The Whammy Game: Response to Cardinals Voodoo Video

The Arizona Cardinals, looking to Chaminade the Commanders, posted this video commemorating a Boomer Esaison bombing raid as a hex. Here's a response:

                                                      Source: RetroSkins

There was a lot at stake in this 1999 match-up. The Skins were looking to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East which then included the Arizona Cardinals who were one game behind Brad Johnson and Company.

It was a good day for the Skins Defense in a year they didn't knock people's socks off. 

A similar defensive effort is needed in this upcoming bout with the Cardinals in the which all the Mojos, Magics, and Hexes are with the Red Birds. The Cardinals are getting so much disrespect it has given them a huge motivational edge over the Commanders.

Other similarities: Brad Johnson and Sam Howell have similar demeanors. The year 1999 was the year of the Greatest Show on Turf where the St. Louis Rams, featuring a QB that, like Washington this year, nobody had ever heard of, and an ex-Redskin Quarterbacks Coach in Mike Martz serving as Offensive Coordinator, rolled to the Super Bowl after going 4-12 the year before.

London Fletcher, legendary Skins middle linebacker, WON that Super Bowl with a game saving tackle for the Rams. 

Hopefully, the Commanders Defense, a big MOTIVATIONAL underdog in this game, will funnel some of Fletch's magic and come up with the vic before a capacity crowd.

Dick Vermeil left the Rams after that year and ended up with Eric Bieniemy's Chiefs and a had a playoff year with former Redskin QB Trent Green.

Mike Martz succeeded Vermeil as Head Coach of the Rams. Some see EB succeeding Ron Rivera as Commanders Coach.

Losing Football Games the Easy Way

I'm not enamored with the idea an NFL team should tank its season to nab the Number One Draft Pick. 

Asking a football team to post less than their best effort is asking them to get hurt real bad real fast. What would be the difference anyway between playing your best and going 1-15 and playing your worst and going 0-16? You are going to put sucky film about yourself out there for other teams to go "Yeah, this guy is some trash!"?

And I don't know how you can say the NFL is NOT Fake when teams are tanking. "No, No, they are playing hard it's just if they get a chance to throw the game they will!"

Not to mention it dulls the competitive edge. What are you getting from a game against a team that is tanking? You get infected by the idea you can not only take plays off but take games off.

I hope that hasn't already happened to Washington.

The Commanders need to play hard and be professional in order to win any game. Including this one. I doubt the Offense under EB is going to get lazy with any team, especially the Cardinals. 

But the Defense is another story. NFL teams in general don't tackle well early in the season. They just don't do enough of it in preseason. This Commander franchise in particular under this coaching staff starts turtle slow on Defense. 

And if they tack getting lazy or letting down onto starting slow, well we are talking a Titanic Level disaster on Defense.

That's not even counting the natural shock of playing with an Offense that scores points. Finding yourself back on the field quicker than you are used to. That takes sharper focus. Do they have that sharper focus? Do they have the depth?

Do they have the fire and professionalism of the Offense?

Because there is no way they will beat the hell out of the Cardinals or anybody without that burning desire to play good football.