Keim: FedEx Field atmosphere 'felt like a third preseason game'

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Photo credit Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

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The Redskins not only lost their home opener on Sunday to the Colts, but also saw their 50-year sellout streak come to an end, and longtime beat reporter John Keim was stunned by the atmosphere, or lack thereof, at FedEx Field.

"I've covered this team a long time, I don't think I've seen anything like that for a home opener," Keim told the Junkies Monday. "Honestly, it felt like a third preseason game in terms of atmosphere. Or a December game where you're 6-8."

"It was shocking. Now, to me the fan base is still a passionate one. I'm not gonna put this on them. I'm putting this on the organization because they've created a situation where people don't want to go to the games, and that's on them." 

The team announced the paid attendance on Sunday was 57,013, well below FedEx Field's 82,000-seat capacity.

Attendance today: 57,013. Home opener. Organization has a lot of work to do.

— John Keim (@john_keim) September 16, 2018

Despite the organization's efforts to improve the gameday experience at the stadium, many fans decided to stay home, and it speaks volumes that so many did after such a dominating win at Arizona in Week 1. 

"After a while, I'm guessing this fan base wants to say, well you want a team that you think is gonna win 11 games," Keim said. "It hasn't happened enough in the last 20 years where you go in there thinking, hey this team has a shot for 11 or 12 wins. And typically when they've had that shot, they've won like three or four."

"I can't speak to why fans don't go because I'm not one of them, and I'm not the one who has to plunk down the money, but I do think there has to be a lot done to get these people back."

See a decent number of blue in the stands behind the colts bench. Late arriving crowd in some spots pic.twitter.com/7HvUKoWGk4

— John Keim (@john_keim) September 16, 2018

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