Cousins and the Redskins defeat the Browns to move into first place in the NFC East

Kirk Cousins was magnificent in his
first ever NFL start (AP/Tony Dejak)

With rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins making his first career start, the Washington Redskins downed the Cleveland Browns 38-21.  Washington won its fifth consecutive game, its largest win streak since 2005, to pull into first place in the NFC East.  The team has not won the division since 1999, and has qualified for the playoffs only twice since the turn of the millennium.

Cousins, Washington's 4th round draft pick out of Michigan State, was spectacular starting in relief of the injured Robert Griffin III, throwing for 329 yards, 2 touchdowns and completing over 70 percent of his passes.  After a rough start, the Redskins established an offensive rhythm thanks in large part to excellent play calling by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.  Shanahan abandoned the pistol formation and zone read option which had been staples of the team's offense in the games that Griffin has started this season.  Instead, Shanahan adapted to Cousins, a more traditional quarterback, by using more of a pro style offense.  With the Browns determined to stop the run, Cousins was particularly effective on play action bootlegs, on which he threw 2 touchdowns to second year receiver Leonard Hankerson, including a 54 yard bomb in the first quarter to open the floodgates.

Leonard Hankerson caught two touchdowns
(AP/Rick Osentoski)

The Redskins defense came up huge yet again, limiting the Browns to under 300 yards of total offense and forcing 2 turnovers.  London Fletcher came up with his 4th interception of the season, and Rob Jackson intercepted his 3rd pass of the year.

The Redskins now control their own postseason destiny, and with wins against the Eagles and Cowboys will earn the right to host a playoff game.

Redskins defeat Ravens in battle of the beltway

Kirk Cousins made several key plays down the stretch (AFP)

The Washington Redskins pulled off a thrilling 31-28 come from behind victory against the Baltimore Ravens.  Ravens running back Ray Rice scored a 7 yard rushing touchdown to put the Ravens ahead by 8 with under 5 minutes remaining in the game.  Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft out of Baylor University, and the NFL's offensive rookie of the year favorite, suffered a right knee injury on a 13 yard scramble after being slammed into by the 340 pound Haloti Ngata, a pro bowl defensive tackle for the Ravens.  Following a 3rd down pass interference that gave the Redskins a first down, Griffin was able to return to the game, albeit in a hobbled form.  Griffin was able to drive the Redskins all the way to the Ravens 16 yard line, but was visibly in pain, lacked his spectacular mobility and appeared unable to plant his foot in the ground.  Rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Redskins 4th round pick out of Michigan State, completed his next two passes, including a beautifully thrown 11 yard touchdown to wide receiver Pierre Garçon in the right corner of the end zone, over the outstretched arms of the defense.  With the Redskins trailing by two with 29 seconds remaining in the game, Cousins took off on a designed run up the middle of the defense for the two point conversion to force overtime.

Kai Forbath has yet to miss a field goal this season
(Washington Times)

On the Ravens first possession of the overtime period, the Redskins defense stepped up and forced a three and out.  On the subsequent punt return, rookie Richard Crawford, a 7th round pick out of SMU, returned the ball 64 yards to the Ravens 24 yard line.  Field goal kicker Kai Forbath remained perfect on the season by drilling a 34 yard kick through the uprights to seal the heart stopping comeback.

The victory was yet another demonstration of the incredible productivity that the Redskins have received out of their draft picks from this past draft.  Griffin III has had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, ranking among the league leaders in passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt and touchdowns.  The remarkably clutch play of Cousins, who entered the game without a moments notice to complete the Redskins comeback, justifies a draft pick that was derided by most analysts, who claimed the team should have instead used its 3rd round pick to add depth to its offensive line.   Rookie running back Alfred Morris had 122 rushing yards and a touchdown in the game.  The 6th round pick out of Florida Atlantic University who is now astonishingly ranked 3rd in the league in rushing yards, was not even expected to make the team prior to training camp.  Crawford, filling in for the inactive Brandon Banks, provided a spark in the return game that has been missing all season.

The Redskins offensive line of left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Kory Lichtensteiger, center Will Montgomery, right guard Chris Chester and right tackle Tyler Polumbus has been the unheralded key to the team's success this season.  The offensive line has done a sensational job implementing head coach Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme and creating holes for the league's first ranked rushing attack.  After a rough start to the season, the line has improved substantially in pass protection by allowing routes to develop downfield and providing Griffin III with ample time to find open targets.  In the first quarter, Griffin III was given nearly 5 seconds in the pocket to find wide receiver Josh Morgan who ran a drag route across the entire field.  Williams, the 4th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, has developed into one of the league's best left tackles and has become the linchpin of the offensive line.

While Cousins was excellent in relief of Griffin III, the Redskins need their dynamic budding superstar to make a speedy recovery.  The Redskins option offense is predicated on the threat of Griffin running the football.

Redskins defeat Giants on Monday Night Football

The Washington Redskins won a must win game against the New York Giants in front of a national audience on ESPN's Monday Night Football in order to keep their once improbable playoff hopes alive.  By defeating the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants in consecutive division games, the Redskins resuscitated what once appeared to be a yet another disappointing season for the team.

Robert Griffin III continued his magnificent rookie season
(Geoff Burke/US Presswire)

Quarterback Robert Griffin III did not put up the gaudy stats that Redskins fans have become accustomed to, but he made plays when it counted against an elite defensive front, and yet again did not turn the ball over.  In the first quarter Griffin III fumbled the ball after a run of 12 yards, but miraculously while lying on his back Griffin III was able to push the ball up into the hands of receiver Josh Morgan.  Morgan scampered into the end zone untouched for the first touchdown of the game

Washington's oft maligned defense held the Giants potentially explosive offense in check.  The secondary yielded only one big gain in the passing game, after giving up a 77 yard game winning touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz in the first meeting between the two teams in October.  Most importantly, the defense held the Giants offense to field goals instead of touchdowns.  The Giants were forced to take 4 field goals, as opposed to scoring only 1 touchdown, a crucial factor in the game.

For the majority of the game the Redskins operated out of the pistol formation, a modified version of the shotgun in which the quarterback stands 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage rather than the customary 8 yards.  Thanks in part to the formation, which allows the runner to hit his holes quicker than he would in the shotgun, the Redskins running game flourished.  The team finished with an astounding 207 rushing yards on 6.7 yards per carry.  Griffin III finished with 72 rushing yards including one run of 46 yards on which he showed of his highly touted athleticism.

Alfred Morris was a workhorse for the Redskins
(NYGiants.com)

Running back Alfred Morris, the Redskins 6th round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic, broke the Redskins rookie rushing record and had a career high 124 rushing yards in the game.  Morris displayed the mental fortitude necessary to be a star in the NFL by overcoming a red zone fumble and continuing to produce big run after big run.  Morris showed off his hard nosed difficult to tackle running style by picking up 8 first downs for the Redskins.  Morris is ranked 3rd in the NFL with 1106 rushing yards on the season, and has really opened up the play action passing game, a staple of the Redskins highly productive offense.The threat of Morris running the ball helped the Redskins offense convert 9 of 11 play-action passes, as opposed to 4 of 10 on regular drop-back passes.

In the beginning of the 4th quarter, Griffin III and Morris marched the Skins down the field all the way to the Giants 8 yard line.  The Redskins then ran a play action fake out of the pistol formation.  The fake to Morris made the Giants Tampa-2 defense hesitate for long enough to allow Griffin III to roll to his right and hit receiver Pierre Garçon in the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Redskins a 17-16 lead.  Garçon has been extremely productive when healthy, and has made a tremendous impact in providing Griffin III with a sure handed target who has the ability to make very difficult catches.

After the Redskins defense did its part in shutting down the Giants late in the 4th quarter, the Redskins received the ball with 3:51 left in the game.  Over the years, Eli Manning and the Giants have had numerous come from behind victories with limited time left on the clock.  Morris and Griffin III took matters into their own hands and moved the chains to prevent the Giants from having an opportunity to win the game.  Morris' 6 yard run on third and three with under 2 minutes left ensured the Redskins victory and kept them alive in the NFC playoff hunt.

Redskins defeat the Cowboys and Eagles to keep their playoff hopes alive

The Washington Redskins had a disappointing 3-6 record entering their bye week after losing three straight heartbreakers to the Giants, Steelers and Panthers.  By the time the Redskins welcomed the Philadelphia Eagles to town, it appeared that the team had given up hope on reaching the postseason.  Head coach Mike Shanahan seemingly threw in the towel when he told the media following the loss to the Panthers, "when you lose a game like that, now you're playing to see who, obviously, is going to be on your football team for years to come.  Now we get a chance to evaluate players and see where we're at."

Santana Moss
(Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The struggling Eagles squad was just the remedy for what ailed the Redskins.  The Redskins cruised past the Eagles 31-6, the largest margin of victory in Shanahan's tenure in Washington.  Philadelphia leads the NFC in turnovers, and also has the fewest takeaways in the conference.  Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick was out with a concussion, and his replacement, rookie Nick Foles threw two interceptions and no touchdowns.  The team was able to muster only 257 yards of total offense against a Washington defense that had struggled for most of the season.
Rookie sensation Robert Griffin III ignited the Redskins offense, throwing a career high 4 touchdowns, and completing all but one of his throws for an unbelievable completion percentage of 93.7%.  Griffin III set the NFL rookie record for passer rating with a perfect rating of 158.3.  Griffin III displayed his cannon of an arm with a 49 yard bomb to Aldrick Robinson and a 61 yard heave to Santana Moss on which the receiver made an incredible play by ripping the ball away from two defenders to seal the victory.

Robert Griffin III against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving
(Jose Yau/Associated Press/The Waco Tribune-Herald)

Only 5 days later, the Redskins traveled to Dallas to take on the hated Cowboys on a huge Thanksgiving day stage.  With the entire nation watching, Griffin III announced to the world that he is a worthy MVP candidate by leading the Redskins to a 28-3 half-time lead.  Griffin III finished the game with 4 touchdown passes, 311 passing yards, a 132.6 passer rating and once again completing over 70 percent of his passes.  Included among those touchdowns were a 68 yarder to Aldrick Robinson and a 59 yarder to Pierre Garçon, who had to adjust to a pass thrown behind him and outran the defense all the way to the end zone.  Garçon, who had missed significant time with a foot injury, made his impact felt with 5 receptions for 93 yards, the first time he was able to truly contribute since week 1.  Rookie running back Alfred Morris, a 6th round pick who is incredibly ranked 5th in the NFL in rushing yards, opened up the play action for the Redskins by picking up 113 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
In the second half the Cowboys came roaring back, pulling to within a touchdown of the Redskins.  Led by quarterback Tony Romo, who passed for 441 yards in the game along with 3 second half touchdowns, momentum appeared to be on Dallas' side.  Following receiver Dez Bryant's second touchdown of the game, which made the score 35-28, the Redskins were desperate for points.  Griffin III calmly drove the offense down the field to set up a field goal by Kai Forbath, who has yet to miss this season, with under 3 minutes left in the game.  The Cowboys made a field goal with 18 seconds remaining in the game to draw to within 38-31.  On the ensuing on side kick attempt, Redskins cornerback Deangelo Hall, who already had an interception in the game, returned the kick all the way to the 2 yard line before sliding to allow the Redskins to end the game in victory formation.

Robert Griffin III carrying the American flag
(Brian Murphy/Extremeskins.com)

The two consecutive victories against bitter division rivals has revived the Redskins playoff hopes, and gives the team a realistic chance to either win the NFC East division or sneak into the postseason as a wildcard.  Next week's Monday Night Football game against the Giants will be a crucial matchup to watch.

Redskins snap 8 game home losing streak against the Vikings

Robert Griffin III rushed for 138 yards, a Skins QB record
(Jonathan Newton/Washington Post)

The Washington Redskins snapped an 8 game home losing streak by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 38-26 to improve their record to 3-3.  Robert Griffin III bounced back from a concussion suffered last week in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons, by putting on yet another dazzling offensive performance, and energizing the Redskins entire fan base.  Griffin completed 17 of his 22 pass attempts to maintain the highest completion percentage in the league, rushed for 138 yards, a Redskins quarterback record, and accounted for three touchdowns.

After a sluggish first quarter in which the the Redskins were dominated by the Vikings, the team trailed 9-0.  Fortunately, Washington's ailing defense was able to prevent the Vikings from reaching the end zone despite multiple trips to the red zone for Minnesota.  Holding Minnesota to three first quarter field goals proved to be a deciding factor in the game.

The Redskins responded by scoring 24 unanswered points, including a 50 yard field goal by the team's newly signed kicker Kai Forbath in his NFL debut.  Griffin III and the Redskins have scored touchdowns on all 12 of their goal to go situations this season.  The team's red zone efficiency, induced by the threat of Griffin's elite running ability, was on full display as Griffin passed to fullback Darrell Young for a 6 yard touchdown, took the ball in himself for a 7 yard rushing touchdown, and handed the ball off to running back Alfred Morris for a goal line touchdown.

RG3 leaps into the crowd after a 76 yard rushing TD
(Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)

Washington's defense came up with 3 huge turnovers, including a pick 6 by free safety Madieu Williams, and a fumble recovery by linebacker Lorenzo Alexander that gave the Redskins possession of the ball at the Vikings 6 yard line.

The Vikings scored two 4th quarter touchdowns  to cut the Redskins 19 point lead down to 5.  With just under three minutes remaining in the game, the Redskins faced a crucial 3rd and 6 which they had to convert in order to prevent the Vikings from completing a demoralizing comeback.  Griffin III dropped back to pass, broke a tackle, scrambled to his left and used his world class speed to outrun the defense for a breathtaking 76 yard rushing touchdown, the longest by an NFL quarterback in over 16 years.

RG3 has been nothing short of a godsend for a Redskins franchise that had lacked a quality starting quarterback for over two decades.  With Griffin III under center, the Redskins have been among the most exhilarating teams to watch this NFL season.

Definitely Werth It!

(Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Jayson Werth sent the nation's capital into a frenzy with his walk off home run in game 4 of the NLDS.  Werth's Washington Nationals tied the series at 2-2 with their exhilarating 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, setting up a deciding game 5 tomorrow night.  After being shut out in game 3 of the series, the Nationals were finally able to put a couple of runs on the board off the bats of Werth and Adam Laroche who hit a home run in the 2nd inning.  Werth's towering solo homer came off a fastball from converted reliever Lance Lynn, as a result of a magnificent 13 pitch at bat.

(John McDonnell/Washington Post)

Southpaw Ross Detwiler, a St. Louis native completing his first year in the National's starting rotation, shook off his nerves and pitched a 6 inning gem, in which he allowed no earned runs.  Starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann pitched a flawless 7th inning out of the bullpen, striking out all three batters he faced.  Tyler Clippard, Washington's setup pitcher, and Drew Storen, the team's closer, struck out 5 combined batters.

Gio Gonzalez, a 21 game winner and a Cy Young candidate, will start the series finale Friday night against Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals.

Nationals win first postseason game in 79 years

Tyler Moore hit a game winning 2 run double
(Jeff Roberson/AP)

On Sunday afternoon the first postseason baseball game in 79 years was played by a Washington D.C. Major League Baseball franchise.  The Washington Nationals, the pride of the nation's capital after winning an MLB best 98 games during the 2012 regular season, continued their historic season by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 in game 1 of the NLDS.

Gio Gonzalez, a National League Cy young candidate after winning a majors leading 21 games this season, started the game for Washington.  Gonzalez gave up only 1 hit in 5 innings pitched, but struggled with his command and walked a season high 7 batters.  Gonzalez walked 4 in a wild second inning in which he gave up the only 2 runs of the game on a wild pitch that got by catcher Kurt Suzuki, and on a sacrifice fly by Jon Jay with the bases loaded.  Nationals manager Davey Johnson decided to trust his ace and allowed Gonzalez to continue to pitch for three more innings.

The Cardinals' starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, struck out 10 batters in a masterful 5 and two thirds innings pitched.  Wainwright baffled the Nationals and demonstrated complete control of his knee buckling curve ball.  Wainwright only struggled for a brief stretch of the second inning during which Suzuki put the Nats on on the scoreboard first with an RBI single to the left field gap that brought home first baseman Adam Laroche.

Jayson Werth robbed the St. Louis of a home run
(Dilip Vishwana/Getty Images)

Two crucial momentum shifting defensive plays by the Nationals prevented the Cardinals from pulling away in the latter innings of the game.  In the 6th inning, right fielder Jayson Werth leaped over the right field wall and robbed Daniel Descalso of a 2 run homer that would have given the Cardinals a 3 run lead.  The second crucial event occurred after Washington relief pitcher Ryan Mattheus entered the game with the bases loaded and 0 outs in the 7th inning.  On the first pitch Mattheus threw, the Cardinal's Allen Craig hit a ground ball to Washington shortstop Ian Desmond who threw to home plate for a force out that prevented the Cardinals from scoring.  On the very next pitch, Mattheus got St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina to chase a pitch outside.  Molina hit a ground ball to third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who flipped it to Danny Espinosa at second base.  Espinosa then leaped over a sliding Cardinal and threw the ball to Laroche at first base for the double play, allowing the Nationals to escape the dire situation unscathed.

Drew Storen struck out Matt Holiday
to end the game
(photo by Nir Levy)

In the top of the 8th inning with left fielder Michael Morse and Desmond both on base, rookie Tyler Moore pinch hit for Mattheus and hammered a 2 run double to put the Nats ahead.  Moore's hit was the biggest of the year for the Nationals and continued a trend of bench players coming up huge for the team.  Reliever Tyler Clippard and closer Drew Storen each disposed of all three of the batters they faced in the last two innings to retain the lead for the Nats.  Storen struck out 6 time all-star left fielder Matt Holiday on three pitches to end the game.
The series will continue tomorrow with the Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann facing Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals.