In Washington, it is good etiquette to concede when it looks like you aren't going to win. The Redskins made today the day the told the world that they aren't ready for a playoff berth.
That's what happens when you lose to the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-13.
Just yesterday I showed how this game trended toward a Bengals' victory. The trend I forgot to point out was that the Redskins aren't playing well at all right now. The offense isn't very efficient, the defense can come unglued and they are making mistakes that they weren't making earlier in the year.
Examples? How about a Chris Cooley fumble on the opening drive? Or Mike Sellers' fumble at the goal line? Or giving up 79 yards on a screen pass when it was 2nd-and-23? Or being down 17-0 before you get a first down? Or getting a celebration penalty which causes the kickoff to be penalized 15 yards? Then that kickoff goes out of bounds and gives the Bengals the ball in your territory?
Playoff teams don't do that. They certainly don't do that against a team that entered mid-December with just one win.
The concession was seconded with wins by the Cowboys and Falcons today. Mathematically they are still alive. All they need to do is beat the Eagles and Niners and hope pretty much everyone else loses all their games.
Don't worry about that, Redskins fans, with the way this team has been handled over the past six weeks by their opponents. This loss was a perfect capper to a week that saw Jim Zorn and Clinton Portis exchanging barbs and the players holding a meeting mid-week.
At least the District has Inauguration Day to look forward too.
Bengals 20, Redskins 13: Washington Officially Concedes a Playoff Berth originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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