Washington Redskins In Dallas: High Character, Low Scoring, Dumb Uniform

Dennis Green's famous rant is the best summation of the Washington Redskins 7-6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

You know the one: they are what we thought they were and we let 'em off the hook and stuff.

I'm not going to focus on the two missed field goals—Shaun Suisham's first two of the season—or the three first half turnovers the Skins could have made. There will be enough of that over the next few days.

The Redskin players haven't quit on the season. For 57 minutes, the Redskins got the better of the Cowboys in Dallas. For 57 minutes while holding a thin lead, without Ladell Betts (knee) or Clinton Portis, or Chris Cooley, or Chad Rinehart (fibula), or a touchdown, Washington's play gripped us. 

They just didn't finish the job.

If Washington doesn't have the quality of depth to win the game, they have the quality of character to be in it. That's a carryover from Joe Gibbs that I like.

But as Green said, we let 'em off the hook.

The last two long drives of the fourth quarter says something about the 'Skins and 'Boys.

With 11:58 in the quarter and Washington holding a six point lead, the Skins went for balance with five passing plays and four running plays. They converted a first down by passing and gained one on a pass interference call.

Washington played the percentages at the end of the drive: three runs for eight yards to set up a down the middle 50 yard field goal attempt. Make it and we steal a win at Jerry's house. But Suisham missed for the second time in the game.

The Skins didn't take a single shot in those three calls to score a touchdown or to get closer for Suisham. Who decides those things?

Jerry Jones criticized Cowboy playcallling for going away from the run. Why else would you dump Terrell Owens except to lean more on the running game?

The Cowboys rushed 33 times for 153 yards and got nothing from it. They won the game by doing what Jones criticized them for--passing the ball. Tony Romo completed seven of eight passes and made a key scramble for a first down on the winning scoring drive. Aggressive.

Whatever you think of Tony Romo, he's a gunslinger. That's what I like about him. He has 15 touchdown passes after today's game. Few will praise Jason Campbell for his 24 of 37 performance when he's scoreless. 

Cowboy fan frustration with Romo is qualitatively higher than Redskin fan frustration with Campbell.

The Redskins' focus since Gibbs II is to take care of the ball. That's understandable after the Fun 'N' Gun days, but it's a Gibbs II carryover I do not like.

The point of football is to score touchdowns.   

No touchdowns today, but Redskin players didn't quit.

Extra Point No. One: Flush that burgundy on burgundy look. The Redskins are 0-2 in that uniform. The Redskin Retro uniform would have been better. When I say Retro, I mean the NFL%20Products/MagnetsNFL/12%20Inch%20Magnets/NEW/12in_Redskins-(retro-helmet).jpg" title="Arrowhead helmet" target="_blank">arrowhead look, not that pseudo-Packer Circle R.   

Extra Point No. Two: Clock management and play calling at the end of the half and the game may indicate too many cooks in the kitchen. Sherman Lewis will have to work that out with Jim Zorn and Sherman Smith. Preseason is the time to do that. This is a no-win situation for Lewis, Smith and Zorn because we'll be into December before the process is refined.  

Extra Point No. Three: ESPN 980 "Redskins Radio" reports that Ladell Betts has both a torn ACL and MCL. Have the Skins texted Marcus Mason yet?

Extra Point No. Four: I find it unsettling to see Redskin players and Cowboy players fist bump each other for making a good play.