December 23, 2013
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
The Redskins just can’t seem to catch a break.
On Sunday, they looked poised to break their six-game losing streak while simultaneously eliminating the Dallas Cowboys from playoff contention. For a team with three wins and zero playoff aspirations, it was as good as a victory could get. Unfortunately, as was the case so many times this season, the Skins were unable to get the job done.
Kirk Cousins, who had his second straight start, replacing Robert Griffin III, gave an uninspired performance. He completed just 21 of 36 passes for 197 yards, with 1 TD and an interception in the Redskins’ 24-23 loss. After trailing 14-6 at the half, Washington scored 17 unanswered points to lead 23-14 early in the fourth quarter. But it wasn’t enough to put the game out of reach. On the next drive Dallas controlled the clock for almost nine minutes, scoring a field goal to pull within six.
A quick three-and-out by Cousins and the Skins gave Tony Romo the ball back with 3:39 left on the clock. Romo drove his team down the field, but got stalled at the Washington 10-yard line. The Skins defended the goal line three times, forcing Romo and the ‘Boys into a fourth-down situation. Down by six with just 1:08 remaining and the season on the line, the Dallas quarterback scrambled before connecting with runningback DeMarco Murray for the game-winning touchdown. It was a surreal and devastating moment for any Redskins fan.
It was certainly not the way the Skins had hoped to bid farewell to veteran linebacker and defensive co-captain London Fletcher, who announced last week he would be retiring at the end of the season. “When you think about it, fourth and 10. What better way it would have been for me personally to end my career on a defensive stand at the goal line?” Fletcher said. “You have to give them credit, give Romo credit.”
The loss not only sinks Washington’s record to 3-12, but gives Dallas a chance to win the division and make a playoff appearance. They will face the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday in a winner-take-all week 17 match-up, while Washington will face the New York Giants and try to end the season on a positive note.
Wizards
Whether or not the Wizards are a playoff worthy team remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, they have definitely improved.
After 25 games last season the Wizards had just three victories. At the same point this year, they are 12-13, a record better than both the L.A. Lakers (13-15) and Chicago Bulls (10-16). The difference this season has been their ability to rally from behind and score more points.
Their latest victory was a come from behind win over the Boston Celtics (12-16). After trailing by as much as 18 points in the second half, the Wizards came alive in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Celtics 22-7 en route to a 106-99 win.
Trevor Ariza was the top performer for Washington, putting up 27 points, including a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter. John Wall scored 20, while Nene, Marcin Gortat and Kevin Seraphin had 13 points apiece. “We don’t let anything rattle us too much,” Ariza said. “We just play and chip away and know things are going to happen. It’s a long game. We know teams can go on runs. They went on a run and we did, too.”
It was the third straight road victory for the Wizards, who in the past struggled at away games. Team owner Ted Leonsis noted the team’s improvement on his blog saying, “Three years ago it was doubtful we would win three road games all season long. Now we can do it in a week. We have come a long away as a team.”
