Redskins Chop Giants Down To Size Again, 23-10

Who was that Burgundy and Gold team??!!!  Not only did the Redskins prove me wrong (I picked them to lose), but they embarrassed the Giants.  It got so bad, at one point, that the Giants fans were booing their own team.  I’ve never seen that before.  It was weird.  Giants Stadium was eerily quiet for most of the game in between boos.  As that’s happening, Rex Grossman is slinging it all over the place.  Hell he even threw 2 INTs early in the game.  One INT came on the very first play from scrimmage for the game.  With nothing on the line and coming into the game after being mathematically eliminated from the Playoffs, the Redskins get their 5^th win of the season, and a series sweep this year of the Giants on the strength of a 23-10 win.  Washington improves to 5-9 and the Giants drop to 7-7.  The only bad thing about the win is that it moves the Dallas Cowboys into sole possession of 1^st place in the NFC East. 

The Giants looked like they never came out of the locker to start the game.  Hakeem Nicks, a normally sure-handed WR, dropped two TD passes.  On one play, Nicks was wide open.  It was almost as if the God’s thought that it was time for things to go Washington’s way.  Eli Manning didn’t even throw a TD pass Sunday. That is rare.  Manning finished the game completing 23 of 40 passing attempts for 257 Passing Yards, no TD passes, but 3 INTs.  Manning was under constant pressure the entire game.  Although Manning was still able to move the Giants, most of their drives ended with no points.  And although the N.Y. Giants were able to force turnovers, they were not able to capitalize on them.  Brandon Jacobs was able to get going later in the game, but the Giants weren’t able to put together a 100-Yard Rushing effort.  And, although the Giants have one of the best Defensive Lines in the NFL, so much so that they rarely have to Blitz to create a Pass Rush, they were only able to tally one QB Sack, and it came on what looked like a blown assignment.  As crazy as it sounds, the Redskins shut down the Giants on Sunday.  How many times have we heard that this season?

I have one thing to say about the Redskins’ performance on Sunday.  It’s about damn time.  This is the first time that I have seen Washington punch a team in the mouth and follow it up with a knockout.  Washington had games won against Dallas both times this year, had the Patriots beaten, let the 49ers and Eagles games slip away, and never showed up for the game against the Bills.  Washington should be 10-4 heading into these final two games.  Washington has had key injuries.  Otogwe has been hurt all season, LaRon Landry, Tim Hightower, Kory Lichtensteiger, Jarvis Jenkins, Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Trent Williams and Leonard Hankerson are all out for the season and all are key starters.  Santana Moss even missed extended playing time this season.  This was an NFL Playoff team.  Hell I’ll take it a step further and say that Washington should be in the running for the NFC East crown.  Washington is just in need of a Franchise QB.  No disrespect to Grossman who finished the game Sunday with 15 completions on 24 passing attempts, 185 Passing Yards and 1 TD.  But he threw 2 INTs that could have been crucial mistakes, but the Defense bailed him out.  Rex takes way too many chances and the difference between he and a Tom Brady is that Brady will not put his team in those situations.  Brady is conscious of his decision-making at crucial times.  To put it plainly, you’d trust Brady in crunch time and expect him to make the plays to win the game.  With Grossman, you are hoping that he makes the plays to win the game and more importantly, you are hoping that he doesn’t turn the ball over doing something crazy.  But Grossman will do for the next two weeks. 

This week’s gameball goes to the entire Redskins Defense for one of their best performances of the entire season.