Living in Portugal, I'm unable to watch the late games in real time, so I catch the condensed version the following morning. Last year, it was easy to squint as I clicked on the game without seeing the score, but NFL.com's new system has made that more difficult. Usually, I end up seeing the score, which makes watching a lot less dramatic and enjoyable. This morning, I managed to squint my way to the game, noticing only one number: 29. I knew one of the teams scored 29, but I didn't know which, or how they got there. I also had the Redskins plus seven against the spread.
When the Redskins were driving with a couple minutes left, I thought, "I guess they tie it with a field goal at 20-20, it goes to overtime, each team makes a field goal, and one team wins it with a touchdown - 29-23." It was not until the Chiefs kicked a go-ahead field goal with four seconds left that it dawned on me - the Redskins were not tying this up with a field goal. There was only one way a team was getting to 29, and I watched in horror, knowing exactly what was going to happen. It would be one of the worst beats against the spread I've ever taken, though it wasn't as bad as having the Browns plus 5.5 in this game.
• The Redskins got a ton of pressure on Alex Smith. Their defense looks legitimate, though apparently Josh Norman has a broken rib.
• Alex Smith played a great game, burning the Redskins with pinpoint throws and making plays with his legs while under pressure.
• Kirk Cousins also looked good, zipping the ball around to different receivers and probably should have had a third touchdown on the ball Josh Doctson nearly caught in the end zone. He also scrambled effectively.
• Great 4th-and-1 call by the Redskins where Cousins bootlegged for an easy first down. But then they settled for the field goal a few plays later on 4th-and-goal from the two!
• I wrote yesterday that Zach Ertz was the No. 2 TE behind Rob Gronkowski, but I have to put Travis Kelce ahead of him again. Kelce's faster and more athletic, a tougher matchup.
• Terrelle Pryor beat Marcus Peters for a long touchdown early, but Cousins spread the ball around quite a bit. Still, it's a good sign for Pryor going forward to make a huge play.
• A quiet game for Kareem Hunt, but he still had 100 yards rushing and four catches.
• Tyreek Hill is not a No. 1 receiver because he doesn't run the intermediate routes very often. Chris Conley and Albert Wilson saw deeper looks.
• Samaje Perine looks like the Redskins' best back, but he didn't help his cause by fumbling a pitch that he luckily kicked out of bounds. Chris Thompson predictably regressed on his seven touches.
• What a monstrous beat if you had the Redskins plus seven.