Redskins Would Appear to Win By Eight

It looks like the Redskins could have snapped their losing streak and maybe secured themselves an important win and tie-breaker in climbing back into the wild card race. The 24-16 victory over the Bears, quasi-abley announced by Bryant Gumbel, who might sort of be the most hedgy, waffling-ist announcer in history (my favorite: Chris Cooley catches the ball at the Bears' 10; first-down marker is five yards behind him at the 15; Gumbel: “what would appear to be a Redskins’ first down.”), almost devolved into the sort of soul-crushing collapse we’ve seen too often lately.

With less than seven minutes left, the Redskins with the ball and a four-point lead, it might not qualify as complete optimism-hating to have fleeting visions of three-and-outs, punts, and opposition game-winning-drives. But lo: an aggressive, pass-centric, non-three-runs-up-the-middle-and-out drive! It looked a little dicey with a pair of runs for minimal gain at the Bears’ 20, but the Saunders-beloved Todd Collins’ dainty toss to Ladell Betts quenched any uneasy queasiness that might have crept in to the hearts of even the most ‘tism-loving Skins fan.

A victory. Jason Campbell again somehow dodging multiple ligament/tendon tears in his knee (not to diminish the abject suckiness of a dislocated patella). Portis finally finding serious room in the open field again. Shawn Springs! The aforementioned aggressive drive with a small lead in the fourth quarter! Exactly what we all needed to see. Maybe. Right, Bryant?

On the Redskins' postgame show Trevor Matich, who, after briefly lamenting "the games [the Redskins] gave away" earlier this year, put it best when he said, "Let's concentrate on the hope." One down, three to go.