2012 Washington Redskins season The Washington Redskins season was the franchise ' s 80th season in the National Football League ( NFL ) and their 75th representing Washington , D . C . Their home games were played at FedEx Field in Landover , Maryland for the 16th consecutive season . Washington played in the Eastern division of the National Football Conference ( NFC ) . It was the third season for head coach Mike Shanahan . The Redskins improved on their 5 – 11 record from the 2011 season , and ended the regular season with a 7 - game winning streak to finish with a 10 – 6 record , leading to a NFC East division championship and a 4th seed spot in the playoffs . It was their first division title since 1999 . The Redskins lost in the Wild - Card Round to the Seattle Seahawks , ending their season but marking the team ' s first playoff appearance since the end of the 2007 season ( in which the Redskins also lost the Wild Card game to the Seahawks ) . Schedule . Preseason . The Redskins ' preseason schedule was announced on April 4 , 2012 . The Redskins finished with a 3 – 1 mark in preseason play , just as they did in 2011 . Game summaries . Regular season . Week 1 : at New Orleans Saints . The Redskins opened their 2012 season on the road , marking the much - anticipated debut of Robert Griffin III , the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft . Griffin started his career about as well as humanly possible , going 6 / 6 on his opening possession , setting up a 37 - yard field goal by new Redskins kicker Billy Cundiff . However , the lead would be short lived as Six - time Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees marched his Saints down the field , culminating in a 20 yard touchdown pass to star tight end Jimmy Graham . For the first time , Griffin ' s resolve was tested , as he marched onto the field trailing for the first time . Griffin was unfazed , and after not completing a pass ahead of the line of scrimmage on his first possession , Griffin connected with fellow new Redskins Pierre Garcon for an 88 yard strike to give Washington a 10 - 7 lead . In the second quarter , Washington ' s lead continued to grow , as Griffin found second - year man Aldrick Robinson for a 5 yard touchdown pass to extend Washington ' s advantage to 17 - 7 . Cundiff added a 41 yard field goal to give Washington a 20 - 7 advantage . On the next Saints ensuing possession , Brees found Marques Colston who was on his way to an apparent touchdown , but fumbled in the Washington endzone , which resulted in a touchback . Appearing to go into the second half up 20 - 7 , Saverio Rocca ' s punt was blocked and returned four yards for a touchdown by Saints special teamer Courtney Roby to make it 20 - 14 at the half . Getting the ball to start the second half , Washington extended its advantage by way of a 1 - yard rush TD by rookie running back Alfred Morris . Washington would again expand upon its lead via Cundiff ' s 37 - yarder , to make it 30 - 14 Washington . Saints kicker Garrett Hartley hit a 21 yard field goal to close the third quarter scoring at 30 - 17 . In the fourth , Washington again pushed its advantage to 16 when Billy Cundiff nailed his fourth field goal of the day , this one from 45 yards . However , the Saints would not go quietly . On the Saints ' ensuing possession , Brian Orakpo dropped an interception on 3rd and 10 that would ' ve all but sealed the deal . With this new break , Brees made the Redskins pay , as Lance Moore beat Madieu Williams to the endzone for a 33 yard touchdown on 4th - and - 10 . Darren Sproles scored on the two - point conversion to cut the Redskins lead to 33 - 25 . The Redskins could not amass a first down on their next drive , and Drew Brees got the ball back with the crowd sensing a comeback . However , Brees overthrew his intended receiver on the first play of the drive , and DeJon Gomes returned the interception to the Saints 3 yard line , and on the next play , Alfred Morris extended the advantage to 40 - 25 . However , the Saints continued to battle . It took Brees less than one minute to march New Orleans down the field and find Darren Sproles for a 2 yard touchdown pass , and the Saints again pulled within 8 . The Redskins got the ball back and were able to nearly run out the clock , but gave Brees one last chance . However , fortunately for the Redskins , Brees ' Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game fell short of the intended target and was intercepted by Reed Doughty to preserve the 40 - 32 upset win . With the win , the Redskins began the season 1 - 0 . Robert Griffin III became the first rookie QB to throw for 300 yards in his debut game and win the game . This was the first game in league history to end with a score of 40 to 32 . Week 2 : at St . Louis Rams . Coming off their upset win over the New Orleans Saints , the Redskins continued their road trip and traveled to the Edward Jones Dome to meet the St . Louis Rams for a 5th consecutive season , and for the third consecutive season in St . Louis . The Redskins started the game very well with Josh Wilson recovering a Danny Amendola fumble and returning it to the endzone for a 7 - 0 Redskins lead on the first snap of the game . St . Louis would fight back , however , and pick up a Greg Zuerlein 39 - yard field goal to cut the Redskins advantage to 7 - 3 . Washington would close the first quarter with a Robert Griffin III touchdown run to give the Redskins a 14 - 3 lead going into the second quarter . In the second , St . Louis continued to battle , as Zuerlein hit another field goal . However , on the Redskins ' ensuing possession , Griffin III connected with Leonard Hankerson for a 68 yard strike on a play action pass , and the Redskins appeared to take firm control , with a 21 - 6 edge . However , St . Louis would prove resilient , led by Danny Amendola ' s 12 receptions in the first half , St . Louis pulled within 8 when Sam Bradford found the aforementioned Amendola to cut the Redskins ' advantage to 21 - 13 . Then , just before the half , Griffin threw his first career interception to Cortland Finnegan which set up Zuerlein ' s 42 - yard field goal as the half ended to cut the lead to 21 - 16 . In the third , momentum continued to swing St . Louis ' way as Bradford found a wide open Brandon Gibson to give St . Louis its first advantage of the game . Griffin III continued to amaze as he found the endzone for a second time on the ground , and Washington ended the third quarter up 28 - 23 . However , late in the third , for the second straight week , a Saverio Rocca punt was blocked , this time by St . Louis tight end Matthew Mulligan . To open the fourth , Bradford found Mulligan , and rookie Daryl Richardson scampered into the endzone for the two - point conversion , and St . Louis led 31 - 28 . Washington was unable to get into position to tie the game , but had an opportunity late when Richardson fumbled and DeJon Gomes picked it up to give Washington the ball with less than 3 minutes to play . Washington drove the ball to the St . Louis 29 , which would have set up a 46 - yard field goal attempt by Billy Cundiff , but Josh Morgan was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after he threw the ball at Cortland Finnegan , moving Washington back to the St . Louis 46 , and making it a 62 yard field goal . Cundiff ' s attempt was wide right and well short of the distance , and St . Louis held on for the 31 - 28 win . With the loss , the Redskins fell to 1 - 1 . Also , Washington fell to 2 - 3 in their last five games against St . Louis , dating back the 2008 NFL season . In that time , the Rams have compiled a 13 - 53 overall record . Week 3 : vs . Cincinnati Bengals . Hoping to rebound from their road upset against the St . Louis Rams , the Redskins returned to FedEx Field in an attempt to win its sixth straight home opener and , simultaneously , snap a 6 - game home losing streak , the longest such streak in the NFL currently . Right out of the gate , things started off on the wrong foot for the Redskins , as the Bengals attempted a trick play on the first play of the game , and executed it to perfection , as rookie wide receiver Mohamed Sanu took the snap and found a wide open A . J . Green for a 73 - yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game to make it 7 - 0 Bengals . The Redskins would go three - and - out on its next possession , but punter Saverio Rocca would pin the Bengals deep in their own end , and on the ensuing play , Bengals QB Andy Dalton , under duress in his own endzone , threw a pass too wide for running back BenJarvus Green - Ellis , which was intercepted by linebacker Rob Jackson in the endzone for a Redskins touchdown , evening the score at 7 apiece . However , the Bengals would continue to set the tone offensively , as Dalton would find Armon Binns on the sideline for a 48 - yard score to take a 14 - 7 lead . In the second quarter , Cincinnati continued to dictate the flow of the game , and things began to look grim for the Redskins in Robert Griffin III ' s home debut . Late in the second , Mike Nugent connected on a 37 - yard field goal to extend Cincinnati ' s advantage to 17 - 7 . Less than a minute later , Cincinnati recovered a Griffin III fumble , and BenJarvus Green - Ellis would score on a direct snap from one yard out to put Cincinnati in firm control , up 24 - 7 . However , Washington refused to give up , as they drove down the field , and Billy Cundiff connected from 36 yards out to bring Washington back within two possessions , down 24 - 10 . In the second half , Washington got the ball to start the third quarter , and wasted no time . Rookie Alfred Morris scored from 7 yards out , and the defecit was cut to 24 - 17 . Later , Cincinnati went 3 - and - out , and Washington would rally to tie the game , with Griffin finding Santana Moss in the corner of the endzone to even the score at 24 apiece , in a game in which Washington seemed destined to lose earlier in the day . In the fourth , however , Washington ' s defense could not sustain . After squandering solid field position twice , and being out of timeouts with over twelve minutes to play in the fourth , Dalton found Jermaine Gresham for a 6 - yard TD to put the Bengals back on top , 31 - 24 . The Redskins again went 3 - and - out , and Dalton this time found speedy Andrew Hawkins for a 59 - yard touchdown pass to give Cincinnati a 38 - 24 advantage . Washington , however , again refused to give in . Griffin III scored on a 2 - yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 38 - 31 , and after Washington ' s defense forced a punt , Griffin began with the ball at his own 1 yard line , down 7 , with no timeouts . Attempting to recreate The Drive nearly worked , as the Redskins got to the Bengals 20 , but Griffin III was then sacked for a sixth time on the day , and a third time by Michael Johnson , and the Redskins were then flagged for a false start and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty , making the once highly plausible last - second TD pass nothing short of a miracle . Griffin III threw up a prayer that fell incomplete as time expired , and Washington lost 38 - 31 . With the loss , the Redskins fell to 1 - 2 and sole possession of last place in the NFC East . They also set a mark for five consecutive games in which their defense allowed 30 or more points , dating back to the 2011 season . This is their seventh consecutive home loss . Week 4 : at Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Looking to snap a 2 - game losing streak , the Redskins traveled to Raymond James Stadium for a duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . The Redskins hadn ' t won in Tampa Bay since the 2006 playoff game in which they gained less than 150 yards . In the first quarter , Tampa Bay struck first , with kicker Connor Barth nailing a 50 - yard field goal to give Tampa a 3 - 0 lead . On the ensuing drive , Washington responded by quarterback Robert Griffin III running a quarterback draw , but fumbling in the endzone . Fortunately , however , Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon pounced on it , and gave Washington a 7 - 3 edge as time expired in the first quarter . In the second quarter , Washington continued to increase its lead , as Griffin III scored on what was this time a successful quarterback draw , and Washington extended its advantage to 14 - 3 . After a Tampa Bay punt , Washington was able to convert again as Florida Atlantic rookie running back Alfred Morris scored on a 39 - yard run to put Washington firmly in control at 21 - 3 . Near halftime , Barth would hit a 57 - yard field goal to bring Tampa Bay back within 2 scores , at 21 - 6 . In the third quarter , Washington ' s much - maligned defense through the first three games began to fall back into the same patterns . Josh Freeman began to find open receivers , including bombs to Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams , to set Tampa Bay up in the redzone . Freeman would find Jackson for a 7 - yard score , and Tampa cut the defecit to 21 - 13 . In the fourth , with an opportunity to take a 2 - possession lead , Redskins kicker Billy Cundiff missed his third field goal of the day , this one from a mere 31 yards , and Washington all of a sudden was in a nail - biter . Freeman and the Buccaneer passing game continued to find its rhythm , and concluded the ensuing drive with a 2 yard run up the gut by LaGarrette Blount . However , Washington would retain the lead thanks to a failed two - point conversion attempt , at 21 - 19 . Unfortunately , Washington could not sustain a drive , and gave the ball back to the now - clicking Tampa Bay offense . Tampa Bay got down the field , and Barth made his third long field goal of the day , to give Tampa Bay a 22 - 21 advantage with 1 : 42 to play . Washington would have one more chance , as Griffin III had his third chance in as many weeks to mount a comeback . With his headset malfunctioning , Griffin was left to fend for himself , and he was able to . With mere seconds to go , Griffin scrambled to the Tampa Bay 25 , giving Billy Cundiff , who had gone 0 - for - 3 on field goals for the day , a chance for redemption and , quite possibly , a chance to save his job . This time , Cundiff delivered , squeezing the ball inside the upright for the 41 - yard field goal with only 3 seconds to go , and Washington escaped , 24 - 22 , when Tampa Bay ' s lateral drill was stopped short the endzone . With the win , Washington improved to 2 - 2 , and 2 - 0 against the NFC South . Week 5 : vs . Atlanta Falcons . Looking to be over . 500 for the second time this season , Washington returned home to face the 4 - 0 Atlanta Falcons , in hopes of snapping a 7 - game home losing streak , as well as , as previously mentioned , be over . 500 for the first time since Week 1 . A game that was billed to be a game with lots of offense , and little defense , ironically had the script flipped on its head . In the first quarter , neither team was able to threaten the other , and the teams played to a scoreless tie , with both teams struggling to get the offense in its normal rhythm . In the second quarter , Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw an interception to Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan who returned it for a Redskins touchdown . After an Atlanta three - and - out , Washington got into the red zone , but Redskins kicker Billy Cundiff , who had missed three field goals the week before in Tampa Bay , shanked one from 31 yards out , and Washington was unable to build upon its advantage . Subsequently , the Falcons got the ball back , and Matt Ryan was able to find legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez to even the score at 7 - 7 . In the third , defenses continued to set the tone . On its second possession of the second half , Washington moved the ball effectively into the red zone . However , on third down , Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III scrambled to the left , slid down , and was hit hard by Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon , and left the game with a concussion , and did not return . Cundiff gave Washington a 10 - 7 advantage by booting a 23 - yard field goal , but Washington ' s main concern now was the health of their quarterback . In the fourth , Washington ' s defense , who had been on the field far more than it had been off , began to wear down . Matt Ryan found Julio Jones in the corner of the endzone to give Atlanta its first advantage of the day , at 14 - 10 . However , the Redskins , in spite of an injured Griffin , fought back . Fellow rookie Kirk Cousins entered the game and , on 3rd - and - 9 , found a wide open Santana Moss for a 77 - yard strike to put Washington back in the lead , at 17 - 14 . On Atlanta ' s ensuing possession , veteran kicker Matt Bryant evened the score at 17 - all . After a Washington punt , Ryan got the ball back . With a now - exhausted Redskins defense on the field again , Ryan picked the Redskins defense apart , then watched his running back , Michael Turner gash Washington and reach the endzone , and gave Atlanta a 24 - 17 lead . On Washington ' s ensuing possession , they were able to get to Atlanta ' s side of the field , but Cousins showed his rookie colors , stared down a receiver , and veteran cornerback Dunta Robinson made him pay , intercepting him . After Washington ' s defense stood tall , Washington got one final chance at it . However , Cousins was intercepted again on its first play of the ensuing drive , this time by Thomas DeCoud , sealing the win for Atlanta . Atlanta improved to 5 - 0 . With the loss , Washington fell to 2 - 3 and lost their eighth consecutive home game . They have not won at home since their Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals last season . After the game , Washington was fined $ 20 , 000 for not updating Robert Griffin III ' s status . Week 6 : vs . Minnesota Vikings . After their loss to Atlanta , Washington hosted the Minnesota Vikings , looking to snap an 8 - game home losing streak . The first quarter was dominated by the Vikings , as they reached the redzone three times and intercepted Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III . However , the Redskins defense was able to stiffen in the redzone , holding the Vikings to three Blair Walsh field goals of 20 , 27 , and 27 yards , to give the Vikings a 9 - 0 advantage after one quarter . In the second , Washington finally was able to sustain a drive . The Redskins drive stalled at the Vikings ' 33 - yard line , however , and new Redskins kicker Kai Forbath got his first NFL opportunity , having replaced Billy Cundiff , who was cut earlier in the week , and delivered a 50 - yard boot to trim the deficit to 9 - 3 . After a Vikings three - and - out , Washington was able to run an 11 - play drive that gave it its first advantage of the game , as Alfred Morris scored on a 1 - yard run and gave Washington a 10 - 9 lead . On Minnesota ' s ensuing possession , Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder was sacked , fumble d , and the fumble was subsequently recovered by Lorenzo Alexander of Washington , setting the Redskins up at the Vikings 6 . Robert Griffin III then found fullback Darrel Young for a 6 yard touchdown pass , extending the Redskins advantage to 17 - 9 . In the third , Washington continued imposing its will , as they drove down the field again , this time culminating in a Robert Griffin III touchdown run , his fifth rushing touchdown of the year , setting a Washington Redskins record for rushing touchdowns by a Redskins QB and extending the Washington advantage to 24 - 9 . The Vikings would not back down , though , and Blair Walsh connected again , this time from 37 yards , his fourth field goal on the day , to cut into the lead , and make it 24 - 12 . In the fourth , the Vikings possessed the ball , but Ponder threw an interception straight into the waiting arms of Redskins free safety Madieu Williams , who returned it 24 yards to put the game nearly on ice , at 31 - 12 Washington . The Vikings , however , proved resilient . On their ensuing drive , the Vikings found the endzone for the first time on the day , with Ponder finding wide receiver Michael Jenkins for a 9 - yard score . Ponder subsequently found Kyle Rudolph on a successful two - point conversion attempt , and the Redskins lead was cut to 31 - 20 . After Washington could not extend its advantage , Minnesota got the ball back . Once again , Minnesota scored , this time Ponder found Rudolph to cut the lead to 31 - 26 . This time , however , the two - point conversion came up short , meaning Minnesota would again need to score a touchdown to complete its rally . However , Washington ' s rookie QB would see to it that no comeback would be complete on his team on this day , as Griffin , on 3rd - and - 6 from his own 24 , found a seam on a designed quarterback draw , and raced down the sideline for a 76 - yard touchdown run , the longest such rush TD by a QB since Kordell Stewart scrambled for an 80 - yard score against the Carolina Panthers in the 1996 season . With the score now 38 - 26 Redskins , the Vikings tried to rally again , and were able to reach the Redskins ' goal line . However , with less than a half minute remaining , DeAngelo Hall intercepted Christian Ponder , to officially preserve the 38 - 26 win . With the win , Washington improved to 3 - 3 , snapped an 8 - game home losing streak , and will have an opportunity to take first place in the NFC East with a victory over the defending Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants next week . Week 7 : at New York Giants . Looking to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East , the Redskins traveled to MetLife Stadium to take on their division rival , the Super Bowl champion New York Giants . In a first quarter dominated by the Redskins , Washington ran a drive that chewed up over half the quarter , but were only able to muster a Kai Forbath 20 - yard field goal as the drive stalled in the red zone . In the second , the Giants would make the Redskins pay for being unable to capitalize in the red zone , as running back Andre Brown found the end zone to give the Giants a 7 - 3 lead . Washington would respond , however , with a 26 - yard TD pass from rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III to veteran wide receiver Santana Moss to give Washington ' s advantage back , at 10 - 7 . The Giants would again answer , as Lawrence Tynes connected from 27 yards out to even the score . Washington would respond with a 43 - yard field goal from Forbath , and Tynes would again tie it from 39 yards out as time expired in the second . Albeit a scoreless third quarter , it was an eventful quarter that culminated in turnovers for both sides . Despite these events , neither team could capitalize in the third . In the fourth , Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw gave the Giants a 20 - 13 edge . Later in the fourth , Washington was able to cut into the defecit , as Forbath connected , this time from 45 yards out , and the lead was cut to 20 - 16 . After the Redskins were able to stop the Giants on their ensuing possession , the Redskins were able to march down the field and stun the Giants , as Robert Griffin III hit Santana Moss from 30 yards out to give Washington a 23 - 20 lead . However , Eli Manning ' s receivers bailed him out again , as he connected with a wide - open Victor Cruz for a 77 - yard score to give New York its advantage back . Washington was able to get a drive going , but Santana Moss fumbled after getting into Giant territory , ending any chance of a comeback . With the loss , Washington fell to 3 - 4 , 0 - 1 in the NFC East , and to the NFC East basement . Week 8 : at Pittsburgh Steelers . Hoping to rebound from their tough loss to the Giants , the Redskins traveled to Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers , and attempted to improve to 1 - 1 against the AFC . The Steelers marched straight down the field on Washington ' s defense , culminating in a fourth - and - goal 1 - yard touchdown pass to backup tight end Leonard Pope from Ben Roethlisberger to give the Steelers a 7 - 0 lead . Following a Washington three - and - out , the Steelers got the ball back , this time scoring by way of former despised Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham nailing a 48 - yard field goal to extend the Steelers ' advantage to 10 - 0 . In the second , Washington was able to get on the board as quarterback Robert Griffin III found Santana Moss to cut into Pittsburgh ' s advantage 10 - 6 . It would have been 10 - 7 , but Kai Forbath ' s extra point was blocked . Pittsburgh responded with a Heath Miller 7 - yard touchdown and a Suisham 27 - yard field goal to give Pittsburgh a 20 - 6 lead at the half . In the third , Washington drew to 20 - 9 on a Forbath 48 - yard field goal , but Pittsburgh nearly put the game away with a Will Johnson 1 - yard touchdown catch to give Pittsburgh a 27 - 9 lead late in the third . In the fourth , Washington tried to rally as Forbath connected again , this time from 45 yards , but Washington could not score again , as a myriad of dropped passes and a turnover on downs with just over four minutes remaining sealed their fate , as the final score remained 27 - 12 . With the loss , Washington fell to 3 - 5 , and 0 - 2 against the AFC . Washington has now lost 6 straight games to AFC opponents and has not beaten an AFC team since Week 16 of the 2010 season . Week 9 : vs . Carolina Panthers . Redskins Rule Looking to snap a 2 - game losing streak , Washington traveled home two days before the 2012 Presidential Election to take on the Carolina Panthers in a game that was dubbed a homecoming game for them , with past superstars being honored and wearing throwback jerseys from their 1937 season . The Redskins got on the board first with a Kai Forbath 47 - yard field goal , but Carolina countered with a DeAngelo Williams 30 - yard score that was aided by an inadvertent whistle by the referee . Upon review , the call stood , and Carolina led 7 - 3 . On Washington ' s ensuing possession , Washington got down to Carolina ' s 2 , but were stuffed on fourth - and - goal , and Carolina took over on downs . Carolina was able to move the ball efficiently on Washington ' s much - maligned and porous defense , culminating in a Cam Newton 19 - yard TD pass to Steve Smith , giving Carolina a 14 - 3 halftime advantage . In the second half , Washington continued to stay within striking distance , but was unable to make enough plays to get over the hump . Forbath chipped in a 25 - yard field goal to cut the score to 14 - 6 . In the fourth , Carolina pulled away . Pinned inside their 10 , Newton found a wide - open Armanti Edwards for an 82 - yard completion , and capped off the drive with a 1 - yard touchdown run to take a 21 - 6 lead . Washington would respond later in the game by way of an Evan Royster 2 - yard touchdown run , but with only 1 : 28 left in the game , and only two timeouts , Washington did not recover the onside kick . Following a Carolina three - and - out , Washington got the ball back with 18 seconds to go , but Brandon Banks was tackled in bounds at his own 9 yard line , and with no time outs , the clock ran out . With the loss , Washington fell to 3 - 6 , 1 - 3 at home , and the Redskins Rule stated that Mitt Romney would win the election . This proved , however , not to be the case , and only the second time the Rule did not apply . Week 11 : vs . Philadelphia Eagles . Coming off their bye , the Redskins looked to break their three game losing streak against , both in the current season and against their division rival , and owners of a five - game losing streak , the Philadelphia Eagles . Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was ruled out with a concussion , meaning the Eagles were forced to use rookie Nick Foles . Going into the game , the Redskins had lost to the last 8 rookie quarterbacks they faced , dating back to 2005 , when they beat backup Ryan Fitzpatrick , filling in for an injured Marc Bulger for the St . Louis Rams . In the first quarter , Philadelphia got the ball first , but on third - and - 8 , tight end Brent Celek could not catch Nick Foles ' pass , it was batted in the air , and intercepted by DeAngelo Hall and returned to the Eagles ' 9 . Two plays later , Robert Griffin III found fullback Darrel Young for a 6 - yard touchdown pass for a 7 - 0 Redskins lead . On the ensuing Eagles possession , Brandon Meriweather , playing in his first game as a Redskin due to lingering knee problems , intercepted Foles and returned it . Unfortunately , however , Washington could not capitalize , and the first quarter ended with Philadelphia driving . In the second , Philadelphia got on the board by way of an Alex Henery 42 - yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7 - 3 . However , Washington continued to be aggressive and take advantage of Philadelphia ' s struggling secondary , as Griffin III found a wide - open Aldrick Robinson for a 48 - yard touchdown to extend Washington ' s advantage to 14 - 3 . After forcing a Washington punt late in this first half , Eagles running back LeSean McCoy fumbled in the red zone , and Washington was able to convert the turnover into a 25 - yard Kai Forbath field goal to close out the half leading 17 - 3 . In the third , Philadelphia tried to rally , connecting on another Henery field goal to cut the lead to 17 - 6 . However , later in the third , Robert Griffin III would scramble for 23 yards on 3rd - and - 15 , then three plays later , on third - and - 10 , connect with Santana Moss , who was being double - covered for a 61 - yard strike and a 24 - 6 lead . In the fourth , Washington put the game on ice , as Griffin found Logan Paulsen on a 17 - yard score , and took a 31 - 6 lead with 10 : 50 left . Philadelphia tried to cut into the defecit , but the attempts proved futile , and unfortunately for the Eagles , with the game well over , LeSean McCoy suffered a concussion when hit by safety Madieu Williams . The Redskins would not allow an Eagles score , and won comfortably , 31 - 6 . Robert Griffin III had a career day , throwing for 200 yards and four touchdowns on 14 of 15 passes , while rushing for 84 yards on 12 carries . With the win , the Redskins improved to 4 - 6 , snapping a 3 - game losing streak . They also improved to 1 - 1 in the NFC East , snapping a three - game losing streak to the Eagles , having not beaten them since Donovan McNabb returned to Philadelphia and beat the Eagles , 17 - 12 on Oct . 3rd , 2010 . Even more importantly , the Redskins defense also did not allow a touchdown for the first time since Week 3 of last season , when they lost 18 - 16 to Dallas on six Dan Bailey field goal s . Even more importantly than " that " , they pulled out of the NFC East basement , and into 3rd place , with the win . Week 12 : at Dallas Cowboys . Thanksgiving Classic Coming off their win against the Eagles , the Redskins had a short turnaround and traveled to Cowboys Stadium to take on their hated rival the Dallas Cowboys for the 2012 edition of the annual Thanksgiving Classic . Washington had reason to be nervous , as they were 1 - 6 all - time on Thanksgiving , and 0 - 6 against Dallas . In the first , Washington got the ball first , but went three - and - out . After a Saverio Rocca punt , Dallas had decent field position , and quickly reached the red zone . However , Washington ' s defense then stiffened , and held Dallas to a Dan Bailey 30 - yard field goal . The teams then exchanged punts , and the first quarter concluded without any further scoring . In the second , Washington had the ball inside their own 35 , and quarterback Robert Griffin III used a play - action pass , and found a streaking Aldrick Robinson for a 68 - yard strike , and Washington took its first lead of the game , at 7 - 3 . On Dallas ' ensuing possession , Dallas moved the ball into Washington territory , but after Tony Romo completed an 11 - yard pass to Dez Bryant that had Dallas in Washington territory , Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson hit him , and dislodged the football , which was subsequently recovered by safety DeJon Gomes into Dallas territory . Washington would capitalize , with their drive culminating in an Alfred Morris 1 - yard touchdown run to extend Washington ' s advantage to 14 - 3 . Dallas would then punt after just three plays , and Washington marched near midfield , before Griffin connected with wide receiver Pierre Garcon across the middle , and Garcon proceeded to streak to the endzone for a 59 - yard score , and Washington led 21 - 3 with just over 2 minutes remaining in the half . Dallas would attempt to run a two - minute drill , but Romo ' s pass , intended for Cole Beasley was intercepted by DeAngelo Hall and returned inside the Dallas 25 . With mere seconds remaining in the half , Griffin found Santana Moss in the corner of the endzone for a score , and a 28 - 3 halftime lead . In the third , Dallas marched down the field on their opening possession , but the drive stalled again , and Dallas settled for another Bailey field goal , this time from 33 yards out . The majority of the rest of the quarter proved to be a defensive struggle , as Romo was intercepted again , this time by London Fletcher , but Washington could not capitalize on it . After a Rocca punt , Dallas was pinned inside their 20 , but Romo connected with a wide - open Dez Bryant , who streaked 85 yards to the end zone , and before you could blink , Dallas was back in the game , at 28 - 13 Washington . Going into the fourth , Washington was driving , in an attempt to extend their lead back to three scores . They would succeed in this endeavor , as Griffin found tight end Niles Paul for a 30 - yard touchdown on third - and - inches , and Washington took a 35 - 13 lead with just under 13 minutes to go . Dallas , however , would not give up , as expected . To save time , Dallas ran a no - huddle offense , and was able to march down the field , and find Felix Jones for a 10 - yard touchdown , and a subsequent quarterback draw by Romo cut the lead to 35 - 21 with just under 10 minutes remaining . On Washington ' s next possession , disaster struck . Robert Griffin III lofted a throw over the middle that he overthrew horribly , and it was easily intercepted by Charlie Peprah and returned inside the Washington 20 . However , Washington ' s defense put Dallas into a 4th down situation , but Romo found Dez Bryant in the left corner of the end zone , and with over 8 minutes remaining , Dallas was now within a touchdown , as Washington ' s lead was merely 35 - 28 . With his mettle about to be tested , Robert Griffin III led an efficient , clock - chewing drive that concluded with a Kai Forbath 48 - yard field goal to extend Washington ' s advantage to 38 - 28 with just under three minutes remaining . Dallas , needing a touchdown , onside kick recovery , and field goal to send it to overtime , again marched into Washington territory , but couldn ' t get to the endzone , as Dez Bryant caught a pass in the endzone that was dislodged at the last minute by Madieu Williams , and Dallas had to settle for a 51 - yard field goal by Bailey . This cut the score to 38 - 31 , and Dallas lined up for an onside kick , needing a touchdown to tie the game , with 18 seconds remaining . However , it was recovered by DeAngelo Hall and returned to the Dallas 2 , as Hall opted not to score , instead letting Robert Griffin III kneel - down to seal the deal . Griffin went 20 - for - 28 for 311 yards , 4 touchdowns and 1 interception , becoming the first rookie QB in NFL history to throw 4 passing touchdowns in back - to - back games . With the win , Washington improved to 5 - 6 , 2 - 1 in the NFC East , and into second place in the NFC East by virtue of the tiebreaker over Dallas . Washington also won its first Thanksgiving game since the 1973 season , when they defeated the Detroit Lions . Washington improved to 2 - 6 all - time on Thanksgiving , and 1 - 6 against Dallas . Week 13 : vs . New York Giants . Coming off a big Thanksgiving Day win over the rival Cowboys , the Redskins returned home for a Monday Night Football duel against the NFC East - leading New York Giants , who beat them in Week 7 27 - 23 . The team came in highly motivated : in the week leading up to the game , team officials posted signs on Redskin Park walls implying that NFL referees were biased in favor of the Giants and quoting Giants owner John Mara , in his role as head of the league ' s Management Council , claiming that the $ 36 million salary cap penalty the council imposed on the Redskins ( and a smaller one for the Cowboys ) for violating unwritten rules in structuring contracts for the uncapped 2010 season - many within the Redskins organization ( and around the league ) , noting that both teams punished were in the Giants ' division , believed Mara had used his NFL position for his own team ' s interests by weakening their rivals - was , if anything , too light , and they should have lost draft picks as well ; the latter was regarded as particularly malicious , as , it would have likely nullified the trade which allowed the Redskins to draft Robert Griffin III . ( The animosity ran so deep that , after the game , owner Daniel Snyder was overheard telling a team employee that " " I hate those motherfuckers " " . ) The first quarter began with a Washington punt . The Giants then possessed the ball , but could not get to the endzone , settling for a Lawrence Tynes 39 - yard field goal to give the Giants a 3 - 0 edge . On Washington ' s ensuing possession , the Redskins moved the ball quickly , and quarterback Robert Griffin III scrambled for a first down , but fumbled . Fortunately , however , for Washington , it bounced into the waiting arms of wide receiver Josh Morgan , and Washington took a 7 - 3 lead , as Morgan took it 13 yards into the endzone . The second quarter was dominated by the Giants . However , the Giants , despite long , clock - chewing drives , had a missed field goal by Tynes , and Washington then took over . Washington could not capitalize , and they gave the ball back to the Giants . The Giants then again marched down the field on Washington ' s much - maligned secondary , and 2 - time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning found tight end Martellus Bennett for a 4 - yard score to retake the lead at 10 - 7 . Washington ran an efficient two - minute drill , however , and evened the game on a Kai Forbath 33 - yard field goal to even the score , appearing to send the game to the locker rooms tied . However , the Redskins porous secondary again got picked on , as Manning led a drive into field goal range , and Tynes connected from 40 yards out , and the Giants sent the game to halftime 13 - 10 . In the third , the Giants punted , and Washington ran a methodical drive , running the ball with efficiency . However , after amassing a first down , Alfred Morris fumbled , and the Giants recovered inside their own 20 . The Giants again ran a strong drive down the field , but it stalled , and the Giants settled for another Tynes field goal , this time from 35 yards out , and the Giants took a 16 - 10 lead into the fourth . In the fourth , Washington drove down the field , with Griffin connecting with Pierre Garcon for an 8 - yard score and a 17 - 16 lead with 11 : 31 left in the game . The Giants got the ball back , but failed to score . Washington then got it back , but could not run out the clock . New York received it again , and with just under four minutes remaining , called on Steve Weatherford to punt it back to Washington . Weatherford attempted to draw a roughing the kicker penalty on Redskins linebacker Bryan Kehl , but only running into the kicker was called , and Washington got the ball back . Upon receiving possession of the ball , Griffin and Morris saw to it that the Giants would not possess the ball again , as they drove down the field , and ran out the clock , sealing the 1 - point win . With the win , Washington improved to 6 - 6 , 3 - 1 in the NFC East , and one game behind the Giants who now sat at 7 - 5 . Additionally , the third straight win is Washington ' s longest winning streak in a season since they won 4 straight in Weeks 2 - 5 of the 2008 season . Week 14 : vs . Baltimore Ravens . Following their close win against the Giants , the Redskins played an inter - conference duel with the nearby Baltimore Ravens , looking to extend their winning streak to four games , while simultaneously snapping a six - game losing streak to AFC opponents . The Redskins possessed the ball first , and struck first , as quarterback Robert Griffin III found wide receiver Josh Morgan in the end zone or a 7 - 0 lead . Less than 3 minutes later , however , Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco connected with receiver Anquan Boldin to even the score at 7 - all . Washington would quickly respond again , this time by way of an Alfred Morris 1 - yard touchdown run . In the second , Flacco again found Boldin , this time from 31 yards away , to even the scoring again at 14 - all . On Washington ' s ensuing possession , Alfred Morris fumbled , Baltimore recovered , and Flacco found tight end Dennis Pitta from 19 yards out for his 3rd TD pass of the half , and the Ravens went into the halftime locker room with a 21 - 14 edge as Washington could not answer in the quarter . In the third , Baltimore was able to sustain a drive , but turned the ball over in the red zone , which Washington converted into a Kai Forbath 48 - yard field goal to cut the score to 21 - 17 . Baltimore would again turn the ball over , and Washington would again convert the Ravens miscue into a Forbath field goal , this one from 49 yards away . In the fourth , Baltimore was able to again sustain a drive , but this time did not turn the ball over , instead Ravens star running back Ray Rice found the endzone , and Baltimore took a 28 - 20 advantage with just over four minutes remaining . On the ensuing kickoff , new Redskins kick returner Niles Paul , filling in for a deactivated Brandon Banks , fumbled at his own 15 , and the ball appeared to be recovered by Baltimore , but upon replay review , was ruled to have recovered out - of - bounds , thus possession remained with Washington . On a 2nd down play , Griffin III scrambled , but was hit by Ravens defensive lineman Haloti Ngata , and his leg snapped awkwardly . He was helped off the field , and fellow backup rookie Kirk Cousins stepped in . Cousins threw an incomplete pass intended for Pierre Garcon , but pass interference was called on Baltimore , granting Washington a first down . Griffin III then returned to the game , and got Washington into Baltimore ' s red zone , but had to depart again after being called for intentional grounding with under a minute remaining . Cousins stepped back in , however , and connected with Garcon for a 6 - yard score with 29 seconds remaining , cutting Baltimore ' s advantage to 28 - 26 . Needing a two - point conversion , Washington ran a quarterback draw , Cousins reached the end zone , and the game was even at 28 - all with 29 seconds remaining . Baltimore opted to settle for overtime , and knelt down to end regulation . In overtime , Baltimore got the ball first , and went three - and - out , punter Sam Koch then punted to Redskins punt returner Richard Crawford , who , like Paul , was filling in for a deactivated Banks . Crawford found a hole and returned the ball 64 yards . Washington then sealed the deal when Kai Forbath connected on his third field goal of the day , this time from 34 yards away , to seal the comeback victory 31 - 28 . With the win , the Redskins improved to 7 - 6 , and 1 - 0 in overtime , as well as snapping a 6 - game losing streak to AFC teams . Washington ' s win also matched their longest win streak since 2008 . Week 15 : at Cleveland Browns . Following the overtime win against the Ravens , the Redskins traveled to Cleveland Browns Stadium to take on the Cleveland Browns in hopes to gain their first five game win streak since 2005 . The game started slowly for the Redskins , behind rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins , filling in for fellow rookie Robert Griffin III , who sprained his LCL the week prior . After a series of punts , Cousins threw a pass over the middle that was intercepted by T . J . Ward and returned to the Washington 5 . Cleveland then used their first - round rookie , Trent Richardson to punch it in and take a 7 - 0 lead . However , Cousins was able to settle in after this , as he fired a pass to Leonard Hankerson for a 54 - yard score to even the game at 7 apiece . In the second , both teams continued to exchange possessions , and eventually scores , in a tit - for - tat manner , as Kai Forbath connected from 44 yards out to give Washington a 10 - 7 lead . Cleveland , however would respond with another Richardson touchdown , to take a 14 - 10 lead at halftime . In the third , Cleveland got the ball first , but Brandon Weeden threw an interception to Redskins linebacker Rob Jackson , and Washington quickly converted , as running back Alfred Morris scored from 3 yards out to put Washington back on top 17 - 14 . Following a Cleveland punt , Washington drove down the field again , and Cousins again found Hankerson , this time from two yards away , and Washington took a 24 - 14 lead . In the fourth , Washington capitalized on a second Weeden interception , this time by London Fletcher , and capped off the drive with an Evan Royster 4 - yard touchdown run to take a 31 - 14 lead . However , Cleveland would not surrender , as Weeden found wide receiver Travis Benjamin for a 69 - yard strike , and got back into the game at 31 - 21 . Not to be outdone , Cousins led a clock - chewing , 5 minute drive that culminated with Morris ' 2nd Touchdown run of the day , this time from 8 yards out , to effectively put the game away , taking a 38 - 21 lead . Cleveland tried to answer , but went four and out , and Washington was able to run out the clock . With the win , the Redskins advance to 8 - 6 which guarantees them to end the season at . 500 for the first time since 2008 . Additionally , the win was their fifth consecutive win , their longest streak since Weeks 13 - 17 of the 2005 season . " Most " importantly , however , the New York Giants ' 34 - 0 loss to the Atlanta Falcons put Washington in first place in the NFC East , meaning , if they win their final two games , they will be division champions for the first time since 1999 . Week 16 : at Philadelphia Eagles . Coming off their win over the Browns , Washington traveled to Lincoln Financial Field for a rematch with the rival Philadelphia Eagles , who they beat 31 - 6 in Week 11 . In the first , Philadelphia got the ball first , and subsequently got on the board first , as well , taking the opening kickoff and going on a drive in which they converted two fourth downs , and ended with quarterback Nick Foles finding wide receiver Jeremy Maclin for a 27 - yard score and a 7 - 0 lead . Washington would be unable to answer in the quarter . In the second , Washington had good field position , as Richard Crawford had just recovered a Foles fumble and Washington converted the fumble into a Kai Forbath 45 - yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7 - 3 . Forbath ' s field goal was his 16th consecutive field goal to start his career , tying an NFL record . Following a Philadelphia punt , Washington drove and called on Forbath again , this time from 42 yards , and he delivered to cut the lead to 7 - 6 . This field goal was his 17th consecutive make , setting an NFL mark for consecutive field goals made to start a career . On Philadelphia ' s ensuing possession , Foles was intercepted by London Fletcher , and Washington got the ball at the Eagles ' 25 . Washington turned Philadelphia ' s second turnover of the quarter into a Josh Morgan 13 - yard touchdown pass from Robert Griffin III , back in after missing last week ' s game , for a 13 - 7 lead . Philadelphia would answer with an Alex Henery 38 - yard field goal to cut the Washington lead to 13 - 10 at the half . In the third , Washington got the ball first , and drove down the field , capping off the drive with a 10 - yard touchdown run by Alfred Morris to extend its advantage to 20 - 10 . Philadelphia would respond with Henery connecting again , this time from 30 yards out , to cut the lead to 20 - 13 . After exchanging punts , Washington got the ball back again , and this time Griffin found Santana Moss in the corner of the endzone for a 22 - yard score and a 27 - 13 advantage . After a Philadelphia punt , Washington tried to drive down the field in an attempt to put the game on ice , but Griffin ' s pass was overthrown and intercepted by Colt Anderson of Philadelphia , and Philadelphia converted that into a Dion Lewis 17 - yard scamper to cut Washington ' s advantage to 27 - 20 . After Washington could not extend its advantage , Philadelphia got the ball back , and got into the red zone in the game ' s final minute . Despite an open Maclin in the endzone , Foles short - hopped the pass , and then tight end Evan Moore dropped another , and the Eagles had one final play . With 8 seconds remaining , Foles was pressured , threw an incomplete pass that did not reach the line of scrimmage , resulting in an illegal forward pass , and with only 1 second on the clock , the 1 second was ran off due to the ten - second runoff rule , and Washington barely hung on for a 27 - 20 win . With the nail - biting win , Washington improved to 9 - 6 , 4 - 1 in the NFC East , winning six straight for the first time since 1996 , clinching a winning record against the NFC East for the first time since 2005 and a winning overall record for the first time since 2007 . Additionally , the win guaranteed that they would be in control of their own destiny in their season finale against the Dallas Cowboys . This is also the team ' s first seasonal sweep over the Eagles since 2008 . Week 17 : vs . Dallas Cowboys . Coming off their win over Philadelphia , Washington returned home for the season finale , a rematch against their archrival , the Dallas Cowboys , whom they beat 38 - 31 earlier in the year with the winner of the game clinching the NFC East on NBC Sunday Night Football . With playoff implications , the game was flexed to its prime - time , nationwide showing after proving to be one of the more competitive and intriguing match - ups in the final week of the regular season . The game started off quickly , with the Cowboys forcing a Redskins three - and - out on the first possession . A 28 - yard punt return by Dwayne Harris put the Cowboys in good field position early , but it proved to be irrelevant as Tony Romo threw an interception to Richard Crawford . After a missed Kai Forbath field goal , the first of his season and professional career , Romo failed to capitalize again deep in Redskin territory , throwing a second pick to Josh Wilson . The first quarter ended scoreless . Dallas finally got the ball into the endzone 7 minutes into the 2nd quarter , as Romo found Jason Witten in the endzone , despite the missed call by the official when the play clock struck zero before the ball was snapped . Regardless , the Redskins rebounded with an 8 - play drive that ended in an Alfred Morris 17 - yard touchdown run . The half ended with the teams deadlocked at 7 . The defensive showdown continued through the 3rd , but Washington finally got their first lead of the game thanks to a Robert Griffin III 10 - yard touchdown run . As the 4th quarter started , the Redskins defense stopped the Cowboys at their own 30 yard line , forcing Dallas to settle for a Dan Bailey field goal . Washington responded yet again , taking advantage of an injury - plagued Dallas defense , as Morris scored another rushing touchdown with 10 minutes left . With the Redskins up by 11 , the two teams traded punts , but it was Harris again that ran a Saverio Rocca punt down to the Redskin 31 - yard line , plus a penalty for grasping the facemask committed by Rocca himself , potentially saving a touchdown in the process . Rocca would later be fined $ 7 , 875 for the infraction . Dallas converted later with a Romo pass to Kevin Ogletree , plus a 2 - point conversion . The Cowboys eventually got the ball back , but in what would be a pivotal moment in the game , Romo threw his third pick of the night to Rob Jackson with just over three minutes left . Washington took advantage with a one - yard touchdown run by Morris with 1 : 15 remaining ; initially it appeared that Morris had fumbled and the Cowboys had recovered , but the call was quickly reversed and replays showed he had reached the end zone well before losing the ball . Up 2 scores , and Dallas being out of time - outs , this lead proved insurmountable leading to a Washington 28 - 18 victory . The Redskins win improved them to 10 – 6 , 5 - 1 in the NFC East , winning 7 in a row for the first time since 1996 . It was the first time a team started a season 3 – 6 and made the playoffs since the 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars , who also won their final 7 games . The Redskins also clinched their first NFC East title since 1999 , and will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2007 as the 4th seed . They also eliminated the Cowboys from playoff contention and swept them for the first time since 2005 . Postseason . NFC Wild Card Playoffs : vs . # 5 Seattle Seahawks . Seattle overcame a 14 - point deficit in the first quarter to earn their first playoff win on the road since 1983 . Seattle has now won three straight playoff games against Washington , who were playing in their first home playoff game since 1999 . Coincidentally , the Seahawks also ended another playoff futility streak against the Redskins in the 2005 season ( game played in 2006 ) when they beat them 20 – 10 at home in the divisional game for their first playoff victory at all ( home or road ) since 1984 on their way to their as of the start of these playoffs only Super Bowl appearance . Robert Griffin III faced off against Russell Wilson for the second such instance of both teams starting with rookie quarterbacks in the playoffs , in the Super Bowl era ; after T . J . Yates and Andy Dalton had previously done so for the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals respectively , in the 2011 – 12 playoffs . [ 7 ] Washington stormed out of the game with touchdowns on their first two drives . After receiving the opening kickoff , they drove 80 yards , featuring a 30 - yard reception by Pierre Garçon and an 18 - yard run by Alfred Morris . Griffin finished the drive with 4 - yard touchdown pass to reserve running back Evan Royster . Then the Redskins defense forced a three - and - out , and Richard Crawford gave them good field position with a 12 - yard punt return to the 46 - yard line . Washington subsequently moved the ball 54 yards and scored on Griffin ' s 4 - yard toss to tight end Logan Paulsen . But Seattle dominated the rest of the game , holding the Redskins to a final total of just 202 offensive yards . The Seahawks responded with a 66 - yard drive , including a 19 - yard scramble by Wilson , that ended on a field goal by Steven Hauschka . Following a punt , running back Marshawn Lynch ' s 20 - yard gain on a fumble recovery set up their first touchdown of the game . Fullback Michael Robinson also made a big impact on the drive , catching a 19 - yard pass from Wilson and capping the drive with a 4 - yard touchdown catch . On the next possession , safety Earl Thomas intercepted a pass from Griffin on the Seattle 26 - yard line . Wilson ' s subsequent completions to Doug Baldwin and Zach Miller for gains of 33 and 22 yards set up Hauschka ' s second field goal , cutting the score to 14 – 13 at the end of the half . Seattle started the third quarter with a drive to the Redskins 1 - yard line , but then Lynch lost a fumble that was recovered by Washington lineman Jarvis Jenkins . In the fourth quarter , he managed to redeem himself with a 27 - yard touchdown run . Then Wilson completed a pass to Miller for the two point conversion , giving his team a 21 – 14 lead . Then after the kickoff , Bruce Irvin sacked Griffin for a 12 - yard loss . On the next play , Griffin fumbled the snap and suffered a game - ending injury . Seahawks lineman Clinton McDonald recovered the ball on the Redskins 5 - yard line , setting up Hauschka ' s third field goal to make the final score 24 – 14 . Washington responded with a drive to the Seattle 20 , but turned the ball over on downs with 1 : 08 left in the game . Wilson finished his first playoff game 15 / 26 for 187 yards and a touchdown , along with 67 rushing yards . Lynch rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown , and caught a pass for 9 yards . For the Redskins , safety Reed Doughty had 11 tackles and 2 sacks . Morris was their top rusher with 80 yards . After the game , an MRI revealed Griffin had torn his lateral collateral ligament and would have to undergo surgery to repair it . [ 1 ] In response , Washington coach Mike Shanahan faced criticism for not pulling Griffin from the game earlier , despite warning signs he was playing injured . Footnotes . < br > While he was voted a Pro Bowler , Robert Griffen III did not play in the game after suffering ACL and MCL injuries during the regular season and during the Wild - Card Round of the playoffs . Trent Williams was also voted into the Pro Bowl , but after a scuffle at a local nightclub in Honolulu , Hawaii in which he was struck over the head with a glass bottle , receiving stitches in the process , he was removed from the game , thus not playing . Charges were filed against the owner of the nightclub , but Williams did not receive any charges himself .