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Here’s How the Skins Make the Playoffs
By Jamie Mottram | December 9, 2008
As they did in 2005 and ‘07, they must win out to nab a wild card. They also need a little help. Let’s deal with that second part first, because it’s more convoluted.
The Redskins are currently ninth in the NFC, with Dallas, Atlanta and Philly between them and the sixth and final playoff spot. Using Y! Sports’ Playoff Scenario Generator and assuming Washington wins out, including a win over Philly in Week 16, here’s the help they need:
- Dallas must lose either at home to New York this week or in Philly Week 17, AND …
- Atlanta must lose one of their remaining games: Tampa Bay, at Minnesota and St. Louis.
Both are likely to happen. What’s less likely is the winning out part. The Skins have lost four of five, after all, but those losses were to better teams. Meanwhile, Washington’s three remaining opponents — at Cincy, Philly and at San Fran — are as good as or worse than the Skins, and the Skins are 5-1 against teams of that nature. Basically, they’re terrible against the elite, but they’re in this position because they’ve taken care of business.
And it’s T.C.O.B. they’ll need to do to reach their third postseason in four years. The schedule is friendly, sure, but what scares me about this possible run vs. those of ‘05 and ‘07 is that Portis may not be able to carry them. And carry them he has in December’s past, averaging 122 total yards during the final five games of ‘05 and 126 in the final four of ‘07. There’s the key: getting Portis’ pockets straight for these final three.
Do that, and, blind homerism though it may be, I like their chances.
Update: MJD has eliminated “the Redskins because they’ve stopped playing good football.” To that I’d say, well, that’s a good point.
Topics: Clinton Portis, Redskins | 10 Comments »
December 9th, 2008 at 10:34 AM
We will throttle fuck the Bengals this Sunday.
Then our last home game, we will beat the Eagles.
We always win in San Fran, so I expect nothing else but another West Coast victory for the Skins.
Dallas should lose at least one of those games, and the Falcons aint that great, so they should also lose.
That means we would play either Carolina or AZ. If we play AZ, we will stomp them!
December 9th, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Or would we play Minny? We could stomp them too!
December 9th, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Would you rather this team squeak into the playoffs and get embarrassed again on national television, or simply lose the remaining games and move up a couple draft spots?
I vote for the latter. I’m sick of watching this team blow it’s final load in the last game of the season only to shit the bed in round 1 and make the front office think “hey we’re a playoff team, next year will be great!”
December 9th, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Mayor, thank you for sharing in my delusions of grandeur.
jlew, I’d rather them make the playoffs, because they’re just going to draft receivers anyway.
December 9th, 2008 at 10:55 AM
That really is the sad part in all this: Even if they make the playoffs, there’s not a chance that they’re going anywhere. Although, as The Mayor points out, they could certainly beat AZ or Minn in a first round game. But that’s about as far as I could see them going.
Basically, a repeat of last January.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Uh. With first round picks we draft Defensive Backs! It’s the second round we go WR!
Dude we could stomp a mud hole in the Vikings and we never, ever, EVER lose to AZ.
I would say we wouldnt lose to the Giants three times in a year,and we could beat Carolina and we could beat Tampa.
Also maybe some people would get off our backs if we made the playoffs thrice in 4 years.
Losing the next three games to get a better draft pick is retarded. The 15th overall pick and the 24th to 26th draft pick are pretty much the same thing.
JLewis please turn your Redskins fan card in.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Playoff Simulator > Staying Medium
December 9th, 2008 at 5:12 PM
“jlew, I’d rather them make the playoffs, because they’re just going to draft receivers anyway.”
Did the Skins hire Matt Millen when no one was looking?
December 9th, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Can we fire Vinny Cerrato with our first round pick?
December 9th, 2008 at 7:53 PM
Honestly, I hate to be the turd in this punch bowl, but I don’t think we beat the Bengals this weekend. There is just a funk over this team right now, and the Bengals seem to suck it up for NFC East teams.
I hope I am wrong, and we do run the table, because AZ and Minnesota are in no way as good of a football team as us, no matter what funk is going on here. If Minnesota plays us with Tavaris Jackson in the playoffs and wins, I’ll streak down the National Mall in nothing but a viking helmet.