In recent years, the Washington Redskins have squandered opportunities in the first week of the season. They’ve turned the ball over. They’ve left points on the field, and they’ve been inconsistent. Jay Gruden, as a head coach, is 0-4 in season openers.
Or he was.
The oft-criticized leader of Washington football came into this Week 1 game with something to prove, as did his team. A vast majority of experts picked the Cardinals to get the win at home, brushing off the Redskins as an insignificant opponent. Insignificance, however, was what the Cardinals embodied for three and a half quarters, while the Redskins dominated their first game of the season.