The Washington Redskins were impressive in their 28-14 win over the Giants yesterday, which put them atop the NFC East (alongside the Eagles). Granted, it's only one game — with 15 more to go — but it's never too early for talk of making the playoffs or even having an undefeated season.

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No celebration would be complete without some overreaching from local sports pundits. Let's start with the Examiner's Rick Snyder, who makes a point of saying, "This isn't a Super Bowl team," as if that thought were on anyone's mind.

A 1-0 start usually means nothing, but beating an NFC East team that routinely has abused Washington in past years means everything. If Washington can beat a lackluster Arizona team Sunday at FedEx, a 2-0 start may have the kind of bandwagon impact that would derail those crazed predictions of 2-14 by Sports Illustrated and 3-13 via ESPN.

Of course, half the NFL won in week one, statistically speaking, so the Redskins are tied with 14 teams for the best record in the league. This time last year, the Redskins were also 1-0 after beating the Cowboys, and we all know how the 2010 season turned out. Beating a weak Giants team at FedEx Field — where New York squeaked by the 'Skins, 17-14, last year — says less about the home team than it does Eli "I love throwing into triple coverage" Manning.

Now that the Giants have been declared dead, however prematurely, can we expect a playoff push from the 'Skins this December? The Post's Thomas Boswell writes,

The pundits predicted that they would win only three or four games with the likes of Grossman at quarterback, but they have already beaten the Giants, who were 10-6 last year. Can 5 million people take a cold shower simultaneously and vow not to mention the word 'playoffs'?

The irony here is that no one had mentioned the playoffs until Boswell himself did. Maybe he's the one who needs a cold shower?

Nonetheless, yesterday's performance was encouraging. The players are speaking with confidence, and they're refusing to take days off. It's hard not to feel a little excited about the team's prospects, especially given the experts' predictions. But we're going to take a deep breath, then check back in on this subject at the halfway mark.

Of course, not everyone was so optimistic: