Comfortably Numb

For the first time since 1997, games have ended as ties in consecutive weeks, as the Redskins and Bengals fought to a 27-27 stalemate ate Wembley Stadium in Lindon, England. While this game was far more entertaining than last Sunday night's Cardinals-Seahawks affair, it was still a tie. While ties aren't as bad as a loss, they almost feel like a loss because of how unsatisfying the outcome is. The fact that there are still ties in the NFL is mind boggling. For a league that prides itself in the level of competition and action, ties are an antithesis. The NFL is desperate for more viewers, which is apparent with the overload of games in London and falling ratings. If the league wants to make overtime more exciting and attract new fans, it should adopt the overtime system that college football uses. That being said, there are way more pressing issues that the league needs to address before it considers overtime reform.

Rant aside, this week's tie, like last week's, came down to a missed field goal. This one came courtesy of the Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins. It's become apparent that when a game goes bad, it's not because of the other team, its because the Redskins are their own worst enemy. Kirk Cousins had another big day passing, going 38-56 with 458 yards, a pair of touchdowns and his obligatory interception. Kirk Cousins attempted 58 passes. 58. That's unheard of. To have there be a game where  an offense rushes the ball 31 times and the play calling is still lopsided by 27 plays is incredible almost impressive. It's not like the rushing game was failure either. Robert Kelley had a respectable 21 carries for 87 yards. The game became a bit of a shootout with an unsatisfying finish.

Defensively, this wasn't a great performance. Andy Dalton performed about how The Dalton Scale would predict, finishing 27-42 with a touchdown, interception and a rushing touchdown. The Bengals' leading rusher was Jeremy Hill who had 20 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown. While these stats aren't impressive by any means, it was the Redskins defense that allowed the Bengals to stay in the game. Three of the Bengals four touchdown drives were for 60 or more yards.

I'm going to be saying this all season. The Redskins have proven that anything is possible during any game. They could be the most hot-or-cold team in the NFL. We'll see which team shows up on November 13th at home against the Minnesota Vikings at 1:00 p.m. The Redskins have their bye week next week.