NEW ORLEANS — For Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger, the toughest part of Sunday’s 34-31 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints wasn’t just the collapse. It wasn’t the fact the Redskins blew a 15-point lead in the final six minutes of regulation, or that they gave up a season-high 535 yards.
Swearinger said what bothered him the most was the Redskins didn’t win the game for running back Chris Thompson.
In the third quarter, Thompson went down with a right leg injury after being rolled up on by Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and had to be carted off. The result of Thompson’s injury? A season-ending broken fibula.
“I told him we were bringing this back home for him,” Swearinger said. “I couldn’t keep my word.”
For another straight week, Swearinger had to explain why the defense never fully came together. Last week, he blasted his team’s preparation in a loss to Minnesota, saying they had to take practice on Fridays more seriously.
This week, Swearinger pointed to the Redskins defense specifically in the two-minute drill, calling it broken.
Behind quarterback Drew Brees, New Orleans feasted on the Redskins defense late. The Redskins led 31-15 with 5:58 to go, but the Saints closed the game with four consecutive scoring drives.
Running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara gashed the Redskins again and again, and the Saints racked up 160 yards on just 23 carries. (That’s a mind-boggling average of 7 yards per carry, for those playing at home.)
Swearinger said the Redskins “for sure” beat themselves.
“Fans were leaving, man,” Swearinger said, referencing the Redskins’ fourth quarter lead. “Any time fans were leaving, you’ve gotta win the game, man. I don’t care what happens or what the case is. You’ve got to find a win to way, period.”
Swearinger said his teammates didn’t understand that games “are never over in the NFL.”
It’s hard to argue. Even quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was so good earlier in the game, committed costly mistakes late.
When reporters entered the locker room, Cousins seemed mystified in a conversation with coach Jay Gruden about being called for intentional grounding with 31 seconds left. The Redskins were at the Saints’ 34-yard line, and the call pushed them out of a potential game-winning field goal range.
On the very next play, Cousins was stripped-sacked to end regulation. In overtime, the Redskins went three-and-out before the Saints kicked their own game-winning 28-yarder.
“Today, we just didn’t make enough plays,” said Cousins, who threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns. “But we certainly gave ourselves a pretty good chance.”
Thompson’s third-quarter injury lit a fire — at least temporarily — under the Redskins. While Thompson lay on the ground for several minutes, Redskins players prayed for him on the field. When action resumed, the Redskins ran a gutsy fake-punt from their own 20-yard line for a first down.
The play sparked Washington’s offense, which capped off a 12-play, 94-yard drive with a 40-yard bomb to wide receiver Ryan Grant. Cousins was drilled by various Saints defenders as he released the ball, but found Grant wide open, who proceeded to walk into the end zone to take a 24-13 lead.
The Saints, though, clawed their way back in the game and the Redskins couldn’t get a stop.
“Out of all the losses that we’ve had since I’ve been here (2016), this is by far the toughest one,” tight end Vernon Davis said. “One of the toughest ones to date. To play so hard and not come out with the victory is devastating.”
The loss had big-picture consequences, too. The Redskins’ playoff chances were already miniscule entering Sunday, but they would most likely have to run the table for any shot at the playoffs — especially given the competitiveness of the NFC.
Washington also somehow has to get ready for the New York Giants in just four days on Thanksgiving. The Giants are coming off a 12-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. There isn’t much time to sulk.
But the shock of the loss among the Redskins was very real. Davis admitted he tuned out Gruden’s postgame address to the team because he was too transfixed on trying to replay what happened. Cornerback Bashaud Breeland didn’t have any answers, other than he had to watch the film.
The Redskins were minutes away from capturing their biggest win of the season and getting back to .500. Instead, they’re dealing with the toughest loss of this season — a loss that may well be among the storied franchise’s most painful ever.
“It’s terrible, I feel bad for the players,” Gruden said. “We laid it all out on the line. We came out to a hostile environment against a team that has won seven in a row. You don’t get anything for close.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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