That’s right! The Washington Redskins 2012 NFL schedule is out and all I can hope for is an epic fail of a year. I’m a New York Giants fan and of course who and where the Washington Redskins play is relevant to me. They owned us last season and it pains me to admit that. But that was then and this is now.
Looking at the Washington Redskins 2012 schedule I see about three games that I’m totally interested in:
SEPT. 09 @ New Orleans Saints:
Bounty-gate game numero uno. I hate both of these teams with a passion. But don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to tune in. The Washington Redskins may have RG III and I don’t know if he’s going to start, but there is no way I’m missing this game. The New York Giants will have already played and defeated the Dallas Cowboys so I’m locked in to this one. I have to scope out the competition don’t you know.
NOV. 04 vs. Carolina Panthers:
Dude, RG III (potentially) against Cam Newton. Who doesn’t want to see these two beasts going head to head?. Again, both of these teams are potential nemesis’ to my team but nonetheless this is has the makings for a very exciting game. If you play fantasy football and have either one of these guys on your team you could be in for mega points.
DEC. 03 vs. New York Giants: Duh! I’m a New York Giants fan. Of course this game means something to me. Not only is it against a divisional foe, it’s also on Monday Night Football. The world will be watching. All I want here is to watch my New York Giants pound the poo out of the Washington Redskins. I would’ve used a stronger word than poo but due to rules and whatnot I’m resigned to the word poo. Yeah, to say the least I’m all over this game.
In Closing
The NFC East is a brutal division. As much as I’d like to go on and crown my New York Giants as divisional champs, I will hold my tongue. On second thought, no I won’t. The New York Giants will once again be division champs. The Dallas Cowboys are going to be virtually the same as they were last year. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins are the two teams that I’m sweating the most.
Here’s an early prediction of how the NFC East will end up:
1. New York Giants (of course I’m biased)
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Dallas Cowboys (I wish I could put them as the #4)
4. Washington Redskins
2012 Washington Redskins Schedule
SEPT. 09 @ New Orleans Saints
SEPT. 16 @ St. Louis Rams
SEPT. 23 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
SEPT. 30 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OCT. 07 vs. Atlanta Falcons
OCT. 14 vs. Minnesota Vikings
OCT. 21 @ New York Giants
OCT. 28 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
NOV. 04 vs. Carolina Panthers
BYE
NOV. 18 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
NOV. 22 @ Dallas Cowboys
DEC. 03 vs. New York Giants
DEC. 09 vs. Baltimore Ravens
DEC. 16 @ Cleveland Browns
DEC. 23 @ Philadelphia Eagles
DEC. 30 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Dylan Davis is a hardcore New York Giants fan but always has his finger on the pulse of what goes on in the NFC East and the NFL. His football knowledge and knack for insight is unrivaled. Bow down and show some respect.
The 2012 NFL schedule for the Washington Redskins has just been released, with the team opening at the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 9. What follows are the top three storylines coming out of the schedule.
Difficult Schedule Overall
The Redskins will likely have one of the more difficult schedules of any team in the NFL in 2012. It features matchups not only against NFC East opponents in the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants, but also the Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens. The most difficult stretch will probably be from week 7 to 9, when the team plays at the Giants and Steelers, and then comes home to play against Cam Newton and the up and coming Panthers.
Thanksgiving with the Dallas Cowboys
One of the more interesting games to watch for the Redskins in 2012 will be a Thanksgiving Day matchup against their division rival Dallas Cowboys. It is not known yet whether the Redskins will get Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, but in any case I would expect either to be starting by the time the team heads off to face the Cowboys, if not sooner. Washington’s defense will need to step it up against Romo and the Cowboys, who will have a lot of pressure on them to make it into the playoffs after a disappointing 8-8 season last year.
Featured Matchup: Baltimore Ravens Week 14
The Redskins will be hosting the Ravens in what will likely be an exciting matchup to watch, given how close the teams are located to one another. Not only will the Redskins have to figure out a way to stop Joe Flacco and Ray Rice on the defensive side of the ball, but also how to score enough points against a Ravens defense that will likely be among the best in the NFL again in 2012.
Washington Redskins 2012 Schedule
1 – at New Orleans Saints September 9
2 – at St. Louis Rams September 16
3 – vs. Cincinnati Bengals September 23
4 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers September 30
5 – vs. Atlanta Falcons October 7
6 – vs. Minnesota Vikings October 14
7 – at New York Giants October 21
8 – at Pittsburgh Steelers October 28
9 – vs. Carolina Panthers November 4
10 – Bye
11 – vs. Philadelphia Eagles November 18
12 – at Dallas Cowboys November 22
13 – vs. New York Giants December 3
14 – vs. Baltimore Ravens December 9
15 – at Cleveland Browns December 16
16 – at Philadelphia Eagles December 22
17 – vs. Dallas Cowboys December 30
Ryan Kekoufski lives near the Redskins’ stadium and has been following the team for well over a decade. He covers sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and currently resides in Virginia.
If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.
The Washington Redskins have approximately $7.1 million in available salary cap space, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.
That figure includes the free agent additions made by the team this offseason. It also includes the $18 million salary cap reduction given to the Redskins by the NFL for the way the team structured players’ contracts during the sport’s season without a salary cap in 2010. The Redskins were given a $36 million salary cap reduction over two years, at least half of which must be absorbed this season.
The Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, who were given a $10 million reduction over two years, are challenging their salary cap subtractions in a case before arbitrator Stephen Burbank.
Coach Mike Shanahan said last week at the annual league meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., that the Redskins want to re-sign free agent linebacker London Fletcher. Shanahan also left open the possibility of the team making a move in free agency to fortify its offensive line. But the pace of free agent moves has slowed considerably league-wide as teams focus on their preparations for the NFL draft later this month.
Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.
Originally published March 27, 2012 at 8:24 PM | Page modified March 27, 2012 at 9:09 PM
Former Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that seeks compensation and medical care from the NFL for “repeated traumatic injuries to his head” he incurred during his playing career.
Rypien, 49, was a college standout at Washington State and played for five teams in 11 NFL seasons.
According to the suit, Rypien had multiple concussions and head injuries during his pro career and suffers from “various neurological conditions and symptoms related to multiple head traumas.”
In the suit, which was filed March 23 in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Rypien and 126 other former pro players allege the league was aware of the dangers and risks of “repetitive traumatic brain injuries and concussions for decades, but deliberately ignored and actively concealed” the information, court documents say.
Theirs is the latest in a rising number of concussion- and head trauma-related class-action suits leveled against the NFL by former players. The league is facing about a half-dozen class-action suits and “many more” multiaction suits from an estimated 1,000 former players, according to Gene Locks of the Locks Law Firm in Philadelphia.
Locks’ firm is representing more than 600 former players, including Rypien, in class-action suits.
“We think the league delayed, didn’t do a competent job of monitoring, and in many cases disregarded what it knew about concussions,” Locks said in an interview Tuesday. “It’s a sad commentary.”
Owners approve
salary-cap reductions
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Team owners ratified the agreement between the league and players’ union that takes away $36 million in salary-cap space from Washington and $10 million from the Dallas Cowboys.
Other than Washington and Dallas, no team voted to oppose the agreement, which raised the salary cap for 2012 from about $113 million to $120.6 million. Washington and the Cowboys sought arbitration, which will be conducted by University of Pennsylvania professor Stephen Burbank.
Both teams were penalized for overloading contracts in the 2010 uncapped season despite league warnings not to do so. Each team must take at least half the reduction this year.
The Cowboys will play in the season opener Sept. 5, visiting the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. That game will be on a Wednesday night because President Obama is scheduled to address the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 6.
“Who cares who we are playing, hosting the game is all that’s important,” said a joking Giants owner John Mara, knowing well the champion hosts the kickoff to the next season. “It’s exciting. They’re one of our big rivals.”
Owners approved competition-committee recommendations for points of emphasis in the 2012 season, including blows to the head, horse-collar tackles and taunting.
Note
• The Minnesota Vikings re-signed linebacker Erin Henderson, 25, and signed ex-Chicago cornerback Zack Bowman, 27, both to one-year contracts.
In an unanimous vote, the NFL owners decided to move forward Tuesday with harsh salary cap penalties against both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.
According to NFL Network’s Albert Breer, the vote finished 29-0 in favor of a resolution to continue the arbitration case, with one NFL team abstaining from the vote and the Cowboys and Redskins obviously not taking part. The league will now move forward with the sanctions.
The NFL is docking the Redskins $36 million and the Cowboys $10 million for illegally front-loading contracts during the league’s uncapped year of 2010. The teams are allowed to either take the hit all in 2012 or spread out the penalties over the next two years.
Both teams are currently in the process of filing grievances against the penalties, which made the vote necessary to continue forward.
The two teams will still get a chance to fight their case, but this resolution’s definitive vote only proves the kind of league-wide support that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had when he handed down one of the most severe salary cap penalties in NFL history.
It seemed unlikely that any owner would vote against the resolution.
Owners obviously had a clear incentive to move forward with heavy sanctions against the two teams for both competitive and salary cap reasons, as the Cowboys and Redskins remain cap strapped in 2012 and ’13 and the 30 other teams received $1.6 million in salary cap budget to balance the process.
For the Cowboys and Redskins, this represents only one bump in the road during their legal battle to retain the $46 million. Don’t expect this story to die down any time soon, and it’s likely to get even more ugly before a final verdict is reached, which may end up taking place in a federal court.
When NFL penalized the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins for seeking a competitive advantage by front-loading contracts during the 2010 season, when no salary cap was in place. They took $36 million of cap space from the Redskins and $10 million from the Cowboys as a penalty.
Did the NFL really think that both teams would sit by and do nothing?
Well, if they did they were wrong and now the leagues two most valuable franchises have come together to fight the NFL on this penalty. They filled a complaint against both the league as well as the National Football League Players Association with the hopes of getting the NFL to reverse the ruling.
At first, it seems like an unlikely combination but when it comes to protecting their franchises the Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and the Cowboysboss Jerry Jones are dangerous allies. Truth be told, both Jones and Snyder are good friends and fighting together against the league is something that other owners should fear.
As the NFL owners meetings begin today in Miami there will be plenty of behind closed doors conversations on how best to handle the complaint put forth by the Redskins and the Cowboys.
The complaint will be heard by federal arbitrator Stephen Burbank and both sides will be able to plead their case on the issue. In cases like this one both sides agree that the arbiter’s decision will be final and thus avoid a court battle.
The key point of contention between the two sides is that in 2010 the NFL contends that they warned teams not to dump salaries or to front load contracts during the uncapped year to take advantage of the lack of a salary cap while a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was being worked out with the National football League Players Association.
Will the Cowboys and the Redskins win the case?
Will the Cowboys and the Redskins win the case?
Yes
No
The league’s anti-salary-dumping and no front-loading policy was never put into writing.
In separate statements both teams deny any wrong doing.
“The Washington Redskins have received no written documentation from the NFL concerning adjustments to the team salary cap in 2012 as reported in various media outlets,” Redskins GM Bruce Allen said. “Every contract entered into by the club during the applicable periods complied with the 2010 and 2011 collective bargaining agreements and, in fact, were approved by the NFL commissioner’s office. We look forward to free agency, the draft and the coming football season.”
“The Dallas Cowboys were in compliance with all league salary cap rules during the uncapped year. We look forward to the start of the free agency period where our commitment to improving our team remains unchanged.” The Cowboys declared in their official statement to the press.
It really is uncertain at this point who will prevail the NFL or the duo of Jones and Snyder. But one thing is for certain and that is the process should be fun to follow.
The Washington Redskins are strongly considering arbitration to challenge the $36 million salary cap hit imposed on them by the NFL, according to three people with knowledge of the situation.
Two of those people said Monday they thought the Redskins were likely to file soon. The other said there had been discussions about the case being headed to arbitration. The Dallas Cowboys could join the Redskins in bringing the case before University of Pennsylvania law professor Stephen Burbank, the sport’s arbitrator, one person said.
The Redskins, the Cowboys and the NFL declined to comment publicly on the case.
Original post:
Is the Washington Redskins salary cap case headed to arbitration?
A person with knowledge of the case said there have been discussions about using an arbitration provision of the league’s collective bargaining agreement to challenge the penalty imposed by the NFL. The league took away $36 million in cap space over two years from the Redskins, and $10 million over two years from the Dallas Cowboys, for the way they structured player contracts in 2010, when the league had no salary cap.
The Redskins and the NFL declined to comment. People familiar with the case have said the Redskins have been considering their options in response to last week’s ruling by the league.
People with knowledge of the case have said the Redskins might contest the league’s ruling, either via an appeal or a legal challenge. The Redskins have not said what, if anything, they will do, and one person familiar with the case said last week that the Cowboys were unlikely to join the Redskins in a legal challenge.
Both teams have denied wrongdoing.
It is not clear, however, whether the Cowboys would join the Redskins in a proceeding before an arbitrator, which might generate less animosity among other team owners than a full-scale court challenge.
The sport’s labor agreement says that any club may bring a proceeding before the sport’s “system arbitrator” alleging a violation of those articles of the labor deal that governs the salary cap. Such a proceeding also could be initiated by the league, a player or the NFL Players Association.
Under the labor deal, the burden of proof would be on the team that initiaties the complaint. The arbitrator can award damages or provide injunctive relief, and his decision can be appealed to an appeals panel.
One person with knowledge of the case said it could end up before Stephen Burbank, the University of Pennsylvania law professor who was known as the sport’s special master when previous labor agreements were under the jurisdiction of a federal court in Minneapolis.
According to people familiar with the case, the Redskins technically violated no salary cap rules. But the league concluded that the team structured contracts during the uncapped year in 2010 to gain an unfair competitive advantage when the salary cap returned in later years. The Redskins paid millions of dollars to players during the year without a salary cap that otherwise would have been paid in seasons with a salary cap to give themselves extra cap space when the cap went back into effect.
The Redskins must absorb at least half the $36 million salary cap hit this season, people familiar with the case have said.
The players’ union reluctantly agreed to the salary cap reductions given to the Redskins and Cowboys, a person familiar with the union’s thinking on the matter said last week.
Read More: LeSean McCoy (RB – PHI), Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy did not discuss the severity of the ankle injury he suffered Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys, but he strongly indicated that he would not be available on Sunday during the Eagles’ season finale against the Washington Redskins.
Just 123 yards away from breaking the team’s rushing record of 1,512 yards set by Wilbert Montgomery in 1979, McCoy acted like a man who feared he would not get a chance at history.
“Montgomery, he’s probably smiling right now,” McCoy said. “I’ll get it next year – hopefully.”
McCoy rushed for 35 yards on 13 carries against the Cowboys, hurting himself early in the fourth quarter. If McCoy cannot play Sunday against the Redskins, Ronnie Brown would likely receive the majority of carries.
The Eagles don’t have much reason to rush McCoy back from injury, since the team has been eliminated from the playoffs.
For more Philadelphia Eagles coverage, visit our team page or our blog Bleeding Green Nation.
In Week 17, the Redskins (5-10) head to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Eagles (7-8).
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Dec 26, 2011 – The Washington Redskins (5-10) finish their season this Sunday, Jan. 1, when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles (7-8) at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is set for 1 PM Eastern on FOX.
In the first meeting between the teams during the 2011 season, Philadelphia prevailed, 20-13. That defeat sent the Redskins’ season spinning out of control, as it was the first of six straight for Washington. Rex Grossman threw four interceptions, prompting coach Mike Shanahan to pull him in favor of John Beck, who went on to start Washington’s next three games before Shanahan elected to go with Grossman again.
The Redskins lost their most recent game on Saturday, 33-26, against the Minnesota Vikings, ending Minnesota’s six-game losing streak. They had no answer for backup quarterback Joe Webb, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The defeat wasted solid performances from Grossman (26-of-41 passing, 284 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) and running back Evan Royster (19 carries, 132 yards).
Meanwhile, the Eagles cruised to a 20-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo injured his right hand on Dallas’ first drive of the game, forcing Stephen McGee to fill in. Only a touchdown pass from McGee to Miles Austin with seven seconds remaining in the game, and the blocked punt that led to Dallas gaining possession, prevented the Eagles from pitching a shutout. Philly has won three straight games and will look to end its season on a high note following a 1-4 start.
For more on the Redskins, please visit Hogs Haven, SB Nation’s Redskins blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Philly and Bleeding Green Nation, SB Nation’s Eagles blog.
Read More: Rex Grossman (QB – WAS), Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles, Jan 1, 2012 1:00 PM EST
[unable to retrieve full-text content]J.J. SMITH The Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys franchises aren’t poor, but they don’t have much to be proud of these days either.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — If the New York Giants miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the Washington Redskins to blame.
Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.
“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6) in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.
“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more – quality execution – and we didn’t get that.”
Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing the Giants for the second time this season.
Grossman and the offense held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defense picked off Eli Manning three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.
“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.
Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.
“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”
The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the division.
The Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.
“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.
Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.
Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss , Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and Graham Gano kicked three field goals.
Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.
“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent weeks.
This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing some unbelievably bad games with the postseason on the line.
This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.
Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention.
Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.
Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from Donte’ Stallworth on a third-and-12 from the Giants 39.
Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide-open Moss on third-and-8.
If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after Oshiomogho Atogwe intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.
Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up Lawrence Tynes for a 40-yard field goal.
Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back. DeAngelo Hall made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard field goal for a 20-3 lead.
After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.
Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.
The Giants were their own worst enemy. Hakeem Nicks dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defense and had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.
That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — If you’re a Washington Redskins fan, you’re looking for reasons to feel good. With a third straight losing season assured and the playoffs unattainable, it’d be easy to get down about the state of your team. And if you’re team was playing the way, say, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing right now, you’d have every reason to be down.
But if you’re a Redskins fan and you watched your team punch a hole in the New York Giants’ playoff hopes with a 23-10 victory here Sunday, you can feel good about a number of things. You can feel good about your team’s heart, which is impossible to question after they and not the Giants played like the team that had postseason goals. You can feel real good about the fact that the Redskins have the best defense in the NFC East. And while that may be a little bit like being the tallest dwarf, it’s not a bad thing on which to build.
[+] Enlarge
Jim O’Connor/US PresswireThe Redskins were able to stop Eli Manning and the Giants for the second time this season.
“We’re building something that will last longer than this season,” said Redskins safety O.J. Atogwe, who signed with the Redskins as a free agent way back before the lockout hit. “We’re building something for the future, and it starts with games like these where everybody comes together and believes in each other to the point where we’re able to beat the best team in our division.”
Actually, because of what the Redskins did to the Giants here on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys are the first-place team in the NFC East. But it’s only by a game, and Atogwe’s point was made. The Redskins went 2-0 against the Giants this season, and they did so by accomplishing something no one else has been able to accomplish in 2011. They made life miserable for Eli Manning. There have been only three games this year in which Manning has not thrown at least one touchdown pass — the victory over the Bills and the two losses to the Redskins.
“It means a lot,” Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. “Last year, the Giants swept us. They’ve really been our nemesis around here for the last five years. But this year, so be able to sweep them, it means a lot.”
To the Redskins, it justifiably means progress. They used to roll over in the Giants games. Now, they don’t roll over for anyone. They are 5-9 in large part because of personnel deficiencies and a rash of injuries that would have shaken even a much deeper roster’s chances. But they have not quit on their season, and they seem to understand the value of playing hard to the wire and building on the dramatic advances they have made on defense over the past calendar year.
“I think it’s just our attitude,” defensive end Adam Carriker said. “We expect to do well now. Last year, the first year switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4, I don’t think we expected to perform well. Now, we believe we’re good and we expect to play like it. Even last week against New England, yeah we gave up [34] points, but that team ran the two-minute drill all game. So if nothing else, we proved to ourselves we were in shape.”
The Redskins are a remarkably positive 5-9 team, and the reason is because they can see and feel things getting better. There will be offseason work to do, of course, especially on the offensive side. But the work they did on the defense last offseason has shown up all year. As much as they struggled on offense during the short-lived John Beck era, as much as Rex Grossman has hurt them with turnovers, and as many guys as they’ve lost on offense to injury or suspension, the defense has been a reliable constant for the Redskins this season, and they are justifiably proud and encouraged by that.
“This is a team with character,” Atogwe said. “Regardless of where we are in the standings or what point of the season it is, we’re going to play with passion, we’re going to play with integrity and we’re going to play to win.”
If you’re a Redskins fan, you’ve got to feel good about that.
If the New York Giants miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the Washington Redskins to blame.
Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.
“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6) in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.
“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more — quality execution — and we didn’t get that.”
Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing the Giants for the second time this season.
Grossman and the offense held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defense picked off Eli Manning three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.
“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.
Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.
“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”
The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the division.
The Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.
“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.
Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.
Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss, Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and Graham Gano kicked three field goals.
Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.
“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent weeks.
This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing some unbelievably bad games with the postseason on the line.
This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.
Patriots defensive back Julian Edelman raised his arms after middle linebacker Jerod Mayo (51) made a game-ending interception against the Redskins last Sunday.
By:
NICK EILERSON
| The Washington Times
Published: December 18, 2011 Updated: December 18, 2011 – 12:00 AM
A quick glance at a stat sheet reveals a respectable Washington Redskins offense.
Rated 17th in the NFL in total offense, the Redskins boast the league’s 12th-ranked passing attack.
Rookie running back Roy Helu has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of the past three games. And the unit performed well last Sunday in a 34-27 loss to the New England Patriots.
Today, the Redskins (4-9) play at the New York Giants (7-6).
But there is a reason Redskins’ fans hold their breath every time they see the offense break from the huddle.
During a season full of shortcomings, the Redskins have been beset by turnovers.
Washington’s 30 turnovers trail only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ and Philadelphia Eagles’ 31 for the highest in the NFL. The Redskins’ minus-14 turnover ratio is worst in the league.
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan remains convinced his team’s record would be substantially better if it weren’t for its tendency to give the ball to the other team.
Shanahan pointed to four games as especially galling.
“You’re talking about the two Dallas games, you’re talking about the Jets game (and) talk about the game (against the Patriots),” Shanahan said. “All of a sudden, you’re 7-6 instead of where you’re at, and that’s the difference between winning and losing the games you just mentioned.”
Indeed, the Redskins’ hopes against the Patriots (10-3) were derailed by a costly late-game interception. On third and goal from the 9-yard line, quarterback Rex Grossman’s pass went off the hands of wide receiver Santana Moss and was caught by linebacker Jerod Mayo (Hampton) with 22 seconds left.
That sealed the Redskins’ eighth loss in their past nine games.
Mayo’s interception wasn’t the only critical turnover suffered by the Redskins last week. Facing third-and-9 from his 5-yard-line, Grossman dropped into the end zone, moved to his right and, as he cocked his arm to pass, was hit by defensive end Andre Carter, a former Redskins player. Grossman fumbled, and the Patriots recovered for a touchdown.
The Redskins have 27 straight games with a turnover, the longest active streak in the NFL. They have failed to win the turnover battle in every game this season.
Much of the blame goes to Grossman, whose 20 turnovers overshadow the 13 touchdowns he has produced this year. In 13 starts over two seasons with the Redskins, Grossman has turned over the ball 27 times, including a recent string of nine starts with an interception.
Only Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman and San Diego’s Phillip Rivers have exceeded Grossman’s 16-interception mark this season.
Part of the problem has been lack of protection, which often prompts Grossman to hurry throws into coverage. In addition to 36 sacks, the Redskins’ offensive line has yielded 93 quarterback hits, a number surpassed by only two teams.
“We need to figure out a way to eliminate mistakes so we get a little bit of a cushion,” Grossman said. “You look at our record, (we) could very easily, just two or three plays, be a lot better. The reason those games are close is because of mistakes, and we need to eliminate those so we can not be five minutes left to go in the fourth quarter (and) the game can go either way.”
The Redskins’ offense will get a decent shot at stopping the self-inflicted bleeding today against a Giants defense that ranks 29th against the pass and 22nd against the run.
Grossman will need to be wary, though, of a pass rush coming off a three-sack performance last week against the Dallas Cowboys.
Protecting the football is a team goal, something that’s been drilled into the heads of every player this week.
“It’s unfortunate that we’ve had as many turnovers as we’ve had,” Redskins receiver Donté Stallworth said. “We obviously preach about it in the meetings and throughout the week. Hopefully, we can have a game where we don’t have any turnovers.”
