The Redskins season ended with the terrible loss to the Seattle Seahawks compounded with the further injury of the Redskins’ savior, RG3.  While it is easy to kick, scream and yell about how Shanahan and the training staff should not have allowed him to return back into the game, it is impossible to know if a QB change mid-game would have made a difference in the offensive productivity of the Redskins, and it certainly would not have changed the defense allowing receivers to run open in the flats.  Furthermore, we (as Redskins fans) have grown accustom to RG3 limping around over the last month, so seeing him in game through out the 2nd, 3rd and most of the 4th, was not unusual.  I have to assume that Dr. James Andrews, who was present the entire game, looked at his knee at half time and allowed RG3 to return for the second half.  Who knew that his knee would buckle while turning awkwardly on a bad snap by center, Will Montgomery?

 

If there is someone/something to really blame for his injury, I would blame the turf.  Something has to give.  Either the grass turf needs to be replaced by artificial field turf or Snyder needs to stop all of those college and high school games from occurring on that field.  The money gained from those games being played is not worth the health of not just the franchise QB but everyone on the field.  In the past couple of years, we have seen RG3, Adrian Peterson, Chris Clemons, Kory Lichtensteiger, as well as others, tear ligaments in their knees.  The only common denominator is the field at FedEx.

 

Ok, enough about that.  Fact is, the Skins had a great season.  They were projected to win as few as 3 games.  That would have been a regression from last year!  More so, no one projected an NFC East Championship.  Most Redskins fans were expecting 6-10 to 8-8, and yet the Skins went 10-6 and led 14-10 into the 4th quarter of the Wild Card game against the Seahawks.  No one expected the Skins to do anything, including Coach Shanahan, as he said the Skins were in “evaluation mode” after the loss to the Panthers (which I had the misfortune of being at).  RG3 and London Fletcher willed the Redskins to 7 straight wins and the most exciting season of Redskins football since the 1991 season.

 

When the season began, all things looked bleak.  After having $18 Million taken from the salary cap on the eve of Free Agency (led by John Mara), the Skins were unable to sign big named free agents like Vincent Jackson, settling for Josh Morgan and Pierre Garcon, neither of which have been a #1 receiver.  Then they trade away many high draft picks to get RG3 as the #2 pick, and get blasted by the media.  They use a 4th round pick on Kirk Cousins and get blasted by the media.  Once they finally get to training camp, their top 3 running backs go down with various injuries, Hightower having been recovering from ACL surgery in the offseason.  This obviously became a blessing in disguise as this opened the door for Alfred Morris by default.  He became a valuable part of the Redskins #1 rush offense.  On the eve of the Regular Season begining, potential starting safety Tanard Jackson was suspended for the season for PEDs (John Mara??).  First game of the season, Pierre Garcon goes down.  Second game, Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker are injured for the season.  As you can see here, the season looked doomed from the beginning.

 

But the Skins continued to push and scrap, and did indeed provide us with a spectacular second half of the season and consequently the most enjoyable season in the last 20 years.  RG3’s athleticism fired up a fanbase that was becoming more and more apathetic and frustrated (especially after the Grossman/Beck experiment).  FedEx Field actually provided a homefield advantage.  I, for one, am excited about what next year brings.  If RG3 isnt back at the beginning of the season, I will be disappointed but I trust in Alfred Morris and Kirk Cousins to power this team.

 

Thank you Skins for an awesome year!!