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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Radioactive” by Kings of Leon

When the Washington Redskins pissed away a 17-point second-half lead at home to the Houston Texans, ‘Skins fans could take solace in the fact that the schedule makers were kind enough to donate the St. Louis Rams as a Week 3 “get-well present.”

It was as if the powers-that-be took pity on the Redskins and decided the schedule a cakewalk the following week to get everything right as rain heading into the most challenging stretch of the 2010 schedule.

Just one problem. The Redskins simply refuse to make anything easy on themselves and now – after a humiliating 30-16 loss to the previously inept Rams – we’re sitting here, once again, trying to figure out if the season is effectively over after just three games for the second-straight season.

On days like this it really is tough to tell which team is historically bad and which team is the one who is supposed to dominant. Let me put it this way:

The Detroit Lions were mired in the second-longest losing streak in NFL history – dropping 19 straight games. The once-proud Kansas City Chiefs, who were starting over with a rookie head coach Todd Haley and a seventh-round draft pick named Matt Cassel at quarterback, had lost 16 of their last 17 games. The Rams, as you know by now, had been defeated 27 of their last 28 games.

And yet, each one of those pitiful teams was able to get their act together long enough to defeat the Redskins – all in the last 365 days, amazingly enough.

Sunday’s 30-16 triumph marked the first career victory for Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, who joins Lions quarterback Matt Stafford and Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young as rookies who got their first taste of victory at the hands of Washington.

And that’s not even counting other rookies such as Joe Flacco, Bruce Gradkowski and Trent Edwards, who also picked up a win at Washington’s expense in their rookie campaign. Why even bother using Peyton Manning or Tom Brady against the burgundy and gold, when the Redskins are willing and able to put over any unproven rookie willing to step into the ring with them.

“I don’t know whether you want to call it playing down to the level of the opponent, but whatever you call it, we definitely do that against teams that haven’t won in a long time,” said middle linebacker London Fletcher. “The Rams haven’t won at home in two years. They haven’t scored 30 points in a long time. We all have ownership in this.”

It apparently doesn’t matter who’s the head coach or coordinator. It doesn’t matter which players are on the active roster. Nothing good comes from the Redskins facing a doormat. It’s one thing to say the Redskins have a tendency to play down to the level of their opponent, but what if they’re not playing? What if the Redskins simply aren’t that good?

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Higher” by J. Cole

For just the fifth time in NFL history and the first time since 1994, two quarterbacks threw for at least 400 yards in the same game.

Sure, Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub was only 14 years old when Dan Marino and Drew Bledsoe last accomplished this feat, but he definitely looked the part as he guided Houston to their first-ever overtime victory, 30-27.

Schaub’s passing numbers for the day are simply astounding. He completed 38 of 52 for 497 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. That’s good enough for a mind-numbing 73 percent completion percentage and a sparkling 114.0 quarterback rating.

If you’re looking for a reason Houston was able to battle back and win a game they once trailed 27-10, look no further than Schaub and the high-powered Texans’ offense. One week after running back Arian Foster set a franchise record by rushing for 231 yards against Indianapolis, Schaub set a franchise record by throwing for nearly 500 yards.

Oh, and did I mention Schaub nearly had to leave the game due to an ankle injury in the fourth quarter? Yeah, when we’re looking back on Schaub’s career highlights, this one’s coming up sooner rather than later.

“They came and told me he was done – he had a pretty good ankle [injury],” Houston head coach Gary Kubiak. “I think we were down by seven and fixing to kick a field goal at that time, so it didn’t look good. We blocked the field goal, we had them re-tape him and he walked over to me and said, ‘I’m playing.’ So, if he tells me that he’s playing, he’s playing.”

Schaub stayed in the game and Houston was able to make enough plays down the stretch to win Sunday’s most exciting game.

“That’s one of the greatest football games I’ve ever been in,” Kubiak said. “There probably wasn’t a guy on our team that didn’t have a bonehead play in the game, but there probably wasn’t a guy on our team that didn’t make a great play in the game – just learning how to fight through stuff like that. We were down 10-27 and it didn’t look good. Just the character of the group getting through stuff like that and adversity, we’re just very proud of everybody.”

2. “Lights Out” by Fabolous

Let me say this up front – moral victories are for losers. The Redskins and Texans played evenly for nearly five quarters, but in the end, the better team won. I’ve got no problem admitting that. That being said, there are a few positives worth noting from yesterday’s contest.

As I mentioned at the top, Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb had a pretty solid day as well. Making just his second start in the burgundy and gold, McNabb completed 28 of 38 passes for 426 yards and a touchdown. Hell, McNabb was so money on Sunday that he somehow defied logic and passed for 101 yards on one drive. That’s not something you see every day.

Any other game, his 73.7 completion percentage and a 119.0 quarterback rating would be the talk of the town. Unfortunately, Schaub was just as sharp, so the stats will be largely overlooked.

Let me point this out – McNabb’s 426 passing yards are the fourth-most in team history and the most since quarterback Brad Johnson threw for a club-record 471 yards against San Francisco, Dec. 26, 1999. It was also the third-best passing day of McNabb’s distinguished career, which isn’t bad considering Philadelphia was pretty convinced his best days were long gone and all.

“It felt real good to get the offense rolling this game,” he said. “I was making comments on the sideline how it felt kind of like practice. Everything was coming and you know when the ball is coming your way. Everything is kind of working in unison and working smoothly. I think it’s going to be a lot to build on going into St. Louis.”

The best part about Sunday’s game was that the Redskins offense finally arrived. Not counting a preseason game against a pitiful Buffalo squad, this offense had yet to show they were capable of producing much of anything.

Up until this point, the Washington offense was good enough to put together an occasional drive that typically stalled right around the red zone and then would have to settle for a long field goal attempt. For one day, at least, they found the end zone.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “How You Like Me Now?” by The Heavy

The Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys have been battling long enough that fans on both sides of the rivalry should know by now what they’re going to get.

Regardless of records, these two teams are going to play each other close. It’s typically a low-scoring affair and the final outcome is almost always decided on the final possession of the game.

Because these games are so tightly-contested, one mental error or small mistake can mean the difference between victory and defeat. And let’s be honest – far too often it’s the Redskins who end up on the losing end of these heated match-ups.

Not this time though. The Redskins offense failed to score a touchdown against the Dallas defense for a third-straight game, and yet, Washington scratched and clawed their way to a 13-7 victory of the Cowboys in their season opener.

Amazingly, this game was decided in two plays spanning just seven seconds.

The first play came with just four seconds remaining in the first half. On first and 20 from their own 36-yard line, Dallas decided not to take a knee and go into half trailing just 3-0. Instead, quarterback Tony Romo shoveled a pass to running back Tashard Choice, who turned upfield and, for reasons only known to him, decided to initiate contact with Redskins defenders and fight for extra yards – even as time was expiring.

Cornerback DeAngelo Hall was the first defender to arrive, but was soon followed by linebacker Andre Carter and others. The pack of defenders was able to pry to football free from Choice and, before the Cowboys even realized the football was no longer in Choice’s possession, Hall scooped up the loose ball and high-stepped his way to the end zone.

Suddenly, a Washington team that had largely been outplayed in the first half was now leading 10-0 and all momentum was now in the home team’s favor.

“That was my fault before the half,” Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. “We should have taken a knee. The right thing to do was going for three or nothing. They declined the penalty, so we were going to run a Hail Mary and then when they took it back and took the penalty, we needed to call it off and we didn’t do it.”

2. “Heart Attack” by Low Vs. Diamond

As if the last play of the first half wasn’t exciting enough, the two teams decided to do it again on the final play of the game.

This time, Dallas had the ball on the 13-yard line with three seconds left. As the center hiked the ball to Romo, it seemed as if time stood still. Sure, it was only seconds, but it honestly felt like an eternity waiting for that play.

Although pressure was coming at him from all angles, Romo was somehow able to evade the Redskins pass rush and find receiver Roy Williams in the end zone for a backbreaking touchdown. Only one problem – offensive lineman Alex Barron, the NFL’s most penalized player, was called for holding linebacker Brian Orakpo.

No touchdown. No more time on the clock. Somehow, someway, the Redskins won the game.

“It’s a difficult feeling when you thought you won and then to have it taken away from you,” Romo said.

I’d like to say I feel sorry for you, Tony. Lord knows, as a Redskins fan, I’ve been there and felt that same emptiness you’re saddled with. But truth be told, it’s about time someone else had to deal with that level of heartache.

Better you than me, big guy.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Throw Some D’s” by Rich Boy

Statistically speaking, the Washington Redskins have had a top-tier defense for much of the last decade. Now, I say statistically speaking because, let’s face it, the defense has done much of the heavy lifting over the last 10 years, but timely stops and turnovers have always been hard to come by.

Preseason or not, vanilla offenses and defenses or not, what we’re seeing so far this year is a trend that could really swing things in favor of the Redskins defense.

The Redskins’ aggressive mindset on defense translated to four turnovers against the New York Jets in the team’s 16-11 victory. Instead of sitting back and reacting to what offenses throw at them, as was the preference during the Greg Blache years, Jim Haslett’s 3-4 defense is much more chaotic.

Redskins players love this brand of defense, which has helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win multiple Super Bowls since 2005. They love that blitzes come from all angles in any situation. They love forcing offenses into mistakes rather than passively waiting to be picked apart. They love dictating play. Basically, they’ve already completely bought in.

That was evident when DeAngelo Hall picked off his second pass of the preseason. Or when Phillip Buchanon, who was beaten on a short pass, made up for it by punching the ball free from receiver Santonio Holmes.

Linebacker Robert Henson did the same thing to running back Joe McKnight, dislodging the ball by getting a hand on it, and cornerback Ramsey Robinson recovered it for Washington. And finally, there was defensive lineman Darrion Scott, who forced former Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell into a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Kevin Barnes to effectively seal the win for the burgundy and gold.

Notice a pattern? The Redskins defenders, while playing straight-forward defense, are trying to get a hand on the ball whenever possible. It’s something simple, but it’s something the team practices every single week. It’s now ingrained into their heads that, if you get beat, hustle to make the play and be sure to try and get a hand on the ball.

After the Jets game, the Redskins entered the weekend tied for first in the NFL with seven forced fumbles and tied for seventh in interceptions with three. If the players continue to have that same aggressive mindset, this could finally be the year turnovers come in waves for the Redskins.

2. “Giving Up The Gun” by Vampire Weekend

Mark Sanchez, the franchise quarterback who Redskins owner Daniel Snyder was smitten with coming out of college, is now a glorified game manager.

Stunning really, when you think about it.

The second-year quarterback, who is surrounded by talented players such as LaDainian Tomlinson, SHonne Greene, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and more, is now being treated like he’s Trent Dilfer or some other equally mediocre signal caller.

“You have to realize that there are times to take chances and there are times not to,” said Jets coach Rex Ryan of Sanchez. “The way we play defense, kick the field goal, so we’re up.  The way [Jets kicker] Nick [Folk] kicks off; the offense will have to drive 80 yards on us. I think that’s part of it. We don’t need to force passes. We have a good enough offense that the plays will be there. Go through your reads and make throws. He’s not going to be perfect by any stretch.”

I feel obligated to point out that Sanchez is going into just his second season in the NFL, so maybe it’s not wise for his coaching staff to rush to judgment just yet. But I watched from the sidelines as Ryan and friends were terrified to put the ball in his hands at the end of the first half.

There they were, taking timeouts and trying to move the ball quickly during their two-minute drill. Except, Sanchez wasn’t throwing any passes. Instead, he kept handing the ball off on delays. Even if Ryan said otherwise, it was clear by the playcalling that they have zero confidence in Sanchez at the moment.

And maybe it’s because the former USC standout is a little sensitive. We’ve learned that watching Hard Knocks this season. The first-team offense has been missing in action for New York and they needed to keep Sanchez in the game into the fourth quarter, just to get a meaningless touchdown. So maybe there is a method to Ryan’s madness. But it’s just a stunning turn of events for a guy who the Redskins were willing to give up multiple first rounders to acquire.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Oh No! Not You Again!” by The Heavy – While many folks would like you to believe that a rivalry exists between the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens, the truth is there’s nothing there.

The Redskins and their fanbase put plenty of time and energy into despising divisional opponents like Dallas, New York and Philadelphia, while Ravens fans (hon!) focus their hatred towards Pittsburgh. When the Redskins and Ravens square off, both teams obviously want to win, but it’s not like anyone cares about the “battle of the beltway” 10 minutes after the game is over.

Now, that being said, there was one guy prominently involved in this game who has to have strong feelings against Baltimore, and that’s Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb.

He might not ever say anything publicly, but rest assured that McNabb remembers the last time he faced the Ravens. That’s because he was benched after going just 8-for-18 for 59 yards with two interceptions and a fumble in the first half against Baltimore back on Nov. 23, 2008.

“I thought it might be a little bit of a spark, and we might be able to get some things going,” Eagles head coach Andy Reid said at the time.

Less than two years later, the Eagles said goodbye to McNabb and turned the team over to quarterback Kevin Kolb, who replaced Donovan against Baltimore that day. So yeah, it’s not much of a stretch to believe that seeing the Ravens again could drum up some emotions for the 33-year-old.

How did he fare the second time around? McNabb completed 11 of 26 for 206 yards and an interception in one half of action against a very aggressive Ravens defense. The 206 passing yards were the most a Redskins quarterback has thrown for in a half since 2002.

And honestly, McNabb’s numbers would have been even more impressive if his teammates could catch passes that hit them in the hands. You could go down the list – Fred Davis, Chris Cooley, Larry Johnson and Anthony Armstrong to name a few – all dropped catchable passes in the first half.

Maybe they heard footsteps, maybe one or two of the passes had a higher degree of difficulty, but the bottom line is – if it hits you in the hands, you’ve gotta catch it.

As for McNabb, preseason or not, you’ve got to love his gutsy performance. The man was under siege for much of his evening and he needed ice on his ankle after the game, but he chose to look at the 23-3 loss in a positive light.

“I felt great, I felt great,” he said. “I had a couple of throws I missed, some miscommunications and some balls that we missed. But, the thing about it is, they were opportunity plays. We made some plays throughout this game. We drove the ball and put ourselves in position to score, now we just have to capitalize.”

2. “Who Cares?” by Gnarls Barkley – Brian Orakpo might only be a second-year player, but the man is wise beyond his years. I swear the guy carries himself as a 10-year pro. So after the loss, I sought him out to get his perspective on the game.

The good news is Orakpo wasn’t worried about loss. He openly admitted that the Redskins defense didn’t watch film or gamplan for the Ravens. Unlike Steve Spurrier, who felt the need to use every trick in his bag during the preseason, Jim Haslett is content to go straight vanilla until meaningful games are played.

“I think we matched up pretty well,” Orakpo said. “They had a fluke play. I don’t think they’ll do that in the regular season, with the fake punt to get the ball back on the 1. I think we fared well against them. Obviously, I’m disappointed we lost, but the [starters] were able to get off the field and create turnovers. That’s a goal we emphasize each week, and we did a good job at that.”

I’ve always believed that moral victories are for losers, so there’s no real need to sing the praises of a team that lost by 20 points – preseason or not. But a few players did manage to have a solid game.

In addition to McNabb, the coaches should also be pleased with Armstrong, Santana Moss and Justin Tryon, who all stood out during an otherwise forgettable evening.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “What a Strange Day,” by Dr. Dog

Yes, I know that Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan have been with the Washington Redskins for a few months now. And yes, I’ve seen them both at countless practices and camps since their respective arrivals. But I’ve still got to admit, it was surreal seeing them both rocking the burgundy and gold Friday night against the Buffalo Bills.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who needed an extra second to adjust to it all either.

“When I came out of the tunnel it really hit me that, obviously, it is a new uniform, new scenery, and a new team,” McNabb said. “The exciting thing about it is that guys came in here just excited. Everybody wanted to see everybody get out there and make plays in game situations and I think we were able to show that. The most exciting part is putting up points, eating up yards, getting Redskins turnovers and special teams scoring points. I think you are seeing a whole new different ball club than you are used to seeing in the previous seasons. We don’t want to get too overly excited.”

In his preseason debut, McNabb completed five of eight passes for 58 yards with one touchdown. In limited action, he finished with a passer rating of 124, and even at 33-years-old, managed to outrace a Bills defender or two during a third-down scramble during the team’s second drive.

‘Skins fans still aren’t completely sure what the team has in terms of depth at receiver, but it didn’t hinder McNabb against the Bills. He just dropped back, picked his target and fired passes without hesitation. Whether it was Roydell Williams, Chris Cooley or Anthony Armstrong, if they were open, the ball came their way.

If this is a sign or things to come in 2010, then now might be a good time for you to start working on getting tickets. This Redskins offense might finally be capable of keeping up with the defense.

2. “Almost Easy” by Avenged Sevenfold

The Redskins moved the ball on offense. They created pressure and forced turnovers on defense. Hell, even the special teams unit managed to recover from receiver Devin Thomas’ opening kickoff gaffe to tilt the field in Washington’s favor.

Regardless of whether they played a mediocre Buffalo squad or some junior college from South Dakota, the Redskins looked sharp for long stretches of the game and dictated play in all three phases of the game.

“They keep score to see who wins,” said Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels.

Well, the final score was 42-17.

It was 35-3 before the Bills backups made the score a little more respectable against the Redskins backups. The 42 points were the most a Redskins team has scored in the preseason since 1988. There was a lot to like and plenty of preventable mistakes the coaches can focus on this week in practice to keep the players humble and hungry.

“We played with lots of effort today,” Shanahan said. “I thought, overall, we got a chance to evaluate a lot of people – first, second, third and even fifth stringers. I thought we gave some good effort. I thought we played well and other times not so well, but it was a good first game and hopefully we can build from here.”

3. “Sexy Back,” by Justin Timberlake

Sexy Rexy. The Sex Cannon. Money in the bank.

It doesn’t matter what name you call Rex Grossman, as long as you call him the Redskins’ backup. Seriously, the coaching staff can cut John Beck and “Tricky” Dick Bartel now. Shanahan typically only keeps two quarterbacks and it’s clear that Grossman, with an extra year in the Kyle Shanahan offense, is light years ahead of the other guys.

Grossman’s first touchdown pass, a bullet to tight end Fred Davis, was a throw I didn’t even know the guy could still make. His second touchdown pass, a 44-yard bomb that hit Thomas in stride to effectively end the competitive portion of the game, was even better.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Shame And Fortune” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

For the second week in a row, the Washington Redskins had a chance to play on a national stage. For the second game in a row, the Washington Redskins embarrassed themselves in front of the rest of the country and looked nothing like a professional football team.

Not only were the ‘Skins shut out against the hated rival, the Dallas Cowboys, 17-0, but the entire team – offense, defense, special teams and coaching – looked woefully unprepared. How that is even possible in Week 16 is beyond us.

For the second week in a row, the Redskins won the coin toss. But this time, they decided to mix it up – electing to receive first. After four-straight plays involving running back Quinton Ganther, Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell decided to find another target. Unfortunately, this decision apparently caught tight end Fred Davis off guard, because the ball bounced off his hands and was intercepted by Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman.

Tony Romo and the Dallas offense took the field and never looked back, as they put together a seven-play, 36-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown pass from Romo to mediocre wide out Roy Williams. The Cowboys were up 7-0 barely six minutes into the game, and whether they knew it or not, officially had enough points to win this game.

2. “The Long Road” by Pearl Jam

The next eight Redskins drives all had one thing in common – they ended with a Hunter Smith punt. Before Washington’s final drive of the night, which ended with a fourth-down pass sailing over the head of rookie receiver “Free” Marko Mitchell, the team’s best drive was a 10-play, 38-yard effort that still didn’t do enough to cross midfield.

The announcers did their best to throw Campbell under the bus, but the truth is, his offensive line has reverted back to earlier in the season when they were barely capable of slowing defenders as they took turns crushing the Redskins quarterback. Pretty much all night long Campbell had time to drop back three steps and look at his first receiver. If option #1 was covered, he didn’t have time to even look for his next target because Dallas defenders were already closing in for impact.

Ganther finished the game with 13 yards rushing. Marcus Mason finished with 11. Rock Cartwright had 6. So basically, there was no running game to help shoulder to load. And since the Cowboys were ahead all game long and the Redskins offense looked completely lost, their defense could be as aggressive as they’d like.

We guess we could mention that guard Mike Williams and tackle Stephon Heyer both got banged up during the game, and therefore the Redskins offensive line was basically comprised of any fat guy with a helmet. But honestly, the line wasn’t doing any better with Williams and Heyer in against Dallas.

3. “What We Talkin’ About” by Jay-Z

The big news heading into the game was that Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth sounded off against defensive coordinator Greg Blache for the way he’s been used this season. After being sent home for being late to practice Christmas day, “Fat” Albert dialed up the Washington Post and let loose, essentially saying he’s got great players around him, they just don’t have a good enough defensive scheme to maximize this talent.

And here’s the thing – Haynesworth is absolutely 100 percent correct. Blache is an egotistical know-it-all who seemingly has no interest in adapting his defense to best suit the individual talents of his players. But none of that matters when Haynesworth is a nonfactor just days after calling out his boss.

Finishing with three tackles and two quarterback pressures isn’t going to cut it, not when you know all eyes are on you after you rip into Blache. We don’t care if you have to just say “screw it” and start calling your own audibles at the line; you’ve got to finish a game with more than just one solo tackle during a primetime game.

4. “Old Time’s Sake” by Eminem (feat. Dr. Dre)

If we had to pick one play from Sunday night to summarize this 4-11 season, it would be a 69-yard catch and run by Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. Now, we’ve got nothing against Witten, who is consistently one of the better tight ends in the NFL, but let’s be honest – he’s a slow white guy. He’s not someone known for yards after the catch.

But, as has been the case all year, anything is possible when Redskins safety LaRon Landry is involved. Once Witten caught the ball, he turned up field and took off (well, as best he could). Landry hustled his tail off and tracked him down. Unfortunately for ‘Skins fans, LaRon then “pulled a Landry” and completely whiffed on the tackle, which enabled Witten to gain an extra 35 yards and gave him the longest reception of his career.

One of these days, Landry is going to realize that, as a safety, he’s the last line of defense and he simply cannot try to hulk smash every opposing player in his vicinity. Until that time, he’s nothing more than a liability in coverage (which is what you like to hear about someone drafted with the sixth overall pick).

5. “You’re The Reason I’m Leaving” by Franz Ferdinand

Since Bruce Allen was brought in as the new general manager, the Redskins are 0-2.

Sadly, they’re even worse than that winless record would indicate, if that’s even possible. In two home games against divisional rivals, the Redskins have been outscored 62-12. Maybe Allen is better at finding a silver lining than we are. Otherwise, he, like anyone else watching the Redskins on primetime TV these last two weeks, must be thinking “How quickly can I blow this thing up?”

Over the last two seasons, which we’ll simply refer to as “The Jim Zorn era,” the Redskins are 0-7 in primetime games while being outscored 166-62. We’re not sure what the man even does anymore other than post-game press conferences, but he needs to go. Same for Blache. Same for Danny Smith, the special teams coach.

Allen, once he names Mike Shanahan or whoever as the next head coach, should also feel free to get rid of any and all players currently affiliated with the burgundy and gold. This team, regardless of their inept head coach, should not be allowed to go winless in the NFC East. Failing to win a single game against the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles means heads should roll. Absolutely no one should be safe. This team has been so mediocre for so long, why should we go to bat for anyone? It’s time for a change. The ball started rolling when Vinny Cerrato left town. The sooner we can send this entire coaching staff and half the roster with him, the better.