Washington Redskins: I'll Take an Ugly Win Over a Pretty Loss Any Day

Good morning loyal reader. If you're anything like me right now, you are tired and your eyes are bloodshot.  Also, you're probably on your third cup of coffee right now.

However, it is all worth it after last night's game.

Was it the prettiest victory over the hated Cowboys?  Hell no it wasn't, but a win is a win is win.

Now the way this town has been trending for a while, there will be a ton of people out there writing negatives about the victory last night (and seeing has how Washington has been under .500 for a decade, that is understandable).

I will not be one of them. Why?

Well like I said, there will be plenty of people writing about the negatives so I'm sure it's covered, but also because I took a lot of positives out of last night's victory.

Let's start with Trent Williams.  Someone looking at the negatives might bring up DeMarcus Ware's sack on quarterback Donovan McNabb, and he did get pressure, but the rookie was on an island the whole game and I felt held his own against one of the best pass rushers in the game. The best part is that he's only going to get better as the season goes along.

Graham Gano had a fantastic game.  Of course he hit that gimme field goal in the first quarter and then one that was taken off the board by the Redskins accepting a penalty, but late in the fourth quarter with all the pressure in the world on him, he drilled a 49-yarder.

You only have to look back to last year's game against the New Orleans Saints and think about Shaun Suisham's two missed gimme field goals that would have sealed the game for the Redskins to realize just how big that 49-yard field goal was.

Now we turn to the new look 3-4 defense.

They had a few rocky moments, especially on that final drive (can someone, anyone, teach Carlos Rogers how to catch?), but overall they got after Tony Romo and created havoc for Dallas's battered offensive line.

Brian Orakpo drew a couple of holding calls, including the "game-winner," with his quickness off the ball and free safety LaRon Landry was all over the field. 

He looked nothing like the man who was constantly out of position last season.  My only complaint was that missed sack on Romo in the third quarter.

Jim Haslett knows how do use Landry's skills and is putting him in the best position to be successful and help the team win.

Landry hasn't said much, but with the recent talk of him being a draft bust, I bet he's playing with a chip on his shoulder and any chance he gets to lay a hit on someone he's going to do so. Thirteen tackles and four assists gets that man a game ball from me.

But the man who might have the most to prove on defense continued to get takeaways for the Skins was Virginia's own DeAngelo Hall.

At the end of the first half, he knew he had help on the tackle of Cowboys running back Tashard Choice as he stripped the ball, proceeded to pick it up off the bounce, and take it in for the score. 

Going into the half with a 10-0 lead was big for the team. If it wasn't for the botched field goal in the third quarter, this game could have been a blowout with the way the fans were rocking.