When we’ve been starved of something for so long, it’s easy to get too entrenched in what you just saw. That’s true in life, but also in sports. As humans, we are reactionary creatures who have little ability to expand our attention spans and think further out then a few days, or a few weeks.
This is something that many fans of the Washington Football Team are now going to have to deal with. After an impressive comeback victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the team is feeling confident — rightfully so after putting QB Carson Wentz in the ground 8 times — and a new energy can be felt among the fan base. Why can’t this be a team that wins 8-10 games and makes a run at the NFC East?
In times like these, it’s important to try and take a step back, cool yourself off, and think about things logically. That is, of course, until you see that USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire recently ranked Washington as the No. 13 team in the NFL via their Week 1 Way-Too-Early Power Rankings.
Few teams in recent sports history have had worse offseasons than this team has, and they weren’t even able to get rid of owner Dan Snyder. But in their 27-17 opening win over the Eagles, a defensive line with five first-round draft picks sacked Carson Wentz eight times and added 14 quarterback hits, and Dwayne Haskins kept himself out of trouble for the most part. What the win means against an injury-riddled division opponent remains to be seen, but it’s a balm for a whole lot of self-inflicted wounds.
If there was any team in the league that Washington could play in order to gain some confidence and boost egos, the banged-up Eagles were it. Missing over half of their offensive line, Philadelphia was unable to stop the pass-rush, and Wentz faltered late in the game, allowing Washington to run away with the victory. We will get a better gauge for what the Burgundy & Gold can really do next week against an Arizona Cardinals team who just upset the defending NFC Champions on the road yesterday. With a healthy offense, a dynamic and mobile young QB, and a litany of weapons on the outside, Arizona will pose a serious test for Washington’s defense, and it won’t be as easy to force them into simple mistakes.
We’ll see where Washington clocks in on the power rankings a week from now, but for the time being, feel good that you can sit in the top-half of the league.
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