Redskins are resilient and provocative. And the season begins to make its way.



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Kapri Bibbs (46) and the Redskins are well placed in the middle of the season. (Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post)

Even if the Washington Redskins have a remarkable record of 4-2, it remains to wonder: are they really good? Their $ 94 million quarterback seems fragile. They do not really move the ball – they nudge it and try not to make a mistake. It is a defensive team of quality, except for their bad habit of collapsing and allowing big games.

They are defective. They have no chance against detailed criticism. Still, it's the only team in the NFC's East to have a winning record and they have a one and a half game lead over Philadelphia and Dallas in the division. In the NFL geared towards parity, maybe we are focusing too much on the quality of the teams. For some, well is a basic standard, and a good soothes the nerves, and good allows us to surpass the schedule and set expectations. But for most of these sinuous teams, it is also a subjective and fragile designation.

If good means that a team is certain to participate in the playoffs and advance at least one lap, the NFL has very few of these creatures. But there are many who rank quite well. And this season, because the team is stronger in the trenches, does not fight with turnarounds and excels in the intangible areas of resilience and chemistry, Washington is certainly pretty good.

It's good enough to win the division, especially if Philadelphia wants to continue sipping his Super Bowl champagne. It's good enough to beat any of the remaining teams on his schedule, which seems to soften each week. It's pretty good, with some improvements, to start a broken fan base – read: start – to believe it again.

The season breaks the road to Washington. On Sunday, the goal of the kicker Dallas Brett Maher kicker was played. Last week, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton could not turn into a Superman in the last race of his team. As a result, Washington has won two tight home games that it may have lost in the past. And all of a sudden, a team that struggles to collect their winning streaks wins two consecutive wins, and the next two games – against the New York Giants, Atlanta, at home – are opposed to teams entering this week in the Week "Monday Night" Football "with a combined record of 3-9.

Of course, it is dangerous to look forward with this team. Just two weeks ago, New Orleans destroyed Washington, 43-19, and his coach Jay Gruden was again criticized for not having his team ready to play. But the players had a second chance, an opportunity they have to capitalize on, and it's a manageable task. If they really want to get rid of their incoherent etiquette, it's as low a barrier as possible to alter the perception.

Do you want to be more than a team of 8-8? Here is an opening to play from the front. It's not that Washington is far superior to the Giants. But this team is stable and plays the Giants when they are unstable. If she can play a competent game on the road, 5-2 is likely. Next week, New Zealanders could be 6-2 at home against the Falcons, which was one of the biggest disappointments in the league.

We discussed the many reasons for long-term concern for this team, including the disappearance of its vertical pass game. Add red zone issues against Dallas to the list. But for now, Gruden just needs to keep his players grounded and focused. They are not competing with the Los Angeles Rams standard. In their last 10 games, they play only one team, Houston (4-3), who leads his division. Pretty good could be good enough.

"I do not think this group lacks confidence in us," Gruden said of his team. "They are very confident, but I think it's important. But it is also important for us to continue to prepare as before and prepare for a very talented New York Giants football team. A very talented football team. Take every game to its true value – a match. This is very important for the division's ranking as we progress.

"It's great to have two players in a row, to take the monkey off our backs this year. But we still have a long way to go before we start celebrating. "

However, it is not too early to appreciate the resistance and challenge of this team. It's not a pretty 4-2, but the players deserve to be credited for the win despite the injuries that decimated a passing game in development. They deserve to be rewarded for responding to disappointing levels with animated games. They deserve to be commended for staying together, so as not to let the problems fester and make their way to improvement. They make mistakes, admit them and try to improve. In the past, they were prone to denial and controversy when conflicts arose.

"It's a new regime," said cornerback Josh Norman, criticized for his "too Hollywood" two weeks ago, to play again as a real star. "And it's cool. It's exciting. It's exciting to be a Redskin. "

To those who doubt that the time has come to make such a statement, Norman said, "We know what we have."

Norman, Security D.J. The expletive and forward Jonathan Allen gives the defense an attitude that goes hand in hand with his forward strength and improved athleticism at almost every position. They are hungry and are becoming more opportunistic. It is no coincidence that Ryan Kerrigan sacked and stripped quarterback Dak Prescott of Dallas, and Preston Smith got the blur and returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter on Sunday. That's the kind of 60-minute determination that this defense pursues. Finally, she has the talent and concentration necessary to flourish.

"Perseverance is one of the most important things, and I think you can really see who your back really is, who your brothers are and I think we've proven one to the other, "said linebacker Mason Foster. "Despite the hard times, the guys keep playing. Someone gets beaten and someone enters and plays a play. So it's about picking up your brother when he's down. That's how you have to play. You have to play team football if you want to win.

"It's not going to be perfect. These guys are too good. The faults are too good. The quarterbacks are too good. So you have to be able to play together. You must be able to go through those hard times to get good times. "

The reward for surviving hard times is a clear path to success. There is an opening now, and Washington would be stupid not to make the most of it. The Redskins have demonstrated their ability to play with the victories of the Green Bay and Carolina perennial playoff teams. In addition to legitimizing them, the victories also give them valuable face – to – face equality breaks for the future. With the 20-17 win against Dallas on Sunday, they showed the ability to repeat success. The next challenge: Conquer manageable enemies. If they do not fight, they have a chance to do something commendable.

"We have the right combination of veterans and we have the right mix of youngsters," said left tackle Trent Williams. "Our message has always been:" The effort is great, but that's what wins the games. "

"We continue to fend for ourselves. We are a resilient group. "

Now, they just have to be a reasonable group.

Well? It does not matter, for the moment.

Pretty good? Prove it.

Learn more about Redskins:

It's too early to say that this is the year of the Redskins. But the signs are there.

The "mere presence" of Adrian Peterson sets the tone for Redskins. So does his 99 yards.

The first seven Redskins were a handicap last year. Now this leads to the first place.

The Cowboys injured by a call as a result of contestable instant offense on the tying goal after a loss against Redskins

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