Redskins Test Even The Reporters

The press box at Fed Ex Stadium is usually a quiet place void of bias but this past game when the Washington Redskins took on the New Orleans Saints, reporters from the metro area couldn’t hold back their collective sighs of relief and groans of disdain.

The rollercoaster ride of the fourth quarter followed by the exciting overtime ended with a loss that was so heartbreaking, even media fans couldn’t keep their composure.

Needless to say, fans of both teams were loud, filling the stadium with more noise than in any of the previous games.

The Saints and their fans have garnered a lot of support from opposing teams since Hurricane Katrina, lost the respect of some Redskins fans.

“I was going to cheer the Saints on to the Superbowl if the Redskins weren’t in it,” said Lindsay Faulkner, social media coordinator for the Redskins. "I really wanted them to win, but after this game, I really don’t think so. They were so rude.”

At first it was the Redskins fans making all the noise because even with Redskins less than perfect record of 3-9, it looked like they were going to beat the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL and a Superbowl favorite.

Ashburn resident and longtime ‘Skins fan, Lori Bradford explained the noise saying, “We actually had something to cheer about.” Like quarterback Jason Campbell throwing a season high of 367 yards.

The Skins, who are last place in their division, were up by 10 points by the end of the first quarter but the Saints tied the game up before halftime, after some interesting plays.

Right before the half, Drew Brees, Saints quarterback, threw a short pass that was intercepted by Skins safety, Kareem Moore. The Saints would have suffered for this mistake if Moore hadn’t fumbled, allowing the ball to be picked up and returned for a touchdown by the Saints.

Despite this, the Saints allowed the Redskins to go up by 10 points again in the third quarter, a lead the Skins held on to until late in the fourth.

After Shaun Suisham missed a simple 23-yard field goal attempt and the Saints tied the game up again sending it into overtime, media and fans alike voiced their disbelief.

Sports announcers have used overtime rules as a talking point for many years by saying it’s not fair that whoever wins the coin toss is almost guaranteed to win the game, but that was not the case for the Redskins.

Redskins won the toss but fumbled on their first drive, a controversial call that had fans screaming, “He was down!” and booing the referees long after the play.

In the end, the Saints won 33-30 by a field goal and Redskins fans went home with another difficult loss.

“Saints fans came out of the woodwork,” Faulkner said. “They were so quiet for most of the game and then at the end they were everywhere. High-fiving each other, screaming their ‘I believe’ cheer, saying ‘who dat,’ everything, it was relentless. They didn’t even deserve it.” Whether they deserved it or not, the Saints remain undefeated for one more week and the Redskins are one loss closer to a better draft pick next season.