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.

NOTES: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul followed his NFC defensive player of the week award with a 16-tackle performance that included a sack. …Giants DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) and C David Baas (neck) each missed their third straight game. …London Fletcher led the Skins with 12 tackles. …CB Josh Wilson had Washington’s other interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …CB Corey Webster and S Kenny Phillips had the Giants interceptions.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—

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.

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.

NOTES: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul followed his NFC defensive player of the week award with a 16-tackle performance that included
a sack. …Giants DE
Osi Umenyiora
(knee) and C
David Baas
(neck) each missed their third straight game. …
London Fletcher
led the Skins with 12 tackles. …CB
Josh Wilson
had Washington’s other interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …CB
Corey Webster
and S
Kenny Phillips
had the Giants interceptions.

© 2011 STATS LLC

The bookend plays of the Washington Redskins’ most recent loss to the New England Patriots also could bracket their season. In the first quarter, quarterback Rex Grossman dropped back to pass in his own end zone, was drilled by New England defensive end Andre Carter, dropped the football and yielded a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, trailing by just seven points, Grossman looked for veteran wide receiver Santana Moss inside the Patriots 5-yard line. The ball hit Moss in the hands, popped out the other side, and was intercepted.

Those were the 29th and 30th turnovers of the Redskins’ season, and they — more than any other plays — prevented Washington from winning, yet again. Only two teams — Philadelphia and Tampa Bay — have more turnovers, with 31 and 32, respectively. No team has a worse turnover margin than the Redskins, who have committed 14 more than they have created.

And this isn’t a new problem: The last time the Redskins went without a turnover was Sept. 19, 2010, 27 games ago. That’s the longest active streak in the NFL.

“This is almost every year,” said Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan. “If you look at the playoffs, the teams that don’t turn the football over, they usually win the Super Bowl. . . . If you look at turnover ratio, if you look at the teams that get in the playoffs, usually there will only be two or three that aren’t [among the best in the league]. That’s a big part of winning and losing.”

Perhaps the biggest. In 13 games this year, the Redskins — who face the New York Giants Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. — have yet to create more turnovers than they commit. There is a direct correlation with their 4-9 record. The top five teams in turnover margin have a combined .785 winning percentage. The bottom five: .292.

For all the Redskins’ problems in what will be their fourth straight losing season — flip-flopping from Grossman to John Beck and back to Grossman at quarterback, the defense’s inability to stop opponents at crucial moments — many of the players will look back on these games and wonder: What might have happened if we had held onto the football?

Each turnover its own story

When Grossman prepared to take that ill-fated snap from center in the first quarter of last week’s game against the heavily favored Patriots, he hadn’t yet completed a pass, and the Redskins had managed a total of five yards in their two possessions. It was third and nine from their 5-yard line. In the shotgun formation, Grossman’s feet were on his own goal line.

Grossman believes that each turnover has its own story, that rarely are they the fault of one person. This season, he has had the opportunity to tell many tales. In 10 starts, he has thrown 16 interceptions. Only two players — Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman and San Diego’s Philip Rivers — have thrown more picks. Of the 29 quarterbacks with more than 240 pass attempts this season, none has a higher interception percentage than Grossman’s 4.6.

“We’ve been competitive in most of our games that we’ve lost,” Grossman said. “It comes down to a play here or a play there and, I think, without a lot of those turnovers, maybe we can put ourselves in that situation where we dominate a team. We’ve got to figure out a way to finish those games that are tight. We also need to figure out a way to eliminate mistakes so we get a little bit of a cushion.”

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 aerial attack. Their emerging rookie running back, Roy Helu, has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of the team’s past three games. And the unit put up 27 points last Sunday, a total almost high enough to take down the mighty New England Patriots.

But there’s a reason Redskins fans hold their breath every time they see that offense break from the huddle.

During a tumultuous season full of shortcomings, one ugly word in particular has loomed over the Redskins week after week: turnovers. Washington’s 30 turnovers trails only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ and Philadelphia Eagles‘ 31 for the highest in the NFL this season, and its minus-14 turnover ratio is the worst mark in the league.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan remains convinced that his team’s record would be substantially better if it weren’t for its tendency to give the ball to the other team.

“Take a look at three games – you’re talking about the two Dallas games, you’re talking about the Jets game, 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 had the 9-3 Patriots on the ropes last week, only to see their hopes derailed by a costly late-game turnover. Down by seven with under 30 seconds to go, quarterback Rex Grossman had steered the Redskins on a 75-yard drive that seemed destined for a dramatic game-tying touchdown. Grossman’s short pass on third-and-goal, however, slipped through the fingers of wide receiver Santana Moss and into the hands of Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo to seal the Redskins‘ eighth loss in its last nine games.

Mayo’s interception wasn’t the only critical turnover suffered by the Redskins Sunday. Facing third-and-long from his own 5-yard-line, Grossman sat in the pocket and absorbed a hit by former Redskin Andre Carter, who forced a fumble that was recovered in the end zone by the Patriots for the game’s first score.

That play ensured the Redskins of 27 straight games with a turnover, the longest active streak in the NFL. It’s a fitting streak for a team that has failed to win the turnover battle in each game this season.

Much of the blame can be heaped on Grossman, whose 20 turnovers overshadow the 13 touchdowns he has produced this season. In 13 starts with the Redskins, Grossman has turned the ball over 27 times, including a recent run of nine straight starts with an interception to his name. Only two quarterbacks in the NFL — 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 a 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.

Whatever the cause, Grossman and company need to get to the bottom of the problem if they hope to turn things around any time soon.

“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 than it is. 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 Sunday 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.

Grossman won’t be the only player in the Redskins huddle seeking to end the team’s ignominious turnover streak, though. Protecting the football is a team-oriented goal, something that’s been drilled into the heads of every player this week in practice.

“It’s unfortunate that we’ve had as many turnovers as we’ve had,” Redskins receiver Donte 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 and we play a pretty damn good game.

The agency filed a $258,017 tax lien on Moss in Broward County Circuit Court in November, according to The Detroit News’ Robert Snell.

The lien, which has been posted online, says Moss and others owe back taxes from 2006.

Moss, an 11-year veteran, has spent seven seasons in Washington. He spent the first four seasons of his career in New York after being drafted by the Jets in 2001.

Moss and the Redskins were not immediately available for comment.

Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)

The Washington Redskins face the New York Giants Sunday for the second time this season, hoping to complete the season sweep of their NFC East rivals for the first time since 1999.

The Giants enter the game with a 7-6 record and lead the division. Washington owns a 4-9 mark and are last in the NFC East.

The Giants have won nine of the last 11 meetings with the Redskins, and three straight over Washington when playing in East Rutherford.

Here are some of the key matchups for this week’s game:

WSH LT Willie Smith vs. NY DE Jason Pierre-Paul

Playing in only his second NFL game, Smith will need a strong performance as he goes against Pierre-Paul, who leads New York with 12.5 sacks this season. At 6-foot-5, 278 pounds, Pierre-Paul has great size, speed and athleticism. Smith (6-foot-6, 290 pounds) has good size and athleticism as well, but is raw and inexperienced. Smith struggled early last week against the Patriots, but made improvements as the game went on, and the Redskins are hoping he can continue his progress this week. If he struggles, veteran Sean Locklear likely will relieve him.

WSH LBs London Fletcher, Perry Riley vs. NY RB Brandon Jacobs

Jacobs and fellow back Ahmad Bradshaw have been limited by injuries this season, and because of that, the Giants rank 32nd in rushing, averaging just 85.8 yards per game. But Jacobs appears to be rounding back into form. Last week, he rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries against the Cowboys. The Redskins will need a strong tackling performance. London Fletcher leads the NFL with 134 tackles, and Riley continues to improve while averaging 10.2 tackles a game in five straight starts. The two inside linebackers and their teammates can’t afford to let Jacobs get going as he has so many times in their past meetings.

WSH CB Kevin Barnes vs. NY WR Victor Cruz

Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett calls Cruz one of the better slot receivers in the NFL. The second-year pro leads the Giants with 68 catches for 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns. It could be a busy day for Redskins nickelback Kevin Barnes, who generally covers those slot receivers and has two interceptions on the year. Barnes must be solid in coverage and keep Eli Manning’s favorite target from running free in the secondary.

WSH WRs Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney vs. NY CBs Corey Webster, Aaron Ross

The Redskins will again need strong performances from receivers Moss and Gaffney as they try to attack a Giants defense that ranks 29th in the league against the pass, surrendering 264 yards a game through the air. Moss last week had three catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, but he was targeted nine times and should’ve had a larger impact. Gaffney has been reliable all season, with 52 catches for 757 yards and four touchdowns. To make up for the absence of Fred Davis, the Redskins went with more three and four receiver sets, so look for Donte Stallworth and Anthony Armstrong to receive opportunities this week as well.

WSH OLBs Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan vs. NY Ts David Diehl, Kareem McKenzie

The Redskins hope to harass Manning keep him from getting comfortable. Manning is making better decisions this season, getting rid of the ball more quickly and putting up career numbers. Orakpo and Kerrigan have to win their one-on-one matchups with Diehl and McKenzie so they can pressure Manning. The Redskins didn’t have a sack two weeks ago against the Jets, and only one against Patriots quarterback Tom Brady last week. They need to get to Manning multiple times.

More on the Redskins:

Landry put on injured reserve

Redskins building via the draft

Arrington: Redskins must stay motivated

The Washington Redskins love talking about identity.

“You’re playing to establish our identity as an offense,” quarterback Rex Grossman said. “Establish who we are as a team.”

If this is their identity, the Redskins should enter the witness protection program in the offseason.

The offense is ranked 17th in the NFL — 31st in running and a surprising 12th in passing. But other than their 28-14 victory against the New York Giants in Week 1, the Redskins rarely have played well. Many of their points in close losses came in garbage time.

What kind of identity could the Redskins create in their final weeks? The second coming of the 1993 Redskins that won four games? Players would be better off wearing ski masks and leaving no witnesses to this mess.

There is little benefit from playing well in the final weeks of the season, no such thing as spillover into next year. The only current offensive starters who are sure to be back are running back Roy Helu, fullback Darrel Young and receivers Santana Moss and Jabar Gaffney, and the wideouts are veterans who aren’t building on anything.

Maybe Grossman will return. Right tackle Jammal Brown and center Will Montgomery could be back, too.

But out of that group, Helu is the only one who can use more experience over the final three games, including Sunday at the New York Giants. Otherwise, the 2012 starting lineup will be a bunch of returning injured or suspended players and newcomers.

Still, Shanahan dangles the prospect of returning in 2012 as a way to keep players motivated over the final weeks. Certainly, some of the current starters could remain as reserves.

“Sometimes you rate players more when you’re out of the playoffs,” Shanahan said. “It’s easy to get up when you’re playing for something. When you’re playing for pride and characters, you’re showing the coaching staff what you’re made of is a good indication of character.”

The Redskins truly believe that 30 turnovers, including 20 interceptions, cost them a winning season. Certainly they didn’t help. But by scoring a bunch of points late in games that already were decided, the Redskins have deluded themselves into thinking they were one or two plays away from winning. Opponents wouldn’t have allowed the late scores if they mattered.

“You look at our record. Very easily two or three plays could [make it] better than it is,” Grossman said.

There will be some carryover. Kyle Shanahan will become the second offensive coordinator to last three seasons in Washington since Joe Gibbs’ first stint ended in 1992. Grossman backed his beleaguered coordinator, saying continuity empowers great teams.

“I have a lot of confidence in the offensive gameplan every week,” Grossman said. “I feel like it’s one of the best in the NFL. You look across the NFL — best teams have had continuity. You look at Green Bay, New Orleans. All these teams establish what they do well and what’s unstoppable in their offense. They’re very, very precise.”

Which is precisely the Redskins’ problem.

Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email rsnider@washingtonexaminer.com.

ASHBURN, Va. – If a team is truly led by its captains, it’s not hard to see why the Washington Redskins have already clinched another losing season.

Left tackle Trent Williams missed Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the New England Patriots because he was serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The other offensive captain, receiver Santana Moss, was whistled for a crucial penalty late in the game and pulled out the tired loser’s lament: “I guess we’ve got to play against a team and the ref.”

Linebacker London Fletcher, a defensive co-captain, let the refs have it when he was called for a personal foul, although his tirade was somewhat excusable because it appeared to be a legal hit. Special teams captain Lorenzo Alexander was his usual steady self, the only one of the five captains not involved in some sort of controversy.

That leaves cornerback DeAngelo Hall, the other defensive captain, who had an especially trying day. Hall gave up on a play, standing and watching from a few yards away while Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was breaking tackles along the sideline for a 49-yard gain that set up a touchdown in the first quarter.

Then, in the third quarter, after he was called for defensive holding, Hall picked up the official’s flag and gave it a disrespectful toss — drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct call that gave New England 20 yards in penalties on one play.

“Especially when guys are in a leadership role, I think we understand that you have to keep your cool, regardless if you like a call or don’t like a call,” coach Mike Shanahan said Monday. “That’s your job — to handle yourself in a professional manner. And more importantly not put your team in a hole with a 15-yard penalty. So those are things I talk about with our football team, and if you make too many of those mistakes, eventually you’re not with us.”

The Gronkowski play was also far from exemplary. Hall said after the game he thought the tight end had stepped out of bounds, but that wasn’t the case: There was still plenty of green between the tight end and the sideline when he dragged two other Redskins pursuers past a standing-still Hall.

“That was disappointing, because one of the things DeAngelo usually does is finish,” Shanahan said. “A lot of corners don’t like to tackle. He’s one of the more physical guys in the league. I know he was embarrassed by it, as well as our whole football team.”

Monday was a quiet day at Redskins Park. The Redskins (4-9) have clinched another losing season and will have to dig deep to keep themselves motivated over the final three weeks. Neither Hall nor Moss nor Fletcher made an appearance in the locker room during the period it was open to reporters.

“I’m excited about what the defence can do,” said safety Reed Doughty, giving a blanket assessment of the state of things. “But at the end of the day, we’re judged by wins.”

Shanahan touched on the notable moments from Sunday’s game, including the offensive pass interference call that got Moss so incensed. Moss caught what appeared to be a 5-yard touchdown pass that might have sent the game to overtime with 1:09 to play, but he was called for pushing off on receiver-turned-cornerback Julian Edelman.

“I agree with the call,” Shanahan said. “You can’t extend your arms. I’m not sure how many times you’re going to call offensive pass interference, but anytime there is an extension of the arms, it’s a proper call.”

The penalty on Fletcher gets the opposite review. Shanahan on Sunday said he thought the call was “horrible,” and the coach stood by that comment Monday. Fletcher was whistled for a blow to the head to Tom Brady after the New England quarterback waited too long to start a slide after a scramble. Replays show Fletcher made a clean hit, his arm hitting Brady in the midsection — nowhere near the helmet.

Shanahan said he doesn’t expect Fletcher to the additional punishment from the league office that usually accompanies an illegal helmet hit.

“Anytime you draw a personal foul, there’s always a fine involved,” Shanahan said. “What they’ll probably do is look at that and say, ‘Hey, that’s just a mis-call.’ That’s what I would guess.”

Notes: The Redskins played again with a patchwork offensive line after RT Jammal Brown hurt his right groin during pregame warmups. Shanahan said he’s not sure when Brown will return, and that Tyler Polumbus will get another start if Brown can’t play Sunday against the New York Giants. … The coach said Willie Smith and Sean Locklear will continue to share first-team snaps at left tackle during practice, filling in for Williams. … Shanahan is still seeking clarification from the league as to whether Williams and TE Fred Davis can be at Redskins Park during their suspensions. As of now, they’re being asked to stay away. “It’s not perfectly clear right now,” the coach said. … The Redskins’ turnover margin has dropped to minus-14, last in the NFL.

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Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Washington Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said he agreed with a critical offensive pass interference call against Santana Moss Sunday that wiped out a game-tying touchdown. But he said he remains convinced that officials were wrong on a call against London Fletcher, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a tackle of Tom Brady.

Shanahan said he was “pleasantly surprised” with how well O.J. Atogwe played on eight snaps as a backup safety Sunday. The coach said he had observed a less effective Atogwe in practice, but that the safety played well and earned more opportunities based on his play in the game.

Shanahan said he was disappointed with cornerback DeAngelo Hall both for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and for giving up on the play in which Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski ripped off a big gain after breaking tackles by Reed Doughty and DeJon Gomes.

Shanahan said Willie Smith did well at left tackle, but will continue to compete with Sean Locklear in practice for the starting duties this week.

Shanahan said tackle Jammal Brown’s strained right groin remains sore and the team doesn’t know how long he will be sidelined. Tyler Polumbus will play at right tackle if Brown cannot.

Fullback Mike Sellers’ right elbow also is sore, but was only hyper-extended, without additional damage. No word yet on how long he will be sidelined.

Shanahan said he was proud of how the offense moved the ball despite being without three starters.

Shanahan was asked if Rex Grossman has played well enough for the Redskins to re-sign him and the coach said only that all of the players are being evaluated. “This time of year, especially being out of the playoffs, everyone’s playing for jobs, coaching for jobs,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan said it’s still “not perfectly clear” whether Fred Davis and Trent Williams can spend the final weeks of the season at the facility despite their suspensions.

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Tom Brady yelled at a coach because of an interception. The Washington Redskins hollered at the refs.

It’s fair to say Brady did it because he and the New England Patriots have such high expectations.

It’s safe to say the Redskins did it because they’re sick of losing.

The Patriots won their fifth straight Sunday, improving to 10-3 with a 34-27 win over the Redskins. The formula was familiar: Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker were good enough to compensate for a defense that keeps giving up gobs of yards.

What was unusual was seeing Brady throw a fourth-quarter, red-zone interception that kept the other team alive. With 6:30 remaining and a chance to put the game away, Brady tried to find Tiquan Underwood at the back of the end zone and was picked off by Josh Wilson.

The Redskins then began a march downfield that could have sent Sunday’s game to overtime — even as Brady sat on the bench and exchanged heated words with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

“We’re both pretty emotional guys, so that’s what I deserve,” Brady said. “You make bad plays, you’re supposed to get yelled at by your coaches. It’s certainly not the first time and probably won’t be the last. You can’t do it in that situation, and it was just a stupid play by me.”

It was Brady’s first interception since Nov. 6, and most of what he did was far from stupid. He completed 22 of 37 passes for 357 yards with three touchdowns, upping his career TD pass total to 294 to move ahead of Warren Moon (291) into sole possession of sixth place all-time. Brady also surpassed the 4,000-yard mark for the fourth time in his career.

He also helped carve a place in the record books for Rob Gronkowski, who caught six passes for a career-high 160 yards and set the NFL single-season mark for touchdown receptions by a tight end. His 14th was an 11-yard grab that moved him ahead of Antonio Gates (2004) and Vernon Davis (2009), and No. 15 was a 24-yard scoring strike in the second half.

But the Patriots didn’t have the game won until they caught a couple of breaks at the end of Washington’s final possession. The Redskins drove from their own 20 to New England‘s 5, but Santana Moss‘ catch at the goal line was negated by a pass interference call on the receiver, and then Moss tipped a pass into the hands of linebacker Jerod Mayo to save the day for a New England defense that ranks last in the league in yards allowed — and one that can’t keep cutting it this close come playoff time.

“You kind of don’t want to give up those yards in the first place,” Patriots safety James Ihedigbo said. “But at the same time, we’re going to bow our necks once we get down there, and say, ‘Hey, they’re not getting in the end zone.’”

The call against Moss rankled the Redskins (4-9), who amassed a season-high 463 yards but lost for the eighth time in nine games. There was also a personal foul call in the second quarter on linebacker London Fletcher that appeared particularly egregious. The referee announced that Fletcher hit a late-sliding Brady with a forearm to the head, but Fletcher’s arm clearly hit the quarterback in the torso.

Coach Mike Shanahan said he thought the call against Fletcher was “horrible.”

“We don’t get no calls around here, man,” Moss said. “You guys have been covering us for a long time. Y’all see what goes on out there. We blow our breath on one of the doggone guys over there and it’s a penalty. Our quarterback gets killed — and you just almost hit somebody that’s a quarterback and we get flagged. So a lot of stuff goes on. But I guess we’ve got to play against a team and the ref.”

Already playing without tight end Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams — both suspended for the rest of the season last week for violating the NFL’s drugs policy — the Redskins lost another offensive starter during pregame warm-ups when right tackle Jammal Brown injured his right groin.

Still, they unexpectedly gave the Patriots quite a game.

Rex Grossman completed 19 of 32 passes for 252 yards with two touchdowns, but he also lost a fumble in the end zone that New England recovered for a touchdown. Kick returner Brandon Banks came on for an offensive play and threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Moss as part of a double-reverse flea-flicker. Roy Helu (126) became the first Redskins rookie to rush for 100 yards in three consecutive games.

“I don’t know what a moral victory is,” Fletcher said. “Do those count? Either you won or you lost. At the end of the day, we’re 4-9.”

Notes: Brady on the quest for perfection: “There’s nothing perfect in football — unless you are the Packers,” he said. “But other than that …” … The Redskins were the only current NFL franchise New England had never beaten on the road. … Patriots WR Welker became one of three players in NFL history with four 100-catch seasons, joining Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison. … Redskins FB Mike Sellers hyperextended his right elbow. … The end zones were marked “Army” and “Navy,” leftovers from the game the stadium hosted a day earlier.

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Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

LANDOVER, Md. – Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan thought a penalty called on linebacker London Fletcher for a hit on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was “horrible.”

Questioning another flag that went against the Redskins, receiver Santana Moss took it a step further, declaring: “I guess we’ve got to play against a team and the ref.”

Last-place Washington is having enough problems dealing with its opponents this season: A 34-27 defeat against the Patriots on Sunday was the Redskins’ eighth loss in their past nine games.

With a little more than a minute left in the fourth quarter, and Washington (4-9) driving toward a potentially tying touchdown-and-extra-point — or, perhaps, a go-ahead 2-point conversion, as Shanahan hinted he might have tried — Moss caught what appeared to be a 5-yard TD pass from Rex Grossman.

Except for this: There was a yellow flag on the turf.

When Moss saw it, he explained later, he was sure it was for a call against Julian Edelman, the returner and wideout who’s being used now on defence by the Patriots (10-3).

But the call was pass interference against Moss, who lined up in the slot and pushed off against Edelman before making a cut to the outside. The ruling made it second-and-goal from the 15, and two plays later, Grossman’s pass went off Moss’ hands and was intercepted by Jerod Mayo, sealing the outcome.

“We don’t get no calls around here, man. You guys have been covering us for a long time. Y’all see what goes on out there. We blow our breath on one of the doggone guys over there, and it’s a penalty,” Moss said. “Our quarterback gets killed — and you just almost hit somebody that’s a quarterback, and we get flagged.”

There’s little doubt that was a reference to the play late in the second quarter when the official announced that Fletcher hit a late-sliding Brady with a forearm to the head — and replays showed the linebacker’s arm clearly connected with the quarterback’s torso.

“At least in my opinion, I thought it was horrible,” Shanahan said. “That’s what I saw on the replay.”

Fletcher saw video of the play on the stadium scoreboard and protested the call at length.

“He waited ’til the last minute to slide. He’s considered a runner at that point in time. The referee thought I hit him in the head. Didn’t hit him in the head,” Fletcher said.

“You try to explain your situation (to the officials),” he added, “but they don’t really listen to you that much.”

There were plenty of other things that didn’t go the Redskins’ way.

They turned the ball over for the 27th consecutive game, the longest current streak in the NFL. In addition to Grossman’s late interception, the QB had a sack-fumble that Vince Wilfork recovered for a touchdown less than three minutes after the opening kickoff.

Perhaps that was hardly surprising, given that Washington was starting its sixth different offensive line combination in the past nine weeks.

That’s because they added to their long list of injuries, with starting right tackle Jammal Brown out after hurting his right groin during pregame warmups.

As it is, this was Washington’s first game since the season-ending suspensions of left tackle Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

In the end, Washington’s defence couldn’t match up with the Patriots’ high-octane offence. Rob Gronkowski broke the season record for touchdown catches by a tight end by grabbing two to raise his total to 15, and Brady completed 22 of 37 passes for 357 yards with three TDs.

The biggest blip for Brady came when Josh Wilson picked him off in the fourth quarter, prompting a sideline shouting match between the Patriots QB and his offensive co-ordinator Bill O’Brien.

Otherwise, Washington’s highlights on this day probably were the performance of running back Roy Helu — whose 126 yards on 27 carries made him the first Redskins rookie to run for at least 100 in three consecutive games — and kick returner Brandon Banks’ 49-yard TD toss to Moss off a reverse.

“Santana made me look good, because I don’t think it was the best throw,” said Banks, who hadn’t been on the field for an offensive play all season. “It happened and it worked. Maybe we should do it again.”

New England’s last-in-the-league defence also allowed a 51-yard pass from Grossman to Donte’ Stallworth, Washington’s longest play on offence during this trying season.

When Moss’ comments about the officiating were relayed to Stallworth, he smiled and declined to get into it.

“Well, my pockets are already empty,” Stallworth said, “so I’ll stay away from comments about the refs.”

Notes: FB Mike Sellers hyperextended his right elbow on kickoff coverage in the first quarter. … Grossman was 19 of 32 for 252 yards and two TD passes. … Shanahan was asked whether his offence was in its best rhythm of the season. His response: “I don’t think there’s a question about it.”

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Howard Fendrich is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

The New England Patriots condemned the Washington Redskins to a fourth straight losing season as the visitors walked away with a 34-27 victory at FedEx Field Sunday afternoon.

The Redskins (4-9) thought they had tied the game with 1:15 remaining in regulation, but Rex Grossman’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss was wiped out by an offensive pass interference call against Moss. Two plays later, another Grossman pass deflected off the hands of Moss and was intercepted by Jerod Mayo to seal Washington’s defeat.

It was a wild end to a wild game that featured 894 total yards of offense and 47 first down, as well as six combined passing touchdowns from Tom Brady, Grossman, and Brandon Banks.

The winning score came with four-and-a-half minutes left to play in the third quarter as Brady found Wes Welker with a 24-yard pass to break a 27-27 tie. Brady had a chance to seal the win long before Mayo’s interception as the Patriots drove to the Washington 4-yard line in the fourth quarter, but his pass was intercepted in the back of the end zone by Josh Wilson with 6:30 to play.

The scoring started on Washington’s second possession, as quarterback Rex Grossman was sacked and fumbled the ball in the end zone after Zoltan Mesko’s punt had pinned Washington back at its own 4-yard line. Vince Wilfork recovered the ball in the end zone to give New England (10-3) a 7-0 lead.

Washington cut their deficit to 7-3 with a 24-yard Graham Gano field goal on the ensuing possession, but Tom Brady needed only two plays to move the Patriots 60 yards in response.

First, Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a 49-yard catch-and-run that brought the ball to the Washington 11. Then, Brady found Gronkowski again from 11 yards out to make the score 14-3.

However, the Redskins were quick to respond. First, Grossman found Jabar Gaffney with a 9-yard touchdown pass to cap an eight-play, 84-yard drive that was kept alive by a defensive pass interference penalty called on Devin McCourty on a third-down-and-18 play. 

After the Patriots went three-and-out on the ensuing possession, the Redskins took a 17-14 lead on the first play of the second quarter with the help of some trickery. After Grossman handed the ball off to Roy Helu on a run to the right, the running back gave the ball to Brandon Banks, who ran back to the left sideline before rearing back and throwing a 49-yard touchdown strike to Moss.

The rest of the half saw an exchange of field goals, as Stephen Gostkowski tied the game at 17-17 from 23 yards away. The Redskins answered with a 25-yard Graham Gano field goal to re-take the lead before Gostkowski tied the game at the first-half gun with a 24-yard three-pointer.

The Redskins’ last field goal drive was kept alive by a controversial roughing-the-passer call that wiped out a potential McCourty interception. Brady was the beneficiary of a similarly marginal call against London Fletcher on New England’s last scoring drive of the half.

New England took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards in seven plays. Brady hooked up with Gronkowski for the second time on the day, this time from 37 yards away to make the score 27-20.

But once again, the Redskins came storming back as Grossman led them 72 yards in 10 plays. The drive was boosted by another unnecessary roughness penalty, this time against Wilfork, and Grossman found David Anderson in the flat for a six-yard touchdown pass to tie the game once again at 27-27.

Brady was not quite at his metronomic best, but still completed 22 of his 37 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns as well as the interception. Grossman also have a very good account of himself, completing 19 of his 32 passes for 252 yards and two scores in addition to the game-ending pick.

Both offenses boasted 100-yard performers as well, as Helu gained 126 yards on 27 carries, while Gronkowski finished the afternoon with 160 yards on just six receptions.