Burgundy and Gold Quick Reaction: Week 1

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September 15, 2021

by David Earl

Game Atmosphere Seemed Off

While there is always an electric feeling at any game and this game was no different early on, overall, this contest just seemed off. I attended this game in person – it’s been a while since my last one – and the team under this placeholder of a name had an environment that simply lacked the overall enthusiasm I was used to in the past. In the past, we had an identity that was unique and exciting, from the marching band to our famed fight song (Hail To The Redskins). The logo in the middle of the field gave a certain sense of pride as we were reminded of George Allen and the Over The Hill Gang, the Diesel with his 43 yard TD run in Super Bowl XVII, Doug Williams‘ historic Super Bowl MVP run, Sean Taylor‘s impact, and so much more. Now, as I sat in section 426, the history just seems to have been erased overnight, which I am sure some feel is a ridiculous and unfair assessment, but I disagree.

Many in this crowd have such a deep connection with this team as Redskins fans and the section I sat in proved just that. Just the act of cheering for the Washington Football Team was awkward as they reverted back to Redskins. The TD pass to Logan Thomas with no fight song playing in the stadium absolutely left a bad taste in all of our mouths. Sure, in time under a new name with the new drum line and dancers this will certainly change but moving forward today is just not an option. I mean ask someone who lost a loved one of 30 plus years just how long it took getting over the loss and I guarantee they’ll say they never do. It’s unreasonable to expect fans like myself to change overnight, and being at this game I can tell you for a fact I am not alone either. We will always support this organization and this new direction leadership was forced into but it’s unreasonable to just expect us to drop  “Redskins” so quickly. I will hand it to the organization as they didn’t stop us from representing the Redskins at the stadium but I’m sure there will eventually be a time that they will.

Defense Overhyped?

This was an infuriating thing to watch as the wide receivers were simply camping out in the middle of Washington’s defense. To compound this problem was the fact that Herbert was rarely under any pressure most of this game. A quarterback of his talent will usualy take full advantage, and he certainly did. So the old adage of, “The more things change the more they stay the same,” was very much the theme Sunday against the Chargers. Whether Jack Del Rio expected the defensive line to apply the necessary pressure and not blitz or he was just simply outcoached, the performance Sunday is just not acceptable with the talent they have upfront.

Matt here did make a valid point here in his thread on this game, which is that, yes, the defense certainly did, at the least, keep the game within reach. William Jackson‘s interception in the red zone was a clutch play that maintained Washington’s lead (16-13) and had the team primed to take all the momentum heading down the stretch. The fumble by Gibson in the next possession took the wind from our sails and put that defense right back on the field as Herbert completed the game-winning TD. This was the theme offensively for the entire game, as Washington only had 48 plays all game and was dominated on time of possession (36:03 vs 23:57), forcing the defense to consistently come right back on the field all game long. Herbert and this Chargers offense is a good unit with a revamped and talented offensive line which cannot continue to be given opportunity after opportunity as they will burn the defense. As I am personally frustrated by how we lost, I will not subscribe to this defense being overhyped; that having been said, pump the brakes on the “Elite” description for now.

As a quick note on Jonathan Allen‘s comments on how the defense will give the fans a better game on Thursday is old and tiring. This fan base has spent years getting hyped behind empty promises and it’s not something we care to hear any longer. We know something’s wrong and needs to improve, so save the promise of greener pastures and just fix the issue. Words are not needed at this stage – action towards improvement on the field is all the fans want going forward. No disrespect to Jon Allen here but we are tired and worn out over decades of inept play followed by excuses and promises of a grand endgame. Just fix and adjust without the details of how you are planning to set it right.

Podcast Game Breakdown: Get a more thorough breakdown of the game from the guys and what went wrong plus a few bright spots here.