A Few Weeks that Jump the Page At First Glance . . .(Washington Redskins Schedule)

A Few that Jump the Page At First Glance . . .

As we all know by now, the NFL released the full 2011 schedule Tuesday night. (See the Redskins schedule here). Last year the schedule was released just before the draft so I was a little surprised to hear it would come out a full week earlier this year. Perhaps the league offices aren’t trying to have the two morph into one weekend this year, yet make them separate so that each “event” can subsequently cash in on its own. Although it is far too early to start dishing out wins and losses, (if the games are indeed even played, because as of today they won’t be!) looking at the Redskin’s 2011 slate, there are few weeks that spring from the page with some potentially intriguing , and perhaps far-fetched storylines that we can at least have some fun with . . . . at first glance.

Week 1: Giants at Redskins
I had a feeling the NFL would have the New York and Washington franchises go at it on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Let’s hope this doesn’t mirror the 2008 and 2009 openers against the G- men.

Week 3: Redskins @ Cowboys
The only MNF game of the 2011 season for the Burgundy & Gold. Can the skins get their first win in the house that “Jurrrrry” built (the new house) with a national audience watching?

Week 4: Redskins @ Rams
Not a whole lot of significance or reason why this game stands out to me . . . I just still have a bad taste in my mouth from last season and I hope the Skins make it right this time when they head to St Louis on October 2nd.

Week 8: Redskins @ Bills
Well it says at the Bills . . . but it’s actually in Toronto. The Redskin’s first game outside of the U.S. since Spurrier and the 2002 Redskins spanked the 49ers 38-7 in a preseason game in Osaka, Japan.

Week 9: 49ers @ Redskins
Clearly San Francisco is blood-thirsty and out for Osaka revenge after Danny Wuerffel ran up the score like that. . .

Week 14: Patriots @ Redskins
Can you say Super Bowl preview in December?

Week 16: Vikings @ Redskins
Odds favorite to be the “McNabb Returns to FedEx” game. Also favorable odds that Donovan has a major chip on his shoulder in this game. Not so favorable odds: The Redskins have clinched the division by this game, rest Grossman for the post-season, thus robbing the fans of the Grossman v. McNabb square-off we all wanted to see.

This is why I enjoy the schedule release. It allows for the first time in the calendar year a chance for NFL fans to envision the fall’s games with specificity for the first time. A small piece of the puzzle, kindly given to us by the league at a dull period of the offseason to let our minds wander for a brief moment. It is when fans can really start to get excited because we can now add “time and place” to the games versus the opposition we knew we would ultimately face. Certainly looking forward to the fall. It certainly appears to be another interesting year for the Burgundy and Gold. . . . at least on paper.