Here is what you need to know on this Tuesday, November 27, six days before the Redskins take on the Giants at FedEx Field.
The Redskins have to get hot
OK, one more round of playoff talk here this morning and then we’ll get back to (mostly) playing them one game at a time.
The biggest hurdle the Redskins have between them and the postseason have is their history. They need to go on a hot streak and they just haven’t done that recently.
To get to 9-7, the record they likely will need to keep playing into January, they will have to win six of their last seven games (going back to the Eagles game). It’s been a while since they have done that.
The last time the Redskins won six games in a seven-game stretch during the regular season was in 2008. Jim Zorn was looking like quite a find midway through that year. After losing their opener to the Giants, the Redskins won six of seven to move to 6-2 and midseason before falling apart in the second half of the year.
Looking at the smaller picture, the Redskins almost have to beat the Giants on Monday to make the playoffs. That means they would have to complete a three-game winning streak. They haven’t enjoyed one of those since that ’08 season when they won four in a row from Weeks 2-5.
It is rational to think that things are different for the Redskins now. Robert Griffin III gives them a chance in almost every game and they haven’t had a player like him in quite some time. And, just generally speaking, the way the NFL is set up every dog has his day. The Redskins may just be due to get hot for an extended period of time.
Tuck not looking forward to RG3
After the Giants edged the Redskins last month, Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said, “I’m pretty mad at the football gods for putting him in the NFC East.” The former All-Pro, of course, was speaking of Robert Griffin III.
Five weeks later Tuck has not changed his tune. As the Giants get ready to play the Redskins on Monday night, he indicated that he still rues the day the Redskins pulled off the big trade with the Rams to get the draft rights to RG3.
"Until I exit stage right, it seems like he’s going to be a fixture in my dreams and nightmares,” Tuck said on Monday.
Tuck is 29 and assuming that he remains a Giant the rest of his career he will have several more seasons of nightmares before the exits the scene.
Redskins not flexed
The NFL announced that the Week 14 Sunday night game will be the Lions at the Packers as scheduled. That means that the Ravens-Redskins game schedule for 1 p.m. on Dec. 9 will not be flexed into the Sunday night slot.
There was some speculation that the Redskins-Ravens game could be moved to showcase Robert Griffin III against Baltimore’s defense. But the Packers tend to be ratings gold and if the Redskins should lose to the Giants on Monday their game would not be as attractive to a national audience.
But things will remain as they are. There is no chance that NBC would want to flex the Redskins games against the Browns or Eagles so the next chance for a prime time game comes in the season finale against the Cowboys. If there is a playoff spot on the line, look for that schedule 1:00 game to be moved to either a late afternoon or prime time slot.
Today’s schedule
Players off, no media availability
In case you missed it
Breaking down the wild card picture
Shanahan flips his approach on the coin toss
Injury news: Brown, Trent Williams, Fletcher, Keenan Robinson
Days until: Monday night Giants vs. Redskins @ FedEx Field 6, Ravens @ Redskins 12; Redskins @ Eagles 26
Hey Rich! You need someone to proofread for you? I come cheap! :)
Posted by: Mike Bittner | Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 08:02 PM