November 11, 2013
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
With the 2013 season more than halfway over, a repeat division title for the Washington Redskins seems unlikely. After an exciting overtime win against the San Diego Chargers, the Skins were hoping for an easy victory over the 1-7 Vikings. But despite a strong start, Washington gave up 20 unanswered points in the second half to fall to Minnesota 27-34.
At 3-6, the Redskins are now last in the NFC East standings – behind even the New York Giants who started the season 0-6. When asked about his team’s record, Robert Griffin III told reporters he was “definitely shocked,” but is confident they’ll improve.
“This is just a test that we’ve got to try to pass, and I’m dang sure set on making sure we pass it,” the Redskins quarterback said.
RGIII did his part in Thursday night’s game, completing 24 of 37 passes for 281 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. He continued to test his effectiveness on the ground, rushing seven times for 44 yards. While he helped his team to a 27-14 third quarter lead, it wasn’t enough to overcome a porous defense or multiple penalties. The Skins were penalized eight times for 63 yards.
With the long weekend to process the disappointing loss, the Skins reported back to practice on Monday, ready to get their season back on track. They will next face the division rival Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) who are tied with the Dallas Cowboys atop the NFC East. A win could be a turning point for their season–while a loss could quickly deflate their hopes (and chances) of making a playoff run.
Despite the disappointment of the season thus far, and the unlikelihood they will go on a late season winning streak like last year, RGIII maintains that he, and the rest of the team, have not given up.
“For us, winning cures all,” he said. “We’re buying in to what our philosophy is.”
Wizards
Bradley Beal scored a career high 34 points and the Wizards led for most of the second half, but in the end, it was the same story, different day. Washington (2-4) went home empty-handed, recording another loss on the season.
While the Wizards may not have left Oklahoma winners, they proved they could hold their own against one of the best teams in the league. On the road Sunday night, Washington’s offense outscored the Thunder (5-1) in the second and third periods, and led 42-37 at the half.
Washington tried to put the game in the bag, leading 92-82 with just 3:26 left to play. Then they ran out of steam in the final minutes, paving the way for Oklahoma City to come back en route to a 106-105 overtime win. Kevin Durant, one of the hottest young players in the NBA, scored 33 points for the Thunder, including the game-tying 3 pointer to force overtime and the go-ahead foul shots to clinch the game.
Afterward, it was hard for Washington players not to pick apart the things they did wrong. They scored just two baskets in the last few minutes, and were terrible at the free throw line, going just 13 of 26 on the night.
Team owner Ted Leonsis took to his blog to air his frustrations after the devastating OT loss. “The game will be recorded as a loss,” he wrote. “There are no grades for effort or being close in the NBA. I don’t enjoy discussions about moral victories.”
Despite this, he did recognize a positive change in his team. “What I liked though was the team’s confidence, we played tough and great team ball in a very hostile environment on the road. The team no longer seems intimidated and it has a higher level of confidence now.”
The Wizards will get to showcase that newfound confidence in their next two home games, where they will face tough competition in the Dallas Mavericks (4-3) and San Antonio Spurs (6-1).
