I've been having a friendly, private discussion here with a fellow Kossack who has the dire misfortune of being a Dallas Cowboys fan. (Misfortune in several ways!)
The Redskins-Cowboys game last night was the highest rated game in NFL Sunday night football history, and I suspect a bigger draw than some super bowls.
The Redskins crushed the Cowboys with an overwhelming rushing attack. It was great!
Although I'm quite sick at the moment with the flu or something, I dragged myself into the office for several hours to take care of necessary business, and spent a long time regaling my partner with details. I'll spare you all of that.
But I think it's worth publishing some of a message I sent to my Dallas friend today [which of course is edited for good reason]:
Well, I have an awful illness, maybe the flu, but I'm stoked and will try my best to respond without too many typos.
Maybe it's irrational, but I'm an NFL addict. (I say irrational because I have a very dear friend who thinks it's absolutely crazy and barbaric to care about sports.)
I think the Super Bowl is going to be Broncos vs. Redskins. I have no idea who would win that.
As for the upcoming game against Seattle, I feel very confident that the Skins are going to kick their ass. They've lost their last two playoff games (in 2005 and 2007) to the Seahawks. No way in hell they lose again at home.
The Skins and the Seahawks are very similar teams. Very good QBs. Very good dominant RBs. Good coaching. Adequate defense.
But the Skins's situation with two PHENOMENAL rookies (Robert Griffin and Alfred Morris) is unique in NFL history. Did you read all the stories about the incredible number of all-time records the two of them set this year? If he doesn't get knocked out with injuries due to his swashbuckling spirit, I think Robert Griffin has the chops to be the greatest QB in history. Just to mention one record, he had the highest passer rating for a rookie in NFL history, surpassing Ben Roethlisberger (or however that is spelled ), and in one game he had a PERFECT passer rating, which is extremely rare--and he also set the all-time record for running yards by a QB.
I loved the game against Dallas! It was like the world-conquering Skins of the 1980s. Everybody knew what was going to happen on every play. Riggins to the right for 5 yards! Riggins to the right for 2 yards! Riggins to the right for 6 yards and first down! They did that over and over and over and it was unstoppable and they won many super bowls.
Redskins coach Shanahan recreated that system in Denver and won two super bowls, and he's done the same thing in Washington, much sooner than anybody expected.
In the Dallas game, the Skins basically ran only two plays: hand it to Morris, or fake it to Morris. And RG3, even though he's super gimped from the knee injury, ran for a touchdown after faking it to Morris.
Obviously I'm not sure the Skins will win the Super Bowl. But if I were a betting man I'd put a fortune on them smoking Seattle in the first playoff game.