REDSKINS ROMP IN MCNABB’S DEBUT

Sure, it’s only the first game of the preseason but when you’re off a year as bad as the Washington Redskins had in 2009 you take the positive wherever you can.  On Friday night, the Redskins got the Donovan McNabb/Mike Shanahan era off to a good start with a 42-17 blowout victory over the Buffalo Bills.   Washington spotted Buffalo a 3-0 lead before McNabb scored his first touchdown in a Redskins uniform to give his new team a lead they never relinquished.  The Skins would go on to score five unanswered touchdown and build a 35-3 lead before the Bills tacked on some points in ‘garbage time’ to make the final score somewhat more respectable.

NFL betting enthusiasts easily cashed their tickets on Washington who obliterated the pointspread as -4’ point home favorites.  Historically, the Redskins have been a lackluster preseason favorite entering this game with a record of 20-24 ATS in that role since 1990.  Buffalo slipped to 27-23 ATS as a preseason underdog in that same timeframe.  The 59 combined points scored sailed OVER the posted total of 34.  The 42 points scored by the Redskins was their most in a preseason game since 1988.

McNabb finished 5 for 8 for 54 yards and a touchdown pass in two series on Friday night.  He talked about his first action in a Washington Redskins uniform after a long run in Philadelphia:

"When you play your first game, obviously, with a new ballclub, it takes you back to the first game you played. Your adrenaline is high, and you have to settle down a little bit. The second time we went out, after our first drive, it led to us putting up some points."

After the game, his coach Mike Shanahan was pleased at what he saw:

"It was a good first game and hopefully we can build from here."

The Bills’ new coach, Chan Gailey, could only take solace in the fact that come September the result of this game won’t matter:

“Thank goodness it's preseason. When we get to early September, it's going to be 0-0 on the win-loss column and thank goodness for that. But we've got to find who can do what in these next three ballgames and get ourselves ready for that first one."

Washington will be at home once again in their next preseason contest, hosting their regional rivals the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.  Buffalo will need to regroup quickly, as they’ll host the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday.  The Redskins open the regular season at home on Sunday night, September 12th against the hated Dallas Cowboys.  Washington is a +3’ point home underdog with the total set at 41.  Buffalo will open the 2010 campaign earlier that day at home against Miami with the Bills a +3 home underdog and the total set at 37’.