Written by Liz Clarke at Washington Post.com
The Washington Redskins celebrated a victory Sunday at FedEx Field. But it should never have turned into the nail-biter it was.
After surrendering a 17-point lead and allowing a rookie quarterback who’d been abruptly thrust into the lineup to tie the score, the Redskins found themselves staring at an upset of calamitous proportions.
The San Francisco 49ers needed only a field goal to snap their five-game losing streak, and with 23 seconds remaining, they were nearly within range. On fourth and 20 from midfield, C.J. Beathard, grandson of the former general manager who orchestrated the Redskins’ Super Bowl championships, heaved a deep throw that could have set up such a kick.
Redskins cornerback Kendall Fuller intercepted it, preserving a 26-24 victoryt hat lifted his team to 3-2 but raised troubling questions about Washington’s ability to close games — games like Sunday’s, which never should have been close.
In the feel-bad, feel-good aftermath, Coach Jay Gruden acknowledged the Redskins’ drives that should have produced touchdowns but yielded field goals instead. He was acutely aware of the defensive gaffes and third-quarter fumble that let the 49ers back in a game that should never have been in doubt.
But Gruden bundled all those woulda, coulda plays into a big bag and proclaimed it good — proof that the 2017 Redskins were capable of finding ways to win when things went wrong.
“You start to feel better about your team when you’re not as happy after a win as you normally should be,” Gruden said. “We responded and got the victory. That’s all that matters.”
In terms of the offense’s progression, the victory was encouraging. Cousins was 25 of 37 for 330 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while rushing for a third touchdown. Cousins also scrambled for an 18-yard gain that sparked the offense immediately after the 49ers tied it late in the third quarter, leading with his shoulder, to the alarm of left tackle Trent Williams, rather than sliding to a soft landing.
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