Week 1 - Gameday (Vol 4)

It's is finally here. The day we've all been waiting for. 8 months of anticipation and we finally get to see what kind of product the Skins will give us this year. I couldn't fall asleep until three last night in anticipation over this one and now I got a big case of the butterflies. I hope you all are in a lot better mental place than I am right now. Joe Gibbs has said that tonight's game is one of the biggest football games he's ever been a part of, and this is only Week 1 - expect the Skins to come out and play with some urgency tonight.

 

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What you need to know:

 

- The weather should be very autumn-like. It is actually raining in DC right now, but it should clear up and give way to partly cloudy skies by kick off. DC is getting a bit of a cold front, so temps will dip into the mid 60s by 7pm.

 

- ESPN will be airing their first regular season edition of Monday Night Football - Mike Tirico, Tony Kornheiser and Joe Theisman will be on the call. ESPN will be broadcasting Monday Night Countdown live from FedEx starting at 5pm. ESPN will follow up the Skins with the Chargers at the Raiders.

 

- CP will start the game on the bench, but last reports indicated that he was 96.1% after his shower following Saturday's practice. I am starting to think Portis will get at least 10 carries in this game.

 

- The Skins will be a little thin on D-Line as backup Rynaldo Wynn, one of their run-stopping specialists, will be out tonight.

 

- The Skins will also be without Shawn Springs. Kenny Wright will get the start alongside Carlos Rogers in his place. Look for Rogers to match up with second-year wide-out Troy Williamson and Wright to be matched up against Travis Taylor.

 

- Warrick Holdman has won the battle over Rocky McIntosh for weak-side linebacker and he will get the start alongside Lemar Marshall and Marcus Washington. Expect McIntosh to be in the starting lineup by week 4 against Jacksonville. Keep your eye on Washington tonight, as he will be used in many more blitz packages than he was last year.

 

- Punter Derrick Frost will be handling kickoff duties this year to prevent any John Hall injuries.

 

- Joe Gibbs is 8-0 against the Vikings in his career, including a 17-10 victory in the 1987 NFC Championship Game. The Skins last played the Vikes in the season-closer in 2004, as the Skins won and nearly played playoff-spoiler for the Vikes, winning 21-18. Ladell Betts ran for 118 yards and a TD in that game.

 

- The current line makes the Skins 4-point home favorites tonight.

 

- A Redskins victory would point them 1 game ahead of both the Giants and Cowgirls who both lost yesterday. That is so freaking sweet.

 

- The Skins have now lost 5 in a row (including pre-season) wearing white on white after winning six in a row last year in the same uniforms. I am thinking they do something different tonight. burgundy on burgundy maybe?

 

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OK. I think that's it. I opened up the listserv today in case you guys wanted to "reply to all" and wish each other good luck. Tonight is going to be amazing!!!

 

HTTR,

Saad