2-0

I say all the time that I'm a results-based person. I don't care how something gets done, just if it gets done. The NFL is a results-based league. It's not like college football where you need style points to go to the best bowl game or be ranked the highest. The NFL is based on wins and losses.
With that said, I wasn't 100% elated with the Redskins 22-21 come-from-behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe 90-95%. The win is the important thing, no doubt about it. But there were some small, SMALL red flags.
First of all, the Redskins dominated in the first half, outgaining the Cardinals by almost 200 yards. But all they had to show for it was a slim 10-7 lead, courtesy of two interceptions thrown by Rex Grossman, a drive that stalled in the red zone, and a field goal that was blocked by Arizona's Calais Campbell just before halftime.
It got worse before it got better. The Cardinals took the second-half kickoff and marched down the field, with a Beanie Wells 2-yard touchdown run making it 14-10. The Redskins had another long drive that inevitably stalled and cut the lead to one on a Graham Gano field goal, but the Cardinals answered almost immediately with a pass from Kevin Kolb to Larry Fitzgerald for 74 yards and a touchdown. I thought it was over from there.
The Redskins yet again drove into Arizona territory, and yet again stalled. But this time, coach Mike Shanahan decided to leave the offense on the field. This was, for all intents and purposes, the game. And it paid off-Santana Moss caught a pass in the end zone, his first touchdown catch of the year, leaving the Redskins a two-point conversion away from tying the game. But the ensuing pass was knocked away, and the Redskins were running out of time.
But the defense came up big and forced a punt. Naturally, the next Washington drive stalled in Cardinals territory, but the Redskins were well within field goal range. Gano converted, and it was in the hands of the defense.
It didn't take long to find out what would happen. On Arizona's first play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive, Chansi Stuckey caught a short pass and ran towards the first down marker. He was hit by Byron Westbrook, who was only in the game because regular corners Josh Wilson and Kevin Barnes were stricken by injuries during the course of the game. The ball came loose, rookie Ryan Kerrigan pounced on it, and that was the ball game. I don't know how, but god dammit, we did it.
Listen, 2-0 is 2-0, but Arizona isn't a very good team. If the Redskins want to contend in the NFC East, these are the types of games that they need to cruise in. The interceptions and drives bogging down in the red zone need to stop.
However, that's not to say that I didn't see things I liked. Tim Hightower had a solid game against his former team, carrying 20 times for 96 yards, more than doubling his average from last week. Rookie Roy Helu saw significant action as well, getting ten carries for 74 yards, a whopping 7.4 average. That looks like a pretty good tandem, if I do say so myself. The Skins got good pressure on Kolb all afternoon, with Brian Orakpo getting his first sack of the season. So things are definitely looking up. And who do we have next week? The Dallas Cowgirls on Monday Night Football, that's who. Can you say 3-0?