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Something I always try to remember when something goes as poorly as they went in Detroit yesterday is that things are never as bad, or as good, as they seem. A 37-25 loss to the Detroit Lions sure seems really bad on the surface, especially considering how much this game meant to the guys who were around for a loss to this same club last year. But let me try to talk you off the ledge; or at least onto another one.
Coming into the game Detroit was 1-5, but in actuality they were a much better team then their record showed. Matthew Stafford was returning from a shoulder injury he suffered in week one, and we saw the type of influence he can have over the game. He isn't Peyton Manning, but having a competent qb under center changes everything for a team.
And the game was a heck of a lot closer then the 12 point final score. If Shanahan had kept McNabb in, even if he doesn't lead a scoring drive, it's a five point loss that is a little easier to swallow. Still a loss, but the Skins don't have to live with allowing nearly 40.
But there's a flip side to that coin. While I don't believe things are as bad as they felt yesterday, I also think that things were never as good as they felt in the weeks before. The team was over .500 but it isn't like they should have been an overwhelming favorite every time they stepped on the field. They had the much better record, but can anyone say that with Matthew Stafford back, the Lions weren't a comparable team? At least in terms of talent? It was a mistake to evaluate them in terms of their record.
Based on records in history it seems like there is no way the Redskins should have lost yesterday to the Lions. But we need to remember that the Skins were a team that wasn't playing particularly good football, despite what their record might have said. It might make you feel worse about how the season is going, but it should also soften the blow from yesterday's loss. Kind of a downer, I know, but I think it's better then the alternative.
Today's must-reads from around the SB Nation network:
- Bullets Forever runs down the positives and negatives from the Wizards' first two games.
- Maryland Basketball has their first exhibition game tonight. Testudo Times has a preview.
- Casual Hoya has more on Class of 2011 big man Tyler Adams choosing Georgetown over Duke.
On SB Nation D.C. today: Scott Jackson is back with Chain Reactions.