Ceci Ferrara
November 24, 2014
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
After a week filled with inappropriate press conference comments, apologies, and rumors galore, the Redskins seemed ready to move forward and get back to football. But while they held their own against the San Francisco 49ers on the road, they were once again unable to come away with a win.
“We’re not getting any moral victories, nor are we looking for any,” coach Jay Gruden said afterward. “We’re all very upset with the outcome of the game, because we had a great opportunity.”
The Redskins (3-8) fell behind early, when the Niners scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game. They were unable to put together a scoring drive until the second quarter, when a one-yard Alfred Morris TD tied it up at seven apiece. San Francisco went ahead 10-7 before halftime, leaving Washington trailing once again.
In the second half both teams struggled offensively, scoring only a combined 13 points. The Redskins scored two field goals to lead 13-10 late into the fourth quarter, but even with two turnovers their defense was unable to stop the Niners who scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:59 left.
Trailing San Francisco 13-17 the Redskins got the ball back with 1:29 on the clock and a chance for a come-from-behind win. But their hopes were dashed when Robert Griffin III coughed up the ball on his fifth sack of the day to end the drive, and the game. The last minute loss was just the latest disappointment in a disappointing season.
Griffin completed just 11 of 19 passes for 106 yards, while his five sacks totaled losses of 29 yards. Though his performance did not cause coach Gruden to pull him on Sunday, he would not commit to naming Griffin next week’s starter.
“We’re evaluating all of our guys right now,” the coach said. “And our starting lineup is not etched in stone right now.” He plans to evaluate his options and name the starter by Wednesday.
Wizards
While the Redskins are struggling, the Wizards have their best season since the 70s.
After starting the season 7-2, their best start since 1974-75 (7-1), they continued to impress with their comeback win over the Bucs Saturday night. The victory came just one night after a dominant 91-78 win over LeBron James and the Cavaliers, who at 5-7 have yet to live up to expectation.
Washington (9-3) trailed 40-25 midway through the second quarter, but ended up scoring 26 points by the half to cut the deficit to just five. They really heated up in the second half, outscoring Milwaukee 64-48 in the second half en route to a 111-100 win.
“The way we played in the second half is the way we’re capable of playing,” coach Randy Wittman said.
It was the Wizard’s seventh win in nine games, their only losses coming against the Raptors (11-2) and Mavericks (9-3)–both first place teams. They will have a chance to extend their win streak as they play the next five of six games at home.
In DC, it’s commonplace for fans to get excited about teams quickly, only to be disappointed as the season drags on. While the Wizards are undoubtedly better then they have been in past years, it’s too early to tell what the remainder of the season holds.
Coach Wittman put it best when he said, “We’ve got a lot of games left.”
