[sportscurmudgeon]

Just got back from Europe and just finished watching yesterday's heartbreaker. Comments:

1. Betts was out of bounds on the KO return. Bad call by refs but not enough visual evidence on tape to overturn.

2. Alstott was not in the end zone on the conversion. Bad call by refs but not enough visual evidence on tape to overturn.

3. Someone said we all "know the league hates Snyder" and has encouraged the refs to skew calls away from the Skins. I'll believe that next week when the Raiders are here. Here's what everyone knows: Tagliabue - and Rozelle before him - would like to have had Al Davis tarred and feathered. Now if the refs give a bunch of blatantly bad calls to the Raiders over the Skins, I'll start to believe - though it will still not be 100% - that there is a league-wide conspiracy out there.

4. Carlos Rogers has a LOT to learn about playing CB in the NFL. Trouble is that he won't learn it on the bench.

5. Arrington was "in the air" trying to slam Alstott on both of Alstott's TDs in addition to the 2-point conversion. It didn't work any of the three times.

6. Portis shredded a defense that is VERY good yesterday.

7. Derrick Dockery has not improved enough to convince me that he is a good starting offensive lineman in the NFL.

8. Damn, but Marcus Washington is a good linebacker!

9. Either Derrick Brooks was playing hurt yesterday or he has lost about a step and a half.

10. Cadillac Willliams looked like a Hyundai yesterday.