potential bottoming-out moment, where they'll either let themselves be buried or resolve to crawl out of the darkness. And at this point, even another respectable loss has to be considered a step toward Option B.
- On the brighter side, Kerrigan got another sack and currently leads the NFL with 5. Too bad the other 4 came against J'ville. As much as I hate to say it, the 'skins pass rush just isn't getting home fast enough. The talent between Orakpo, Kerrigan, and Hatcher is undeniable, but you'd be hard-pressed to call any one of them elite. The pass rush is the part of the game I loved most when I played, and it's hardly ever as much about sack numbers as it is about disruption. To the front four: good effort so far. But more chaos, please. And hell, get the ball a time or two while you're at it.
-My good friend and former roommate--we'll call him Mr. 9/23--has spent the last 5 years building a tradition of going to the 'skins home game nearest his birthday. Washington is 1-4 in these. I will do my best to convince him to stop this nonsense immediately.
-I'll be masticating on this game well into next week, but I'm done doing it here.
Until next time, sports fans. If there is a next time.
P.S. - If you like reading fiction that's almost as dark and bloody as that football game, check out lastcausatum.blogspot.com.
