The 2012 NFL schedule was published recently and the Washington Redskins’ are in one of those ‘good new/bad news’ situations with regard to it. It’s hard to win any game in the National Football League and it’s always dangerous to try and predict anything about a squad without having gone through a single mini-camp. But we do it anyway. If this 2012 off-season so far is a harbinger of things to come, good news might be in the mix for Redskins fans. Of course, there’s bad news as well. Teams still have to go through the draft and more free agency so there is a lot to consider. But there’s no reason not to have a go at few thoughts on the season schedule right now, as things currently stand.
Let us say, for argument’s sake, that soon-to-be-drafted rookie quarterback Robert Griffin, III wins the starting job by the time the preseason is over. Washington opens the season away from home in New Orleans. In light of everything that has happened to the Big Easy team as a result of “bounty-gate,” it could be a rough season for the Saints. Not only are they now missing their head coach, they could be missing key defensive players by then. Perhaps the Redskins will be a beneficiary of the chaos that comes from having an interim interim coach (offensive line Coach Aaron Kromer has been mentioned as possibly coaching the team in the first six weeks of the season while interim coach Joe Vitt is serving his suspension) and being the first team they play. This could be good news for the Redskins.
By the same token, New Orleans is an experienced team. Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees is a passionate guy and it would not be a surprise if he rallies the entire team to the point where they play with such intensity that they can’t be stopped. That is bad news for the Redskins.
Speaking of Saints, the Rams (4-12 in 2011) are up second on Washington’s schedule in St. Louis and who knows how this game will go? In the past, no matter how bad the Rams seemed to be, the Redskins managed to lose to them. With the optimism and likelihood that the talent on this team will be much better and therefore confidence high, initially, I think Washington will finally beat the Rams. Good news.
The Rams – with whom the Redskins traded to get the second round pick in the upcoming draft – were supposed to have been a better team last year than their record indicated. Rams’ quarterback Sam Bradford went through a bit of a slump in 2011 after a decent rookie year in 2010. His third year in the league could be much better for him. Bad news.
Weeks three and four are games against opponents that are hard to gauge. The Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) respectively are games that could go either way. The NFC East plays the NFC South as a division this year and the Rams and Bucs will be important in terms of NFC division records. The Bengals will have young Andy Dalton back and he showed last year that he was worth the second round selection, ending the year with an 80.4 QB rating with 20 TDs and 13 interceptions. He is young and could go through a sophomore slump. Good news.
Or, he could be more comfortable and so even better this year. Bad news.
The Bengals’ game is actually Washington’s first game of the season at FEDEX Field so this will be Griffin’s homecoming. Also good news. Welcome to FEDEX Field and your Washington Redskins fans in action, RG3.
The same goes for Tampa Bay and their young quarterback, Josh Freeman, as was with Bradford and Dalton. Drafted in 2009, he ended 2010 with a 95.9 QB rating (25 TDs and 6 interceptions). 2011 was worse and he ended the year with 74.6 (16 TDs and 22 Interceptions). He has been through his sophomore slump and could better than ever this season. Bad news.
Sometimes I have to wonder if the software that spits out the NFL schedule wasn’t created by a Dallas Cowboys’ fan because the rest of the Redskins’ season is tough. The only three teams they will play throughout the year that didn’t have winning records are the Minnesota Vikings (3-13, week 6), the Carolina Panthers (6-10, week 9) and the Cleveland Browns (4-12, week 14). The rest of them – the Atlanta Falcons (10-6, week 5), Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, week 8), Baltimore Ravens (12-4, week 13); and then of course their division opponents Dallas, Philadelphia and the Giants – are all games that the ‘experts’ figure Washington will lose. for the first time since 2002 (and they lost to Dallas 27-20), the Redskins play on Thanksgiving and they play Dallas. This is good news. Whereas a few years ago the national exposure was not such a good thing because the team was turning out to be not so good, this year it is perfect. The team always seems to surprise the league by beating a rival unexpectedly – like the sweep over the Giants in 2011. Let’s hope they do that again in 2012 – and then some.
Hail.
Washington Redskins 2012 Schedule
Preseason:
Thursday August 9th @ Buffalo Bills – 7:00 pm (EST)
Saturday August 18th @ Chicago Bears – 8:00 pm (EST)
Saturday August 25th (home) Indianapolis Colts – 4:00 pm (EST)
Wednesday August 29th (home) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 7:30 pm (EST)
Regular Season:
Sunday September 9th @ New Orleans Saints – 1:00 pm (EST) FOX
Sunday September 16th @ St. Louis Rams – 4:05 pm (EST) FOX
Sunday September 23rd (home) Cincinnati Bengals – 1:00 pm (EST) CBS
Sunday September 30th @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 4:15 pm (EST) FOX
Sunday October 7th (home) Atlanta Falcons – 1:00 pm (EST) FOX
Sunday October 14th (home) Minnesota Vikings – 4:15 pm (EST) FOX
Sunday October 21st @ New York Giants – 1:00 pm (EST) FOX
Sunday October 28th @ Pittsburgh Steelers – 1:00 pm (ETS) FOX
Sunday November 4th (home) Carolina Panthers – 1:00 pm (EST) FOX
Sunday November 11th — BYE
Sunday November 18th (home) Philadelphia Eagles – 1:00 pm (EST)* FOX
Thursday November 22nd @ Dallas Cowboys – 4:15 pm (EST) FOX
Monday December 3rd (home) New York Giants – 8:30 pm (EST) ESPN
Sunday December 9th (home) Baltimore Ravens – 1:00 pm (EST)* CBS
Sunday December 16th @Cleveland Browns – 1:00 pm (EST) * FOX
Sunday December 23rd @ Philadelphia Eagles – 1:00 pm (EST) * FOX
Sunday December 30th (home) Dallas Cowboys – 1:00 pm (EST) * FOX
* Subject to flexible scheduling