When the air chills and the schedule nears end, NFL offenses suddenly remember the running game. And in the smash-mouth tradition of the NFC East, the Washington Redskins delivered a haymaker, as Washington's forgotten running attack led the Redskins' 27-22 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles Dec. 11.
Indeed, the Redskins actually ran more than they passed, with 23 carries versus 21 passes. And forget red zone blues -- Washington running backs Robert Kelley and Chris Thompson ran for 22- and 25-yard touchdowns, respectively. It was the first time two different Redskins ran for 20-plus-yard touchdowns in the same game since 1991.
It was a classic meeting in the physical series with the Redskins losing linebackers Will Compton (sprained knee) and Su'a Cravens (elbow flexor) plus running back Mack Brown (concussion), while the Eagles were down to their third long snapper (picked by sideline tryout). While Philadelphia possessed the ball 13 minutes longer than Washington, the Redskins ran for 107 yards, as Thompson's score with 1:53 remaining sealed the victory.
