150 Days 'Til Kickoff
Gary Cope, SkinsGridiron.com, April 15, 2004

Ashburn - The Washington Redskins on Wednesday released their schedule for the 2004 season. Joe Gibbs, ver. 2.0, will open up at FedEx Field Sept. 12 against Tampa Bay, but it's week three that already has Skins' fans planning for the mother of all tailgates: Bill Parcels and the Cowboys are back in town for a Monday Nighter-a rivalry is renewed.

Washington and Dallas fans aren't the only ones that have already marked this game on the calendar. The NFL and ABC are hoping this former feud can be fired up once again and help boost Monday Night Football's sagging ratings.

The phrases "hated rivalry" and "grudge match," which once personified the Washington-Dallas games twice a season, have lost their luster in the last 10 years. But, with Gibbs back at the helm and facing his old nemesis, the dulled rivalry that's been sustained by the memories of reminiscent and sentimental fans, like curators of some forgotten museum, is on the verge of exploding back into the national spotlight.

The Schedule

We're 150 days from opening kickoff; the draft is still a week away; and Coach Gibbs has only held one mini-camp. But, that doesn't mean we can't break down the schedule. What else are you going to do, watch the NBA or NHL playoffs? I didn't think so. Let's get it on!

Sept. 12 vs. Tampa Bay - 1 p.m.

The Buccaneers comes to FedEx Field for an early afternoon game. It'll be hot and humid and Skins fans will be foaming at the mouth in anticipation of Joe Gibbs' return. Emotions will run high and Gibbs will receive one of the largest ovations in Redskins history. Chucky Gruden and his gang of rag-tag swashbucklers will be no match for the emotions in D.C. that day. Skins win in Coach Joe's debut and somewhere, Dick Vermeil will shed tears.

Sept. 19 @ N.Y. Giants - 1 p.m.

Week two has the Skins on the road against the Giants, led by new head Coach Tom Coughlin. These two teams split last season's series, with each team winning on the road. The Giants tanked in '03 and don't appear to be any better this season. Chalk up another win for the Skins-2-0.

Sept. 27 vs. Dallas - 9 p.m.

This is the game we're all waiting for: Coach Joe vs. the Tuna. Okay, it's not about the coaches, but they have certainly helped revive this once-great rivalry. Suddenly, the interest is there again and you can bet the house that while these coaches have a mutual respect for one another, both would loving nothing better than to pound the other into submission. Behind closed doors, Gibbs and Parcells will preach hellfire and brimstone that losing to "them" is not an option. "If you win only two games this season, they'd darn well better be against 'them'!" Players will listen and they will learn to hate the other team for 60 minutes. This will be a great Monday night game. The Cowboys are coming off a bye week, but even with the extra rest, the Redskins win at home thanks to the emotional support of their fans and coach-3-0.

Oct. 3 @ Cleveland - 1 p.m.

Here's where I begin to worry. The Dallas game, if the coaches do their jobs right, will be an emotional drain, which sets up the concern that a road game in Cleveland could be a letdown. But, at the same time, the Browns may look past the out-of-conference Skins and start thinking about their Oct. 10 road game against division rival Pittsburgh. This is the first meeting between these two teams since the 1991 season (Redskins won). The Browns just don't have the weapons they need to compete right now-4-0.

Oct. 10 vs. Baltimore - 8:30 p.m.

Here's another rare match-up for the Skins. Since Baltimore came into the league, these two teams have only played two games, each team getting a win. Baltimore is one of the teams that gets off to a slow start, but finishes strong. This will be week five of the season and if history holds true, the Ravens will probably start to gel right here. Bad news for the Skins-I think Washington trips up here and falls in a low-scoring, physical game-4-1.

Oct. 17 @ Chicago - 1 p.m.

The Skins are on the road against the Bears for the second straight season and they're going to want to deliver some payback for a last second loss in '03. With the game tied at 24, the Bears' Paul Edinger booted a 45-yarder to beat Washington in week 16. It wasn't the most heartbreaking loss of the season, but certainly left a bitter taste. This year, the Bears have a new coach (Lovie Smith), but the same old needs…everything. Skins get back on track and thrash the Bears-5-1.

Oct. 31 vs. Green Bay -1 p.m.

Happy Halloween! The Green Bay Packers and their cheese-head fans make their first trip to D.C. since 1979. The Pack has been on the decline the last few seasons and Brett Favre, as good as he once was, isn't as good as Green Bay needs him to be. He'll still put up some numbers and have a great season, but this team is heading towards a rebuilding era very soon and this year could be the catalyst. Skins roll to 6-1. Now that's a scary thought.

Nov. 7 @ Detroit - 1 p.m.

Detroit is still Detroit. Need I say anymore? Skins win-7-1.

Nov. 14 vs. Cincinnati - 4:05 p.m.

Welcome back Marvin Lewis. In his first year as the coach of the Bengals, Lewis nearly led his team to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. Lewis proved he can win in this league, even without his top running back. This season, the Bengals should be even better with Carson Palmer ready to assume control of the team. And if John Kitna is still around, then that gives Lewis two solid quarterbacks. With Rudi Johnson in the backfield, a trio of solid, dependable receivers (Chad Johnson, Peter Warrick and Kelley Washington), Cincinnati will be a tough team offensively. However, their defense was among the worst in the league last season. I think the Skins offense matches or surpasses Lewis' group; and Washington's defense holds-7-2.

Nov. 21 @ Philadelphia - 4:15 p.m.

The Skins have lost four straight to the Eagles. This season, Philly has a new ego to deal with, Terrell Owens. Midway through the season should be enough time for T.O. to become a distraction. Washington is 6-14 against the Eagles during the last 10 regular-season match-ups, going 3-7 at home and on the road. The Skins snap their longest losing streak to the Eagles since they lost seven straight from '92- 95. Gibbs wins a nail-biter-8-2.

Nov. 28 @ Pittsburgh - 1 p.m.

The Skins wrap up their tour of the AFC's North Division against the Steelers. I expect a relatively easy win against a struggling Pittsburgh team that will likely be looking for a new coach in the near future. Skins in a laugher-9-2.

Dec. 5 vs. N.Y. Giants - 4:15 p.m.

Round two of the NFC East begins with the Giants on Dec. 5. If Coughlin can get these guys back on track in the second half of the season, they could present some problems for the Skins. But coming down to D.C., I just don't see this being an upset. The Skins will have become believers under Coach Joe and they'll be willing to sacrifice everything to win for this man. The Juggernaut is picking up speed-10-2.

Dec. 12 vs. Philadelphia - 8:30 p.m.

T.O.'s nonsense is in full swing now. Philly's lack of an offensive line has left McNabb banged up late in the season…once again. The Skins, however, have been protecting their quarterbacks and the offense is just steam-rolling teams. Assuming their defense can stay healthy, I think the Skins sweep the Eagles for the first time since 1988-11-2.

Dec. 18 @ San Francisco - 5 p.m.

The 49ers without T.O. and Jeff Garcia (with Cleveland) should be one of the worst teams in the league, even at home. The Skins should get an easy win here-12-2.

Dec. 26 @ Dallas - 4:15 p.m.

The Redskins haven't won at Dallas since the 1995 season, which also was the last time the Skins swept the season series. Washington is 1- 11 in the last six seasons against the 'Boys. Make it 1-12. The curse of the Cowboys continues-12-3.

Jan. 2 vs. Minnesota - 1 p.m.

The Redskins have a solid grip on the NFC East while Minnesota wraps up another disappointing season. The Skins are still shooting for home-field advantage, so look for them to finish strong and whip the Vikings to finish 13-3 and on the way to the playoffs for the first time since '99. All hail Coach Joe, the savior of Redskins football!