Kirk Cousins threw for a touchdown and ran for two more, and the Washington Redskins gave their fading playoff hopes a boost with a 41-21 victory over the Chicago Bears on Saturday.
DeSean Jackson added 114 yards receiving, and Washington (8-6-1) intercepted Matt Barkley five times. It added up to an easy win for the Redskins after they relinquished control of the second wild card with a loss to Carolina Monday night.
If the Dallas Cowboys beat the Detroit Lions on Monday night, the Redskins would nearly be in control of their playoff destiny again. A win next week against the New York Giants would send Washington into the playoffs, barring some a very unlikely tie between the Lions and the Green Bay Packers next week.
Eighth in the NFC behind Green Bay and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming in, Washington moved to seventh, a half game ahead of Tampa Bay thanks to the Buccaneers' 31-24 loss to the Saints in New Orleans. The Redskins remain a half game behind the Packers for the last playoff spot, as Green Bay handled the Minnesota Vikings 38-25 at home.
Washington scored 14 points in the first quarter after struggling early in recent games and never really was threatened by the struggling Bears (3-12).
Cousins, shaky against Carolina, was 18 of 29 for 270 yards. He threw a 17-yard touchdown to Chris Thompson in the first quarter and scored on a 9-yard run in the second. He also pushed in from the 1 late in the third to make it 31-14.
Jackson had a 57-yard reception, but left after he got hit in the jaw while blocking in the third quarter. Pierre Garcon caught four passes for 94 yards.
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Thompson had a rushing touchdown in the first quarter to go with his scoring catch. Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland each had two interceptions, and the Redskins won their seventh straight against Chicago.
Barkley's five interceptions matched the second-highest total in Bears history and were the most since Jay Cutler threw five against San Francisco on Nov. 12, 2009.
Cameron Meredith added 135 yards receiving and Alshon Jeffery had 92. Jordan Howard ran for 119 yards, but the Bears simply got overmatched after back-to-back three-point losses.
The best they can do now is finish 4-12 and match their worst record since 2002. The last time they won fewer than four games in a non-strike year was when they went 3-11 in 1973.
The Redskins grabbed a 14-0 lead after being held to a total of three first-quarter points in the previous four games.
Washington scored on four straight possessions, starting with Thompson's 7-yard run up the middle midway through the quarter.
The Bears cut it to 24-14 in the closing minute of the half on a 21-yard catch by Meredith after a leaping Jeffery hauled in a 37-yard pass.
INJURY REPORT
Redskins: TE Jordan Reed sat out because of a sprained left shoulder. Reed was favoring his shoulder during Monday's loss to Carolina before being ejected for throwing a punch.
Bears: LB Leonard Floyd exited early in the second quarter because of a concussion and was taken from the sideline on a cart. The first-round draft pick missed a game last month because of a concussion after taking a scary hit against the New York Giants. ... DB Deon Bush (ankle) got banged up. ... The Bears held out CB Cre'Von LeBlanc because of a knee injury.
UP NEXT
Redskins: Host the New York Giants on Jan. 1.
Bears: Visit Minnesota on Jan. 1.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st quarter - Chris Thompson run from 7 yards out. TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good.
REDSKINS 7, BEARS 0
1st quarter - Kirk Cousins to Thompson on a 14 yard catch and run. TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good
REDSKINS 14, BEARS 0
2nd quarter - Dustin Hopkins kicked a 29 yard field goal.
REDSKINS 17, BEARS 0
2nd quarter - Jeremy Langford with 1 yard rush. Touchdown. Extra point is good.
REDSKINS 17, BEARS 7
2nd quarter - Cousins runs 9 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Extra point is good.
REDSKINS 24, BEARS 7
2nd quarter - Matt Barkley to Cameron Meredith for 21 yards. Touchdown. Extra point is good.
REDSKINS 24, BEARS 14
3rd quarter - Cousins runs 1 yard for touchdown. Extra point is good.
REDSKINS 31, BEARS 14
4th quarter - Hopkins 20-yard field goal is good.
REDSKINS 34, BEARS 14
4th quarter - Barkley 3-yard pass to Deonte Thompson for touchdown. Extra point is good.
REDSKINS 34, BEARS 21
4th quarter - Mack Brown runs 61 yards for a touchdown. Extra point is good.
REDSKINS 41, BEARS 21
