Redskins topple Giants, improve to 5-6
Teams tied atop NFC East as Eli intercepted 3 times
LANDOVER, Md. — Jay Gruden’s Washington Redskins have not won two games in a row all season. They followed a 33-point victory with a 28-point loss. They are 5-1 at home, 0-5 on the road. They tend to have a hard time running the ball — and stopping the run.
And yet, for all of their deficiencies and inconsistency, the Redskins are right there at the top of the NFC East.
Kirk Cousins connected with DeSean Jackson for a 63-yard touchdown pass and scored on a fourth-down quarterback sneak, Washington intercepted Eli Manning three times, and the Redskins withstood the latest miraculous catch by Odell Beckham Jr. to hold on and beat the New York Giants 20-14 Sunday, pulling into a tie for first place.
“We’re just in the driver’s seat right now,” Redskins defensive end Jason Hatcher said. “We’ve just got to continue winning games and driving the car — right into the playoffs.”
New York trailed 20-0 before making things interesting as Manning threw fourth-quarter TD passes of 40 yards to Rueben Randle and 21 yards to Beckham, who took off from the 2 to make a fantastic diving grab, corralling the ball with his left hand while parallel to the ground.
“What can you say about that?” Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said. “That’s not human.”
The Giants came in off their bye and with a chance to create space in the standings. Instead, they’re 5-6, just like the Redskins, with five games remaining. The Philadelphia Eagles (4-7) and Dallas Cowboys (3-8), both routed on Thanksgiving Day, are the other members of the mediocre division.
“We ‘sleptwalked’ — whatever the word is,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. Beckham’s assessment? “We came out flat,” he said. “Too many mistakes.”
On a chilly, dreary day, New York’s first two possessions ended when passes by Manning went in and out of receivers’ hands and were picked off — first by linebacker Perry Riley Jr., then by cornerback Will Blackmon. And on the Giants’ first drive of the second half, Manning’s throw from the 4 was intercepted in the end zone by rookie Quinton Dunbar.
It was the 20th three-interception game of two-time Super Bowl MVP Manning’s career; he had only six picks all season until Sunday. He wound up 26 for 51 for 321 yards; Beckham had nine catches for 142 yards.
New York’s first 10 drives culminated in three turnovers and seven punts. On the team’s 11th possession, Manning finally put some points on the board, hitting Randle. Then came Beckham’s highlight-reel grab.
But it was too little, too late.