Redskins on the rise after tragedy

Dec 17, 2007 - 8:11 PM By Scott Serrano PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

The Washington Redskins have breathed new life into their season.

A mere three weeks since the tragic death of safety Sean Taylor shook the franchise and threatened to derail their season, the Redskins have suddenly and improbably gotten back into the playoff hunt.

Taylor died on November 27, a day after he was shot in the bedroom of his Miami home during a botched burglary attempt.

Five days after losing their teammate, the Redskins suffered a heartbreaking 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills to add to the team's despair.

But since that setback, the Redskins have posted back-to-back victories to even their record at 7-7. They beat the Chicago Bears, 24-16, at home two weeks ago, then defeated the New York Giants, 22-10, in the Meadowlands on Sunday night.

"I've got to tell you I couldn't be prouder of our football team," Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said after the win over the Giants. "They've been through a lot. This football team has been through a lot, and I just appreciate the way they keep fighting."

Thanks to their recent surge, the Redskins sit in the eighth playoff spot in the NFC, trailing New York (9-5), the Minnesota Vikings (7-6) and New Orleans Saints (7-7) for a wild-card spot.

The good news is that Washington can overtake the Vikings, who host the Bears Monday night, with a victory next Sunday at the Metrodome.

But in order to harbor any playoff hopes, the Redskins would need to win their final two games, including the season finale at home against the NFC East division champion Dallas Cowboys.

But it would be fool-hardy to count them out now.

Making Washington's revival even more impressive is that they are doing it without starting quarterback Jason Campbell, who was lost to a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter against the Bears.

With Campbell sidelined, the Redskins have turned to veteran backup Todd Collins, who threw a pair of touchdown passes against Chicago to help Washington snap a four-game losing streak.

Collins then made his first start in 10 years on Sunday, completing 8-of-25 passes for 166 yards in windy conditions at Giants Stadium. Once he adjusted to the elements, Collins was able to complete several key pass plays and manage the game to the end.

The gap between starts for Collins set a new record for the longest span between starts since the 1970 merger.

"Todd, he's spent seven years in that situation and you think a guy would get mentally lazy," Gibbs said. "How many times can you sit in meetings and hear all that knowing that you're probably not going to play? Now getting his chance, I couldn't be happier for a guy."

Also playing a key role in Washington's playoff push is running back Clinton Portis. On Sunday he rushed for 126 yards on 25 carries, including a 5-yard touchdown run on day where a solid ground game was needed because of the wind.

After the win, Portis, Taylor's friend and college teammate at Miami, said the Redskins would "fight to the finish," whether they make the playoffs or not.

"Sometimes we come up short, but we're always there to fight," Portis said. "For a team to go out and fight like we do week-in and week-out, you don't have to worry about the guys around you giving up or not being there or not having your back.

"We're always going to fight as a team."