2005 Washington Redskins season

The 2005 season was the Washington Redskins' 74th in the National Football League and the second season under head coach Joe Gibbs. The team improved on their 6–10 record from 2004 and finished 10–6. The Redskins placed 2nd in the NFC East. Washington earned their first playoff berth since 1999. In their return to the postseason, the Redskins defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the opening round, but a loss to the Seattle Seahawks the following week ended their season. The Seahawks went on to become NFC Champions.

2005 Washington Redskins season
Head coachJoe Gibbs
OwnerDaniel Snyder
Home fieldFedExField
Results
Record10–6
Division place2nd NFC East
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs (at Buccaneers) 17–10
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Seahawks) 10–20
Pro BowlersT Chris Samuels
WR Santana Moss

This season is the last season to date in which Washington has won a playoff game. They have gone 0–4 in playoff games since, losing three of them (including in this 2005 season) to Seattle.

Offseason

The Redskins started the offseason by adding a new Quarterbacks Coach, Bill Musgrave. Musgrave was the former offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars and had worked with quarterback Mark Brunell before. Musgrave added the shotgun formation to Washington's playbook.

During the offseason, the Redskins lost cornerback Fred Smoot and starting linebacker Antonio Pierce to free agency.

The Redskins signed the following free agents: center Casey Rabach, wide receiver David Patten, and strong safety Pierson Prioleau.

The Redskins restructured the contract of Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels, with the "seven-year deal is worth roughly $47 million and includes the richest signing bonus in franchise history."[1]

The Redskins also traded wide receiver Laveranues Coles to the New York Jets for wide receiver Santana Moss. Most sports writers thought that this was a lopsided deal and that the Redskins were getting the worse end of the trade.[2]

In the 2005 NFL Draft, the Redskins drafted Auburn cornerback Carlos Rogers with the ninth pick. Later in the 1st round, they traded their third round pick in the 2005 draft and their first and fourth round picks in the 2006 draft to the Denver Broncos for the 25th overall pick. With the 25th overall pick, the Redskins selected Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell. The Redskins used their remaining picks to draft UCLA fullback Manuel White, Louisville linebacker Robert McCune, Stanford linebacker Jared Newberry, and Citadel fullback Nehemiah Broughton.

The Redskins finished the 2005 preseason with a record of 1–3, losing to the Carolina Panthers 28–10, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 24–17, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 17–10, and losing to the Baltimore Ravens 26–20.

Staff
2005 Washington Redskins staff
Front Office

Head Coaches

  • Head Coach – Joe Gibbs
  • Assistant Head Coach-Defense – Gregg Williams
  • Assistant to the Head Coach – Mike Rutenberg

Offensive Coaches

  

Defensive Coaches

Special Teams Coaches

Strength and Conditioning

  • Head Strength and Conditioning – John Hastings
  • Strength and Conditioning – John Dunn
  • Strength and Conditioning – Bobby Crumpler

NFL Draft
Main article: 2005 NFL Draft
2005 Washington Redskins draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 9 Carlos Rogers *  CB Auburn
1 25 Jason Campbell  QB Auburn From Denver
4 120 Manuel White  FB UCLA From Minnesota
5 154 Robert McCune  LB Louisville
6 183 Jared Newberry  LB Stanford
7 222 Nehemiah Broughton  FB The Citadel
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster
2005 Washington Redskins final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 active, inactive, practice squad

Preseason
Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 13 at Carolina Panthers L 10–28 0–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap
2 August 19 Cincinnati Bengals L 17–24 0–2 FedExField Recap
3 August 26 Pittsburgh Steelers W 17–10 1–2 FedExField Recap
4 September 1 at Baltimore Ravens L 20–26 1–3 M&T Bank Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 September 11 Chicago Bears W 9–7 1–0 FedExField Recap
2 September 19 at Dallas Cowboys W 14–13 2–0 Texas Stadium Recap
3 Bye
4 October 2 Seattle Seahawks W 20–17 (OT) 3–0 FedExField Recap
5 October 9 at Denver Broncos L 19–21 3–1 Invesco Field Recap
6 October 16 at Kansas City Chiefs L 21–28 3–2 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
7 October 23 San Francisco 49ers W 52–17 4–2 FedExField Recap
8 October 30 at New York Giants L 0–36 4–3 Giants Stadium Recap
9 November 6 Philadelphia Eagles W 17–10 5–3 FedExField Recap
10 November 13 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 35–36 5–4 Raymond James Stadium Recap
11 November 20 Oakland Raiders L 13–16 5–5 FedExField Recap
12 November 27 San Diego Chargers L 17–23 (OT) 5–6 FedExField Recap
13 December 4 at St. Louis Rams W 24–9 6–6 Edward Jones Dome Recap
14 December 11 at Arizona Cardinals W 17–13 7–6 Sun Devil Stadium Recap
15 December 18 Dallas Cowboys W 35–7 8–6 FedExField Recap
16 December 24 New York Giants W 35–20 9–6 FedExField Recap
17 January 1 at Philadelphia Eagles W 31–20 10–6 Lincoln Financial Field Recap

Standings
NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) New York Giants 11 5 0 .688 4–2 8–4 422 314 W1
(6) Washington Redskins 10 6 0 .625 5–1 10–2 359 293 W5
Dallas Cowboys 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 325 308 L1
Philadelphia Eagles 6 10 0 .375 0–6 3–9 310 388 L2

Regular season recap
Patrick Ramsey and Chris Cooley, week 1

Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears
1 234Total
Bears 0 070 7
• Redskins 0 630 9
  • Date: September 11
  • Location: FedExField • Landover, Maryland
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 73 °F (22.8 °C), wind 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h; 5.2 kn)
  • Referee: Terry McAulay
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

The Redskins started the regular season against the Chicago Bears at home on September 11. The Redskins defense allowed only 41 rushing yards and 125 passing yards. The only score they allowed was a 1-yard Thomas Jones run. On one crucial drive for the Bears, when they needed a field goal to win, the Redskins forced three false starts and a sack to make it third-and-38. The Bears couldn't convert and the Redskins went on to win their first game in the 2005 season. Stats

Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 0 0 0 14 14
Cowboys 0 3 7 3 13

at Texas Stadium, Dallas, Texas

The Redskins traveled to Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas to take on one of their NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys in a Monday Night match-up. The Redskins trailed the entire game up until 3:46 left in the game. Dallas kicker Jose Cortez completed a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter. In the third quarter, quarterback Drew Bledsoe threw a 70-yard pass to Terry Glenn on a flea flicker. With 5:58 left to go in the game, Cortez completed another field goal of 41-yards. It looked as there was not a single hope left for Washington. On fourth-and-15, Mark Brunell threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss with 3:46 to go. Washington forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their 20-yard line. On first down, Brunell threw another 70-yard pass to Moss who caught it in stride and went into the endzone. The Cowboys made one final push to win the game, but the Redskins stopped them on fourth down to complete what is known as the "Monday Night Miracle".[3] With the win, the Redskins moved to 2–0. Stats

Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks
1 2 3 4OT Total
Seahawks 3 0 7 70 17
Redskins 0 7 10 03 20

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

The Washington Redskins defeated the Seattle Seahawks by the score of 20–17. The Seahawks led early but the Redskins came back to lead by 7. With 1:23 left, Matt Hasselbeck threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Darrell Jackson to tie the game. The Redskins won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball. They converted three third downs to get to Seattle's 22-yard line. Nick Novak kicked a 39-yard field goal to win the game for Washington. The Redskins were 3–0 for the first time since the 1991 Regular Season which led them to their latest Super Bowl victory to date.Stats

Week 5: at Denver Broncos
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 7 3 0 9 19
Broncos 7 7 7 0 21

at Invesco Field, Denver, Colorado

Despite having 447 net yards, the Redskins were defeated by the Broncos, 21–19. Down 21–10 in the fourth quarter, the Redskins made a push to tie the game. Nick Novak kicked a field goal from 36 yards with 6:27 left. Washington got the ball back and drove down the field. On second-and-5, Mark Brunell passed to Chris Cooley for a touchdown. The Redskins tried for the 2-point conversion but fail. Denver recovered the onside kick and win the game. With their first loss of the season, the Redskins dropped to 3–1. Stats

Week 6: at Kansas City Chiefs
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 0 7 14 0 21
Chiefs 3 3 15 7 28

The game was close at the half with the Redskins leading 7–6. Their lead soon disappeared as the Chiefs took a 14–7 lead on a 6-yard touchdown run by Priest Holmes. After Mark Brunell was sacked for a 9-yard loss, Santana Moss tied the game on a quick pass to the left flat as he ran 78-yards for a touchdown. The Chiefs retook a 21–14 lead on a Sammy Knight fumble recovery for an 80-yard touchdown along with a successful two-point conversion. In the final seconds of the third quarter, Brunell hit Chris Cooley with an 11-yard touchdown catch to tie the game once again at 21–21. Trent Green hit Holmes on a 60-yard touchdown catch to seal the deal for the Chiefs as Brunell and the Redskins failed in an attempted comeback in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. With the loss, the Redskins dropped to 3–2.

Week 7: vs San Francisco 49ers
1 2 3 4 Total
49ers 7 0 0 10 17
Redskins 14 21 10 7 52

After two close, consecutive, and heartbreaking AFC losses in the last two weeks, the Redskins returned home to welcome the lowly 49ers to town and unleashed a scoring barrage, winning 52–17. After failing to score on their opening drive in each of their first five games, Washington scored first on a 6-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Mark Brunell to Mike Sellers. After forcing another San Francisco punt, the Redskins drove another 60 yards for another score, this time a 5-yard run from Clinton Portis. After two more touchdown passes by Brunell, one each to Sellers and Santana Moss, combined with two more 1-yard touchdown runs by Portis and a Nick Novak field goal, the Redskins led 45–7 after three quarters. Washington finished their blowout with a 4-yard touchdown run by Rock Cartwright to make it 52–7. San Francisco did score twice on a 72-yard run by Frank Gore and a 47-yard field goal by Joe Nedney. With the win, Washington improved to 4–2.

Week 8: at New York Giants
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 0 0 0 0 0
Giants 6 13 17 0 36

Following their lopsided blowout win over the 49ers, the Redskins headed to the Meadowlands for an NFC East duel with the New York Giants. Looking to follow up with another impressive win, the afternoon turned out to be a miserable one for the Redskins, getting shut out 36–0. The Giants, playing with heavy hearts after the death of owner Wellington Mara, got off to a fast start with a 57-yard run on the game's first play, leading to a Jay Feely field goal. Barber finished with 206 rushing yards on 24 carries. The 36–0 shutout dropped the Redskins to 4–3.

Week 9: vs Philadelphia Eagles
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 7 0 3 0 10
Redskins 0 10 7 0 17

Looking to rebound from a 36–0 shutout against the Giants, Washington returned home for a second consecutive NFC East matchup, this time against the Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier in the week, Eagles WR Terrell Owens was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. During the game, Philadelphia drew first blood with a 56-yard touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb to Reggie Brown that put Philadelphia up 7–0 after the first quarter. Washington responded with a John Hall field goal and a Mike Sellers touchdown run to lead 10–7 at the half. In the third, the Eagles added a David Akers field goal, and the Redskins responded with a Clinton Portis touchdown run to make the score 17–10. In the fourth quarter, with time winding down, the Eagles driving, safety Ryan Clark intercepted a McNabb pass with 1:25 remaining, sealing the win and improving the Redskins to 5–3 at the halfway point in the season.

Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 3 10 15 7 35
Buccaneers 7 14 7 8 36

At the halfway point of the season, the Redskins' record stood at 5–3, tied for second in the NFC East with Dallas. On Week 10, the Redskins marched to Tampa Bay for a matchup against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay struck first with two touchdown runs by Mike Alstott. This made the score 14–3, with the only Washington points coming on a John Hall field goal. After Alstott's second touchdown, Ladell Betts returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards to bring the score to 14–10. Tampa Bay responded with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Chris Simms to Joey Galloway, making the score 21–10. Washington got another John Hall field goal to make the score 21–13 at halftime.

After halftime, Washington took their first drive of the second half into the endzone on a 7-yard pass from Mark Brunell to Mike Sellers, followed by a converted 2-point conversion on a pass to Clinton Portis, tying the game. Washington also scored on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ladell Betts, giving the Redskins a 28–21 lead. As the third quarter winded down, Simms completed a 4-yard pass to Ike Hilliard to tie the game at 28–28 entering the fourth quarter. Portis added a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Redskins a 35–28 lead. With the game on the line, Simms led Tampa Bay to a game-winning touchdown drive with a 30-yard pass to Edell Shepherd. The Redskins appeared to have blocked the extra point attempt, but were ruled offsides. As a result, Tampa Bay elected to go for two, and successfully converted on a controversial run by Alstott, handing the Redskins a 36–35 loss and dropping them to 5–4 on the season.

Week 14: at Arizona Cardinals
#20 Pierson Prioleau, #41 Matt Bowen, #32 Ade Jimoh and #24 Shawn Springs, week 14
#25 Ryan Clark, #21 Sean Taylor and #41 Matt Bowen, week 14

Week 16: vs. New York Giants
1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 10 7 3 0 20
Redskins 14 7 7 7 35
  • Players line up at Washington, December 24
  • Washington's sidelines during the week 16 home game
  • Game action at Washington in week 16
  • New York at Washington (the game ended 35-20 to the home team)
  • The Giants on offense at Washington
  • The Giants near Washington's goal line
  • FedExField during the Giants game
  • Washington fans during the December 24, 2005 matchup
  • New York's offense lines up
  • Stadium show at FedExField, Washington vs. New York, 2005

Playoffs
Main article: 2005–06 NFL playoffs

Summary

The Redskins earned a playoff berth on the back of a 5-game winning streak to end the season. They beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round before losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round. It was the Redskins' first trip to the playoffs and first playoff win since the 1999–2000 NFL playoffs.

Schedule
Playoff Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
Wild Card January 7, 2006Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3)W 17–101–0Raymond James StadiumRecap
Divisional January 14, 2006at Seattle Seahawks (1)L 10–201–1Qwest FieldRecap
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References
  1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63701-2005Mar1.html
  2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10480-2005Mar5.html
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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