Zac Boyer

Loss to Giants eliminates Redskins from playoff contention

The worst part, Barry Cofield said, is that the Washington Redskins have to show up at on Monday morning and pretend everything is all right. A 24-17 loss to the New York Giants at FedEx Field on Sunday night left the Redskins with a reality they had been staring down for several weeks: They are no longer eligible for the postseason, left home again in January, and for the next four weeks they will wind down a season without aim or answer.

December 2, 2013

After 0-6 start, Giants find way to climb out of hole

One by one, the Giants began to identify, and isolate, their issues: too many turnovers, an inability to run the ball and injuries on the offensive line. Now, they head into Sunday's game against the Redskins on a clear upward trend with four wins in five games.

November 28, 2013

With another Monday night meltdown, more questions about Redskins’ direction

"I think the players are smart enough to understand that if you are 3-8, everybody is playing for their jobs," coach Mike Shanahan said in the wake of an ugly, nationally televised loss to the 49ers.

November 26, 2013

Redskins embarrassed in home loss to 49ers

Any vestige of salvation of the Washington Redskins' crumbling season emphatically ended on Monday night when they were humiliated by the San Francisco 49ers, 27-6, at FedEx Field.

November 26, 2013

Washington Redskins vs. San Francisco 49ers: 5 Questions

Five questions Redskins beat writer Zac Boyer has heading into Washington's Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers.

November 24, 2013

For RG3, Colin Kaepernick, success proves tough to sustain

On top of their games last season, their first as starting quarterbacks, a variety of circumstances have conspired to test each player's aspirations over the past several months. Those issues have fueled in-depth examinations of their performance in a season in which it seemed certain they would ascend to superstardom.

November 24, 2013

49ers search for answers as vaunted offense fizzles

San Francisco averaged 34.8 points per game during a five-game winning streak that lasted into its Nov. 3 bye week. Since returning from the time off, however, the 49ers have encountered a glaring inability to get into the end zone, losing first to the Carolina Panthers, 10-9, on Nov. 10 before falling, 23-20, on the road to the New Orleans Saints this past Sunday.

November 23, 2013

Vernon Davis always happy to return home to D.C.

Davis, now in his eighth season, will return to the area this weekend in advance of the 49ers' game against the Washington Redskins on Monday night. It won't be his first game against the Redskins, nor will it be his first time facing them at FedEx Field. It will, however, still be special for someone who has maintained a strong connection with his hometown.

November 21, 2013

Kevin Hogan grows into starring role as Stanford QB

After taking over as the starter with five games remaining last season, Hogan, a redshirt sophomore, led Stanford to victories over UCLA in the Pac-12 championship game and Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. He won his first 10 starts, has thrown three touchdown passes in a game three times and has won all eight games Stanford has played against a ranked opponent.

November 20, 2013

Redskins reducing themselves to tears with continued disappointing performances

What was once a season that could have been truly special is in increasing danger of being remembered for the wrong reasons. With another loss, their seventh in their first 10 games, the Redskins have not only established themselves as the worst team in their division, but they have seemingly done so with a litany of issues they cannot manage to correct.

November 17, 2013

Redskins are perfect cure for Eagles’ long home losing streak

Nick Foles completed 17 of 26 passes for 298 yards and the Philadelphia Eagles snapped a 10-game home losing streak by defeating the Washington Redskins 24-16 on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

November 17, 2013

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles: 5 Questions

Five questions Redskins beat writer Zac Boyer has heading into Washington's Sunday afternoon game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

November 14, 2013

For RG3, self-preservation remains a work in progress

Griffin has been followed by questions about his durability since he entered the NFL before last season, and those voices were only amplified after Griffin tore two ligaments in his right knee in a playoff game in January. Now that he appears to have fully regained his mobility, rushing for an average of six yards per attempt over the last five games, the concern has returned.

November 13, 2013

Redskins see improvement on special teams, but miscues persist

On Thursday, in a 34-27 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Redskins were humiliated by a botched fake punt attempt in the third quarter that was negated by a penalty, then were left with an 11-yard net gain on the ensuing try. It was the fifth time in six games the Redskins have had a miscue on special teams.

November 11, 2013

Redskins face familiar task in trying to rebound from 3-6

"Same thing as a year ago, same things we did today: You have to take it game by game," Mike Shanahan said after Thursday's loss to the Vikings. "We fell short today, and hopefully, we take care of business next week."

November 10, 2013

Loss to Vikings leaves Redskins grasping for answers

The game had been over for 15 minutes, yet Brian Orakpo sat at his locker deep in the bowels of the Metrodome, hunched over, still wearing his full uniform and pads. For the second consecutive week, the Washington Redskins had squandered a sizable second-half lead, this time losing 34-27 to the hapless Minnesota Vikings. The outside linebacker, sullen, stared at the ground.

November 8, 2013

Thursday night games cause headaches for NFL players, coaches

The games haven't been as crisp as their Sunday counterparts — including the one last week, in which the Dolphins defeated the Bengals 22-20 in overtime on a safety. That's partly a product of the modified game plan, which has forced coaches to reallocate their time and effort around existing schedules, and the health of the players, who are asked to play two games in five days.

November 6, 2013

Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings: 5 Questions

Five questions Redskins beat writer Zac Boyer has heading into Washington's Thursday night game against the Minnesota Vikings.

November 6, 2013

Run-pass mix helps Redskins go deep in playbook

Facing so many quick deficits earlier this season, the Redskins couldn't play to their strengths. Defenses didn't have to respect the threat of the play-action pass when knowing the Redskins weren't running the ball. But by keeping the game close early, as Washington did Sunday, the play-calling can be balanced. Whatever weaknesses the Redskins have, then, aren't clearly exposed.

November 5, 2013

Redskins recover, don’t crumble when all seems lost against Chargers

It was perhaps the unlikeliest of victories for the Redskins, whose defense faced first-and-goal on its own 1-yard line with 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Now, by virtue of their triumph, they’ll head into a Thursday night road game against the hapless Minnesota Vikings with a win behind them.

November 3, 2013