The Broncos loss stung. The defense just couldn't contain Tatum Bell, who sprung open for two long TD runs. The Skins made a go of it at the end but the missed FG opportunities made all the difference. What I don't understand is why, at the end of the first half, Gibbs chose to Hail Mary it instead of giving Novak a shot from 59 yards. His leg seemed strong enough on the 54 yarder (which was wiped out by Sellers' false start).

Tomorrow's game against the Chiefs is critical. If they can win, it'll be tremendous - they'll push their record to 4-1 with the Niners the following week. They could be 5-1 and exuding confidence when they enter the roughest part of their schedule -- facing the Giants, Eagles, and Bucs. On the other hand, if they end up losing to the Chiefs and are on a downward trend, it looks like trouble. Even given a win against the 49ers (which is no guarantee in this league), they'd be 4-2 but without the confidence boost and could potentially drop three in a row and be 4-5 in a very bad-case scenario. Then they face a troubled but talented Raiders team (with a vengeful Norv) having lost 4 of their last 5. The Skins really have to be at their best and prove that they can eliminate mistakes, force turnovers, and execute in all three phases.