Redskins 2008 Schedule Review: Band Two

Verdict: not so hot

Original bands
Band one review: games 1-5
Band two review: games 6-9
Band three review: games 10-12

Continuing with my Tony Almeida inspired banding of the Redskins 2008 schedule, band two did not come out so well. If you will recall Tony Almeida and I split the season into four uneven bands based on logical grouping and milestones, band one ended after the third NFC Beast division road game in the first five games and band two ended at the bye.

For each band, rather than examine individual games, Tony Almeida and I predicted outcomes in each of three performance categories:

1. Underperform, this would be a disappointing outcome though it does not mean winless.

2. Solid perform, this is the expected most reasonable outcome.

3. Outperform, this would be a better than expected outcome.

Tony Almeida and I handicapped the bands and determined band two was the number four handicap, or easiest band, based on three out of four home games, the expected weakness of two teams and the expected strength of two others, and the general uncertainty of the new Jim Zorn coaching regime. The bands and their predictions have remained unchanged since they were established before the season opener.

Our outperform for band two was tabbed at 3-1, as was the solid perform, mainly because Tony Almeida and I thought the Redskins should know themselves by this point and and Tony Almeida and I saw no way for the team to sweep all four games. Underperform was tabbed at 2-2, simply because even if Jim Zorn's first year was going terribly, this was a veteran team and this was the easiest stretch of schedule.

Well the Redskins did not deliver on band two:

Band two

Game six	vs. Rams	lost 19-17	0-1
Game seven	vs. Browns	won 14-11	1-1
Game eight	at Lions	won 25-17	2-1
Game nine	vs. Steelers	lost 23-6	2-2

Rack up band two as an underperform, band one was the top handicap and the Redskins overperformed the optimistic prediction by two games, band two was the easiest band and the Redskins kind of messed it up.

Based on bands one and two actual performance and bands three and four predictions, the Redskins are now looking at results between 11-5 and 7-9 with 9-7 now the solid perform, the Redskins slipped a game off the pace.


Band two MVP: no question, Clinton Portis. In these four games Clinton had 481 yards on 85 carries, a pretty gaudy 5.7 yards per carry even factoring in the 51 yard game against the Steelers.


The Redskins now move from the easiest band to the second hardest band, Curly R will review band three in three weeks, after game twelve at home against the Giants.



Image by me, original Redskins logo from here.