Redskins in good position for Cowboys game after clinching playoff spot
The Washington Redskins are making their second playoff appearance in the past eight years, and their first under Jay Gruden.
The Redskins were the best bunch out of a uninspiring NFC East division that saw teams struggle to even field mediocre teams.
The Cowboys (4-11) didn’t find a way to win without quarterback Tony Romo; Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray weren’t the answers for Chip Kelly in Philadelphia (6-9); and Tom Coughlin couldn’t figure out how to get the New York Giants (6-9) on track.
This is what I came here for: to be part of a culture change. ... This is the best feeling I’ve had in any locker room I’ve been in.
Redskins nose tackle
That left the Redskins (8-7) to reap the benefits even though they didn’t field a great team. Washington has only the 17th-best offense and the 24th-ranked defense.
But they clinched the division title Saturday with a 38-24 victory over the Eagles — their third consecutive win and fourth in the past five — and are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The question, though, becomes how the Redskins will approach the regular-season finale on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. They are locked into the fourth seed in the NFC playoffs with no chance of moving up or falling back.
There is a strong possibility that the Redskins will rest some of their starters, or at least treat it like a preseason game. There is no reason for them to risk injuries to key players.
For now, the Redskins are simply excited to be in postseason contention, even if they’ll enter as a big-time underdog to make a run.
“This locker room believed, this organization believed, our leader believed, Jay Gruden,” nose tackle Terrance Knighton said, via ESPN. “This is what I came here for: to be part of a culture change. We expect to win in this locker room. So many ups and downs all year. This is the best feeling I’ve had in any locker room I’ve been in. ... We work so hard, and we overcame so much.”
You have those moments when you’re 4-12 and 3-13 where you wonder, ‘Are you going to go back to the playoffs?’
Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan
Added linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, via ESPN: “You have those moments when you’re 4-12 and 3-13 where you wonder, ‘Are you going to go back to the playoffs?’
“You gain a greater appreciation for going back, and you learn to appreciate these moments more, appreciate coming into the locker room and getting hats and shirts. You’ve got to appreciate these moments.”
Praise for Cousins
Kirk Cousins might rank as the biggest surprise for the Redskins this season.
A 2012 fourth-round pick, Cousins entered the season with a combined 2-7 record as a starter and had more interceptions (19) than touchdown passes (18) in his first three seasons.
But Cousins, a Michigan State product, won the job in training camp over Robert Griffin III and Colt McCoy, and hasn’t disappointed.
Kirk [Cousins] just transformed into an elite quarterback before our eyes.
Knighton
Cousins has posted a 99.2 passer rating with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, and is only 10 passing yards shy of the 4,000-yard mark. He’s also thrown for at least 300 yards in seven games this season, and the Redskins are 6-1 in those contests.
“Words can’t explain what he’s meant to this team,” Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said, via ESPN. “He definitely made the difference. We wouldn’t be in this playoff push without him, I guarantee you that.”
Added Knighton, via ESPN: “Kirk just transformed into an elite quarterback before our eyes.”
Telling number
10 it’s been a decade since the Redskins won a playoff game. In 2005, they beat Tampa Bay in the wild-card round before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round. They’ve lost in the wild-card round in their two playoff berths since (2007 to Seattle and 2012 to Seattle).
He said it
“We felt like we were an up-and-coming football team and could compete with anyone.”
— Jay Gruden
This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 5:09 PM with the headline "Redskins in good position for Cowboys game after clinching playoff spot."