Read More: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Redskins

It was reported Sunday that the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys would be filing a grievance against the NFL and NFLPA for penalizing the two teams millions of dollars in 2012 salary cap space for what were deemed spending violations during the uncapped 2010 season. Washington had $36 million dollars in 2012 cap space taken away, while the Cowboys lost $10 million in cap space. It seems John Mara, the chair of the NFL Management Council and owner of the rival New York Giants, feels the penalty was fair and perhaps even not enough. Via Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com:

“I thought the penalties imposed were proper,” John Mara, the New York Giants’ owner and chair of the NFL Management Council, which imposed the penalties said Sunday. “What they did was in violation of the spirit of the salary cap. They attempted to take advantage of a one-year loophole, and quite frankly, I think they’re lucky they didn’t lose draft picks.”

I think it’s safe to say the NFL team meetings in Florida this week will be an interesting affair.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation’s Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation’s NFL hub.

The Philadelphia Eagles may still have hopes to win the NFC East, but they still need things to go absolutely perfect to win the division. Yet Eagles fans like myself can take solace in how the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants aren’t blowing everyone out of the water. In fact, if one looks at the last few weeks, the strongest teams in the NFC East lately have been the third-place Birds and last-place Washington Redskins.

Philadelphia only just got on track by winning two straight while Washington is still 5-9 after having a six-game losing streak earlier this year. But the Eagles and Redskins have shown more impressive stuff in recent weeks than the two teams closely fighting for first in the East.

The Giants, of course, have been decidedly unimpressive in losing five of their last six games. Meanwhile, the Cowboys at least showed some signs of being impressive by throttling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 17 to retake first place. However, that didn’t excuse how Dallas blew its previous two games at the last second and has been extremely inconsistent every December.

As for Philadelphia, it has suddenly become the scariest team in the NFC East although it is still a long shot to get out of it. It would take wins over the Cowboys and Redskins, a Giants loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 24 and a Cowboys loss to the Giants on Jan. 1 to win the division on an 8-8 tiebreaker. Yet that doesn’t seem out of the question, due to both the Eagles’ improvement and mainly to the Cowboys and Giants’ inconsistency and occasional incompetence.

Washington has actually looked a lot better in losing its games lately than Dallas and New York has. The Redskins have come very close to beating the Cowboys, New York Jets and New England Patriots in recent weeks, have beaten the Seattle Seahawks before they got hot, and finally broke through by throttling the Giants on the road on Dec. 18. At 5-9, the Redskins have to kick themselves because they could have been right in this race with a few breaks, just like the Eagles could have been.

Philadelphia and Washington are finishing this season with more style than Dallas and New York are, if only by comparison. Of course, if the Eagles and Redskins showed this improvement in October and November, they would be the ones fighting for first place. Instead, the Cowboys and Giants are setting the low bar in the NFC East, even though they’ve been playing like the third and last place clubs in the division for a while now.

If or when either Dallas or New York takes the division by default, Washington and Philadelphia will have a whole offseason to wonder what could have been. The Eagles and Redskins have been the NFC East’s scariest teams in December – but being like that in October and November as well would have been much better.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

Other stories by this contributor

Steelers have no faith without Roethlisberger, divisional title

NFL power rankings after Week 15 inch Eagles up again

Eagles, Chargers wait too long again to get hot

Eagles save Reid’s job by destroying Jets

Eagles, Jets matchup of big disappointments

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

There seems to be a growing disconnect between New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and his players. According to a New York Daily News report, Coughlin called out Giants cornerback Antrel Rolle for saying that his teammates lacked heart in a 23-10 loss to the Washington Redskins on Dec. 18. “I’m sure there’s frustration there,” Coughlin said of Rolle’s comments. “I don’t think that’s the mechanism by which you express your frustration.”

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning
wikimedia commons

Are the New York Giants still playing hard for Coughlin? That’s the burning question that will be answered in the Giants’ stretch run of the season, in two must-win games against the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.

At Justin Tuck’s post-game press conference following the loss to the Redskins, he said “a lack of sustained intensity” was a good way of describing the New York Giants’ performance during the game. “We came out and had a pick in the first play of the game, but we weren’t able to create any momentum on offense after that,” Tuck noted.

The lack of intensity during the game seemed to carry over into the post-game conferences, at a time when the Giants should have shown anger or at least more emotion following such a disastrous loss.

Not that they didn’t seem to care, but they didn’t look like a team that was truly upset about losing, or hungry to bounce back and make a playoff run.

New York running back Brandon Jacobs was asked at the press conference if he thought the Giants played with emotion and passion, and he said they did not. “We didn’t want it bad enough the first time we played these guys,” Jacobs said. “And we didn’t want it bad enough this time.”

Jacobs later added that he couldn’t answer why the passion wasn’t there. “For whatever reason, why we came out and played the way we did, I can’t answer that,” Jacobs said. “We have two good teams that are coming up and we have to be on our feet.”

The responsibility of getting a team to play with emotion and passion should fall squarely on a coach’s shoulders, and it looks more and more like Tom Coughlin’s message isn’t getting through to his team like it once was.

Following the loss to the Redskins, coach Coughlin said he was extremely disappointed with the way his team played. “The responsibility comes back to me, and I accept it,” Coughlin noted. “I told the players ‘I expected to see more. I expected to see quality execution and quite frankly, we didn’t get much of that.”

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York resident and fan of both New York football teams. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

Sources

www.giants.com, Giants, press conference videos and player quotes

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NEW YORK –  

Jets coach Rex Ryan wasted no time Monday getting the hype machine rolling for Saturday’s showdown with the Giants.

“I recognize that they’re an excellent football team, but I think we’re better,” Ryan said on a conference call.

The Jets and Giants are both coming off disappointing losses Sunday, but that has not taken away from this week’s game. The loser won’t officially be eliminated from playoff contention, but it will deal them a serious blow.

Besides the playoff implications, Ryan will drive the interest in this game — can he back up his boasts or will the Giants shut him up? Ryan wrote in his book that he believes the Jets are the “big brother” to the Giants in the football landscape.

“I never came here to be little brother to anyone. So, it’s on,” Ryan said.

He later added, “There’s no way I’m going to be second fiddle. If we were playing the New York Yankees, I don’t want to be second fiddle to them.”

Ryan, who is in his third year as Jets coach, said it is not debatable which team has been better since he arrived.

“Certainly we were the better team the first two years,” Ryan said. “We made the playoffs, went to the championship game. To say that a team is better than you that never made the playoffs is ridiculous. Clearly, we were the better team my first two years here. We get to prove it on Saturday who the best team is this year.”

Ryan acknowledged he leads the way in pushing this rivalry to a place its never been before.

“Sure there’s a lot of talk going back and forth, most of it driven by me,” he said. “But you know what? I’ll stand by everything I’ve ever said. I didn’t come here to be anybody’s little brother.

“I came here to win, to be looked at that way and to take over not just this city, even though it’s the city to take over, but also this league. I haven’t accomplished that yet. Saturday, I think, will go a long way toward doing that.”

Naturally, Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka disagreed, predicting Big Blue will prove the outspoken Jets coach wrong.

“Talking trash isn’t going to help you out on the field,” he said. “I know we’re the better team. We just have to go out there and prove it.”

The Jets are coming off a 45-19 thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving them tied with Cincinnati at 8-6 for the final AFC playoff spot.

The Giants, despite a lackluster 23-10 home loss to the Redskins Sunday, can still win the NFC East by beating the Jets and Cowboys in the final two games of the season.

Read more: NY POST
 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—One week removed from overcoming a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Dallas Cowboys (8-6), the New York Giants (7-7) laid an egg vs. the last-place Washington Redskins (5-9), losing 23-10 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Eli Manning channeled his 25-interception 2010 self, throwing three picks in the Giants’ second loss to Washington this season. Worse yet for New York, the Cowboys, 31-15 winners over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, come out of Week 15 atop the NFC East by one game.

“We didn’t have enough fight throughout the entire game,” Giants safety Antrel Rolle told reporters in the locker room after the game. “This is football, man. If you don’t have enough fight, you don’t even need to be on the field. That’s the bottom line. We got to get that together, we got to get that fixed as a team.”

Washington went up 3-0 on kicker Graham Gano’s 36-yard field goal in the first quarter, then took a 10-0 lead after receiver Santana Moss caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Rex Grossman early in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, the Redskins’ advantage increased to 17-0 on Darrel Young’s 6-yard TD run.

With just over 1 minute remaining in the half, Washington decided to go for the jugular, taking a chance on fourth and 1 at New York’s 32-yard line, but Grossman’s throw to Donte Stallworth in the end zone sailed out of bounds. The Giants took over, drove 46 yards on six plays and Lawrence Tynes kicked a 40-yard field goal.

On New York’s second possession in the fourth quarter—when it trailed 23-3—apparent touchdown receptions by D.J. Ware and Hakeem Nicks were wiped out. Ware, initially credited with a 4-yard TD, didn’t have full control of the ball as he crossed the goal line, as replays clearly illustrated. Officials reviewed the play and Ware was ruled down at the 2-yard line, where he had actually gained control before being brought down. Manning targeted Nicks on the next play, completing a 2-yard pass for the score—but a holding penalty was called on left tackle David Diehl.

The Giants’ hopes of coming back died shortly after when Manning was sacked on fourth down. Fans unsurprisingly began pouring out of the stadium, likely fearing Big Blue will miss the playoffs for a third straight season.

In order for the Giants to guarantee themselves a shot at the NFC East title, they will have to defeat the New York Jets on Christmas Eve.

“We better [win against the Jets]. It’s either that or we go home,” Rolle warned.

“We have to find a way to get it done,” he added. “Everyone needs to get on the same page—coaches and players. And we have to come up with a better plan. Obviously, right now what we’re doing is not good enough.”

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — If the
New York Giants
miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the
Washington Redskins
to blame.

Rex Grossman
threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory
Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.

“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6)
in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.

“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more – quality execution – and we didn’t get that.”

Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing
the Giants for the second time this season.

Grossman and the offense held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defense picked off
Eli Manning
three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.

“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.

Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants
showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.

“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back
Brandon Jacobs
said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”

The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the
division.

The Cowboys play the
Philadelphia Eagles
next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.

“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain
Justin Tuck
said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This
was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.

Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins
took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.

Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to
Santana Moss
,
Darrel Young
scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and
Graham Gano
kicked three field goals.

Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle
Barry Cofield
enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.

“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent
weeks.

This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing
some unbelievably bad games with the postseason on the line.

This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and
then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff
contention.

Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.

Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from
Donte’ Stallworth on a third-and-12 from the Giants 39.

Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide-open
Moss on third-and-8.

If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after
Oshiomogho Atogwe
intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine
plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.

Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up
Lawrence Tynes
for a 40-yard field goal.

Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back.
DeAngelo Hall
made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard
field goal for a 20-3 lead.

After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.

Ahmad Bradshaw
scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.

The Giants were their own worst enemy.
Hakeem Nicks
dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defense and
had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.

That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.

NOTES: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul followed his NFC defensive player of the week award with a 16-tackle performance that included
a sack. …Giants DE
Osi Umenyiora
(knee) and C
David Baas
(neck) each missed their third straight game. …
London Fletcher
led the Skins with 12 tackles. …CB
Josh Wilson
had Washington’s other interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …CB
Corey Webster
and S
Kenny Phillips
had the Giants interceptions.

© 2011 STATS LLC

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – If the New York Giants miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the Washington Redskins to blame.

Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.

“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6) in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.

“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more — quality execution — and we didn’t get that.”

Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing the Giants for the second time this season.

Grossman and the offence held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defence picked off Eli Manning three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.

“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.

Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.

“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”

The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the division.

The Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.

“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.

Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.

Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss, Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and Graham Gano kicked three field goals.

Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.

“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent weeks.

This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing some unbelievably bad games with the post-season on the line.

This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.

Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from Donte’ Stallworth on a third-and-12 from the Giants 39.

Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide-open Moss on third-and-8.

If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after Oshiomogho Atogwe intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.

Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up Lawrence Tynes for a 40-yard field goal.

Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back. DeAngelo Hall made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard field goal for a 20-3 lead.

After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.

Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.

The Giants were their own worst enemy. Hakeem Nicks dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defence and had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.

That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.

NOTES: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul followed his NFC defensive player of the week award with a 16-tackle performance that included a sack. …Giants DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) and C David Baas (neck) each missed their third straight game. …London Fletcher led the Skins with 12 tackles. …CB Josh Wilson had Washington’s other interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …CB Corey Webster and S Kenny Phillips had the Giants interceptions.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — If the New York Giants miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the Washington Redskins to blame.

Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.

“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6) in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.

“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more — quality execution — and we didn’t get that.”

Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing the Giants for the second time this season.

Grossman and the offense held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defense picked off Eli Manning three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.

“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.

Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.

“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”

The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the division.

The Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.

“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.

Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.

Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss, Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and Graham Gano kicked three field goals.

Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.

“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent weeks.

This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing some unbelievably bad games with the postseason on the line.

This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.

Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from Donte’ Stallworth on a third-and-12 from the Giants 39.

Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide-open Moss on third-and-8.

If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after Oshiomogho Atogwe intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.

Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up Lawrence Tynes for a 40-yard field goal.

Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back. DeAngelo Hall made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard field goal for a 20-3 lead.

After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.

Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.

The Giants were their own worst enemy. Hakeem Nicks dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defense and had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.

That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.

NOTES: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul followed his NFC defensive player of the week award with a 16-tackle performance that included a sack. …Giants DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) and C David Baas (neck) each missed their third straight game. …London Fletcher led the Skins with 12 tackles. …CB Josh Wilson had Washington’s other interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …CB Corey Webster and S Kenny Phillips had the Giants interceptions.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Pulling off the improbable, the Washington Redskins went up to MetLife Stadium and overcame an ugly start against the NFC East-leading New York Giants to come away with a 23-10 victory Sunday afternoon.

It was the Redskins’ fifth win and, in beating the Giants for a second time this season, Washington registered the first sweep of its division rival since 1999.

“The Giants, they’ve really been our nemesis around here the last five years,” said Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, whose team had fallen to New York nine of the last 10 games entering this season. “To sweep them, it means a lot, because they’re a well-coached football team.”

With quarterback Rex Grossman
turning in a shaky performance, the Redskins relied heavily on their defense. Washington intercepted Giants quarterback Eli Manning three times, winning the turnover battle for the first time all season.

And when Manning went to work in the final quarter — aiming for his seventh fourth-quarter comeback victory of the season — the Redskins twice denied the Giants in the shadow of their own end zone.

Manning finished the game 23 for 40 for 257 yards and no touchdowns. Ahmad Bradshaw led New York in rushing with 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.

Grossman connected on 15 of 24 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions. Roy Helu’s streak of three 100-yard rushing games came to an end as the rookie picked up 53 yards on 23 carries while Evan Royster added 36 yards on 10 carries. Jabar Gaffney led Washington with six catches for 85 yards.

“You feel good about the way they played,” Coach Mike Shanahan said of his team, which had lost two straight and last week fell short in a last-second bid to upset the New England Patriots. “I was really disappointed that we couldn’t close the door last week. . . . So to finish the way we did today was nice.”

Washington’s first defining goal-line stand came three minutes into the fourth quarter. After the Redskins extended their lead to 23-3 with 14 minutes 57 seconds left, the Giants finally started showing signs of life. Manning completed four straight passes to march his team to the Redskins 13-yard line.

But on his fifth pass attempt, Manning’s fortunes changed. Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson made a leaping catch in the end zone for an interception and touchback. It was Wilson’s second interception of the season, and his second straight game with a pick.

The Redskins’ defense answered the bell again later in the fourth quarter. Wilson made a strong tackle to deny Giants running back D.J. Ware as he caught a pass and tried to cross the goal line. Initially, the officials ruled the play a touchdown. But a review showed that Ware had bobbled the ball at the line and didn’t secure possession until Wilson wrestled him back the 2.

With the Giants facing fourth and goal from there, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo rushed from the edge and drew a holding call from tackle David Diehl, backing the Giants up to the 12-yard line. New York tried for a touchdown on the next play, but rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan sacked Manning to deny the Giants and register Washington’s first sack of the game.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – If the Washington Redskins proved anything, it might be that the New York Giants don’t belong in the playoffs.

Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a 23-10 victory on Sunday.

Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss, Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ three interceptions of Eli Manning and Graham Gano kicked three field goals as Washington (5-9) won for the second time in 10 games — and embarrassed New York for the second time this season.

The loss knocked the Giants (7-7) out of first place in the NFC East.

Dallas (8-6) now leads the division by a game with two to go, including one with Giants on the final weekend. If New York beats the Jets and the Cowboys in its final two games it will win the division. The Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend and might wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.

This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are now in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing some unbelievably bad games with the postseason on the line.

Two years ago, they lost to the Carolina Panthers in their last home game at Giants Stadium

Last season, they went 10-6 and missed the playoffs because they gave away a 21-point lead in a December loss to the Eagles and then were beaten badly in Green Bay late in the season with a playoff berth in their grasp.

This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.

Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from Donte’ Stallworth on a third and 12 from the Giants 39.

Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide open Moss on third-and-8.

If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after Oshiomogho Atogwe intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.

Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up Lawrence Tynes for a 40-yard field goal.

Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back. DeAngelo Hall made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard field goal for a 20-3 lead.

After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.

Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.

The Giants were their own worst enemy. Hakeem Nicks dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defense and had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.

That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — If the
New York Giants
miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the
Washington Redskins
to blame.

Rex Grossman
threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory
Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.

“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6)
in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.

“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more – quality execution – and we didn’t get that.”

Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing
the Giants for the second time this season.

Grossman and the offense held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defense picked off
Eli Manning
three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.

“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.

Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants
showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.

“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back
Brandon Jacobs
said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”

The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the
division.

The Cowboys play the
Philadelphia Eagles
next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.

“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain
Justin Tuck
said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This
was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.

Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins
took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.

Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to
Santana Moss
,
Darrel Young
scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and
Graham Gano
kicked three field goals.

Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle
Barry Cofield
enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.

“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent
weeks.

This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing
some unbelievably bad games with the postseason on the line.

This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and
then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff
contention.

Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.

Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from
Donte’ Stallworth on a third-and-12 from the Giants 39.

Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide-open
Moss on third-and-8.

If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after
Oshiomogho Atogwe
intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine
plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.

Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up
Lawrence Tynes
for a 40-yard field goal.

Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back.
DeAngelo Hall
made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard
field goal for a 20-3 lead.

After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.

Ahmad Bradshaw
scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.

The Giants were their own worst enemy.
Hakeem Nicks
dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defense and
had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.

That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.

NOTES: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul followed his NFC defensive player of the week award with a 16-tackle performance that included
a sack. …Giants DE
Osi Umenyiora
(knee) and C
David Baas
(neck) each missed their third straight game. …
London Fletcher
led the Skins with 12 tackles. …CB
Josh Wilson
had Washington’s other interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …CB
Corey Webster
and S
Kenny Phillips
had the Giants interceptions.

© 2011 STATS LLC

Now that the New York Giants have ended their losing streak, they have a
clear path to the NFC East title.

The next step comes Sunday at home and the Giants will have to contend with
a number of injury problems as they try to avenge a season-opening defeat to the
Washington Redskins.

New York (7-6) held a two-game division lead after starting 6-2, then fell a
game behind Dallas thanks to a four-game slide. Eli Manning, however, guided the
Giants to two touchdowns in the final 3:14 to rally them to a 37-34 road victory
over the Cowboys last Sunday and a share of first place before Dallas’ win at
Tampa Bay on Saturday dropped New York one-half game back.

“We knew that we couldn’t afford to fall further behind Dallas when we went
into the game,” offensive lineman Kevin Boothe said. “We are in a playoff-type
atmosphere from here on out. We have a big division game this week and we have
to take it one game at a time and see what happens. We have to give Washington
our best shot.”

New York can clinch the division by winning one of its next two games along
with the regular-season finale at home against Dallas.

The Giants, though, are dealing with numerous injuries.

Pro Bowler Justin Tuck failed to record a tackle against the Cowboys and
could sit out with a toe injury while fellow defensive end Osi Umenyiora could
miss a third straight game with a sprained ankle. Safety Kenny Phillips missed
the Dallas game with a sprained left knee.

Tuck and Umenyiora were both injured when they sat out a 28-14 loss at
Washington (4-9) in the opener. Rex Grossman continued his success against the
Giants with 305 yards passing and two touchdowns as the Redskins ended a
six-game slide in the series.

That loss didn’t stop Giants safety Antrel Rolle from saying earlier this
week that New York could beat Washington 99 out of 100 times.

“I know what the outcome of the game should be come Sunday,” Rolle said. “It
is up to us to go out there and put it on film and make sure the outcome is what
we plan.”

Three of Grossman’s six best games in terms of passing yards have come
against New York. He didn’t sound too worried about Rolle’s comments.

“It is the NFL and nobody is going to beat anyone 99 out of 100 times,”
Grossman said. “I am confident about where we are. We haven’t finished games
lately and we need to finish and everything should take care of itself.”

Grossman was sacked four times in the first meeting, twice by Jason
Pierre-Paul. The Giants defensive end had two more last week to bring his season
total to 12 1/2, and he blocked Dan Bailey’s tying field-goal attempt near the
end of regulation.

Pierre-Paul has come on strong after he registered 4 1/2 sacks in 2010 as a
rookie.

“I’m not thinking as much as I was last year,” Pierre-Paul said. “Last year,
I was on and off and I wasn’t sure about all of the calls so I was playing
slow.”

Pierre-Paul and the Giants’ pass rush will be looking at a patchwork
Washington offensive line that is far different from what they saw in Week 1.
Right tackle Jammal Brown missed last week’s 34-27 loss to New England with a
groin injury as Tyler Polumbus replaced him while left tackle Trent Williams
continues to serve his suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse
policy.

Manning failed to throw a touchdown pass against Washington in the opener -
one of two times that has happened this year. He recorded his third 400-yard
effort of the season last Sunday and is fourth in the league with a career-high
4,105 passing yards and sixth with 25 TD passes.

Manning has totaled 1,153 yards with seven touchdowns and three
interceptions over his last three games.

“Eli has taken it upon himself to throw the ball well, and exceptionally
well for the last three games,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “But he’s
played well the whole year.”

A major reason why Manning’s numbers are up is that New York owns the NFL’s
worst rushing attack at 85.8 yards per game.

There is reason for optimism. With Ahmad Bradshaw suspended for the start of
last week’s game due to a violation of team rules, Brandon Jacobs gained a
season-high 101 yards on 19 carries with two scores.

“Nobody wants to hit that guy running like he’s running other than they have
to,” said Giants coach Tom Coughlin about Jacobs. “It’s the right message and
when you see him north and south as hard as he can go and the pile’s going
forward, we’re all cheering.”

Washington has the league’s second-worst rushing attack at 93.8 yards per
game, but rookie Roy Helu has reached 100 for three straight weeks. Helu had a
season-high 126 last week.

The Tim Tebow Train has left a lot of other great stories sitting on the tracks this NFL season. True, Tebow has managed to captivate the country with his improbable comebacks in leading the Broncos to six consecutive victories and into first place in the AFC West.

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NFL power rankings | This week’s games | NFC standings | AFC standings

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But look at some of the other magic being created by quarterbacks around the league. Thanks mainly to Aaron Rodgers, who already has tied Brett Favre’s single-season touchdown record with 37, the Packers are just three wins away from a perfect 16-0 regular season.

Drew Brees of the Saints is on pace to obliterate Dan Marino’s single-season, passing yardage record of 5,084. Brees leads the NFL with 4,368 yards and needs to average just 240 yards down the stretch to break it. New England’s Tom Brady (4,373) and Rodgers (4,125) are also on pace to better Marino.

Carolina’s Cam Newton, meanwhile, needs just 167 passing yards to best Peyton Manning’s NFL rookie record (3,739).

And then we have the Giants’ Eli Manning, who has almost managed to get lost in the shuffle — and that’s nearly impossible for a quarterback playing in New York.

His 4,105 passing yards are just 20 yards fewer than Rodgers, who seems to be the unanimous lock for Most Valuable Player honors. That Manning is in position to also break Marino’s 27-year-old mark certainly puts him in some very elite company.

Even if he doesn’t catch Marino, Eli needs to average just 200 passing yards in his final three games to surpass brother Peyton’s best passing season ever — 4,700 yards just a year ago.

And say what you want about Tebow and his fourth-quarter comebacks, but no one has been better than Eli Manning this season.

He’s directed his team to six victories in the final 15 minutes and in five of those, the Giants trailed. He’s also thrown 14 fourth-quarter touchdown passes, tying the NFL record set by Johnny Unitas in 1959 and matched by his big brother in 2006.

“The great ones can do that and he has stepped up his game,” said Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan, whose team meets Manning and the Giants on today. “He has eliminated his mistakes and that’s what separates the great ones.”

Eli already has a Super Bowl ring, which he won in Glendale by beating the then-undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. And he certainly had elevated his game. But when did we get to the point where we could start calling him “great?”

Manning raised some eyebrows in the preseason when he self-proclaimed himself an elite quarterback among the likes of Brady. Well, he’s backing up his words with a pretty incredible year, even though he isn’t getting enough credit for it.

“I don’t ever feel pressure when I’m playing football,” Manning told reporters last week. “I know my assignments. I’m reading the defense, I know my plays and I try to get the ball into my receivers’ hands. It’s exciting, it’s fun. I’m competitive and I’m out there doing what I can to get a win.”

Manning was his late-game heroic self last week in another come-from-behind win, this one at division-rival Dallas. He passed for 400 yards and led his team on two touchdown drives in the final 3:14 to help topple the Cowboys 37-34.

The victory vaulted the Giants back into the NFC East lead and snapped a nasty four-game slide that almost tore the team apart. They can’t let up now, not against a very beatable Washington team, or Manning’s impressive season won’t mean anything.

Manning knows that as well as anyone.

“We can’t relax now,” he said. “We can’t start feeling great about ourselves. We have three big games left. Washington is coming to New York and we have to win that game and go from there.”

The Redskins beat the Giants in the season opener, but Antrel Rolle, New York’s talkative safety, boldly predicted last week that the Giants would beat the Redskins 99 times out of 100.

That didn’t sit well with the Redskins and it probably didn’t make Rolle’s teammates or coaches happy, either.

“It’s the NFL and nobody is going to beat anyone 99 out of 100 times,” Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman said during a conference call.

If the Giants beat Washington, they can actually afford a loss next week at the Jets and still win the division so long as they beat the Cowboys at home in Week 17.

If they do, it likely will be because of Manning, who has managed to find himself overshadowed in this season of the quarterbacks.