November 19, 2012
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
The local media were rightfully confident about the Redskins’ week eleven match-up against the floundering Philadelphia Eagles. The Skins were coming off a bye, hungry for a win, while the Eagles, after dropping four straight, were desperate for one. And while both teams were just three-to-six going into Sunday’s game, the Redskins looked like a far better team.
To be fair, the Eagles weren’t in top form. Their starting quarterback, Michael Vick, was out with yet another concussion, forcing the team to start untested rookie Nick Foles. Foles was shaky, completing less than fifty percent of his passes (twenty-one for forty-six), and his first two series ended with interceptions, including a pick to DeAngelo Hall which led to a Skins touchdown less than two minutes into the game.
RG3, however, was near perfect, completing fourteen of fifteen passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns, including a sixty-one-yard rocket to Santana Moss in the third quarter. Griffin also rushed for eighty-four yards on twelve carries.
The thirty-one-to-six definitive win was the Skins’ first since October 14. They also broke an even more remarkable streak: they hadn’t won against a rookie quarterback since 2006.
The win seemed to breathe new life into the team, who hit rock bottom after their loss against the Panthers two weeks ago. Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who had a sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery, said Sunday was “the kind of football we’ve been wanting to play all year.” Right guard Kory Lichtensteiger acknowledged that this affected the sentiment in the locker room, telling reporters that they have “a legitimate shot with the way this division is right now” and that “there’s definitely a belief right now.”
The Skins will go up against another division rival on Thursday, facing Dallas on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys lead the Redskins by one game in the division, and a Turkey Day win could put the Skins in a favorable position. While the New York Giants lead the division by a slim margin, they have lost their last two games, and their remaining schedule is one of the hardest in the league. With a pair of wins, the Redskins could be right back in the playoff hunt.
