I am excited for Football and my Washington Redskins upcoming season

Anticipation for the Season

It has been about a week since the Redskins kicked off their first preseason game and while the loss of Guice hit the fan base and the team hard, my excitement is still there. I love Football season. I grew up in a Football house, and every Sunday brought about dude-food and 12+ hours of Football on TV – Fox NFL Sunday followed usually by the Redskins at 1, then whatever the best late afternoon matchup at 4 would be, short break with highlights around 7, then Sunday Night Football at 8:30. It is great.

I know it’s pre-season, but for me, I love these pre-season games. It sparks the beginning of football season, the nearing of fall, and I get really excited for the potential of my team. I enjoy watching the guys fight for a spot on the roster, and love to pull for an underdog to make the team. I love Football, I love the Redskins (as sadistic as that may seem at times), and I love the fall season.

The traditions I grew up with for Football season and the Redskins were something I was born into, and bred to love. I follow the league year round, and I am a fan. Something that I love is that these traditions and the love of the game is something that have continued into my adulthood and is something that has rubbed off on my wife in our time together. While she was a ‘Redskins fan’ before we were together, she never watched games, knew who the players were, nor understood the rules. Since we have been together she has become a bigger fan of the game, learned many rules, learned players and has an excitement this time of year when the season is coming closer. It is also is fantastic to hear her excitement about the coming season as Free Agency, the Draft, OTAs and the Training Camps begin and End, and the anticipation is built.

The Redskins Off Season

This off-season has been one where I have had a lot of excited anticipation with the acquisition of Alex Smith, the departure of the former quarterback, the drafting of Payne and Guice, and the rather humble predictions the team has been seeing from ‘experts.’

With a new quarterback at the helm, I obviously have my reservations and tempered feelings about what the numbers are going to be, but I have a confidence in Smith’s ability, his track record of success under his previous teams has helped along with the sentiments that his teammates are putting out there. He may not sling it as much or have a track record of being a deep ball thrower prior to last season, but his confidence and IQ are there and the offense should be in good hands.

When looking at the other new faces on the team there is also a lot of anticipation in my mind following the draft earlier in the offseason. As mentioned, Guice is out for the season, and while that is a major blow I have confidence the team will overcome his loss for the season. He was not here last season, and while I know the running game had its struggles, I have confidence it will not be worse.

In addition to Guice being drafted, and what he would have meant for the offense, it would be hard to overlook first round pick Daron Payne, and Tim Settle on the line, and what their presence can bring to the defense. When the Redskins took Daron Payne without moving an inch, I was surprised and figured they would find value in that pick and find a way to move back. That said, I like the pick, and am hopeful that this pick along with Settle that this can resolve some of the depth issues that were shown last season along the defensive line and assist the Defensive Backs with pressure and help lock down the running game with what looks to be potent running options in the NFC East.

My outlook on this team is based quite a bit around having faith in Jay Gruden after what he has shown to be capable of with serious injuries, and his ability to bring results from rosters lacking much of their starting lineups. The team was nearly .500 with 22 starters missing for the majority of the season and they have only really added to that roster in addition to bringing back much of the injured unit. There have been losses in some areas, but nothing that I think the the team cannot overcome.

Are you looking forward to the season?