Shocker that the Redskins were shut out of their first preseason game of the 2009-2010 season, 23-0, just a shocker. I mean, when you have one of the most unproductive offenses last season and just pray that the players you have get better…well this is what you’re going to get. I’m not even discussing the offensive line, which surprisingly played adequately, I’m talking about the skill positions.

No Clinton Portis meant the Redskins had to hope that Ladell Betts looked like the betts of 2 seasons ago. The Redskins had to hope that Rock Cartwright could start to be anything else than a mediocre kick returner and look like an actual running back. They had to hope that, with Santana Moss sitting this one out, one of their 2nd round draft picks would step up to the plate and play up to their draft position. They had to hope that Antwan Randle-El could be something more than a nice guy and a #3 receiver…or at the very least he could be productive in the slot. Finally, they had to hope that one of the veteran receivers and inexperienced running backs they signed could make a big play and prove they belong on an NFL roster.

Not at all surprising but, none of that happened. The timing was off between receivers and the QB. The running backs were unproductive carrying the ball. Receivers couldn’t get themselves open and when they did, they couldn’t hold on to the ball. Is this what happens when you stubbornly pray the decisions you make work out better than previous evidence suggests instead of facing the reality that you have no idea what you’re doing and you need to get some help in? Who knows…but lets hope so.

Yes, I know, it is too early to cast a final grade on how the Redskins will look this upcoming season, but all the problems that existed last season existed in this game, minus the broken down offensive line…and that is not good that all the same problems are happening with a healthy and productive line instead of what they had in the 2nd half of last season. Hail to the Redskins? More like, Hail to the Redskins Defense…they might be the only hope this team has.

Step right up boys and girls and open your eyes and ears to learn what Joe Gibbs is really saying when he whips out his many many clichés when describing your Washington Redskins. Gibbsese is a difficult language to understand at times, but the Deuce has deciphered the true meaning behind his many catchy phrases.

“Core Redskins” = Players we have this year, that took a less money for some reason to stay loyal to the team (example: Ladell Betts), suckers!!!; or, players we have this year that we want to take a pay cut to stay on the team for no reason other than our messed up salary cap situation (example: Mark Brunell), SUCKERS!!!

“Fight our guts out” = It was a really poorly called and executed game, but somehow we pulled that victory out of our collective asses.

“We have a lot of pride” = We really think we’ve assembled a fine collection of football players and think we’re much better than we are which is inevitably going to be our downfall. [Pride is the original and most deadly of the 7 deadly sins. A religious man like Gibbs must know this. Pride caused Satan's fall from Heaven. Pride is one of the reasons they suck.]

“A learning experience” = The quarterback has yet to start a full year and we trust him less than other teams (example: Cowboys/Romo, Jets/Clemens, Bills/Edwards, etc.) trust their young quarterbacks because he has a nasty habit of overthrowing everyone, on every route. Short, deep, intermediate, it doesn’t matter, the ball is high and far away from our midget receivers. He will gain valuable experience in learning to hand the ball off effectively until he fixes that cannon arm of his.

“Redskins Football” = As in, “That’s more the look of what I envision Redskin football to be.” Redskins football appears to be 1) handicap Al Saunders’ play calling style by 2) running the ball as much as a football team can while throwing passes no longer than 5 yards for maximum offensive ineptitude. Example, running the same rushing play 15 times and praying the defense doesn’t catch on or cannot stop it. All this is done to hide the fact that the receivers are average at best when healthy and that the quarterback is not to be trusted to make a play…not that the receivers will help him to do so.

“Back to the look we’d like to have on offense” = We’re gonna run that damn ball down their throat until they stop it or we run out of backs to carry the ball. It worked in the 80s right? Surely it must work now!; See, ‘Redskins Football’.