Redskins v. Cowboys – First Quarter Thoughts

• There were a lot of nice moments in the ceremony presenting Darrell Green and Art Monk with their Hall of Fame rings, most of them presented with tremendous pomp and circumstance. But for me, the best image was of Fred Smoot breaking off from pregame practice and enthusiastically congratulating Darrell Green, and Green slapping him on the helmet in return.
• I’m not going to lie — I was a little skeptical of the Redskins Rally Rags that they’re handing out this evening, but they really look terrific from field level. The fans seem to have taken the endless comments on the Steelers FedEx takeover to heart, and they’re really going nuts out there. Also, it’s Dallas, which always gets people here going. They haven’t even needed Video LaRon Landry to encourage them.
• Oh, and Clinton Portis running out — after not practicing for a week — with the American flag and a Sean Taylor jersey. That got people fired up, too.
• Fred Smoot, London Fletcher, and Chris Horton‘s hit on Marion Barber on Dallas’s first third down was one of those things you can literally hear on the sidelines, almost as startling as the pregame fireworks are. (Every time. Those things get me every single time.)
• Zorn’s decision to go for it on 4th and 1 deep in Dallas territory on the first possession is the choice of a coach who is deeply, deeply sick of settling for field goals, and I absolutely love it.
• Dominating performance by Portis on this drive. He may never be forced to practice again.
• Jason Taylor is one excited dude tonight — he was halfway out on the field slapping guys on the helmet and the like after the touchdown drive.
• I got a text message from a friend following DeAngelo Hall’s drive-killing interception: “Ten bucks says Carlos [Rogers] would’ve dropped that.” It’s the sort of thing that’s not really fair to say, but I’m sure it sums up a lot of people’s reactions. Guess I was a little hasty in assuring T.O. that he wouldn’t be matched up against Hall, huh?