Postgame Redskins Reality Check for Week 2 vs. Indianapolis

6. Reality is, the Redskins of the Daniel Snyder era don’t handle prosperity well.

I said that with a few rare exceptions, Redskins fans have generally been let down pretty quickly once the hype train gets going since the team has struggled to stack wins in the Shanahan and Gruden eras in particular. I said I’d be excited by a similarly unspectacular, methodical win to last week and I’d be very disappointed with another home loss showing the inability to string together wins.

Prediction: This team shows they’re different under this quarterback and with this defense, and calmly, decisively dispatches Capt. Andrew Luck and his band of misfits. Redskins win 31-18.

Reality Check: The half-empty stadium was a fitting analogy for how the team performed yesterday. They only half showed up. This team looked lost, plain and simple.

The Colts appeared to know the Redskins’ snap counts and the Redskins showed had no creativity offensively after the first play of the game. The defense looked confused and lacked aggression. The final offensive drive of the game confirmed every Redskins fan’s fears about Alex Smith. Gruden mishandled the clock at the end of the half. Outside of D.J. Swearinger, there were frankly zero bright spots on this day, and Redskins fans have every reason to be extremely frustrated and discouraged by yet another poor showing by the Redskins when they had the opportunity to build on something.

Normally, I’d say you credit the other team for a well-executed game-plan and live to play another day. But this one stinks of a same-old broken football culture that is coached by guys who are too optimistic about the quality of their team and not desperate enough or skilled enough to demand better of themselves and their players. The players have to take some responsibility, but the coaching staff has to wear most of this one. Swearinger hinted on Monday that the atmosphere around the team last week was complacent…based on how the team looked on Sunday, that seems pretty likely.

Reality hurts sometimes. And the reality is, the Redskins had better do some soul-searching this week and come out firing on all cylinders in the coming weeks, or this season could spiral out of control pretty quickly with Rodgers and Brees looming in the next two games.

Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @TheRealityIs__ to discuss these or any other Redskins Reality Checks with me. And in the meantime, always #HTTR.