When the Redskins face the undefeated Falcons on Sunday at FedEx Field, the home team won’t simply be trying to keep Atlanta from getting to 5-0. Washington also will be attempting to avoid falling to 0-8 in their most recent octet of home games.
The Redskins currently have the longest home losing streak in the league, at seven straight. During an appearance on Friday’s Pro Football Talk, coach Mike Shanahan explained that the bulk of the ‘Skins skein came in 2011, when the team lost its final six home games at a time when the team wasn’t very good.
This year, the Redskins have played only one home game, winning two of three on the road and falling at FedEx Field by seven in a shootout with the 3-1 Bengals.
With the 4-0 Falcons and 3-1 Vikings coming to town in the next seven days, that 0-7 could become 0-9.
“You want to look good in front of your own fans,” cornerback DeAngelo Hall said, via Rich Campbell of the Washington Times. “The game we put on display a couple weeks ago wasn’t who we want to be. It’s huge to come out here and have a good showing for the fans. It’s nice to get wins and things like that, but you want to win games at home, obviously.”
Despite the home losing streak, it makes more sense to play the Falcons in the open-air and on real grass than in the Georgia Dome -- even though the Falcons have blown out both opponents they have faced away from home this season (40-24 at Kansas City, and 27-3 at San Diego).
“This would be a huge week if we were playing in Australia,” Redskins tackle Trent Williams said. “It really don’t matter. We gotta win this game. It’s what you would call a must-win for us. We’re lucky that it’s at home. We got our fans behind us for this one. We’re going to bring it all.”
We believe Williams. And we (or at least I) believe the Redskins will win what should be a close, high-scoring game.