The "Beltway Battle"

As the Redskins begin their preseason against the Baltimore Ravens, talk of the "Beltway Battle" has been nonstop. A pretty intimidating title for such a petty rivalry. In the history of the Washington Redskins, the two teams have only met 4 times in the preseason. Anyone remember what the results were? I would imagine only the die hards would have any clue. (For anyone wondering the lifetime preseason record against the Ravens is 2-2.) Hardly the magnitude of the Redskins true rivalry, the Dallas Cowboys. So why give so much attention to a game that barely matters? I'll give you two reasons why not to:

• Doesn't affect the record. Whether the Redskins win or lose tonight, the record remains untouched until they face off against the Giants on September 13th.



• Who is playing? Sure there will be some big names out on the field for a little while. But then we are stuck watching the practice squad for the rest of the game. Not exactly a true reflection of what's to come in the regular season...

So remember Redskins fans, it doesn't really matter what happens tonight. Sure it would be great to see the team play great and pull off a win, but September 13th is when things really count.