Oldskool Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/teams/report/WAS/6672046 Redskins report: Inside slant Sept. 25, 2003 Maybe now the Redskins will start playing with some tip-to-tip energy. After rallying for a win at Atlanta, Washington couldn't come all the way back against the New York Giants. The Redskins now are seeking to start and finish well, and they're optimistic about what might be accomplished now that they've been stung by a loss. "That's the good thing," defensive end Bruce Smith said. "This is a marathon. Just because you stumble, you don't get out of the race. When you're in the driver's seat, you may get a little tired, and you may doze off a minute. That's what happened [against the Giants]." Washington (2-1) had a chance to secure early control of the NFC East against New York. Instead, it will resume its focus on just playing solid football Sunday against New England (2-1), which is riddled with injuries. The Redskins exited the Giants game convinced they had given one away. A franchise-record-tying 17 penalties helped undermine a second half that saw Washington go from 18 points down to overtime. "It's very frustrating," cornerback Champ Bailey said. "We're just a better team than they were. A much better team. They made plays when they had to, and they came out with the win. We know we're better than that. It's obvious to anybody watching the game." Coach Steve Spurrier was beside himself this week with Washington on pace for the NFL record for penalties. So far, the Redskins have 35 penalties in three games. "I don't have the answers," Spurrier said. "We're trying to emphasize it the best we can. Obviously as coaches we're not doing a good job emphasizing staying onsides and not flinching and things like that." But the good thing is that the Redskins have the NFL's No. 1 offense--just what fans expected when Spurrier took his vaunted Fun 'n' Gun scheme from the college level to the pros. "I didn't know [our ranking]," said quarterback Patrick Ramsey, the NFL's third-rated passer. "That's obviously something we can be proud of, but the win's what's most important. I just wish we could have gotten that number one offense going in the first half." The defense also must resolve a schizophrenic persona. It has struggled in the past two first halves but dominated the past two second halves. Of course, against the Giants, the unit then folded in overtime. "We made things happen, but we didn't close it out at the end," linebacker Jessie Armstead said. Even though the Redskins are in the midst of a very difficult stretch of the schedule (after New England, they play at Philadelphia, against Tampa Bay and at Buffalo), they are confident that they have the talent and character to succeed. "I'll tell you what: Where most teams are way down, and say, 'We'll get 'em next week,' we kept fighting to the very end," Smith said. "My hat goes off to all the guys in this room who kept on fighting." SERIES HISTORY 7th meeting. Redskins lead series 5-1. They have won five straight dating to 1978, with the most recent win 27-22 in 1996. The teams are frequent competitors in the preseason, having met every preseason since 1998. Copyright © 2003 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 They have won five straight dating to 1978, with the most recent win 27-22 in 1996. I wonder who was coaching the Pats back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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