Late win streaks helped Redskins make playoffs twice in last five years
ASHBURN – They were finished, and few argued otherwise. One year they dropped a home game to lowly Oakland in late November, followed by a crushing overtime defeat. The Redskins were done.
Then they won five straight and made the playoffs.
Two years later, Sean Taylor died, the starting quarterback got hurt and their record was 5-7.
They won four straight and made the playoffs.
So if the Redskins, 5-6 after Sunday’s 17-13 loss to Minnesota, need a blueprint as to how to finish strong, they only need to check the recent past. Considering six players remain from the 2005 team that won five straight and 16 were on the ’07 team that won four in a row, they don’t have to go far to learn how it’s done.
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» Strong safety LaRon Landry remains in a walking boot, and coach Mike Shanahan said he’s not sure when the boot will be removed. Landry missed his second straight game because of an Achilles injury. Shanahan isn’t sure if or when Landry will play again. The fear is that Landry could rupture his Achilles by playing. That leads to uncertainty over his return. “Your guess is as good as mine,” Shanahan said. Running back Ryan Torain, who missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury, hasn’t yet gone full speed. It’s uncertain whether he’ll practice Wednesday. » Guard Artis Hicks left Sunday’s game because he was having issues with his thigh and groin, which kept him out of the previous game. Meanwhile, corner Carlos Rogers said his latest hamstring injury is not as severe as the one that kept him out for a week. Rogers left the Vikings loss in the second half after tweaking his other hamstring. |
“It happened before, and we have pretty much some of the same players,” Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers said. “We still can get it done. Even the games we lose we’re still in there. We just have to learn how to close out games. We know we’re capable of doing it.”
As in those seasons, another loss would derail any sort of playoff chance. The playoffs could be out of reach anyway for a team that has lost three of its last four.
Then again, there may not be any carryover lessons.
“I don’t remember what we did differently,” said Redskins receiver Santana Moss, a member of both turnarounds. “When you’re in those situations, you’ve just got to go out and play. You can’t pinpoint what you did then and try to do it now because it don’t work that way.”
In those seasons, the Redskins relied on their running game and a strong defense to get on a roll. This season, the Redskins are still adjusting to a new scheme and rank 32nd on defense. Offensively, they’re also adapting to a new system and rank 21st. They’re 26th in rushing yards per game — and their best running back, Clinton Portis, is on injured reserve, while his backup, Ryan Torain, is nursing a hamstring injury. In 2005, three of their final five games came against teams that would win six games or less. It was tougher in 2007, but the emotion from Taylor’s death, plus inspired play by backup quarterback Todd Collins, prompted the run.
This season, they’re banged up and face four teams currently with winning records, starting Sunday at the New York Giants, and a fifth game in Dallas against a team that is playing much better.
All of which could put a damper on any legitimate talk of a hot streak. There’s also the fact that they trail seven NFC teams by two games.
“We’re at the point where it’s too many,” Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. “Too many things would have to happen for us to get in the playoffs. It’s definitely a long shot. Do we still have hope according to the numbers? Absolutely.”
There’s only one way to approach the final five games if they want to reach the postseason. And it’s a clich?. It’s what worked before.
“You can’t get caught up in five games,” Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. “Let’s focus on this next game and see what happens.”
