Talks about playoffs have ended at 3-8
ASHBURN – The Redskins finally reached a conclusion many came to weeks ago. They’re done. So nobody talked about going on a winning streak, somehow jumping back into a playoff race that never really included them.
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At 3-8, they tossed out one P word for another: pride. That’s what’s left.
And five games still remain.
“We’re not trying to create any fantasy that’s not there,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said. “We know what the real situation is for us.”
OK, so the season isn’t over. And this group hasn’t quit. But the real situation is that they now have nine players on injured reserve; their top running back is still sidelined; their line is struggling to protect the passer. And they’re coming off their second straight late-game defeat.
Had they defeated Dallas and Philadelphia — and both games were winnable — then talk of a late-season surge would have dominated the discussion.
Instead, two heart-wrenching losses occurred.
“All I can do is try and stay positive,” Redskins running back Rock Cartwright said, “and make sure guys aren’t having secret conversations.”
In other words, making sure problems don’t spread through word of mouth.
It’s been that type of season. But what they want to make sure is that they continue to give the same sort of effort that was evident the past three games, when they beat Denver and almost pulled off road upsets.
“I’ll call for them to dig down deep,” Zorn said. “They’ve been doing that all year. I’m proud of the way they’ve played. They’ve hurt after every loss. It’s not the type of thing where we come in after every game and take showers and leave. It hurts. It hurts the coaches. It hurts ownership. The fans. There’s nothing good about the end result.”
The final five games, instead of it being for a playoff push, is all about the fate of players, coaches and even the front office. It’s become a bit of a tradition under owner Dan Snyder, now with eight non-winning seasons among his 11 as owner. He’s had more full-time head coaches (five) than playoff appearances (three).
The Redskins now speak of minor victories, like hanging together during a stressful season.
“We have a great group of guys here,” Cartwright said. “Guys are still competing. That’s what we’re going to continue to do for the next five weeks until the season is over.”
Washington has lost six games by eight points or less. The Redskins have been outscored 59-44 in the fourth quarter, including 18-3 the past two weeks. But they don’t have time for what-ifs.
“That’s good maybe around the lunch table,” Zorn said. “But it’s not very good in the planning stage. There’s not enough time to lament on what could have been.”
But they can express displeasure with allowing Philadelphia to drive 90 yards for a game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion, followed by a 66-yard game-winning field goal drive.
“You can’t do that,” linebacker London Fletcher said. “You can’t allow that.”
But they have. They haven’t made the big plays in the big moments to win more games.
And they still have five remaining.
