Redskins Recap: A demoralizing effort officially eliminates the team
By Ian Cummings
If the Redskins weren’t already out, they are now.
Coming into today’s game at 5-7, the Redskins were a long shot to make the playoffs. Now, they’re all but out, and the Chargers can thank them for fueling their own playoff hopes. One team is trending up. The other will be forced to look to next year a month too soon.
It was a pitiful effort from the start for the Washington Redskins. The defense let the Chargers march down the field on the first drive, and the offense couldn’t answer. The Chargers quickly went up 13-0, and although Kirk Cousins was able to put together one solid drive, that would be the extent of their success.
The offense couldn’t put together consistent drives, and as a result, the defense couldn’t get any rest. It was a relentless cycle that rendered the Redskins inept for almost the entire game. The score was already 23-6 at the half, and things did not get better in quarters three and four. Josh Norman was burned consistently by Phillip Rivers and the red hot Keenan Allen. Kirk Cousins was inaccurate all night, and Samaje Perine never broke free for even modest gains.
When it was all said and done, Kellen Clemens came into the game to clean up for the Chargers, and the Redskins lacked life, energy, and emotion, looming on the field like zombies, chasing a dream that had long been dead. They ended up losing 30-13.
This game was over long before the final whistle. And now, their season is officially over as well. Eliminated from the playoffs, the Redskins can now continue to reflect on their efforts, and decide their strategy moving forward. Major changes may be made in the coming weeks. Or maybe nothing will change at all. This franchise lacks direction. And in the coming months, they need to find it. For better or worse.
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The Redskins play the Arizona Cardinals next week, in a matchup that will likely feature two teams on the outside of the playoff race. That battle will require their full attention, but they soon must turn their attention to the long-term direction of their franchise. Because with every loss, the offseason grows closer. And they have plenty of decisions to make.