EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — This is the time the Redskins have been waiting for, a time when their confidence equated to solid play and wins, a time when they could point to the field and proclaim what could be done in the future.
Which is what they did after Sunday’s 23-10 win over the New York Giants. The Redskins (5-9) dominated a team playing to hang on to first place in the NFC East — on the road no less. It was their most complete game of the season — since the last time they played the Giants (7-7) and beat them 28-14 in the season opener. Washington swept the series for the first time since 1999.
Recommended Stories
It featured a quarterback in Rex Grossman who, thanks to his defense, threw two interceptions in the first quarter and didn’t have it hurt him. And then after his second interception in the first quarter, Grossman played well, posting a 112.6 passer rating from that point forward. He did this without a great running game (3.1 yards a carry), but it was a committed one (40 carries).
It featured a defense that held the high-scoring Giants (23.9 points a game) to a combined 24 points in two games this season. Coach Mike Shanahan called it the Redskins’ best defensive game of the season.
“They had a lot at stake, and we obviously didn’t,” he said.
It also featured a team that hasn’t wavered in its belief that it’s headed in the right direction, tough as it is to see sometimes.
“If we played like this throughout the season we’d be playing for a division title,” Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “Obviously that’s not the case, but let’s go out and finish strong and get ready for the future.”
| Examiner Coverage |
|
|
The playoff dream, such as it was, died a week ago. So now the Redskins’ only hope is to build for the future. That includes an offseason spent acquiring more talent via free agency and the draft. It also includes winning more games, allowing the current players to maintain their belief in coach Mike Shanahan’s program.
That’s a lot to take from one win, and if the Redskins lose their next two, games like this won’t matter much. But they’ve shown they can overcome heavy losses on offense, with only six players remaining from the intended starting lineup this season. Yet they’ve played better the past five weeks offensively with four games of at least 20 points. It’s not a great stretch, but it’s still the best in Shanahan’s 30 games with Washington.
That’s why Barry Cofield said of the win, “I don’t think it’s out of nowhere. We’ve been competitive the past four weeks.”
The Redskins got it done Sunday as Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring toss to Santana Moss in the second quarter for a 10-0 lead.
“A lot of people put a lot on Rex when he [throws interceptions] because he does it. It’s been often,” Moss said. “We forget about it because we know at the end of the day he’s giving us an opportunity.”
Then fullback Darrel Young scored from 6 yards for a 17-0 edge — the Giants were fooled by the handoff, anticipating a run off the left edge.
Graham Gano added two field goals in the second half as the Redskins built a 23-3 lead.
“Other teams fold their tail and say it’s over,” Moss said. “They got plans. Not us.”
Said Cofield: “It’s sad to think if we could have played this way more often where we would be. We want to win out and set the tone for the offseason and come back and be the team we know we can be.”
