Right tackle Jon Jansen, head down, sprinted as fast as a guy with one good leg could do, heading to the locker room ahead of everyone else. Defensive end Phillip Daniels slowly walked from the shower to his locker, took a deep breath, started to dress and then tried to make sense of the season.
The Redskins’ season has four games left. Yet in many ways it ended Sunday. And the players know it.
A week ago, even three hours earlier, the Redskins dreamed of a strong finish. After a 24-14 loss to visiting Atlanta (6-6) at FedEx Field, the Redskins now must deal with reality.
The harsh reality is this: They’re a bad team with a young quarterback and a woeful defense that allowed 256 yards rushing. At 4-8, it’s hard to call them anything else. They’re guaranteed of a non-winning season for the fifth time in six years.
“Never in my mind did I think we would be 4-8 with four games left,” Redskins guard Randy Thomas said. “Maybe the opposite. But it is what it is.”
And this is what it was: ugly. The Redskins blew a 14-0 lead to Atlanta. They managed to rush for 177 yards, yet couldn’t score on their final nine possessions. They had Atlanta pinned at its own 2-yard line in the fourth quarter, trailing by 3, and allowed a 98-yard drive.
“This is a game we definitely needed,” Daniels said. “To let it slip is bad.”
A week ago, the Redskins were in a near state of disrepair, with articles portraying some of the mess, using anonymous quotes. Players admitted they needed to win last week to prevent an avalanche of negativity.
“It’s been known to happen, but we have great character,” Daniels said. “We’re the type of guys who stay together. We just have to keep playing. There’s no need to point fingers; a lot of these guys will be back. We have to finish strong.”
Campbell’s inexperience proved costly. He couldn’t handle Atlanta’s blitzes; he missed open receivers — not even throwing their way.
“He played like a young quarterback today,” Redskins associate head coach/offense Al Saunders said.
And another season will wind down with the main goal of creating momentum for next season. The playoffs are not mathematically out, but only the most optimistic could foresee such a run.
“It still hasn’t sunk in for me yet,” Thomas said. “I don’t want it to end.”
That’s because when it does end, Thomas knows what this season will become: a grave disappointment. They’re now hoping they can lay a foundation for 2007.
“We have stuff we believe in,” Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. “When we stick with it, we can win.”
