In a game Washington should have lost for all those "fans" who want a higher draft pick, the Redskins stunned the host Giants, 23-10, in the Meadowlands.
Besides a pair of (to-be-expected) interceptions from Rex Grossman early on, the Redskins dominated the entire game, leaving Giants fans booing the home team. For 59:27 of the game, the Redskins defense held the Giants to three points, something no other defense has accomplished this season.
This stout defensive performance is even more impressive as the Giants averaged 25 points per game coming into their match up against Washington, putting up some big scores along the way: 37, 35, 31, 29.
However, against the Redskins yesterday, that same high-powered Giants offense looked anemic, pathetic, and simply, the worst of the two teams on the field Sunday.
The Redskins offensive line (decimated by injury and suspension) stood strong, limiting the vaunted Giants pass rush to one sack, while giving the Redskins a significant advantage in time of possession.
So what does this mean for Redskins fans? Does it mean we have reason to hope and look forward to next season? I think the answer is: Yes.
The youth on our team is proving to coaches, the league, and fans that our future is bright: Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo are becoming a powerful pass-rushing duo, accounting for two-thirds of the sacks against the Giants, as well as 15 combined this year (well over half of the team's total).
Instead of potentially being buried on the depth chart, Roy Helu is taking advantage of unfortunate injuries and establishing himself as a consistent and determined runner. In a league where teams excel with multiple running backs with different strengths, Helu won't be asked to carry to full workload in the future, although he has proven able.
Coach Mike Shanahan and his staff have two games remaining on the season: home against the Minnesota Vikings and then in Philadelphia against the Eagles.
In it's simplest form, for this season to be considered an improvement, the Redskins must win both of these games. Doing so will give them a 7-9 record, an increase from last year's 6-10 season as well as a three-game winning streak to finish this 2011 campaign.
Now, the game against the Vikings is definitely the one to bet your money on: a rookie quarterback in Christian Ponder, very few offensive weapons besides Adrian Peterson, as well as a relatively weak defense as a whole.
The "Dream Team" on the other hand kept their playoff hopes alive as Philadelphia spanked the New York Jets, but must win their two remaining games to have a shot at the postseason: motivation at the end of the year.
The road to 7-9 is going to be very tough for the Redskins, and I think in the end, too tough.
The main reason I'm not confident in the Redskins in their remaining two games is because the defensive lines of both the Vikings and the Eagles are full of elite, pass-rushing players. These two defensive lines are anchored by the two top defensive ends in the league this season: Jared Allen (below) for Minnesota and Jason Babin for Philadelphia, both with 18 sacks this season.
Can the inexperienced Redskins offensive line stay strong and give the offense time to execute? Will the Redskins finish the season on a high note?
We all will have to wait and see, but I only see the Redskins winning one more game. Which one? I honestly couldn't tell you.
(Jonathan Wigginton is the Chat Sports Senior Writer for the Washington Redskins)
(Photo-Courtesy of The New York Times and Yahoo!Sports)
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