Redskins vs. Giants: 3 studs from Sunday’s victory
By Ian Cummings
The Redskins made a not-very-close game too close in the final minutes on Sunday, but they came away with a victory, and that’s what matters most.
The Washington Redskins victory over the New York Giants on Sunday was far from pretty. Expectations were high for Washington coming into the game. The Giants were in disarray coming in, with an incompetent quarterback on offense and a number of moving pieces on defense, none more significant than the trade of nose tackle Damon Harrison to Detroit.
The Giants’ 1-6 record could have served as a false flag of complacence for the Redskins, but Jay Gruden kept his players focused, and they managed to maintain control of the game, even through numerous hiccups.
As for the details of the game, it was something we’ve seen before this season. Defense ruled the day; the defensive line feasted on New York’s feeble front, and D.J. Swearinger lurked in the secondary, making plays all over the field.
On offense, Adrian Peterson kept the chains churning, and while Alex Smith was respectable in some aspects, most notably the turnover department, he failed to show growth from previous weeks, and he threw under 200 yards for the third straight game.
Smith will need to improve in certain situations if the Redskins are to go far this season, but Monday, for obvious reasons, should be a day of revelry. We’ll get to the bad parts later. For now, let’s take a look at who shined in Week 8 en route to the Redskins’ second divisional win.