2007 Washington Redskins season The 2007 Washington Redskins season was the team ' s 75th season , and saw the team achieve a record of 9 - 7 and a playoff appearance . This was an improvement over the 2006 season in which they went 5 - 11 and finished last in the NFC East . Over the course of the season , Washington went 5 - 3 in home games at FedExField , and 4 - 4 on the road . After losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round , Coach Joe Gibbs announced his retirement , thus ending his second stint as head coach of the Redskins . Coaching staff . Head coach Joe Gibbs entered his fourth year of his second stint with the Redskins . It was the second - to - last year on his existing contract . He previously coached the Redskins in the 1981 - 1992 seasons . On January 8 , 2008 , three days after the season ended , Gibbs announced his retirement from the position of Head Coach and Team President ; he would remain on board as a special assistant to Dan Snyder . The Redskins fired former linebackers coach Dale Lindsay and promoted Kirk Olivadotti to take his job . Olivadotti previously helped coach the defensive line and special teams . The Redskins also added Tony Spinosa , Matthew Shea , and Bill Khayat to their coaching staff . Offseason . Signings . On March 2 , the Redskins signed London Fletcher , formerly with the Buffalo Bills , to a 5 - year , $ 25 million contract . The deal also includes a $ 10 . 5 million signing bonus . < br > On March 3 , the Redskins signed Fred Smoot , formerly with the Minnesota Vikings , to a 5 - year deal . Smoot was drafted by the Redskins in 2001 and signed with the Vikings in 2005 . < br > On March 8 , the Redskins signed Ross Tucker , formerly with the Cleveland Browns , to an undisclosed contract . < br > On March 21 , the Redskins signed Jason Fabini , formerly with the Dallas Cowboys , to an undisclosed contract . < br > On April 5 , the Redskins signed David Macklin , formerly with the Arizona Cardinals , to a 1 - year contract . < br > On June 1 , the Redskins signed Jason McAddley , formerly with the San Francisco 49ers , to an undisclosed contract . < br > On August 21 , the Redskins signed Randall Godfrey , formerly with the San Diego Chargers , to an undisclosed contract . Departures . On February 22 , the Redskins released safety Troy Vincent . < br > On February 28 , the Redskins released tight end Christian Fauria . < br > On March 2 , Derrick Dockery signed with the Buffalo Bills . < br > On March 4 , Kenny Wright signed with the Cleveland Browns . < br > On March 7 , the Redskins released kicker John Hall . < br > On March 9 , T . J . Duckett agreed to terms with the Detroit Lions . < br > On March 20 , Adam Archuleta was traded to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a conditional 6th round draft pick . < br > On March 22 , the Redskins released wide receiver David Patten . < br > On April 26 , Warrick Holdman signed with the Denver Broncos . < br > On August 21 , the Redskins released linebacker Lemar Marshall . < br > On September 1 , the Redskins released cornerback Ade Jimoh and defensive end Renaldo Wynn . Preseason . Week 1 : at Tennessee Titans . The Redskins started their first preseason against the Tennessee Titans on the road on August 11 . The Redskins defense allowed only six points and caused four fumbles , one of which they recovered . Many were surprised to see the Redskins ' QB Jason Campbell play the whole 1st half . Campbell wasn ' t productive , fumbled twice , and didn ' t score any points . The Redskins scored two late touchdowns in the last 1 : 17 to win the game . Marcus Mason scored a 1 - yard rushing touchdown , and Byron Westbrook recovered a fumble in the endzone . GameBook Week 2 : vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . In their second preseason game , the Redskins scored first but there was a scare involved on the way . On their second drive , QB Jason Campbell was tackled at the knee while throwing a 29 - yard pass to Chris Cooley . Campbell walked off the field by himself with a bruised knee . Todd Collins took over for Campbell and threw a 7 - yard touchdown pass to Brandon Lloyd . The Redskins had four goal - line stands , and only allowed 12 points ( four field goals ) . However , their offense was never really back in sync , and their only other score of the game was a field goal . Redskins ' LB Marcus Washington suffered a dislocated elbow , and WR Mike Espy ruptured his tendon and is out for the season . GameBook Week 3 : vs . Baltimore Ravens . Due to severe thunderstorms , the Redskins ' third preseason game was shortened at the 11 : 38 mark in the third quarter . The kickoff was delayed over an hour and the game started at 9 : 12 . The Redskins scored first in the game . Shaun Suisham had two field goals . The Redskins ' defense looked great the whole night , only allowing the Ravens to a touchdown . In the third quarter , linebacker Dallas Sartz intercepted a Kyle Boller pass and ran it back for a touchdown . The game ended shortly thereafter . GameBook Week 4 : at Jacksonville Jaguars . The Redskins started their last preseason game strong . The defense forced a 3 - and - out on Jacksonville ' s first drive and the Redskins scored on their first possession . Jason Campbell finished the game with 5 of 5 completions and a touchdown to Antwaan Randle El . Mark Brunell also threw a touchdown pass to Ryan Hoag . Though the Redskins were leading at halftime , they would not score again for the rest of the game . They eventually gave up three more touchdowns as the Jaguars rallied past the Redskins ' backups . GameBook Regular season . Week 1 : vs . Miami Dolphins . The Redskins scored the first points of the game when Shaun Suisham kicked a 31 - yard field goal in the second quarter . On the last play of the 1st half , Trent Green threw a 1 - yard pass to Justin Peelle to claim the lead . The Redskins started the third quarter with Clinton Portis running for a 19 - yard touchdown . Miami later answered with a field goal to tie the game . In the 4th quarter , both teams scored a field goal and the game went into overtime . Washington won the coin toss . They ran the ball down to Miami ' s 22 - yardline , and Shaun Suisham made a game - winning 39 - yard field goal . Clinton Portis finished the game with 17 carries , 98 yards , and a touchdown . The Redskins lost right tackle Jon Jansen for the year when he fractured his ankle in the second quarter . GameBook Week 2 : at Philadelphia Eagles . The Redskins ' second regular season game , against the Philadelphia Eagles , started off with a Redskins field goal at the end of the first quarter . Less than five minutes into the second quarter , the Eagles earned a field goal to tie the game at 3 - 3 . A few minutes later , the Eagles scored another field goal to go up 6 - 3 , the only lead they would have in the game . Just before halftime , Jason Campbell hit Chris Cooley for a touchdown to end the first half up 10 - 6 . In the third quarter , the Eagles and Redskins both scored another field goal , bringing the score to 13 - 9 prior to a Redskins drive that began with 1 : 15 remaining in the third quarter . That would eventually lead to Clinton Portis running for a 6 yard TD early in the 4th quarter , bringing the score to 20 - 9 . The Eagles , with a field goal late in the 4th quarter , were down by 8 as they drove down to the Redskins 9 yard line . The Eagles ' drive stalled and they turned the ball over on downs with an incomplete pass . With possession on their own 9 yard line , the Redskins ran out the clock on their way to a victory . Final Score : 20 - 12 . Week 3 : vs . New York Giants . In the first quarter , Washington trailed early as Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes got a 34 - yard field goal . The ' Skins took the lead with RB Clinton Portis getting a 1 - yard TD run . In the second quarter , QB Jason Campbell completed a 8 - yard TD pass to TE Chris Cooley , while kicker Shaun Suisham made a 47 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , New York RB Reuben Droughns made a 1 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , New York took the lead with Droughns getting another 1 - yard TD run , while QB Eli Manning completed a 33 - yard TD pass to WR Plaxico Burress . Washington managed to get a late - game drive , but it ended up with RB Ladell Betts getting taken down at N . Y . ' s 1 - yard line on 4th & Goal . With the loss , the Redskins would fall to 2 - 1 entering their bye week . Week 5 : vs . Detroit Lions . Coming off their bye week , the Redskins stayed at home for a Week 5 duel with the Detroit Lions , who have never beaten the Redskins in Washington , D . C . Though the first quarter was scoreless , the Washington Redskins began what would be a 14 play , 80 yard drive in the second quarter which started at their own 20 yard line and finished with a 7 - yard touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to Chris Cooley . The ' Skins next possession began at their own 17 - yard line and began an 83 - yard drive in 7 plays , culminating in a touchdown for Mike Sellers in a 1 - yard rushing play . The first half ended with the Redskins up 14 - 0 . With 2 : 27 left in the third quarter , the Detroit Lions scored their first and only points with a 39 - yard field goal to bring the score to 14 - 3 . The Redskins next drive was only 9 yards and resulted in a punt , but put the Detroit Lions on their own 8 - yard line . After a rushing play that resulted in a loss of 1 yard , the Washington Redskins sacked Detroit Lions QB , Jon Kitna in the endzone for a safety , bringing the Redskin ' s lead to 13 with a score of 16 - 3 to end the quarter . After a fourth quarter fumble by Redskins ' running back Clinton Portis , the Detroit Lions took possession at their own 10 - yard line . The Lion ' s drove 26 yards before punting to James Thrash , who returned the punt for 62 yards and fumbled towards the endzone , where Rock Cartwright recovered the ball on the 3 - yard line . After a Redskin ' s five - yard penalty , Washington Redskins QB Jason Campbell threw an 8 - yard touchdown pass to Mike Sellers and then converted a 2 point attempt with a pass to Chris Cooley bringing the score to 24 - 3 . Detroit ' s next possession ended with a Sean Taylor interception of 35 - yards which would later help the Redskins finish a drive with a field goal . With less than 3 minutes in the fourth quarter , the Detroit Lion ' s began a drive at their own 43 - yard line . After gaining 14 yards , Jon Kitna threw an interception to Carlos Rogers , who returned it 61 - yards for a touchdown for the final point of the game . With the win , the Redskins improved to 3 - 1 . Week 6 : at Green Bay Packers . Coming off their dominating home win over the Lions , the Redskins flew to Lambeau Field for a Week 6 intraconference duel with the Green Bay Packers . In the first quarter , Washington trailed early as Packers RB DeShawn Wynn managed to get a 3 - yard TD run . The ' Skins would respond with QB Jason Campbell getting a 6 - yard TD run . In the second quarter , the Redskins took the lead as Campbell completed a 14 - yard TD pass to TE Chris Cooley for the only score of the period . In the third quarter , Washington struggled as Packers kicker Mason Crosby got a 37 - yard field goal , while CB Charles Woodson returned a fumble 57 yards for a touchdown . Afterwards , in the fourth quarter , Green Bay held on to win . With the loss , the Redskins fell to 3 - 2 . Week 7 : vs . Arizona Cardinals . Trying to rebound from their road loss to the Packers , the Redskins went home for a Week 7 match - up against the Arizona Cardinals . In the first quarter , Washington took the early lead with RB Clinton Portis getting a 2 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the ' Skins increased its lead with LB London Fletcher returning an interception 27 yards for a touchdown . The Cardinals would get a touchdown as QB Kurt Warner completed a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Anquan Boldin ( with a failed PAT ) . In the third quarter , Washington increased its lead with Portis getting a 1 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , Arizona managed to get within striking distance as Warner and Boldin hooked up with each other again on a 10 - yard TD pass . Afterwards , the Cardinals got within two points with QB Tim Rattay completing a 1 - yard TD pass to TE Leonard Pope ( with a failed 2 - point conversion ) . Later , Arizona managed to recover its onside kick and managed to set up a game - winning 55 - yard field goal . Fortunately , the kick went wide left , securing the victory . With the win , the Redskins improved to 4 - 2 . Week 8 : at New England Patriots . Coming off their home win over the Cardinals , the Redskins flew to Gillette Stadium for a Week 8 interconference duel with the undefeated New England Patriots . In the first quarter , Washington trailed early as Patriots QB Tom Brady got a 3 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the Redskins continued to fall behind as Brady completed a 2 - yard TD pass to LB Mike Vrabel , kicker Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 36 - yard field goal , and Brady pulled a Marino by doing a fake spike and then completing a 6 - yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss . In the third quarter , Washington ' s deficit increased as Brady got a 2 - yard TD run , along LB Rosevelt Colvin returning a fumble 11 yards for a touchdown . In the fourth quarter , the Patriots finished their job with Brady completing a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Wes Welker , along with back - up QB Matt Cassel getting a 15 - yard TD run . Afterwards , the ' Skins got their only score of the game as QB Jason Campbell completed a 15 - yard TD pass to TE Chris Cooley . With the loss , not only did the Redskins fall to 4 - 3 , but the Redskins allowed the most points in one game since 1961 , when they gave up 53 points to the New York Giants . Week 9 : at New York Jets . Coming off a humiliating road loss to the Patriots , the Redskins flew to The Meadowlands for a Week 9 interconference duel with the New York Jets . In the first quarter , Washington immediately trailed as Jets RB / KR / PR Leon Washington returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown . The ' Skins managed to respond with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 46 - yard field goal , yet New York answered with kicker Mike Nugent getting a 29 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , the Jets increased with QB Kellen Clemens completing a 1 - yard TD pass to TE Joe Kowalewski . The Redskins ended the half with Suisham getting a 40 - yard and a 22 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , Washington drew closer with Suisham kicking a 40 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , the ' Skins took the lead with RB Clinton Portis getting a 1 - yard TD run , along with QB Jason Campbell ' s 2 - point conversion pass to WR Antwaan Randle El . New York managed to force overtime with Nugent getting a 30 - yard field goal . In overtime , Washington managed to come out on top as Suisham nailed the game - winning 46 - yard field goal . With the win , the Redskins improved to 5 - 3 . The victory also improved Head Coach Joe Gibbs ' s overtime record to 10 - 3 . Week 10 : vs . Philadelphia Eagles . Coming off their overtime road win over the Jets , the Redskins went home for an NFC East rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles . In the first quarter , Washington trailed early as Eagles QB Donovan McNabb completed a 4 - yard TD pass to WR Brian Westbrook for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the Redskins took the lead with QB Jason Campbell hooking up with WR James Thrash on a 4 - yard TD pass ( with a failed PAT ) and a 12 - yard TD pass ( with a failed 2 - point conversion ) . In the third quarter , the Redskins increased their lead with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 23 - yard field goal . Philadelphia managed to draw close with McNabb completing an 8 - yard TD pass to TE L . J . Smith ( with a failed 2 - point conversion ) . In the fourth quarter , Washington added on to its lead with Campbell completing a 6 - yard TD pass to WR Keenan McCardell , yet the Eagles answered with McNabb ' s 45 - yard TD pass to WR Reggie Brown . The Redskins tried to pull away as Suisham nailed a 21 - yard field goal . However , Philadelphia sealed the win with Westbrook turning a 57 - yard reception and a 10 - yard run into touchdowns . With the loss , the Redskins fell to 5 - 4 . This would turn out to be Sean Taylor ' s last ever game , as he would turn out to be injured the last two games before his death . Week 11 : at Dallas Cowboys . Hoping to rebound from their divisional home loss to the Eagles , the Redskins flew to Texas Stadium for a Week 11 NFC East showdown with the Dallas Cowboys . In the first quarter , Washington struck first as QB Jason Campbell completed a 19 - yard TD pass to TE Chris Cooley for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the Cowboys tied the game with QB Tony Romo completing a 4 - yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens . Afterwards , the Redskins would take the lead into halftime as kicker Shaun Suisham managed to get a 45 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , Dallas took the lead as Romo hooked up with Owens again on a 31 - yard TD pass . Washington ' s response would be Suisham kicking a 39 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , the Cowboys added on to their lead as Romo and Owens hooked up with each other for the third time on a 46 - yard TD pass , while the Redskins tried to fight back with Suisham nailing a 44 - yard field goal . However , Dallas managed to put the game out of reach with Romo and Owens hooking up with each other for the fourth time on a 52 - yard TD pass . Washington ' s only response would Campbell ' s 5 - yard TD pass to WR Santana Moss . With the loss , the Redskins fell to 5 - 5 . Week 12 : at Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Trying to snap a two - game losing skid , the Redskins flew to Raymond James Stadium for a Week 12 duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . In the first quarter , Washington trailed early as Buccaneers RB Earnest Graham got a 1 - yard TD run , along with kicker Matt Bryant getting a 35 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , the Redskins continued to struggle as Bryant gave Tampa Bay a 27 - yard and a 48 - yard field goal . Washington would get its only score of the half with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 43 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , the Redskins started to mount a comeback as QB Jason Campbell completed a 39 - yard TD pass to TE Chris Cooley for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , Washington managed to creep closer as Suisham nailed a 38 - yard field goal . However , the Buccaneers ' defense held on to secure the win . With their third - straight loss , the Redskins fell to 5 - 6 . In the game , Washington was plagued with 6 turnovers ( 2 interceptions and 4 lost fumbles ) , which the most against one team in one game since committing 7 turnovers against the Giants in 2004 . Chris Cooley has a total of 24 TD receptions since 2004 ( the most by an NFC tight end ) . Death of Sean Taylor . On November 27 , 2007 , the Redskins lost Sean Taylor to a gunshot wound inflicted the day before . At the time , he was at home resting a knee injury that had kept him off the field for the two games prior to the incident . On November 26 , 2007 , at 1 : 45 a . m . , Taylor was shot in the upper leg by an armed intruder at his Palmetto Bay home , critically wounding him by severing his femoral artery . His girlfriend tried to call police from the house line , but experienced difficulty calling . Initial reports suggested that the line had been cut , though Police investigation subsequently refuted that . Taylor ' s girlfriend proceeded to call 911 from her cell phone , which delayed response time . Taylor was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where he underwent surgery . He emerged from surgery about 12 : 30 p . m . However , he had lost a significant amount of blood and remained unconscious and in a coma . His doctors speculated that he had suffered brain damage due to the blood loss . An unnamed Redskins source reported that Taylor ' s heart stopped twice during the emergency surgery . Washington running back Clinton Portis and owner Dan Snyder were at Taylor ' s hospital from the time they heard about the incident until Taylor ' s death . Portis was a junior on the University of Miami ' s National Championship team in 2001 while Taylor was a freshman . In the early morning of November 27 , 2007 , Taylor died at the hospital . The news was released to the media by Richard Sharpstein ( lawyer ) , who learned the news from Taylor ' s father around 5 : 30 a . m . In 2004 , when Gibbs made his comeback official , he had chosen Taylor , the fifth player selected in the 2004 NFL Draft , as his first round pick . Taylor , with agent Drew Rosenhaus , signed a seven - year , $ 18 million contract with the team - a contract which had 4 more years left when he died . Taylor was coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2006 , and was the leading vote getter for NFC Free Safety in 2007 when his untimely death occurred . Taylor was posthumously elected to the starting Free Safety position for the NFC . Week 13 : vs . Buffalo Bills . Just days after fellow teammate Sean Taylor died of his injuries , the Redskins tried to snap a three - game skid at home against the Buffalo Bills . Before the kickoff , the stadium held a memorial service for Sean Taylor , as well as players across the NFL wearing a # 21 sticker on the back of their helmets . For the team ' s first defensive play , they would come out with only 10 players on the field , as their honor to Taylor . In the first quarter , Washington took the early lead as kicker Shaun Suisham managed to get a 27 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the Redskins increased their lead as Suisham kicked a 28 - yard field goal . Later , the Bills got on the board as LB Angelo Crowell sacked QB Jason Campbell in his endzone for a safety . Washington would end the half as Suisham kicked a 33 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , Buffalo drew closer as kicker Rian Lindell managed to get a 38 - yard field goal . Later , the Redskins responded with RB Clinton Portis getting a 3 - yard TD run . Afterwards , the Bills ended the half as Lindell kicked a 43 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , Buffalo drew closer as Lindell kicked a 24 - yarder , along with a 33 - yard field goal . Later , the Bills got into position to kick a 51 - yard field goal . They got the kick , but Head Coach Joe Gibbs called timeout . When Buffalo tried to kick again , Gibbs called timeout again , but unintentionally got his team an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty which not only moved the Bills 15 yards closer to their end zone but reduced Lindell ' s field goal attempt to 36 yards . Afterwards , the Bills ended the game with Lindell nailing the game - winning 36 - yard field goal . With their fourth - straight loss , Washington fell to 5 - 7 . Week 14 : vs . Chicago Bears . Coming off a home loss to the Bills ( along with attending Sean Taylor ' s funeral in Florida ) , the Redskins played at home for their Week 13 Thursday night intraconference game with the Chicago Bears . After a scoreless first quarter , the Redskins scored first as QB Todd Collins completed a 21 - yard TD pass to TE Todd Yoder for the only score of the second quarter . In the third quarter , Washington ' s FB Mike Sellers scored on a 1 - yard TD run . The Bears would reply as kicker Robbie Gould made a 30 - yard field goal , while QB Brian Griese completed a 17 - yard TD pass to WR Bernard Berrian . In the fourth quarter , the Redskins responded with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 23 - yard field goal . Later , Chicago made it closer as Gould kicked a 22 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the Redskins increased their lead with Collins completing a 16 - yard TD pass to RB Ladell Betts . The Bears would answer with Gould making a 21 - yard field goal , but their onside kick failed , which preserved a Washington win . With the win , the Redskins improved to 6 - 7 . Starting QB Jason Campbell ( 10 / 16 for 100 yards ) left the game in the second quarter with a dislocated left knee cap . Week 15 : at New York Giants . Coming off their home win over the Bears , the Redskins flew to Giants Stadium for a Week 15 Sunday night NFC East rematch with the New York Giants . QB Todd Collins would be making his first start since 1997 . In the first quarter , the ' Skins drew first blood as kicker Shaun Suisham nailed a 49 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , Washington increased its lead with Suisham kicking a 31 - yard field goal , along with RB Ladell Betts getting a 14 - yard TD run . The Giants would get on the board with kicker Lawrence Tynes getting a 35 - yard field goal . The Redskins would end the half with Suisham nailing a 28 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , the ' Skins continued to its dominance with RB Clinton Portis getting a 5 - yard TD run . New York tried to rally as QB Eli Manning completed a 19 - yard TD pass to TE Kevin Boss . Afterwards , Washington ' s defense ( along with the wind ) held the Giants in check . With the win , the Redskins improved to 7 - 7 . Week 16 : at Minnesota Vikings . This game was a must - win for the Redskins in order to maintain their playoff hopes . During the first quarter , the Redskins appeared to be in the position to score after Fred Smoot intercepted Tarvaris Jackson and returned the interception deep into Viking territory . However , the Redskin offense was unable to score a touchdown . Mike Sellers appeared to score a touchdown on 4th and goal , but a replay challenge by Brad Childress nullified the touchdown and gave the Vikings the ball . However , the Redskins immediately tackled Tony Richardson in the end zone for a safety . Following the subsequent free kick , the Redskins marched down the field and took a 9 - 0 lead on a 33 yard pass from Todd Collins to Chris Cooley . In the 2nd quarter , the Redskins expanded their lead to 16 - 0 on a 32 yard pass from Todd Collins to Santana Moss . Later in the quarter , the Redskins took a 22 - 0 lead when Clinton Portis took a handoff from Todd Collins and threw a 15 yard TD pass to Antwaan Randle - El in the end zone . Although the Redskins were not successful on the 2 point conversion attempt , they had a commanding lead at this point in the game , and the previously rowdy Metrodome crowd was very disheartened and silent at this point . The Redskins stretched their lead to 25 - 0 on a 26 yard field goal by Shaun Suisham . Later in the quarter , the Vikings got the crowd back in the game when Tarvaris Jackson threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Jim Kleinhasser , cutting the Redskins ' lead to 25 - 7 . The Vikings further cut into the Redskins ' lead around the 10 minute mark of the fourth quarter when Tarvaris Jackson scored on a 6 yard run , making the lead 25 - 14 . The Metrodome crowd began sensing a comeback as momentum appeared to turn in the Vikings ' favor . This came to a head mid - way through the fourth quarter in which the Redskins appeared to complete a long pass to Santana Moss . Though initially ruled a catch by an official on the sideline , the call was considered questionable by the game ' s announcers since Moss had to drag his toes to stay inbounds as he caught the pass . Sensing an impending challenge by Childress , the Redskins raced down the field to snap the ball , since a play cannot be challenged after the ball has been snapped for the next play . However , the snap was fumbled and it appeared to be Vikings ' ball after it was recovered by Vikings ' defensive tackle Kevin Williams . As the Vikings rushed onto the field to take over on offense , coach Joe Gibbs challenged that Minnesota had twelve defensive players on the field at the time the Redskins snapped the ball and fumbled it . After review , Gibbs ' challenge was upheld and the call on the field was reversed — a five yard penalty was assessed to the Vikings for having too many men on the field and the Redskins maintained possession , eventually scoring on a 13 yard touchdown run by Clinton Portis , making the score 32 - 14 after driving 75 yards . Although Tarvaris Jackson later scored on a 1 yard run to make the score 32 - 21 , the Vikings were unable to score again , and the Redskins emerged with a victory . This enabled them to ensure that they will be able to control their own chances to make the playoffs . Week 17 : vs . Dallas Cowboys . Needing a win to secure a playoff berth , the Redskins closed out the regular season at home with an NFC East rematch with the Dallas Cowboys . In the first quarter , the ' Skins got off to a fast start with RB Clinton Portis getting a 23 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , Washington increased its lead with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 46 - yard field goal . The Cowboys would respond with kicker Nick Folk getting a 37 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the Redskins closed out the half with Suisham nailing a 21 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , the ' Skins increased their lead with Portis getting a 1 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , Washington closed out their hated rival with QB Todd Collins completing a 42 - yard TD pass to WR Santana Moss . Dallas finished their game with Folk getting a 30 - yard field goal . With the win , not only did the Redskins close out the regular season at 9 - 7 , but they also clinched the NFC ' s # 6 seed . Injuries . Current as of December 17 , 2007 : Statistics . Through Week 16