Spaß & Spiel » possibly win their first division title since 1993

ASHBURN, Va. - Jay Gruden got the full Washington Redskins circus distraction experience all in one day. A protest against the name, a bus wreck on the way to the stadium, Robert Griffin IIIs return from an injury, a media report the coach called amateurish, and a defence that allowed a rookie quarterback to put up 29 points.And perhaps the most Redskins indicator of them all: The record is 3-6 for the fourth straight year.If ever a team needed a bye, its this one. They could use of the break to figure out how to tune out the outside noise. Sundays 29-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings had all the makings of an all-too-typical Redskins day from the last decade or so.From a mental standpoint, you want your team to be thinking about the Minnesota Vikings, period, Gruden said Monday. I want Robert and I want the offence to be thinking about Mike Zimmers Double-A package and blitz package and how were going to attack. I want the defence to be thinking about Teddy Bridgewater and their zone-checks and what they have to do, instead of reading tweets about theres locker room separation, whatever, and having bus wrecks and all that stuff.So there was a little bit of things that mightve took our mind off the important thing, which is the Minnesota Vikings.The Redskins couldnt do much about the accident involving team buses on the way to the game — Were four tire rotations from driving off a cliff, Gruden said — and the players were largely isolated from the thousands who marched outside the stadium calling for the team to change its nickname.But a pair of media reports clearly raised some ire at the Redskins facility.One said that several members of the organization believe the order to start Griffin on Sunday came from owner Dan Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen. The other linked a group of players boisterous behaviour toward media and a public relations staffer during a Griffin group interview to an allegation that Griffin has alienated himself in the locker room.Gruden launched a blistering retort to the second report, calling it amateurish from some small-time reporter reporting fiction.But the first-year head coach is quickly learning that its all part of the deal in Washington.Weve got a young team. We have some fragile egos here, he said. The guys are young guys, trying their best, and they read in the paper that nobody likes em and theyre alienated and blasy, blasy. It just doesnt seem right.But as a football player, as an NFL football player playing here, you have to expect it. ... The big thing is we cant let anything tear the locker room apart.All the distractions could have been neatly swept away if the same defence that disrupted Tony Romos life just six days earlier couldve done the same to Bridgewater, who led two long, answer-back drives in the fourth quarter. Gruden said the staff will spend the upcoming bye week re-examining their defensive schemes.As for Griffin, he did OK after missing six games with a dislocated ankle but made two poor throws at critical times — an interception before halftime that led to the Vikings first touchdown, and a short-armed effort on fourth-and-6 that landed short of an open Pierre Garcon in the games final two minutes. He also was sacked five times, showing hes still yet to get a good feel for pressure around him in the pocket.As for the 3-6 record, theres no telling what it portends. In 2011, the Redskins finished 5-11. In 2012, they never lost again in the regular season, going 10-6 and winning in the NFC East. In 2013, they never won again and ended up 3-13.Asked to give his team a pre-bye grade, Gruden said from a human being standpoint, Id give him an A.Bad thing is we dont get credit for being good guys, Gruden said. We get credit for wins and losses, and thats not good enough. The grade is 3-6. ... Thats probably a D or an F-plus.Notes: RB Silas Redd, who had back spasms from the bus accident and was inactive for the game, underwent an MRI on Monday. Gruden said there was no structural damage and that Redd will be fine. ... Gruden said TE Logan Paulsen has a chance of playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the bye. Paulsen is battling plantar fasciitis in one of his feet.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP Christian Kirksey Jersey . -- Alex Anthopoulos spoke volumes with what he didnt say on right-hander Ervin Santana. JC Tretter Jersey . 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The 27-year-old goaltender from Edmonton backstopped the Canadian womens hockey team to Olympic gold Feb.DETROIT - The Detroit Lions have been eliminated from the playoff picture with another late-season collapse that might also cost coach Jim Schwartz his job. Sure, Josh Browns 45-yard field goal on the third drive of overtime lifted the New York Giants to a 23-20 win over Detroit on Sunday. But the Lions (7-8) dropped themselves out of the NFC North race by losing five of their last six games, blowing fourth-quarter leads in each setback. "We put ourselves in a bad, bad situation," linebacker Stephen Tulloch said. "Unfortunately, we cant dig ourselves out of it now." Schwartzs fate might have been sealed with the latest loss, his ninth straight in December or January. "Speculation isnt my job," he said. "Coaching is enough of a job for me." The embattled coach chose to play for overtime by running out the clock with 23 seconds and two timeouts left from the Detroit 25. When the crowd reacted with a chorus of boos, Schwartz turned his head toward the stands and angrily shouted something. Schwartz insisted he wasnt responding to the fans. "Thats a tough situation when your players are getting booed," he said. "You want to keep them fired up and thats what I was trying to do." Detroit needed some help to stay in post-season contention and got it when Pittsburgh won at Green Bay. The Packers loss turned out to be moot because the lowly Lions fell to put them out of the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 years. The Giants (6-9) overcame Eli Mannings interception late in regulation and Andre Browns fumble on the opening possession in overtime to win for the second time in five games. With nothing to lose, New York went on fourth-and-7 from the Lions 42 and Manning connected with Jerrel Jernigan on a 15-yard pass to set up the winning kick. Schwartz didnt call a timeout that mightve led to a video review that couldve potentially overturned the low reception. "I guess he made a catch," Manning said. "They called it a catch." To avoid a potential review, the Giants quickly snapped the ball and gave tight end Bear Pascoe his first NFL rushing attempt. "Had to make a few adjustments there," Manning recalled. Manning was 23 of 42 for 256 yards with a TD pass to Jernigan — his first career score — and an NFL-high 26th interception. Matthew Stafford was worse: 25 of 42 for 222 yards and two interceptions, the second was returned by Will Hill for a TD that tied it at 20 with 4:57 left in the lacklustre game.dddddddddddd Stafford threw high and wide of 6-foot-7 tight end Joseph Fauria, who had to leap just to get his hands on the errant pass. "We have had back-to-back heartbreakers at home with games decided by field goals," said Stafford, who was also lamenting last Monday nights loss to Baltimore on Justin Tuckers 61-yard kick in the final minute. Calvin Johnson, questionable for the game because of an injured right knee, wasnt the targeted receiver once after making three catches for 43 yards in the first half. "His knee was bothering him, and his ankle was a problem," Schwartz said. "We were trying to use him in the red zone and on third downs, but he wasnt close to 100 per cent." Staffords first interception and Reggie Bushs career-high fourth fumble in the first half let the offensively challenged Giants take a 13-3 lead at halftime. Mannings 20-yard pass to Jernigan gave the Giants a 10-3 lead after Bushs fumble. Jernigan, a third-year receiver, took advantage of more playing time with Victor Cruz out after having left knee surgery Thursday. Detroit cornerback Bill Bentley was beaten by Jernigan on the play and hit by safety Louis Delmas, who gave his teammate a concussion. Browns season-long 52-yard field goal put New York ahead by double digits with 9 seconds left in the half. The kick came two snaps after Lions safety Don Carey got a delay-of-game penalty. Detroits Jeremy Ross returned the first punt of the second half 50 yards to set up a 1-yard TD run by Joique Bell to make it 13-10. Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley sacked Manning in the end zone to pull the Lions within a point late in the third quarter. Detroit went ahead for the first time on the ensuing possession. Rookie running back Theo Riddick ran for a 2-yard TD and Fauria caught a pass for a 2-point conversion to give the Lions a 20-13 lead. The Lions, though, blew it — and their chance to possibly win their first division title since 1993. NOTES: Schwartzs skid in December and January is at least twice as long as any other active streak and is the leagues longest since Herm Edwards (from 2007-08) and Jim Haslett (from 2005-08) both lost nine in a row during those months. ... 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