Giants spoil Redskins’ playoff bid

(The Sports Xchange) – The visiting New York Giants, who had already clinched their wild card playoff berth, played to win on Sunday and beat division rival Washington Redskins 19-10 to eliminate them from playoff contention.

Trailing 13-10 late in the fourth quarter, Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with less than 1:30 remaining and the Redskins moving close to field goal range if not a winning touchdown.

A Redskins win would have virtually clinched them the last NFC wild card, with only a tie in the Sunday night game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers able to deny them a postseason berth. The loss dropped them to 8-7-1.

On first-and-10 from the New York 43-yard line with 1:27 left, Cousins threw down the middle for Pierre Garcon. The pass hung up and Cromartie stepped in front of Garcon for his second interception of the day.

The Giants (11-5), though already in the playoffs, played their starters, including quarterback Eli Manning, and took the lead on a Robbie Gould field goal with 2:12 left after Washington overcame a 10-0 halftime deficit to tie it 10-10.

New York scored a touchdown on the game’s final play when Trevor Wade picked up a fumble on a desperation lateral and scored as time ran out.

Manning passed for 180 yards and Paul Perkins rushed for 102 yards, but it was the Giants’ defense that carried the day, shutting out Washington in the first half as Cousins was sacked three times and Washington managed only 83 yards of offense.

The Redskins, who won the NFC East with a 9-7 mark last season, were looking for their first back-to-back playoff appearances since a three-year run from 1990-92.

(Editing by Larry Fine)