2012: A year to remember for the Redskins
To say the least, 2012 has been one of the best years in Redskins history. From the signing of Pierre Garcon to winning the NFC East title, this year has been filled with pure excitement and countless memories. Join me in reflecting on these moments in Redskins history that will forever be remembered.
Aug. 9, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (88) does a flip in the end zone to celebrate a first half touchdown against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
March 12,2012
The Washington Redskins signed free agent WR Pierre Garcon from the Indianapolis Colts. Terms of the contract were 5 years 42.5 million dollars and brought up questions of whether Washington overpaid for Garcon. A lot of people did not believe Garcon had the ability to be a #1 receiver in the NFL and thought this was a bad move by Washington. Garcon quickly silenced all of the critics with a breakout game in week 1 vs the Saints. His numbers were great and didn’t even finish the game due to a foot injury, an injury that limited his action for the entire year. Garcon fought and played through as much pain as he could bear and ended up having a respectable season and proved his importance to this franchise.
Oct 7, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher (59) takes the field before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at FedEX Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2012
London Fletcher officially resigned with the Redskins, giving them a relief heading into the draft that their captain was back! This allowed Washington to keep their focus geared towards improving other areas of the team. London Fletcher is undoubtedly the heart and soul of this team and the #Resign59 campaign was one of the most talked about topics in Redskins Nation. His resigning was huge to secure the best possibility for success for the Redskins defense and pretty much made it to where he would retire as a Redskin.
Dec 30, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) hands off to Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris (46) during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at FedEX Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA Today Sports
April 26-28,2012
This was the day the Redskins drafted four players that would be key pieces to success for the team.
– 1st round pick 2- Robert Griffin III
– 4th round pick 102- Kirk Cousins
– 6th round pick 173- Alfred Morris
– 7th round pick 213- Richard Crawford
Each of these players have showed up when the team needed them the most with un-rookie like performances. Griffin and Morris have shown that they possess the capabilities to bolster the franchise for years to come. Cousins showed that he is able to keep the team afloat and play at high level in the absence of Griffin. Crawford got his opportunity late in the season, but shined when his number was called vs Baltimore. Now that Crawford is a household name in Washington, let’s see how he progresses from here.
July 27, 2012; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley (47) shakes hands with fans while walking to the field during Redskins training camp at Redskins Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
August 28, 2012
Chris Cooley was waived by the Washington Redskins in hopes that he would have an opportunity to sign with another team and be a starter. The majority of Redskins Nation was saddened by the departure of Captain Chaos, the best tight end the franchise has seen. Chris Cooley refused to sign with another team and was content to not play this season until October 21, 2012 when the Redskins resigned him. An season ending injury to starting tight end Fred Davis left Washington no choice but to bring in another body to fill that roster spot. Who better than the franchise leader in receptions for tight ends.
September 9,2012
First game of the season, the Washington Redskins travelled to New Orleans and handed them a loss to remember. Robert Griffin III exceeded all expectations with an epic debut performance. Winning this game let the league know that the Redskins were for real and were going to make some noise in 2012.
September 30, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Washington Redskins kicker Billy Cundiff (5) is congratulated by long snapper Justin Snow (54), tight end Logan Paulsen (82) and punter Sav Rocca (6) after he made the game winning field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. The Redskins won 24-22. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
September 30, 2012
It didn’t take very long for Robert Griffin III to get his first game winning drive. In week 4 vs the Tampa Bay, Griffin led the Redskins down the field to set up a game winning 41 yd. field goal by Billy Cundiff.
December 9, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins kicker Kai Forbath (2) is interviewed after kicking the game-winning field goal against the Baltimore Ravens at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 31-28 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
October 9, 2012
The Washington Redskins signed free agent rookie kicker, Kai Forbath. After an inconsistent beginning from Billy Cundiff, Washington decided to go a different route at the kicker position. Some fans thought that the Redskins would go back and resign Graham Gano, but they shocked everyone and went with Forbath. This proved to be a clutch decision by Washington, as Forbath went 17 for 17 before missing his first kick in the season finale vs Dallas.
October 14, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) runs with the ball past Minnesota Vikings strong safety Jamarca Sanford (33) for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 38-26. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
October 14, 2012
The Washington fans got to see Griffin excite the crowd with a game sealing 76 yard touchdown run to beat the Minnesota Vikings. This was Griffin’s first game back since his concussion and let fans know that he was indeed back and ready to finish the season. This will be a play to remember forever!
November 4, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) prepares to throw the ball against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
November 4, 2012
Week 9 vs Carolina would be the turning point for the rest of the season. This loss would be the 6th and final loss of the season for the Redskins in 2012. The Redskins finished the season on a 7 game winning streak to catapult them to the top of the division to reign as NFC East champs.
December 30, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) scores a touchdown in the third quarter of the Washington Redskins game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
December 30, 2012
Dallas came to town…Dallas went home with a loss…The Washington Redskins won their first division title since 1999. Because of this, Seattle has to travel to Washington for their first round match up. The city is already buzzing in anticipation of this game and excited to see what 2013 has to bring.
@The_SkinsSource follow me on Twitter!
Also give Riggo’s Rag a “like” on facebook, become a follower on twitter, or grab our RSS feed. Follow @FanSidedNFL on twitter for great content from around the league