As the Redskins take their final break before training camp, The Redskins Blog looks back at players' personal stories and memories from their career, both on and off the field.
The Washington Redskins found a great way to celebrate the Christmas holiday last December. By going into Philadelphia and taking the NFC East title.
At the time, the Eagles were very much in contention for the division title, but at the end of the night, the Redskins left Lincoln Financial Field with a 38-24 victory and the NFC East championship.
Trent Williams came to play that evening, completing 31 of his 46 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns. Cousins says, hands down, clinching the division in front of Eagles faithful was the highlight of the season.
"To win on the road, in a big game, in a hostile atmosphere, our offense played really well [418 total yards]," Cousins said. "It was just a satisfying victory, and a great moment in the locker room after the game celebrating with a lot of our teammates. I wanted that championship hat, so I was looking for that hat."
Every single person in the Redskins locker room received that championship hat after the game and wore it proudly. It was the culmination of a season's worth of hard work.
"[A] lot of people didn't have us to win this division at all. They still don't anyway," defensive end Ricky Jean Francois said. "Some people said default, but the default can get you a hat. I'll do that every year."
Jean Francois was very disruptive that night. He had two tackles and a sack of Philadelphia quarterback Sam Bradford. After the game, Jean Francois saw the team come alive like he'd never seen it do before.
"I just sat down in my locker, and I was in a corner locker," Jean Francois said, "and I got a chance to see how guys [were] so excited about winning the NFC East, a division that basically most reporters said we were never supposed to win."
"Seeing that excitement there, and seeing guys, [and] knowing we [were] going to the playoffs, I can only imagine what the feeling would be just being in the NFC [East] championship again with [this] set of guys, and just seeing what the excitement and what the joy would be in their faces," Jean Francois said.
It was quite an evening for everyone in the Redskins organization, right tackle Morgan Moses included.
Like the team, Moses wasn't going to head home without the NFC East championship. He was in on all 76 offensive snaps, and partied hard in the locker room after his night of work was complete.
"By just being out there on a Saturday night, at Philadelphia, against their crazy fans, and being able to pull that win out, and just get back in the locker room and celebrate with the fellas, it was a great deal," Moses said.
