November 5, 2012
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
A few weeks ago, the Redskins were poised to tie for first place in the division. Then they lost a close game to the Giants, and it’s been all downhill from there.
After an embarrassing loss to the Steelers last week, the Redskins returned home to face the Carolina Panthers, who have been unable to clinch a win since week one. The media hyped the meeting between the two quarterbacks, drawing comparisons between Cam Newton, last year’s number one draft pick and former Heisman trophy winner, and Robert Griffin III—the newest Heisman winner and this year’s number two pick.
On Sunday, however, the comparisons were few, with Newton outshining Griffin for most of the game. While RGIII had more yards, 215 in the air and 53 on the ground, he was unable to score a touchdown until the final minutes of the game. Newton, meanwhile, ran in for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and lead a 98-yard touchdown drive before the half to put the Panthers up fourteen to three.
The Redskins never had much of a chance. They scored first, but were unable to stop the Panthers, giving up two touchdowns before the half. They were held to field goals the entire game, until Evan Royster scored a touchdown with one minute and twenty-eight seconds remaining. While the touchdown cut Carolina’s lead in half, the Skins failed to recover their on-side kick, leading to their third straight loss.
Afterwards, Coach Mike Shanahan sounded as if he felt the loss was the end of their season. Shanahan is fourteen to twenty-seven in his third season with the Skins, and his frustration is starting to show. “You lose a game like that, now you’re playing to see who obviously is going to be on your football team for years to come.”
At three to six the Redskins aren’t eliminated statistically, but after next week’s bye, they begin the second, harder, leg of their season, and with the way they’ve been playing, Shanahan has a reason to feel dejected.
Griffin, meanwhile, sounded more optimistic in the postgame conference. Speaking to reporters about exchanging numbers with Cam Newton, he said, “We’re both two young quarterbacks in this league, trying to get better, trying to lead our teams to victory. I told him that I think his team has a lot of talent and the possibilities are endless for them. I feel the same about our team.”
