After a span of two games in five days – with plenty of bumps and bruises along the way – the Washington Redskins will take the next few days to clear their minds and rest their bodies before getting back to the midseason grind.
The Redskins are scheduled to have brief meetings on Friday before getting Saturday through Monday off to rest up after Thursday's 45-14 loss to the New York Giants at FedExField.
Here's an exclusive look from the Washington Redskins' sideline during their Week 4 game with the New York Giants.
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said the break is coming at the right time for Washington, which also played on Sunday – a 37-34 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.
When the Redskins return Oct. 6, they play host to the 2-1 Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
"I think we need a little time," Gruden said. "We need rest. We need people to get away and get their bodies healed, get their minds healed, take a step back, figure out what's important to them and come back ready to roll for the defending champs."
The Redskins entered Thursday's game with 17 players on its injury list. It added three more against the Giants, and Gruden said practicing probably wasn't even going to be a possibility this weekend, anyway.
"We have so many guys on the injury (list), so many guys that need treatment," he said.
Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins said he was immediately unsure what his plans would be this weekend. He'd like to get away for a couple days, but after throwing a career-high four interceptions against the Giants, he'd also like to get back to the film on Friday and immediately get to work on correcting his mistakes.
"I'm still trying to figure that out," said Cousins, who completed 19-of-33 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown Thursday. "Coming off this performance, I think part of you wants to get back in there and learn from it as much as possible and try to make sure it never happens again. At the same time, you want to be well rested mentally and physically for the next week."
Gruden gave all the credit to the Giants for dictating what they wanted to do from the opening kickoff in Thursday's game. The first-year head coach said he was disappointed that his team was unable to take care of their home field in a crucial NFC East matchup.
"Sometimes, a good slap in the face wake-up call is what you need," Gruden said. "Sometimes, a good slap in the face, wake-up call is what you need."
.
. .
