The Washington Redskins were able to get their seventh win of the season Sunday when they beat the Denver Broncos 27-11 in their final home game of the year. While the team was eliminated from the playoff picture a few weeks back, the core of the team refuses to give up on playing each game with meaning.
For the Redskins, the 2017 season has been one marred by injuries (18+ players currently on injured reserve) and failed expectations. While many of the team’s fans were not expecting a lot this year, the players themselves believed they had something special. The frustration could have easily spilled out on the field by now, but this Redskins team appears to have a locker room that is strong enough to withstand the fallout from a disappointing season.
Against a tough Denver defense, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins tossed three touchdown passes and added 299 yards passing in what could have been his final game in front of the home crowd at FedexField. Cousins has played this season under the franchise tag (second year in a row), and his future with the team is unknown heading into the third straight offseason. The mere thought of the drama that the media will drive with epic intentions of “where will Kirk sign” for the third consecutive year is enough to make anyone sick. Thankfully, we have a week before those events, and the drama they will bring, begin. Speaking to reporters after the game, Cousins sounds like a guy who intends to be back in 2018.
“So we had a losing season in 2014 and in ’15 and ’16, we didn’t. We had a chance after leaving L.A. against the Chargers to win these last three games and get to 8-8 and really put an end to three straight years of losing seasons around here. That means a great deal to me, and we’re going to be talking about that all week, and that’s really where our focus is, to get to 8-8,” said Cousins. “It’s not 13-3, but it’s not a losing season. I want this brand, this organization to be associated with winning and when people around the league and our fans that support this league think about this organization, I want them to think of winners. I know 8-8 isn’t 13-3, but it also isn’t 7-9, and I think that’s where our focus is right now to get to another non-losing season and say now we’ve strung three together in a row. We can build on that with some of the talent we have that’s been on IR and coming back, so that’s really where our focus is.”
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The Redskins offense finally had an outpouring of production Sunday as they put 386 yards and 27 points on the board against the National Football League’s top defense. Ryan Grant had four catches for 85 yards, and Josh Doctson caught a 48-yard touchdown pass. The Redskins struggled in their attempts to run the ball though as rookie running back Samaje Perine carried it 17 times for 53 yards, and Kapri Bibbs added 26 yards on six carries.
This season has been a disappointing one for Denver as well as their offense has been putrid in terms of moving the ball and putting points on the board. It is safe to say that both fanbases of these two teams expected more from this matchup when they first saw the schedules announced many months ago.
Real recognize real.
?: https://t.co/aboKcqTxIP pic.twitter.com/hFL1MdHSux
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 25, 2017
The Redskins will travel to New York next week as the team looks to end the season with a win over their oldest rival, the Giants.