Redskins Undefeated in Preseason – Playoff Bound or Inflated Hype?

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Redskins
When the Redskins beat the Steelers 16-7 in their first preseason game, it was to be taken with a grain of salt. After all, their starting line was only on the field for the beginning of the first quarter, while ours was on the ground the entire first half. Rex Grossman, who is competing with John Beck for the starting quarterback position, was impressive, as was the defense that is now rated No. 1 overall in the preseason. The anticipation of their second preseason match-up on the road against the Colts was headlined by John Beck’s week-long commentary about his talent and how it’s been overlooked. While everyone, including myself, was expecting him to fall short of his words, Beck was surprisingly decent. He completed 14 of his 17 throws, for 140 yards. While Grossman threw for over 200 yards in Game 1, he was underwhelming as backup QB in Game 2, going 7-for-12 passing with 88 yards. With the 53-man roster deadline fast approaching, Thursday night’s game at M&T Bank Stadium may be the deciding factor.

While the Skins were able to leave Lucas Oil Stadium with a 16-3 win, it’s hard not to remind yourself that they weren’t facing Peyton Manning. Or Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie (his go-to receivers). If they had been able to hold Manning to just three points, on his own turf, well then I’d have been impressed–preseason or not. But the fact of the matter is that the Skins aren’t facing the same teams they’re going to be facing come mid-September. They’re facing backups, and sometimes even third-stringers — several of whom will be cut when the season actually begins.
That’s not to take anything away from the great strides the Skins have made since last season. Anyone watching can see that they’re coming together as a cohesive team. With the departures of Haynesworth, McNabb and Portis, along with the addition of several new players, the dynamic of the team has changed; that’s obvious on the field. They’re scoring points, and preventing the rival team from doing the same. When they take the lead, they have actually been able to protect it, instead of falling apart in the fourth quarter. Rex Grossman echoed the sentiments of fans, when he spoke to reporters after Game 2. “We look pretty good,” he said. “We need to carry this into the regular season.” After all, winning preseason games doesn’t get you any closer to the play-offs.

Nationals
Winning four of six games in the past week, the Nats have been able to boost themselves within reach of .500, at 61-64. The fact that they have moved from near last place to third (20 games behind the division leading Phillies) this late in the season doesn’t mean much. The most exciting thing to happen for Nats fans before the end of the season is for Stephen Strasburg to return to the mound at Nationals Stadium. He has been pitching to sold-out crowds in minor league parks around our area for the past few weeks, but has not yet made a major league start. Strasburg will pitch in his fourth rehab start tonight, with another possible for August 27th. It will be after that, his fifth minor league rehab start, that the Nationals will consider introducing him back into their starting rotation. A September 2nd return date has been floating around sports blogs, but has not been confirmed.

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