Joe Gibbs worried over Chicago kick returner Devin Hester. Jason Campbell discussed the Bears defense. Randy Thomas deflected questions over whether he would play.
Football questions finally returned after a week dominated by the tragedy of Redskins safety Sean Taylor’s death. Laughter filled the locker room once more. The injury report was a popular topic.
The Redskins seemed to have made the turn to football once more.
“You’ve got to put it behind you and continue on,” said Clinton Portis, whose locker adjoins Taylor’s Plexiglas-sealed stall.
Said Santana Moss: “It felt normal.”
Fans worried over the team’s readiness after Taylor was buried Monday in Miami, but the Redskins never wavered over postponing tonight’s Bears game at FedEx Field. It is the shortest of weeks after the longest of days, but the midweek meeting now seems more of a blessing than a burden.
The Redskins (5-7) must win their final four games to make the playoffs. After four straight losses, it seems a daunting task. And yet, the games aren’t meaningless. They’ll help the team and fans move on from the darkest days of the franchise.
“It’s going to be tough, but we’ve been enduring tough times all year long. It’s just another obstacle,” Portis said. “At some point in time, we’ve got to get a break. Last week was probably one of the toughest weeks you’ll ever have in football.”
The NFL is more regimented than the military. Every day has its pattern and anything other than a Sunday game disrupts the rhythm. Yet, that’s a good thing this week. No one has much time to think of Taylor. Maybe this weekend when the team finally gets a break after a grueling 11-day stretch, but football fills the hours for now. Indeed, Gibbs joked of coaches barely sleeping while trying to create a Bears gameplan.
Forget the playoffs in January. The Redskins are in an elimination round rightnow. One more loss probably ends their postseason chances. Two defeats means a losing season. Anything less means a 1-7 or 0-8 finish after a 5-3 start.
Who let Norv Turner back in the building?
The Redskins have a little more perspective over the importance of winning and losing. Nothing like someone’s death to prove family and friends are the most important things in life.
But the Redskins would like to salvage the season. Cries of “win it for Sean” ended when losing to Buffalo on Sunday, but the team is looking for some pride. It’s a chance to keep a roster and coaching staff together for next season that was pretty close to being a playoff team if not for many injuries and a lot of bad luck.
Win a few over the final month and everybody returns in 2008. Tank it and who knows what happens over the offseason.
The Redskins are playing for the future. Fortunately, they’ve moved on from the past.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
