November 26, 2012
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
Fans had much to give thanks for last Thursday, as the Redskins outlasted the Cowboys 38-31 on Thanksgiving Day.
The win, accomplished on the road during a short week, was their second in a row against a division rival, coming just four days after the 31-6 rout of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Skins have a chance to do it again next Monday night when they face the first-place New York Giants. If the Skins can knock off New York, they have a shot not only at the playoffs, but at the division title.
After the win, Robert Griffin III acknowledged that his team, whose season seemed over a few short weeks ago, now has a chance: “I feel as if something is building—we might have thought we could do it. But now we know we can do it, and it’s in our hands.”
With just five games left in the regular season, the Redskins have chosen a prime time to get hot. RG3 had a stellar outing in Dallas, throwing four touchdown passes in the first half, which put his team up by twenty-five points. While an interception in the fourth quarter allowed the Cowboys to start closing in on their lead, Griffin didn’t lose his cool. Instead, he led the Skins down the field on a drive that resulted in the game-clinching field goal.
He exhibited the calmness and leadership you would expect from a veteran like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. But week after week, play after play, RG3 is proving he is not just another rookie—he really is something special. Even outspoken Cowboys owner (and notoriously sore loser) Jerry Jones had to admit after the game that he was “in awe of RG3 and the plays he was making.”
Wizards
Few expected the Washington Wizards to turn into a championship team overnight. But no one ever thought they would be this far into the season without a win.
At 0-11, the Wizards are experiencing their worst start in franchise history. To be fair, their latest losses have been close—particularly their 106-108 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats in double overtime on Saturday.
Despite being winless, there are some bright spots for the Wizards. One of the team’s new 2012 additions, center Nene Hilario, finally saw some playtime after being out with a foot injury. He had nineteen points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals against the Bobcats, and Coach Randy Wittman told reports that Nene makes “everybody a little bit better for us.”
Unfortunately, his playtime is limited as he continues to heal, and John Wall is still out with no definite return scheduled.
The Wizards have a chance to place themselves in the win column on Monday, when they host the San Antonio Spurs. Unfortunately, the odds are against them—they have dropped twenty-one of their last twenty-four meetings with San Antonio, including twelve in a row.
Nene, for one, is optimistic that the team’s first win is coming soon: “All I know is that we will keep trying and we will keep fighting. We have to focus more in the beginning of the game, and we are going to pull out a win.”
