This Tribe Will Self-Destruct in 5, 4, 3... A Tribe Will Self-Destruct in 5, 4, 3... This Tribe Will Self-Destruct in 5, 4, 3... By Lillian Blackmon on November 30, 2016 Last Sunday’s loss to the Redskins at FedEx Field was truly heartbreaking. A loss to the Redskins, a team many saw as one of the worst in the NFL this season, would’ve been hard enough to swallow. But when coupled with a dismal season full of injuries, missed opportunities, coaching blunders, the Redskins being bad at football, and the entire organization being a colossal embarrassment, last weekend’s heartbreak is even more devastating. The season has been a complete train wreck, and it feels like it’s heading into the abyss with no hope for recovery. The fact that the Washington Redskins have managed to not only survive as an NFL franchise but also manage to remain relevant after an organization-wide overhaul, it’s no wonder that people want to write this season off. No matter what, the media are going to be talking about Washington’s franchise-shaping season in a year or two, and whether they’ll be a laughing stock of the NFL or contenders in the near future, they’ll make the biggest headlines of the year, with the Redskins of 2016. But unfortunately for this hopeless franchise, the story won’t be told the way it should. Even as fans, you can’t write a story about an NFL team based on last year or this year. Football is about more than what happens between the lines, and while the narrative may not be fair, it’s reality. But there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this Washington team, which have been made evident in the last week. Not only do I believe the Redskins are going to make the playoffs in 2017, but I think that they’re going to make a deep playoff run. The fact is that they’re actually trending upwards. No, their win/loss record isn’t indicative of a win, but the good news for them is that they’re beating the teams they should beat. Instead of getting blown out by the likes of the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Eagles, Washington beat Miami and Dallas by a combined score of 66-17. Meanwhile, Washington blew out a bad Dolphins team and won its match-up with Dallas by double-digits. If the Redskins don’t have a winning record, their wins do show that they’re gaining momentum. Last week, after losing to the Panthers, coach Jay Gruden claimed that they had the potential to win every game the rest of the season, saying “We’ve got ourselves positioned to make a run at it. I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t.” And speaking of Gruden, not only did his words sound promising, but they also came at a time where fans around the world needed a little good news, and he delivered it. Gruden’s been a lot of different things to Redskins fans, but he’s been proven a liar more times than I can count. Fans are aware that he’s been on the hot seat since before the season began, and while he’s given fans a lot of reasons to doubt him throughout the last three years, he’s actually managed to prove them all wrong with his play-calling. At first, it appeared that Gruden wasn’t doing a very good job with his game-plans. But now, the Redskins are actually managing to put the pieces together and running efficient, time-crunched, spread offenses in the second half of games. They actually rank in the top ten in yards-per-play and time-of-possession, and after a Week 12 loss to the Cowboys where they played well but blew their lead, Gruden put together a game-plan to make up for their second-half mistakes. The result? Washington played very solid football, blowing out Dallas 42-24. The team’s momentum shouldn’t be surprising after watching the Redskins’ last three weeks. After allowing 35 points to the Bills last week, they gave up a season-low 10 points to the Vikings. They also won their game against the Panthers by 17 points. In that contest, they beat Carolina by controlling the time of possession, with a 31-5 advantage. And on Thanksgiving, Washington dominated time-of-possession by a 27:43 to 23:17 advantage. In order for the Redskins to make the playoffs this season, they’re going to need to continue to improve against weak opponents and play well when playing stronger teams. But there is reason to believe that the team is trending in the right direction. Sure, they’re going to have to win a bunch of games down the stretch, but if they can beat teams like the Cowboys and Panthers again, they’ll be able to jump back into the playoff picture. Right now, the Redskins are a team that you can actually have confidence in. They aren’t a good team; they’re not an average team, and they aren’t even close to a good team. They’re a below average team with an incredible amount of raw talent. They have some very good players at quarterback, receiver, running back, tight end, safety, and defensive line. They also have a running back who’s the best in the NFL at breaking tackles. This team isn’t very good. But they’re also incredibly fun to watch. Gruden is having one of the most exciting coaching careers of any coach in the NFL. On any given Sunday, you can bet your last dollar that the Redskins will score in the last three minutes of the game. It’s the most fun the city of Washington has had in the last twenty years. While that kind of performance may not be sustainable for the rest of the season, they’re currently more fun than any other team in the NFL. On any given Sunday, we’ll have two great quarterbacks dueling in a battle that many think will decide the winner of the division. And we’ll have a pair of big, physical receivers who both possess the size and strength necessary to be successful at the pro level, along with an elite running back who looks like he wants to murder his opponents on a weekly basis. And in case it isn’t clear, Kirk Cousins is on fire. These Redskins may be a mess, but as of right now, they’re the best team in the NFL. So here’s to watching them make a miraculous run and make us all believe in the team once again! You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles written by other great TGH writers like Kyle! “From our Haus to Yours”