The Washington Redskins had a chance to clinch a playoff berth Sunday, but that possibility was crushed early in the day when the Minnesota Vikings stunned the Houston Texans. Either way, Washington needed to handle their business against the Philadelphia Eagles in order to continue holding their own destiny – which they did – defeating the Eagles 27-20.
With the win, Washington is now set to face the Dallas Cowboys in a game that’s outcome will determine the NFC East division champion. Although Dallas lost in week 16 against the New Orleans Saints, they too hold their own destiny. If Dallas wins, they will have a weird tiebreaker over Washington with the best record in common games. Both teams would be 4-2 in the NFC East in that scenario. However, if Dallas losses, they are out of playoff contention. The Redskins – on the other hand – could still sneak into the playoffs with a loss. Of course, Washington will need help from other teams. If the Vikings and Bears lose, Washington can suffer a loss against Dallas and still enter the playoffs.
The easier scenario is to just beat the Dallas Cowboys. This could be the biggest Redskins vs Cowboys game in years. The stakes are high and the NFL acknowledged that Sunday by flexing the game from 1pm to 8:20 pm next Sunday.
Robert Griffin III played his first game post his LCL sprain suffered in week 15 against the Baltimore Ravens – Sunday against the Eagles. It was apparent that Griffin wasn’t fully healthy, after running maybe the slowest scramble for 5 yards in his life early in the football game. “After we saw him the first drive, we said, ‘No, he’s not really trying to run today,” Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham said. The Eagles thought all they had to do was stop the run and get after Griffin on the pass. “It didn’t happen that way and he gashed us a lot, especially on the pass,” Graham said.
Although Griffin was limited, the Redskins dialed up a lot of quick throws – play actions that caught the Eagles off guard. Even without the threat of running, Robert Griffin III completed 16-of-24 passes for 198 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
It was a game that allowed Griffin to get his “feet wet” and get acclimated with the knee brace. Griffin’s confidence in his knee grew throughout the game.
So, now the Washington Redskins are prepared to face a tough Dallas team on National television with a QB that should be healthier than he was the week prior. It’s shaping up to be a good one.
