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News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

In Complete Performance, Redskins Notch Week 16 Victory

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In their FedExField finale for the 2017 regular season, the Washington Redskins took down the Denver Broncos by a final of 27-11.


Fourth Quarter: Redskins 27, Broncos 11
The Redskins' first drive of the fourth quarter ended with Kirk Cousins finding a wide-open Josh Doctson for a 48-yard touchdown. The 77-yard scoring drive lasted just five plays and nearly ate up three minutes of clock.

While the Redskins were unable to tack on additional points on the board after Doctson's touchdown, the defense continued to smother Brock Osweiler and Co., as Preston Smith recorded his second sack of the afternoon before the Broncos were forced to punt once again with a little more than five minutes left in the game.

Even though Samaje Perine fumbled a ball that was recovered by the Broncos, the Redskins forced Denver into a third down situation in which Deshazor Everett would force a fumble before Anthony Lanier II recovered the ball.

The Redskins would strike just three plays after the fumble, as Cousins avoided a blitz to drop a dime to Vernon Davis for a 31-yard touchdown.

The Broncos would get their first touchdown of the game with les than two minutes left in the contest. Denver would convert on a two-point conversion as well.

The Broncos then tried an onsides kick, but the Redskins would recover before going into the victory formation.

Third Quarter: Redskins 13, Broncos 3
While the Redskins were able to get down inside the Broncos' 10-yard line on the first drive out of the break, Kirk Cousins was intercepted in the end zone as the quarterback was trying to find Josh Doctson.

On the drive, Cousins was able to link up with Ryan Grant for a 36-yard gain. Off the interception, though, Ryan Kerrigan would take down Brock Osweiler for his 10th sack of the season. It is the third time in the last four seasons Kerrigan has recorded double-digit sack totals.

He also became the first Redskins player to record at least 10 sacks in back-to-back seasons since Charles Mann and Dexter Manley both did so during the 1985-86 seasons.

Unlike Washington's first drive of the quarter, the Redskins were able to put points on the board as Dustin Hopkins converted on a 29-yard field goal to push Washington's lead to 10.

Just before the end of the quarter, Kerrigan tallied his second sack of the game.

Second Quarter: Redskins 10, Broncos 3
On their first drive of the second quarter, Denver would get to Washington's 35-yard line before Brandon McManus came into the game to punt the ball although the Broncos originally came out lined up for a field goal.  

Check out images from the Washington Redskins in their 2017 Week 16 matchup against the Denver Broncos Dec. 24, 2017, at FedExField.

The ball would be downed inside the 10-yard line. Samaje Perine picked up 19 yards on the first two plays of the ensuing drive before Kirk Cousins found Ryan Grant on back-to-back plays for 45 yards.

The Redskins would then get inside the 10-yard line after Cousins found Vernon Davis for an 11-yard gain on a 3rd-and-3 pass.

Despite having goal-to-go situations, the Redskins could not find the end zone before Dustin Hopkins made his first field goal attempt of the afternoon. It looked like Washington had a touchdown on a second down throw to Josh Doctson, but the ball slipped out of the receiver's hands inside the end zone.

On Denver's first third down attempt off Hopkins' field goal, the Redskins forced a Brock Osweiler strip-sack, as the fumble was recovered by Zach Vigil at the Broncos' 38-yard line.

The Redskins would take advantage of the turnover, as Cousins found Jamison Crowder for a 15-yard touchdown with a little more than two minutes left in the first half.

It looked like the Broncos would respond with points of their own, but D.J. Swearinger would intercept Osweiler for his fourth interception of the year. That is a new career-high for the South Carolina product.

While the Redskins were unable to take advantage of the interception, the Broncos did not score in the final minute of the quarter.

First Quarter: Redskins 0, Broncos 3
After winning the opening coin toss, Washington elected to defer to the second half. With the defensive unit on the field first Sunday, the Redskins forced a three-and-out to start the game.

Kirk Cousins and Co., however, had the same result on their first drive of the game as the quarterback could not connect with Josh Doctson on a 3rd-and-16 throw.

After Tress Way's punt was received at the 26-yard line, the Broncos were able to push the ball into Redskins territory behind two completions to Demaryius Thomas for 34 yard but Washington held strong on a 3rd-and-5.

The Redskins' ensuing drive would start at their own two-yard line. The offensive unit struggled to move the ball, though, before Way punted from inside his own end zone.

Off Way's punt, Denver was twice able to convert on 3rd-and-2 attempts before Brandon McManus nailed a 31-yard field goal to give the Broncos their first points of the game.

With less than two minutes left in the opening frame, Cousins completed his first pass – a six-yard gain by Jamison Crowder – before the quarterback used his legs to pick up a new set of downs.

The Redskins tried one final deep shot to Doctson at the end of the quarter, but Broncos cornerback Marcus Rios broke up the potential connection.

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