The Washington Redskins officially are a desperate team.
Desperate to beat the New York Giants on Dec. 5. Fading in the NFC East race with five games remaining and a roster so depleted they’re down to using newly signed players, the Redskins have no juice left. Neither did the fans at FedEx Field on Sunday. Collectively they couldn’t muster the energy to blow out a candle.
Landover was a dead zone. The Redskins had no running game and few big plays. Injuries and illness have beaten the roster into submission.
“Bottom line is you get it done or you don’t,” coach Mike Shanahan said.
They didn’t. The Redskins fell to 5-6 after losing to the Minnesota Vikings 17-13. The capper: allowing a 41-year-old Brett Favre to run 10 yards for a first down to seal the game. The aging relic hadn’t run that far in two seasons with the Vikings.
Washington’s postseason dreams are as faint as a ghost’s whisper. They need to sweep the final month, and Joe Gibbs already performed that miracle twice in the past five years. That means beating the Giants twice plus contenders Tampa Bay and Jacksonville — not to mention resurgent Dallas. It’s not happening.
These aren’t the rock bottom days of the late 1990s. It’s a mediocre team in a so-so season that’s stumbling to remain relevant. The Redskins are looking much like the 7-9 or 8-8 team many suspected they would be during preseason.
“We’re trying,” receiver Santana Moss said. “We’re just not trying hard enough.”
Trying just a little harder would have been enough. Washington might have escaped if not for a return touchdown negated by a penalty away from the play. Two late offensive series ended in field goals instead of touchdowns. Just one would have forced overtime. Two would have earned the win.
Minnesota was vulnerable, entering with an interim coach in charge of a 3-7 team that reached the NFC Championship last season. Brett Favre had thrown 17 interceptions — already 10 more than last season — entering Sunday. Running back Adrian Peterson was injured in the second quarter.
The Redskins couldn’t have asked for any more breaks. But then again, they were having their own problems. Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth came down sick before the game and played sparingly. Cornerback Carlos Rogers injured his one good leg. Running back Keiland Williams and newcomer James Davis generated just 16 yards on nine carries before Washington abandoned the run game completely.
What’s so baffling is Washington opened with its best drive of the season — a thing of beauty over 83 yards for a 7-0 lead. Six different players touched the ball. Brandon Banks took snaps out of the Wildcat twice. Donovan McNabb completed all eight passes.
And then it vanished like so many other times this season. That’s the tease of this team — good enough to make you believe in them, bad enough to dash your hopes.
Maybe the Redskins are simply a season away from contending. Maybe not. That’s always the siren’s song of Raljon.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
