Oh Say, Can’t You See? Redskins Are Really 3-0

The Washington Redskins are the luckiest team in the world.

You think I’m crazy for saying that, don’t you? You think: These bozos are 0-3. They’re already knee-deep in alligators, and they’ve got 3-0 Denver coming here on Sunday. What is this clown talking about? Lucky?

Yeah, lucky.

They’re 0-3. This is a tragedy in Washington. People are despondent. They might not know what constitutes sexual relations, but they darn well know what 0-3 is.

I, myself, have hung black crepe on The Bandwagon.

The Redskins haven’t been 0-3 since 1981. That was the dearly departed Coach Joe’s first season. That was so long ago it was before Cal Ripken began playing every day. So being 0-3 should be front page news, above the fold, with a thick, black border.

Except it isn’t.

Because an incredible news swirl, a hurricane of news, has crowded it off the front page, and let it settle softly on the sports page.

Because of Cal, with great dignity and humility, finally taking himself out of the lineup after 17 seasons -- ending an old-school, workingman’s streak that will never be broken.

Because of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa continuing to entrance us and awe us, and bring us back to the time when sports were infused with joy.

Because of Florence Griffith Joyner’s shocking sudden death that caused all of us to take a deep breath and recall FloJo’s beautiful strength as she ran down the middle of the track, dramatically flying past her opponents, and into history.

And because of Bill Clinton’s dance card, 3,183 pages long.

All that has been like a low deck of cloud cover for the Redskins, shielding them from the harsh light of their miserable start.

But once the clutter from these news stories clears out, this train is going the other way -- and heaven help Mr. Turner and Mr. Casserly if they’re trapped in the tunnel.

Let’s be clear on this: This won’t do.

This is not 1994 or 1995. This team is not rebuilding. This team is supposedly built. Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson were brought here to be the brick and mortar of the defensive house. What is Ricky Watters doing running like a gazelle through them?

It’s not just the losing, it’s the way the Redskins are losing: They’re being beaten badly in the second halves of games. The Giants got them, 21-14, and crushed their spirit with two devastating interceptions. The 49ers suffocated them, 24-0. And Seattle controlled them, 14-7, allowing a meaningless late touchdown.

There are two ways of looking at what’s happening to the Redskins in the second half, and both of them are bad. One is that the team is exhausted physically and mentally from staying close in the first half, and runs out of juice. The other is that they’re being outfoxed by what their opponents have put in at halftime. (I’m sure there are thousands of you out there eager to remind me that the reverse of this is what used to happen in second halves when Joe Gibbs ran the offense and Richie Petitbon ran the defense.)

And the Redskins are killing themselves. Gus Frerotte’s two interceptions doomed the Redskins in the Meadowlands. Michael Westbrook is producing consistently this season, but his touchdown-expunging penalty against the 49ers cost Washington dearly. Terry Allen’s fumble on the Seattle 13-yard-line midway through the third period cost the Redskins a chance to draw close enough (24-14) to still have a shot at winning the game.

So naturally, Norv fired the kicker.

I know I have often said I’m in the tank for Norv. And I still am. But I come up for food and air once in a while.

There’s very little solace you can take from the fact that Trent Green, a virtual rookie, is the starting quarterback. Gus Frerotte, who awaits what might be his last chance, has hit the ground with a thud. And how on earth can Jeff Hostetler be holding this team hostage? What does he mean walking out and then telling people if he doesn’t play soon, he’ll simply get an operation on his knee, and then it’s hasta luego. Let it be hasta luego now. Put the guy on ice. I’d say pretend he’s a kicker and cut him, but that’s what he wants.

There is a disheartening sense people have watching this team that the whole is less than the sum of its parts. That all another team has to do is stay close to the Redskins and wait, because sooner or later, Washington will make a killing mistake. There is no visible chemistry on either side of the ball yet. And with the losses piling up, Norv Turner’s weekly attempts to focus on something encouraging seem airy and unreal.

A victory over Denver would go a long way in convincing the players and the fans that this team still has playoff possibilities. With such a harshly front-loaded schedule, stumbling out of the gate 0-3 or 0-4 is correctible; the Redskins’ first four all looked loseable before the season began. If you go down the schedule, they can still win nine -- which should win the NFC Least. But falling to 0-5 or 0-6 could put this team in a frame of mind where it would be resigned to cruel fate.

People leave messages on my voice mail all the time urging me to fire this person or that person. It’s too early to talk about firing anybody. Coaches don’t cause fumbles, and general managers don’t cause backs coming out of the backfield to fall down. The swings of football are so great that one game, the right win at the right time, can turn an NFL season around. So you don’t want to push the panic button yet. But you know the room where the panic button is? Well, we’ve opened the door to that room, so we can find the panic button if we need it.