There was hope Thursday night that the Redskins would even their regular-season record, overcome the long list of injuries that ailed them and put together an impressive performance in front of a national television audience against the New York Giants.
And then, in a few short hours, it was gone.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw four interceptions, the Redskins piled up penalties in every facet of the game, and their defense made unheralded tight ends look like American folk heroes. The result was a 45-14 loss to the Giants at FedEx Field, and an opportunity lost.
“Not a lot to say,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “The game was a total butt-kicking — offense, defense and special teams.”
Washington has now lost 11 of its past 12 games dating back to Week 10 of last season. And the future is bleak. The Redskins will now have 10 days to prepare for a Monday night meeting with the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. A game in Arizona against the undefeated Cardinals follows.
To have a chance to win either of those games, the Redskins will need a better performance from Cousins. The third-year quarterback, who amassed 427 passing yards Sunday in a narrow loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, reverted to the quarterback who closed out the 2013 season. He threw four picks, including three in a span of five pass attempts midway through the second half.
PHOTOS: Redskins-Giants gallery
Cousins finished 19 of 33 for 257 yards. He also lost a fumble on a sack in the first quarter.
“By no means can we put the blame on Kirk for this game,” Gruden said. “It was a total team debacle.”
Washington’s defense played along. Giants tight end Larry Donnell, who entered Thursday’s game with one career touchdown grab, caught three of them in the first half. He reached over linebacker Perry Riley for one score, beat safety Brandon Meriweather for a second and sneaked behind cornerback Bashaud Breeland for the third.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning completed 28 of his 39 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, for good measure.
New York received tremendous help throughout the night from a heap of Redskins penalties. Washington committed 11 fouls throughout the game for a total of 88 yards. Trent Williams was a main offender, jumping offsides on one play and holding a Giants defensive lineman on another. He has now committed five penalties in Washington’s first four games of the season.
Williams left the game in the fourth quarter with a right knee strain and did not return. Tight end Niles Paul also exited early, leaving the game shortly before halftime to be evaluated for a concussion. Jarvis Jenkins sustained a rib injury.
SEE ALSO: As controversy swirls around NFL, it’s business as usual
In the end, FedEx Field was mostly empty. Those who remained wore blue jerseys and cheered a blowout victory. Backup quarterback Ryan Nassib stood on the field to close out New York’s win. The Redskins could only watch another opportunity slip away, a primetime moment end with a resounding thud.
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.