Redskins vs. Vikings 2013, Week 10: Minnesota surge to defeat Washington

If only the second half hadn’t happened.

The Redskins had 145 total yards in the second half after racking up 288 in the first. Robert Griffin III went 8-for-16 passing after intermission after going 16-for-21 before. He was sacked four times, three times in the fourth quarter alone, after being kept clean in the pocket through the first two quarters of the game. The old protection problems resurfaced, and Griffin and the Redskins’ offense suffered as a result.

Frazier said that there is no timetable yet for Ponder’s return, though the quarterback seems to think he will be back on the field sooner than later. Per Pro Football Talk:

Ponder played well before being forced to the sideline. He rallied after throwing an interception on his second pass of the game to complete nine-straight passes. Ponder finished the game 17-for-21 for 174 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Ponder’s injury was a cruel twist of fate on a night the embattled quarterback succeeded at managing the game. He didn’t do anything flashy, but settled after a first quarter interception to complete 81 percent of his passes at an efficient 8.3 yards per attempt while posting a passer rating of 113.1.

Head coach Leslie Frazier will have to make a difficult decision over the next ten days. Cassel has the ability to be a game manager, but at this stage he’s little more, while Freeman has the potential to make plays with his arm but could also become a liability. The wild card is Ponder’s injury, as the third-year quarterback splits the extremes and would be the right answer, provided he can play again soon.

This idea often seems foreign to a team desirous of putting the game on its quarterback’s shoulders. Morris averaged 5.3 yards per carry on Thursday night, but the Redskins elected to have Griffin throw the ball three straight times from the four yard line late in the game. It was a case of over-thinking the time on the clock and asking the passing game to convert a fade throw to close the game rather than try to punch it in on the ground.

It was a damaging loss for Washington, and their playoff hopes are now in tatters. Griffin’s quarterbacking style also changed during the season. Many of his struggles this season have correlated with unwillingness to stand in the pocket, take hits, and bounce back up after getting knocked down. It’s not abnormal for doubt to seep into a player’s mind following an injury, especially one as vicious as the ligament tear RG3 suffered. Against the Vikings, however, Griffin stood tall throughout the game, even though he was sacked four times on the evening.

Washington had a chance to tie the game at the 4-yard line with less than 40 seconds to go in regulation, but the Vikings’ defense forced three straight incompletions to hold on for victory.

The Vikings weren’t ready to quit, however.

So far, play on the field has been much crisper than we’ve come to expect from Thursday night affairs. The Redskins are clearly in the driver’s seat for now, however, with 288 total yards of offense compared to 124 for the Vikings. Washington converted 7-of-8 third downs compared to 1-of-3 for Minnesota.

• Keepers: How to replace Aaron Rodgers, Jamaal Charles and more

Thursday Night Football. It’s the magical time of the week where a 3-5 team travels to meet a 1-7 team in a nationally televised football game that leaves its viewers wondering, “Where did the last three hours go?”

This is live folks! The graphic even tells you so. Don’t believe for a second this is some sort of pre-recorded Viking motorcycle ride, that’s bush league.

Fred Davis was a healthy scratch, though that’s hardly a surprise. He has now been marked inactive five times this season. Unfortunately for Davis, the deactivation will cost him a sizable chunk of change.

You can check out the full inactive reports below.

It’s unclear whether Ponder will remain with the Vikings in 2014, but the key for now is to win games -- and there’s no indication Minnesota knows how to do that.

• Keepers: How to replace Aaron Rodgers, Jamaal Charles and more

For more betting details on this game, head over to OddsShark.

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Game Date/Time and Location: Thursday, Nov. 7, 8:25 p.m. ET at Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, Minn.

TV schedule and distribution map: NFL Netword; The506.com

The Redskins, who enter Thursday night’s primetime matchup as 3-point favorites, are now only one game back in the loss column from the division-leading Cowboys.

Despite their brief win spurt, the Redskins have still been frustrating for bettors this season. They’re 3-5 against the spread (ATS) in 2013 and 3-6 through their last nine games, though their six-point win over the Chargers did cover the two-point spread. The Vikings have been just as bad, sharing the same 3-5 ATS record this season.

Minnesota has also had a deplorable defense, giving up 31.5 points per game, good for 30th in the NFL. The Vikings’ biggest issue has been trying to defend the pass. Minnesota’s secondary has been absolutely torched, surrendering 291.1 yards through the air each week. Part of the problem is the lack of a pass rush, totaling only 17 sacks.

Offensively, things have not been much better. Between the trio of Ponder, Cassel and Freeman, the Vikings might have the worst quarterback situation in the league sans Jacksonville. Combined, Minnesota has tossed six touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 59.3 percent of their passes.

At 3-5 and playing in the NFC East, Washington has a much better shot at the playoffs than the 1-7 Vikings. A win against Minnesota on Thursday would pull the Redskins within one game of .500 and most of SB Nation’s NFL analysts expect just that. Five of SB Nation’s six NFL experts predicted a Washington victory with only Matt Ufford picking the Vikings.

Washington has been up-and-down this season, even after rebounding from its 0-3 start. The Redskins scratched out a pair of close victories recently, but the wins were surrounded by blowout losses to Dallas and Denver.