By Bava Licious | AI Maddeness
LANDOVER, Md. — It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t easy. But it was enough.
With the postseason on the line and a season of inconsistency behind them, the Washington Redskins did just enough Sunday to secure a 12–7 victory over the Arizona Cardinals — punching their ticket to the NFC playoffs as the fifth seed.
Washington’s defense — anchored by a legendary secondary featuring Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, and Darrell Green — held Arizona to a single scoring play and forced key stops in critical moments.
Early on, Washington looked poised to dominate after driving inside the Cardinals’ 10-yard line. But a third-down sack by Arizona’s Simeon Rice snuffed out the threat, holding the Redskins to a field goal.
Jake Plummer, inconsistent for much of the year, struck quickly before halftime. His 50-yard touchdown pass to Frank Sanders gave the Cardinals a 7–3 lead with under two minutes left in the first half.
That lead would be short-lived. On a controversial call, Arizona opted to go for it on 4th down deep in their own territory with just under a minute left in the half. The gamble failed. Washington responded with a short drive and another field goal, narrowing the deficit to 7–6 at halftime.
The second half devolved into a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to move the ball. But late in the fourth quarter, Brad Johnson connected with Stephen Davis across the middle and up the sideline for a 26-yard game-winning score.
“Our defense held strong all game,” head coach Norv Turner said afterward. “And when we needed one drive, Brad and Stephen gave it to us.”
With the win, Washington finishes the regular season 10–6 and advances to the Wild Card round. For Arizona, a 3–13 season ends with more questions than answers.
For Washington, though, the season continues.
“We’re not done yet,” Darrell Green said in the locker room. “This team’s got more to say.”
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