Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl? Why Tim Hightower Isn't Crazy

As a card-carrying member of Redskins Nation, I hope running back Tim Hightower is right in his assumption that his Washington Redskins will be playing in Super Bowl XLVI.

As a realist, I doubt it.

But if you're laughing out loud and proclaiming “he’s high” and “he’s crazy," you're wrong.

I know that comes off as contradictory, so let me explain.

This is the NFL, not the NBA. It’s hard to correctly guess who will make the playoffs in a given year, let alone the Super Bowl. While on Oct. 5 it sounds crazy that the Skins could be in the Super Bowl, it might not be so crazy come February.

Chances are the same people laughing at Hightower now also laughed in October of 1999 at the prospect of the Rams clutching a Lombardi. They probably had a hearty chuckle over the thought of the Ravens winning it all when they went five straight games without a TD in 2000. They likely slapped their knees at the ’01 Patriots too. And the ’05 Steelers. And the ’07 Giants.

I think you get the point.

I'll admit that I'm as irked as anyone over all the jaw-jacking being done in the NFC East this year. For whatever reason, none of the four teams in this overrated division seems interested in playing as well as they talk. But after seeing the delusional nature of Redskins teams past, I'm far more forgiving of this 3-1, first-place incarnation, mainly because they come off more like an underdog with swagger than an overrated "Who's Who" of former Pro-Bowlers who made names for themselves on other teams.

The worst-to-first story has been told many times. While not all have ended in their own "America's Game" special, some actually have.

All it takes is a spark.

That spark could come in the form of another Ryan Kerrigan Pick 6 in a key game down the stretch. It might be Rex Grossman playing less like Rex Grossman and more like Rich Gannon coming out of the bye.

Perhaps crucial injuries to the teams ahead of them in the standings evens up the playing field. Or better yet, the Skins just flat out play their best ball of the year in December and January instead of in August and September.

The point is, we don't know. All we know for sure right now is that the NFC East is wide open and the Redskins aren't the pushover they've been in years past.

At the end of the day, it makes us look bad, not Hightower, if we blindly co-sign his words or vehemently deny he's right.

So let's just acknowledge the possibility exists and see how it all plays out. If nothing else, it'll be a fun ride.