Woody:Playing for pride, not the playoffs Postseason pressure is off, but demand to p

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Playing for pride, not the playoffs Postseason pressure is off, but demand to perform remains

BY PAUL WOODY

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Sunday, December 7, 2003

REDSKINS AT GIANTS

ON TV: 1 p.m., Fox

The New York Giants and Washington Redskins, two teams that entered the 2003 NFL season with the highest of expectations, now have had their seasons reduced to this.

Both teams are 4-8, the playoffs are out of the question and today's performance by the members of both teams comes down to a matter of pride.

"We've talked all season about how this is a 16-game regular season," said Redskins coach Steve Spurrier. "We want to play our best and see where we are. Our goals are not going to be reached, and we're disappointed about that, but as competitors and professionals, we've got a game against the New York Giants"

The Redskins have had problems with consistency on offense, defense and special teams.

The Redskins have lost seven of their past eight games, and in the past three weeks, they have lost after going into the fourth quarter with a lead. In those games, the offense has been unable to move the ball and score or at least take time off the clock. And the defense has been unable to stop teams in critical situations.

The Giants have a different story.

"We've been playing up and down, and, lately, we've had so many injuries, we've become a shell of the team we were," said Giants coach Jim Fassel.

"Early on, the problem was turnovers. Our turnover ratio was bad, and it has stayed there. A lot of them were in the red zone, so we were taking points off the board as well."

The Giants have had their share of bad luck this season. They signed a long snapper and a place-kicker in the off-season to bolster their special teams. Both ended up on the injured reserve list before the regular-season began.

They have four defensive starters and two starting offensive linemen on injured reserve.

The Giants have just one player on the offensive line, right guard David Diehl, who has started every game at the same position. Giants quarterback Kerry Collins has been sacked 27 times, and slammed into on a number of other occasions.

And yet, both teams think they can begin to turn around the season today.

"Surprisingly, we're in a pretty good mood," said Giants running back Tiki Barber. "A lot of young guys are going to have to play now, and they're excited about the opportunities. It lifts our spirits a little bit."

Surprisingly, the Redskins mood seemed lighter this week. Perhaps knowing the playoff race is over lifts the pressure, albeit not the pressure many of the players wanted lifted.

And the idea that nothing is on the line today should be eliminated as well. The Giants and Redskins reside in the NFC East, and the Redskins are 1-7 in NFC East games since Spurrier took over last season.

Jobs also are at stake. Fassel seems destined to lose his job, although a four-game winning streak might save it. It's difficult to tell just where Spurrier stands.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder is on the record saying he wants Spurrier to fulfill the remaining three years on his original five-year deal. Who knows what will happen, though, if the bottom falls out, even more than it already has, for the Redskins and they win just one or two, or even none, of their remaining games.

And the players know that every team has personnel men studying the tape of every player in every game. For some players, their futures are at stake.

"You do want to be known as a player who, regardless of any situation, always give best," Barber said. "That's one reason Walter Payton is one of my idols. He played on a lot of bad teams in Chicago, eventually got his Super Bowl, and went down in history as one of greatest ever. It's what you do."

Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or pwoody@timesdispatch.com