Is it just me, or does it always seem like every single year, by Thanksgiving, Washington has already got seven losses?
I’m sorry, Washington fans. I know it hurts.
I was there, too. I was there for the good times. I was there for Joe Gibbs, and for the Hogs. I was there for Mark Rypien, for Byner. I was there for Art Monk, and all of those guys. I was there, too.
The problem was, that was 1991 ago.
And there haven’t been many good times since then.
It’s not your fault, or my fault.
But the Commanders (there, I said it; it’s still hard to even say that name. I’m not sure the new owners even need to keep it) are 4-7, and they come to AT&T Stadium today for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff for the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas (7-3).
Just feels like this game has the late John Madden and Pat Summerall all over it, doesn’t it?
I can still see and hear Summerall with one of his introductions. “Well, John, we’ve got Washington coming in… they’re not red-hot, for sure, but they do have a quarterback who’s thrown for more yards than anybody in the game right now in Sam Howell.”
Madden almost bounces into your living room, with that big smile. “Yeah, you know, Pat, I’ve been thinking about Howell, and he’s got some receivers today that’ll give the Cowboys all they want. And this Cowboys secondary will have their job made a little easier because Micah Parsons is gonna get in there, and twist, and turn, and man, wow, he’s just fun to watch. And afterward…”
The screen cuts to the guys dressed in chef outfits, bringing in the Turducken.
You can see it, too.
Washington isn’t out of the playoff race, to be sure.
Dallas, of course, is chasing not only Philadelphia for the NFC East Division championship, but is still very much in the mix for the best record in the NFC, with the Eagles and the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers.
However the game plays out, the Cowboys will have exactly a week before their next one, a Thursday night home game next week against the Seattle Seahawks. And Washington will have three extra days to prepare for a home game on Sunday, Dec. 3 against Miami.
