The important thing to note in the Redskins 13-7 victory last night is that it was the kind of game we’re not used to winning. A game in which the Redskins were able to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes and not commit too many of our own. Yes, the punting in the second half was abysmal, and the offense didn’t actually score, but the bigger sins were committed by the Cowboys’ offense, and in the end that’s what made the difference.
And, as an aside, I don’t consider London Fletcher’s personal foul in the first half his mistake. He was in mid-air when the whistle was blown, and nothing short of changing the laws of physics would have prevented him from making that hit. Stupid officials.
But let’s give a little credit where it’s due: the staff that put together this team. And for that, we have to grudgingly acknowledge Danny Snyder for assembling a real, professional football coaching staff. Gone is perennial suck-up man/talk show host Vinnie Cerrato, replaced by an actual general manager-type Bruce Allen. In the head coach, we don’t have an amateur as we did with Zorn, or a legend a dozen years removed from the game as we did with Gibbs. We have a real, winning head coach, back from a one year sabbatical, refreshed and ready to go. A special shout-out goes to defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who put together a defensive game plan that seriously seemed to confuse and bewilder Tony Romo and the rest of the ’Boys.
This isn’t to say there aren’t a lot of deficiencies that still need to be addressed. There always are. But it looks like we’re heading in the right direction. And we’ve already done one better this season than last: we won’t be swept in the division, and we can’t do worse versus the Cowboys than split 50/50.