ASHBURN — Jay Gruden shuddered at the thought of what the feeling would be like around Redskins Park if his team did not pull out its 31-30 comeback win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
“Oof, I’ll try not to think about that one,” Gruden said on Monday. “I probably wouldn’t be standing up here today. I might have done something crazy.”
Gruden was kidding, drawing laughs from a crowd of reporters as he played into the narrative that he would be fired if the Redskins didn’t snap their two-game losing streak before the bye week.
The truth is, there is no telling how ugly things would have gotten for this team if the 24-7 deficit it faced at halftime on Sunday kept growing, if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw three interceptions in the second half instead of three touchdown passes.
Of course, none of the what-ifs matter. What does matter is the Redskins managed their largest comeback in franchise history and head into the bye week with a 3-4 record — just one game out of first place in the mediocre NFC East.
For Gruden and the Redskins, that makes for a much more relaxing bye week.
“The biggest thing is we were able to keep all of our goals in front of us, stay very competitive in the division,” center Kory Lichtensteiger said on Tuesday. “Going into a bye week at 3-4 is so much better than going in at 2-5. At 2-5, you’re feeling pretty desperate. I think it’s big for us, for our confidence, for our morale, it keeps our goals in place going forward.
“I mean, I’ve been here for a while, I’ve been through a lot of seasons where it’s a lot worse than 2-4. We have had some adversity this year.”
After Sunday’s win against the Buccaneers, a handful of Redskins players talked about the importance of the win, but stopped short of saying it saved the season.
Inside linebacker Keenan Robinson reiterated that on Tuesday.
“I wouldn’t say saved the season because the way the NFC East is right now,” Robinson said. “We’re in second place. We still have a long way to go. There’s no clear leaders in the division. I wouldn’t say it saved us, but for us, it helps our morale, it helps our composure. The bye week comes at a great time after getting the win, being able to recharge and refocus.”
The bye also comes at a prime time for a team that has had to deal with a rash of injuries this season.
Lichtensteiger hasn’t played in two games because of a disc-related issue that is causing weakness in his neck and shoulder. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson hasn’t played since tearing his left hamstring in the season opener — an injury that was originally supposed to keep him out three to four weeks. Cornerback Chris Culliver has missed the last three games with a left knee injury, while DeAngelo Hall hasn’t played since spraining a toe in Week 3 against the New York Giants.
Cornerback Bashaud Breeland sustained a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win.
Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan had surgery on his broken right hand on Monday and hopes the time off this week will allow him to play against the undefeated New England Patriots when they return.
Guys with day-to-day injuries like Robinson (broken rib), inside linebacker Perry Riley (strained leg muscle) and running back Chris Thompson (bruised lower back) will also benefit from the rest.
Clearly, the Redskins need all the rest they can get before their final nine-game stretch, starting with a difficult road game against the undefeated Patriots.
“I think the big thing is get their bodies healthy,” Gruden said. “I want to get them physically and mentally healthy, get some time off, spend it with their families, but really come back focused. New England plays Thursday night. I want them all to tune in, watch that game, get themselves mentally ready to go.
“The second half of our season, we’ve got nine games left. It’s going to be a grind. I think it’s going to be important for them just to get away — four, five days and get some rest and come back fresh and ready to roll because it’s going to be a tough nine-game stretch.”
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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