Team Notes week 17 2016

By Bob Harris
Bob Harris<

NEWS, NOTES, RUMORS AND OTHER GOOD STUFF

Directly from the desk of FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris. The good; the bad; and yes. ... Even the Bears. There is no better way to jump start your weekend than browsing these always educational -- often irreverent -- team-by-team, Fantasy-specific offerings. ...
Access specific teams by clicking on a team name in the schedule appearing directly to your left or by clicking on a helmet below; return to the helmets by hitting the link labeled "Menu" following each teams notes. ...

Please feel free to download Text-Only or MS Word formatted versions of this file as necessary.

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Arizona Cardinals

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Kyler Murray, Clayton Tune
RBs: James Conner, Michael Carter, Emari Demercado
WRs: Marquise Brown, Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, Zach Pascal
TEs: Trey McBride, Geoff Swaim

Atlanta Falcons

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Taylor Heinicke, Desmond Ridder, Logan Woodside
RBs: Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Cordarrelle Patterson
WRs: Drake London, Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, Van Jefferson, Scott Miller, Jared Bernhardt, Josh Ali
TEs: Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt, John FitzPatrick

Baltimore Ravens

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Josh Johnson
RBs: Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon, J.K. Dobbins, Keaton Mitchell
WRs: Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace
TEs: Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Mark Andrews

Buffalo Bills

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Josh Allen
RBs: James Cook, Latavius Murray, Ty Johnson
WRs: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir, Trent Sherfield, Deonte Harty
TEs: Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris

Carolina Panthers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
RBs: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear
WRs: Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo, D.J. Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Mike Strachan
TEs: Tommy Tremble, Stephen Sullivan, Ian Thomas, Hayden Hurst

Chicago Bears

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Justin Fields, Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman
RBs: Khalil Herbert, D'Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame
WRs: D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Tyler Scott, Velus Jones Jr., Trent Taylor, Equanimeous St. Brown
TEs: Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Jake Tonges

Cincinnati Bengals

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jake Browning, Joe Burrow
RBs: Joe Mixon, Chase Brown, Chris Evans, Trayveon Williams
WRs: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones
TEs: Irv Smith Jr., Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, Mitchell Wilcox

Cleveland Browns

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Deshaun Watson
RBs: Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt, Pierre Strong Jr., Nick Chubb
WRs: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, Marquise Goodwin, David Bell
TEs: David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Harrison Bryant

Dallas Cowboys

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
RBs: Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke
WRs: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks
TEs: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot

Denver Broncos

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Russell Wilson, Jarrett Stidham
RBs: Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Samaje Perine
WRs: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Marvin Mims Jr., Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson
TEs: Adam Trautman, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich

Detroit Lions

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater
RBs: David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Zonovan Knight
WRs: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Jameson Williams, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green
TEs: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell

Green Bay Packers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford
RBs: Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon, Patrick Taylor
WRs: Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Samori Toure, Malik Heath
TEs: Tucker Kraft, Ben Sims, Josiah Deguara, Luke Musgrave

Houston Texans

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: C.J. Stroud, Case Keenum, Davis Mills
RBs: Devin Singletary, Dameon Pierce, Mike Boone, Dare Ogunbowale
WRs: Nico Collins, Noah Brown, Robert Woods, John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell
TEs: Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan

Indianapolis Colts

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Gardner Minshew, Sam Ehlinger, Kellen Mond, Anthony Richardson
RBs: Zack Moss, Jonathan Taylor, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull
WRs: Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Isaiah McKenzie, D.J. Montgomery
TEs: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, Andrew Ogletree, Jelani Woods

Jacksonville Jaguars

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Beathard, Nathan Rourke
RBs: Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, D'Ernest Johnson
WRs: Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones, Parker Washington, Tim Jones, Jamal Agnew, Christian Kirk
TEs: Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, Elijah Cooks

Kansas City Chiefs

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert
RBs: Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WRs: Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman
TEs: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Blake Bell, Jody Fortson

Los Angeles Rams

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz, Stetson Bennett
RBs: Kyren Williams, Royce Freeman, Zach Evans, Ronnie Rivers
WRs: Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson
TEs: Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Hunter Long, Davis Allen

Miami Dolphins

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson
RBs: Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed, Christopher Brooks
WRs: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson, Chase Claypool, River Cracraft
TEs: Durham Smythe, Julian Hill, Tyler Kroft

Minnesota Vikings

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, Josh Dobbs, Kirk Cousins
RBs: Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, C.J. Ham, Kene Nwangwu, Cam Akers
WRs: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn, Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor
TEs: Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, T.J. Hockenson

New England Patriots

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bailey Zappe, Mac Jones
RBs: Rhamondre Stevenson, Ezekiel Elliott, JaMycal Hasty
WRs: DeVante Parker, Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Matt Slater, Kendrick Bourne
TEs: Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Pharaoh Brown

New Orleans Saints

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, Jake Haener
RBs: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller
WRs: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry, Keith Kirkwood, Lynn Bowden, Michael Thomas
TEs: Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham

New York Giants

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tommy DeVito, Tyrod Taylor, Daniel Jones
RBs: Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Eric Gray
WRs: Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard
TEs: Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Chris Myarick

New York Jets

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, Aaron Rodgers
RBs: Breece Hall, Dalvin Cook, Israel Abanikanda
WRs: Garrett Wilson, Xavier Gipson, Jason Brownlee, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Charles Irvin
TEs: Tyler Conklin, Jeremy Ruckert, C.J. Uzomah, Kenny Yeboah

Oakland Raiders

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Aidan O'Connell, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer
RBs: Josh Jacobs, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden
WRs: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Hunter Renfrow, DeAndre Carter, Kristian Wilkerson
TEs: Michael Mayer, Austin Hooper, Jesper Horsted

Philadelphia Eagles

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jalen Hurts, Marcus Mariota, Tanner McKee
RBs: D'Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny
WRs: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, Olamide Zaccheaus, Quez Watkins
TEs: Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, Albert Okwuegbunam

Pittsburgh Steelers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Mason Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky, Kenny Pickett
RBs: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr.
WRs: George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Allen Robinson, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin
TEs: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington

San Diego Chargers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Easton Stick, Justin Herbert
RBs: Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson
WRs: Keenan Allen, Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton, Derius Davis, Mike Williams
TEs: Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Stone Smartt

San Francisco 49ers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen
RBs: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Kyle Juszczyk
WRs: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray
TEs: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Brayden Willis, Ross Dwelley, Cameron Latu

Seattle Seahawks

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Geno Smith, Drew Lock
RBs: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
WRs: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, Cody Thompson, Dareke Young
TEs: Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
RBs: Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, Sean Tucker, Ke'Shawn Vaughn
WRs: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer, Kaylon Geiger, Deven Thompkins, Rakim Jarrett, Russell Gage
TEs: Cade Otton, Ko Kieft, Payne Durham

Tennessee Titans

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Will Levis, Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis
RBs: Derrick Henry, Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut
WRs: DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook_Ikhine, Kyle Philips, Colton Dowell, Chris Moore
TEs: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, Trevon Wesco

Washington Redskins

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 28 December 2016

The Redskins had no shot at the postseason if quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball the way he did against Carolina in Week 15, but as ESPN.com's John Keim advised readers, the thing to know about Cousins is that when he's doubted, he comes through. Or when he struggles, he knows how to recover.

Indeed, Cousins responded after perhaps his worst game of the year with one of his best in the Redskins' 41-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. It happened at just the right time, when a loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, the Redskins stayed alive as Cousins completed 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He did this with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined by a shoulder injury. But when you have a DeSean Jackson (five catches, 114 yards), you can overcome such absences.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing this past weekend, the Redskins make the playoffs with a win against the Giants Sunday unless Lions/Packers ends in a tie.

If the Giants, who may rest their starts with nothing to gain, win Sunday, Washington is eliminated.

"We're building something special here," head coach Jay Gruden said.

Part of what they're building goes back to quarterback. He felt good enough after the game to don a Christmas jacket his wife packed for him, without his knowledge of course. It was a dark green coat with gingerbread cookies and colored lights and candy canes throughout. As he walked through the locker room wearing the coat, teammates perked up and shouted their approval.

"I like that," Redskins end Ricky Jean Francois said.

"Good and terrible, man," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

But there was no debating Cousins' performance.

It was silly to dismiss Cousins after a bad game against Carolina and you can't go overboard just because he played another good game. But it's what the Redskins needed, heading into the regular-season finale versus the Giants. Washington's defense intercepted five passes, but that's not going to happen two weeks in a row. The Redskins' running game was a difference-maker with 208 yards. You can't underestimate what that means, but it helps when you can gain more than 2 yards a carry. The Redskins stuck with the run, it created positive opportunities and it mattered a whole bunch.

Here's something else that helped: The Bears' man coverage. It's a mystery why they would want to play a lot of man versus Washington, though it is what they do. However, it's what the Redskins devour and Cousins took advantage, showing once more how this offense can operate when it has some semblance of balance. Cousins even ran it in twice, once on a 9-yard run around the end -- again, man coverage opened up a lane once he got around the end -- and another on a sneak.

"At times it was just the coverage they played," Cousins said. "Other times they had to honor the run. There's a lot there to have eye control with."

It's not that Cousins was perfect, it's that he did what he needed to do -- and he did it well. Sometimes it was just showing patience, as he did on Chris Thompson's 17-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Cousins was about to be drilled by a free blitzer, but he waited long enough for Thompson to clear and let it go. Sometimes it was about making a long connection -- he had completions of 57, 25 and 29 yards in the first half, along with another ball that drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

"Those guys had some sensational results," Gruden said. "The receivers were winning one-on-one battles. Kirk was finding holes in the zones. It was very crucial for us and those guys were excellent."

This has never been all on Cousins, but when he's on target, the Redskins have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. It's why they still have a pulse with one week left.

And the Redskins now are in good shape to make the postseason. With Detroit losing to Dallas, if the Redskins beat the New York Giants Sunday then they'll get in -- as long as the game between Green Bay and Detroit does not end in a tie. ...

Meanwhile, running back Robert Kelley predicted Saturday that his knee would be fine for the finale. An MRI on Monday confirmed his optimism.

Kelley remains sore and probably won't do much this week (he was limited Wednesday), Gruden said. But the coach added Kelly should be "OK" for Sunday's game.

Kelley sprained his knee in the second half of Saturday's win. He managed to keep playing, though he rotated with Mack Brown. Kelley rushed for 76 yards on 19 carries.

"He could have kept going," Gruden said. "He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn't want to come out, but you could see he was in pain."

Gruden said he wanted to get Brown some carries in case he needs to play a bigger role against the Giants. Brown has served as the No. 3 back since Week 8 because of his special teams ability. That left former starter Matt Jones inactive.

But Brown had not carried the ball until Saturday when he gained 82 yards on eight carries, though 61 yards came on a third-down touchdown run when the Redskins were running out the clock.

"We saw what he can do, the confidence he has in the line and seeing holes," Gruden said. "We feel good about those two guys, and obviously Chris Thompson."

Thompson continues to have a strong season. He has rushed for 351 yards and caught 43 passes for another 312 yards. Thompson scored twice Saturday, on a run up the middle and on a well-executed screen.

The Redskins still aren't sure what to expect from Reed this week, although CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday that the tight end will suit up in a must-win game.

Reed played in the Dec. 19 loss to Carolina, but was in clear discomfort after taking shots to the shoulder during the game.

"Wednesday will be a big day for him," Gruden said. The tight end subsequently worked on a limited basis Wednesday.

Reed did not practice last week and there wasn't much hope all along that he'd be ready to go for the Bears.

In other injury news: Jackson is considered day-to-day.

Jackson injured his jaw in the second half and did not continue, though he said he could have if the game had been close. Gruden said he felt Jackson would be OK, and the wideout was working fully on Wednesday.

"Maybe it will quiet him down this week," Gruden said jokingly of Jackson's jaw injury.

Stay tuned. ... I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett
RBs: Brian Robinson Jr., Antonio Gibson, Chris Rodriguez
WRs: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, Byron Pringle, Mitchell Tinsley
TEs: Logan Thomas, Cole Turner, John Bates