They’ve dealt with tragedy and injuries, prompting many to wonder how much the Redskins could take. And how much they had left. But to watch their defense smother Eli Manning … and to watch Clinton Portis burst through openings created by former backups … and to watch Todd Collins connect on key throws, there’s one conclusion to draw.
They have a lot left.
Washington remained very alive in the playoff race heading into the final two weeks thanks to a 22-10 win over the New York Giants (9-5) last night.
‘’Keep fighting,’’ running back Clinton Portis said as he exited his postgame press conference. ‘’That’s all we’ve got to do.’’
The Redskins (7-7) are a half-game behind Minnesota for the final wild card spot. However, New Orleans, also 7-7, would win the tiebreaker over Washington if both teams win their final two games.
That the Redskins are even in this position is somewhat astonishing, given what they’ve endured over the past month. Sean Taylor’s death tested them as much as anything, but they’ve also dealt with numerous injuries. Sunday night, the locker room was as buoyant as ever, with corner Fred Smoot’s voice heard over all else. Just like old times.
‘’It’s like a family,’’ reserve end Demetric Evans said. ‘’A family loses a loved one, they come closer together and that’s what we’ve done here.’’
Said Portis, ‘’It was a matter of time before the tables turned. Hopefully they’ve turned.’’
By game’s end last night, four players who were reserves only a month ago, were playing key minutes defensively.
It helped that the offensive line, led by tackles Stephon Heyer and Chris Samuels, contained a fierce New York pass rush, holding the Giants to two sacks. Portis enjoyed his second game at the Meadowlands this year. Earlier this year against the Jets, he rushed for 197 yards. Last night, he gained 126.
‘’Running the ball helped quite a bit,’’ Heyer said. ‘’It dictated to them what we wanted to do.’’
The Redskins essentially pulled away on their first drive of the second half, capped by Portis’ five-yard run over the right side for a 22-3 lead.
The Giants rallied with a touchdown, but missed a 38-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
‘’That was the biggest play in the game,’’ Redskins end Phillip Daniels said. ‘’That hurt them a lot.’’
Playing in swirling winds – and in front of many empty seats – the Redskins took control in the first half with its defense and big-play offense. Quarterback Collins completed just four of 18 passes in the first half for 105 yards.
But consecutive tosses for 36 and 30 yards, respectively, set up a 31-yard Shaun Suisham field goal in the second quarter. And a 34-yard toss to Santana Moss helped set up Ladell Betts’ bullish 14-yard run on third and nine for a 13-0 lead.
The defense, meanwhile, made life difficult for Giants quarterback Manning. The safeties excelled at changing their alignments at the last second, or after the snap. Manning had no luck finding open receivers. And those he did often dropped his passes.
