Despite quick playoff exit, Washington fans believe in the future; NFC East rival fans not so much
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Vince Lombardi famously said that “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing”. Well, the Washington Football Team didn’t do a lot of winning this season; they finished 7-9, but at the top of the NFC East, and were bounced from the playoffs on the first Saturday of play. But fans have responded to the team and its direction. Ron Rivera and Alex Smith have provided ‘feel good’ stories through their respective battles against the coach’s early-summer diagnosis of cancer and the quarterback’s 2018 leg injury and subsequent infections that required a reported 17 surgeries. Watching the team mount a comeback in Week 1 against an Eagles team that was expected to compete for a playoff spot promoted early optimism that soon faded as the losses mounted, but by mid-season, with a couple of quarterback changes, there was a sense that the te
All aTwitter: 3 January 2021
News, links to articles, updates and more from DC area writers and national sports journalists and others
Facebook Page:
Washington WR Terry McLaurin has a significant high ankle sprain but intends to try to play Sunday in Philly, per sources. Could be limited in what he s able to do out there high ankle sprains usually take a min. 6 wks but this is McLaurin. Knows the importance of this game. Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 2, 2021
So he ll try to play, and if he does, it ll be in a good bit of discomfort. File this among the many reasons he was voted a team captain. Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 2, 2021
Filed under:
Facing 1st win-or-go-home game in DC, Rivera begins the week by waiving Dwayne Haskins and ends it by extending Chase Roullier
messages sent
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Ron Rivera made some big personnel decisions when he first arrived in Washington, trading away both Trent Williams and Quinton Dunbar. In both cases, the new head coach refused to consider extending or renegotiating the players’ contracts, saying that he wanted to see them up close and personal before committing further to them or any player on the Washington roster. Rivera pitched it as part of his culture re-building scheme he was in “try before you buy” mode.
All aTwitter: 23 December 2020
News, links to articles, updates and more from DC area writers and national sports journalists and others
Facebook Page:
And, of course, the main issue here is that he was not wearing a mask in the photo as Covid protocols would require. John Keim (@john keim) December 22, 2020
Is this Dwayne Haskins? I really hope not. These women are all wearing Washington #7 shirts yesterday and that certainly does look like #7 himself partying maskless last night with strippers after the game. pic.twitter.com/BxgHdjuiCe Rudy Gersten (@DCBarno) December 21, 2020
Haskins was fined by the team earlier this season for violating COVID-19 protocols.
Around SB Nation: What Other NFL Blogs Are Discussing
Weekly, we take a look around the SB Nation family of NFL blogs. Here are the news stories and analysis they are discussing.
AFC EAST:
)
AFC SOUTH:
)
The Jacksonville Jaguars have two games remaining and they need to lose both of them.
With a New York Jets win on Sunday over the Los Angeles Rams, Trevor Lawrence is slated to come to Jacksonville.