We opened this story with Denny Green's famous rant because it's perfect for the Washington Redskins' 27-23 loss to the New York Giants. We let 'em off the hook. I'm P'O'd about it.
Moral victories were acceptable for the first four games. They are not acceptable now, especially when the team let their win literally slip through their hands.
Check it out. The Redskins committed two interceptions and lost one fumble in their two games against the Giants last year. Three turnovers, two wins over the Giants, and we had Rex Grossman at quarterback.
Today, the normally sure handed Redskins had four, 1-2-3-FOUR, turnovers in one game.
I give this team high marks for playing as well as they do with available talent that does not yet match the Beast. There is no shame in losing to the Super Bowl Giants in their home stadium, but a rookie interception and three lost fumbles are stupid. And they came from the most unexpected sources.
Robert Griffin III, Alfred Morris, Josh Wilson and Santana Moss, of all people, fumbled. Moss' fumbled was the dagger that killed Washington's slim comeback hopes. It came after an 11-yard gain to the Redskins 43 with about 30 seconds to go. The Giants recovered and that wrapped the game.
I heard an audible exhale from the New Meadowlands at that point.
Sad, because the Redskins should have won this game. Control time of possession 32:43? Check. Rush for 248 yards and gain 480 yards? Check. Go score for score on the defending champs? Check. Exciting sports entertainment? Check.
Washington did everything it should have done to win, and everything it must not do –gift turnovers and penalties – to lose. Hog Heaven won't flog the team further. The players will kick themselves all week over this.
Six Observations
Lets call the man Robert Griffin the Great. RGIII doesn't just make the offense look better. He makes the coaching staff look better. Mike Shanahan would not have had the guts to call two fourth-down plays in the same drive with Grossman, John Beck or even Kirk Cousins under center.
Fans will call for DC Jim Haslett's head again. Coaching isn't the whole story here. Washington's problem with the secondary began with LaRon Landry's slow recovery from assorted leg injuries. Both Landry replacements, Jackson and Meriweather, have been out. CB Cedric Griffin made his first appearance this season. CB David Jones was inactive. Washington is playing little-known Jordan Pugh at safety. Haslett is making do with smoke and mirrors.
His role in how it got that way is a discussion worth having, but it's an off-season discussion not for now. Now is when you focus on getting it done with who you have. Firing the DC mid-season, even making him look over his shoulder, hurts the effort because it hurts the team sense of "we're all in this together."
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Slingin' Sammy Baugh played both ways. I betcha RGIII could play both ways. One of my tweeps suggested that as we watched Josh Wilson and Madieu Williams trail Victor Cruz on the killer 77-yard TD reception.
@skinshogheaven put @rgiii back there. Nobody outruns him.
— Keith B Parsons (@therealkparsons) October 21, 2012
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Just sayin'.
The Redskins have been in every game this year at the 4:00 mark. They are so much better than they were last year. They just have to learn to finish. Starting tomorrow, refuse to lose.
40 men who refuse to lose can't be beat. ~ George Allen, or somebody.
Prayers sent up for my tight end Fred Davis for a full and speedy recovery.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 22, 2012
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Fred Davis is lost for the season. Logan Paulson, not Niles Paul, is next man up. Davis ruptured his Achilles tendon and is lost for the season. Davis was the 'Skins' leading receiver coming into the Giants game. Hog Heaven readers know my feelings about this. It ain't good. That is no knock on Davis or Chris Cooley. There is just something wrong with your passing game if a tight end is the leading receiver.
What's wrong here is that Washington is much too coy about what's ailing the official, No. 1, bought and paid for wide out. A story on usatoday.com says Garcon tore a foot tendon and will be out a few more weeks.
The NFL fined the Redskins $20,000 for misspeaking of RGIII's concussion in the Atlanta game. If the league is going to be picky about what the team said vs. what they did about a player then, I wonder why they are not looking at what the team is saying or not about Garcon. At this point, no one believes he will play until he actually catches a ball in a live game.
@skinshogheaven Might as well just fill us in the week he comes back. Until then, we can just expect him in street clothes.
— Shae Cronin (@BetBigDC) October 19, 2012
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Now will the Redskins call Chris Cooley? My Magic 8 Ball says "Outlook good." My Magic 8 Ball said the Redskins would win today "Without a doubt."
UPDATE: THE REDSKINS RESIGN COOLEY SAYS WASHINGTON POST.
Let me be clear that it's Logan, not Paul, who should move up. It's difficult to execute a change of position in the NFL. I'm prepared to give Paul all season to do it. Paul hasn't shown me good enough hands to be a receiving tight end, however. That's odd since he came to the league as a wide out. Paul missed on a pass to him at the Giants' two yard line. Griffin never cam back to him.
I believe that was the play Fred Davis Achilles' exploded.
AP recap on ESPN.com – Manning's TD pass to Victor Cruz rescues Giants from Redskins.
Enjoy this story? Like it on Facebook and Tweet it to your Followers. Click the buttons below. Leave a comment below, too.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
