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The future of the Washington Football Team is now

By Tim Meek

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 11: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team talks with head coach Ron Rivera before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at FedExField on October 11, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 11: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team talks with head coach Ron Rivera before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at FedExField on October 11, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 26: Antonio Gibson #24 of the Washington Football Team reacts after a reception during the second quarter of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 26, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 26: Antonio Gibson #24 of the Washington Football Team reacts after a reception during the second quarter of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 26, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Buying into the talent

So the “Future is Now” means exactly as it states.  We’re living in the moment.  Don’t let the past dictate the future.  Don’t let the dysfunction of years past keep you from enjoying the moment.  I understand it’s hard; we’ve been through so much as fans of this team.

But what if we are in the beginning stages of returning this franchise to prominence?  Don’t wait until it’s too late to buy in.  Enjoy this journey that may have gotten off to a rocky 4-7 start but still shows so much promise with a core foundation of young talent led by the steady hand of the organization’s leader, Ron Rivera.

We’ve merely caught a glimpse of the greatness this team can be.  Appreciate those moments when you get them early in the process.  Understand it’s the building block for what this team will be in the future.

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Sure, making the playoffs would be a nice achievement, fun for the fans, and great experience for this young team.  But it’s not the wins themselves that get me excited.

I get excited when I watch this team play with a lead.  Sure, we haven’t seen it enough this year as they stumble out of the blocks most weeks.

But when they have gotten the lead vs Philly, Dallas (twice, HA!), and Cincy, we’ve witnessed the havoc this defense will cause to opponents in years to follow.  Again, it’s year one of this regime.  It’s not a finished product, the talent is young and inexperienced, there are still deficiencies on the roster.

But we’ve gotten a taste of what the future can bring.  The defensive front can be special, a few of these guys can be elite.  In this league, you win in the trenches.

We’ve also seen the offense begin to move the ball and the running game become more explosive.  Again, it’s much easier to run the ball and to be balanced when playing with a lead.  It’s not a coincidence that the team’s three most productive rushing games all resulted in wins.

We’re witnessing the blueprint for what this team can be in the future. They have special talent on offense, game-changers with McLaurin and Gibson.  As they build the offensive line, expect these playmakers to only get better, the QB to be better.  You win in the trenches.

It’s these snapshots of a team that gets after the QB and pounds the rock, these get me excited.  Even good teams struggle to do this when they fall behind.  Washington will need to learn how to win, they need to learn how to get off to faster starts, they need more talent, they all know this and just wait until it happens.

When it all comes together, it’s glorious and something we’ve waited so long for.

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