NFL: Playoff Hopes

Right now, the sport of importance in DC is pro football. Bowl season begins this weekend, and college basketball has tipped off, with the Hoyas emerging as a top Big East contender once again despite beginning the season unranked but football will submerge our city until the Super Bowl. We get excited about playoff runs like any city's fans but this season feels truly special for you long-time Redskins fans out there. The playoffs have been achieved a mere three times in my life-time, all with very limited hopes beyond a possible first round win. This season is different. While we may make the playoffs thanks to a 4-game win streak, deep down, Skins fans know that a team starring DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson on defense does not have a championship within. But this season, we not only may play in a home playoff game for only the second time in the Shithole in Maryland's (SIM) history, but will be exciting when we get there. The team late by the great, late Sean Taylor and Clinton Portis was exciting but we were not going to win the Super Bowl. Neither will this year's Redskins but to true Skins fans, this season feels like an appetizer of things to come. If two rookies can lead us to an NFC East championship and possibly even a playoff win, a legitimate championship contender may be ready to come to DC for the first time in two decades. But before thinking about the future, we have to think about the now. The end-of-season outlook is below.

Things seem fairly simple for RG3 and co. the rest of the way out, but as Skins fans, we know it is not. But let's start with the obvious. 1 win will not get us into the playoffs. That would require the Giants, Seahawks, or Bears to lose out. We are talking defending SB champs, a team that just won 58-0, and the #1 team in the NFC just five weeks ago. Ain't gonna happen. But we will win at least two more games. The Browns game is a trap and the 'Boys don't suck but we are not going to lost to both. Much more likely is that we win both. If we can even think about glory, the Eagles must be marked down as a 'W'. The Browns have won 3 in a row, but Brandon Weeden is their QB and they are 5-8, we can beat them, RG3 or no RG3. We manhandeled Dallas at Jerry World, why can't we at the SIM? Of course, these aren't givens, but winning out would earn us a 10-6 record and almost certainly a playoff spot. To finish 3-0 and miss the playoffs, NY would have to win in both Atlanta and Baltimore, Seattle vs. San Fran and the surging Rams, and a falling Chicago team would have to beat Green Bay. So 1-2 and we're out, 3-0 and we're in. But 2-1 becomes interesting. Here are the possibilities then:

Division: NYG loses at both Baltimore and Atlanta.

Wild Card: Seattle loses vs San Fran and either vs STL or at Buffalo OR Chicago loses vs Green Bay and in either Arizona or Detroit.

Unfortunately, I see all those teams finishing the season 2-1. Fortunately, I see us winning all three. This does not mean that we will, because RG3 is not certain for Sunday, and well, we tend to choke, but we SHOULD win out. And, oh, how I would love 10-6. On to my projections, courtesy of ESPN Playoff Machine.

AFC

1. NE

2. Houston

3. Denver

4. Baltimore

5. Indy

6. Pitt

NFC

1. Atlanta (but they won't win any playoff games)

2. GB

3. SF

4. Washington

5. NYG

6. Seattle

The Jets and Chicago would both finish 7th due to tiebreakers, with us beating out NYG on division record, and NE and Houston getting the byes over Denver despite all finishing 13-3.

Right now, we are on the out looking in, but it is infinitely better than being 4-9, as we were this time last year, and our playoff hopes are in our own hands, whether that be Griffin or Kirk Cousins. HTTR!

Overview

This is a blog dedicated to DC sports. This town loves the Redskins and is becoming 'Nats Town' as well. All season long, I will be posting on these teams but that's not it. I'll cover Georgetown, the Caps and the Wiz. Of all these teams, the only that I don't personally love is the Hoyas but I'm also not exactly a hockey genius. I'll also post my opinions about the rest of the NFL, MLB, NBA, and main NCAA sports, as well as the NHL if it ever starts up again. Anyway, this is just a short post telling you the purpose of this blog and I am looking forward to getting going.