The Line on Today's Game

It is always interesting to check out the line on the day's games. It is especially interesting to check out the line called by the opposing team's newspaper. Building on this observation, it is a treat that the Redskins play the Giants twice a year as the opposing team's newspaper is the New York Times, which staffs its sports section well and outsources its line to Football Outsiders, which is a fountain of statistics, creative thinking and irreverence.

Today's best offbeat creative NYT line blurb is re: the Colts:

...without the Dungy touch, the Colts' elegant game plans may look less like Piet Mondrian masterpieces and more like a bunch of rectangles.

As an art fan, I love that.

Also from the same line piece is this gem on the 4pm Redskins/Giants matchup:

The Giants clamped a 60-minute headlock on the Redskins in last year’s opener, allowing just 209 net yards and 11 first downs in a 16-7 victory. The win touched off an 11-1 start for the Giants while introducing fans to the grinding tedium of the Redskins offense. If the preseason is any indication, Jim Zorn’s offense still dares to be dull. Washington’s scheme is an oil-and-water mix of West Coast offense short passing (as implemented by Zorn) and 1970s-era power running tactics (as preferred by the offensive assistant Joe Bugel). The results combine the worst of both worlds: 3-yard Clinton Portis runs off tackle; 4-yard dump-offs by Jason Campbell on third-and-8.

The Redskins’ hopes lie with their defense, bolstered by the free-agent tackle Albert Haynesworth (Dan Snyder’s annual belated Christmas present to himself) and the rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo. The newcomers join Andre Carter, London Fletcher and others to give the Redskins a front seven to rival the Giants’. The Redskins may lose this game the same way they lost last year’s, but they will also win a few 16-7 games this season.

That is the best summary of the current Redskins that I have read in the press. Let's hope that the Redskins pull a rabbit out of the hat. But the line is -6.5 Giants and that matches the outlook of everyone whom I have bumped into today in my neighborhood and at Rodman's.