The NFC Beast

Sunday was a great game for a half. As much as everyone will tell you that football is a team game, the entire team depends on the qb. Just ask the Vikings, who many predicted to win the entire NFC and are at 0-2 with Jackson. Now they are believing in the decade-old DC adage "in Gus we Trust." I always liked Gus but I hope he doesn't bang his head into the side of the Metrodome. Campbell looked bad the first half. He didn't make mistakes but he didn't make plays which is why we were down 10-9 at half after dominating every other facet of the game. He was telegraphing every pass, had happy feet but wouldn't scramble for time, and just seemed tenuous about everything when he is supposed to be leading. The second half was a whole different story.

Campbell's Jekyll turned into a Hyde of a beast and did everything right. His feet were still moving, not as happy feet but scrambling to the right spots at the right time to create enough time to complete passes to the bevy of receivers the Skins have stockpiled. He started looking off receivers and making second and third reads. The guys sitting in the top row of section 409 at Fedex couldn't tell where the ball was going on every pass play anymore. The perfect example was the Marino-like pass to Moss who barely had to break stride to take the lead for good when Randle El was the first read. Campbell did what he was supposed to as well as the rest of the team and that was win at home. Make no bones about it that was a must-win and they dug down and got it.

Next week against Arizona is a must-win as well. Dropping to 1-2 isn't nearly as dire as 0-2, but it is still a must-win. I think that if the Skins play as well they did in the second half last Sunday, there are only three or four teams in the league that can beat them. Unfortunately, no team can play at that level all of the time; just ask the Patriots last February. In addition to that, at least two and possibly three of those teams are in our division. The Dallas-Philly game Monday night was an eye-opener. McNo-ring played his heart out, dying to beat TO. He still couldn't do it, and you have to give credit to Dallas as much as being a Skins fan made you want the field to blow up. But even in losing Philly looked good and I wouldn't be suprised to see them upset Dallas when they play in the Eagle's neck of the woods. By the way, the Giants are defending champs and even though I wrote them off, they are undefeated and in case you forgot over the euphoria of winning this week, they beat us pretty soundly the week before.

Everyone said that this is the toughest division in football, and through a short two weeks it is proving to be true. The division is a collective 6-2, with the only two losses being the Eagles loss and our loss to the Giants against other East teams. We all get to play against what look like relatively soft teams in the NFC South and AFC Central, therefore all are must-wins because Dallas probably won't lose to them unless Jessica Simpson is particularly needy that week. The way the Eagles and Giants have played the first two weeks, they will not lose too many of them either. The old adage is that "if you win at home and split on the road you are guarenteed a spot in the playoffs." Unfortunately this does not hold true in the East this year. You have to win out against the weak teams, and hope to split intra-division. We have only had one great half of football while everyone else has had a few. The Skins still have to make sure they are not a weak team as well, and they have to start this Sunday in another must-win.

For a few sidenotes; if the Nats can knock the Mets out again it would be great. They must hate our boys in NY and wonder what is going on. I can guarentee you if the Mets sqeak into the wildcard spot they will not win a championship losing to the minor league players the Nattos have up right now.
Also, happy birthday to Ovie. Can't wait to see him skating, knocking people around, and scoring goals less than a month from now.