It’s hard to be confident in Redskins’ chances

The National Football League started its 2009 season Thursday night with Pittsburgh just getting past the Tennessee Titans.

Today and Monday night, the rest of the league will take to the first for their respective first games of the season.

As for the Washington Redskins, they will take their circus on the road this afternoon in East Rutherford, N.J., to face Eli Manning and the New York Giants.

The Redskins have already made one tremendous mistake this year by releasing rookie quarter-back Chase Daniels and keeping Todd Collins as their backup to Jason Campbell, who has no business acting like a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Daniels gave the Redskins a spark when he played during the preseason, something Campbell was unable to do.

Washington had a lot of trouble putting points on the board during the regular season and today will be no different.

The Giants have one of the best defenses in the league and Clinton Portis and the Red-skins' offensive line will play a huge role in the final outcome today in The Meadow-lands.

If the Redskins are able to run the football and Portis rushed for over 100 yards, they have a chance of beating the Giants.

It's no secret the Redskins' defensive backs have trouble not only defending at times, but when the ball hits them right in the hands they have even more trouble making the interception. However, Manning no longer has a great corps of receivers to throw to, so the Red-skins must stop the Giants' running game of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

If the duo of Jacobs and Bradshaw are able to run the football with any success today, that will give Manning the ability to try and put the ball in the air.

The Redskins could win today if they play the 'perfect' game. However, they have yet to do it during the preseason and nothing has yet to happen to make one think that they could do so in the regular season.

N.Y. Giants 24, Washington 13.

TODAY'S WINNERS: Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Houston, Minnesota, Carolina, Baltimore, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Seattle and Green Bay.

MONDAY NIGHT'S WINNERS: Buffalo and Oakland.

Jeff Christian is a freelance columnist and he appears each Sunday in the News & Messenger. He can be reached at .