The Nation's Capital has been a long, depressed sports city.  We have watched for two decades as the Redskins fared no better than third place, but mostly dwelled in the cellar in the NFC East.  We have watched head coach after head coach fail.  We have watched 21 different players take the helm of quarterback.  Since 1992, with very blips here and there, Redskins football has been nothing short of, well, quite depressing. 

Over that same twenty year period, we have watched a small weasel on the other side of the beltway, Peter Angelos, block this city from hosting major league baseball.  That finally gave way in 2005 when the lowly Montreal Expos relocated to the District.  The bad news for Washington baseball fans was the fact they inherited a franchise run into the ground by former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria.  After his completely inept ownership, Major League Baseball took control of the franchise and absolutely sucked the franchise of young talent.  The Lerner family brought Washington's it baseball franchise, but warned that it would take at least five years to rebuild a completely destroyed franchise.  Washington fans labored through come pretty awful baseball. Still, the Lerner's preached patience.    

At the same time, Daniel Snyder gave the Redskins fans the biggest gift they received in ten years, he fired incompetent GM Vinny Cerrato.  Redskins Nation celebrated.  They celebrated further when Snyder announced the hiring of Mike Shanahan as Team President and head coach and GM Bruce Allen.  The Redskins could finally boast a competent front office run by football people.  Dan Snyder had made amends, telling Redskins fans, he realized the error of his ways and turned the football operations over to Shanahan.  Yet, Shanahan fired similar warnings to the Redskins faithful that the Lerner family sent to the new Nationals fan base, that it would take time to fix the messy state of the Redskins franchise. 

While both franchises embarked on rebuilding depleted talent franchises, the fan bases of each grew weary and impatient.  The Nationals rebuild took the six years.  The Redskins appeared to not improve under Shanahan, posting a 6-10 and 5-11 season in his first two years.  

Fast forward to 2012, the year we are about to say goodbye.  The Redskins and Nationals shared very similar, eerily so, the paths they took.  yes, the Nats were a bit different.  They dominated from the start, while the Redskins faltered early.  However, both teams won their respective division titles, while literally no one projected either.  Additionally, both teams were led by two stud youngsters, the Nats by Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, the Redskins by Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris.   

So as we head into 2013, we first thank the fan bases of both teams for exercising the patience and following the trust placed by the fans to the respective front offices.  Second, we thank the Ownership of both teams, the Lerner family and Daniel Snyder.  The Lerner family had a plan and exercised the patience to see than plan through.  For Snyder, he learned how to become an effective and successful owner, by entrusting his front office to professional people and by exercising patience himself.

What we got are two division championships, four incredibly gifted, young, bright superstars to thrill us for years and years to come, and two franchises built on youth and built to make runs for years to come.   

So as we look forward to 2013 and the Redskins playoffs, we look back on 2012 with a smile.  DC Sports seemingly broke out of its depression and found a whole lot of joy; joy that the Nation's Capital deserved so very much and for so very long.  And it all was led by young talent on both franchises.  We head to 2013 with much enthusiasm, hope, and and energy as fans.  We thank the Washington Nationals and Washington Redskins for a great 2012!. 

The pre-game words of Redskins rookie QB Robert Griffin III, come to us via Dan Steinberg from the Washington Post.  Just these words are why Robert Griffin III is beyond the whole 'rookie quarterback' thing.  The Redskins players made RGIII a team captain at the bye week, sitting at 3-6, for a reason.  He was not just that phenomenal player on the field.  He was blossoming into the leader of this football club.  No more words say it than his pre-game comments.

"This is our house.  This is our night.  This is our division."  RGIII

Again.  He is more than just a rookie quarterback. 

Waking up this morning was a bit odd.  I was not certain how to act.  It has been a long time since I as a Redskins fan, woke up, knowing damn well, that the season ended, and three cities, Philadelphia, New York, and Dallas, sit below the Nation's Capital!  You have to love everything about this team.  They could have caved at 3-6 and played individual games and fought for individual roster spots in 2013, as Mike Shanahan suggested.  Why not?  The veterans on the team have become accustomed to that.  Instead, they rallied behind their rookie quarterback, made a statement of one game at a time, and then perfectly exectued that plan to run the table on the remaining seven games. 

It's Mike Shanahan's roster.  It was Mike Shanahan' youth movement.  The Redskins won all seven remaining games behind the youth movement.  Folks, just like the baseball team that resides in our city, that bodes very well for the next five years.   Given the NFL week ended last night, let's take a look at what the media pundits had to say.

The Last Call, John Clayton, ESPN

What's the biggest change? What is considered the best conference for passers has become a running conference, too. Entering Week 17, the Redskins, Seahawks, Vikings and 49ers were the four top rushing teams in the NFL.  The three NFC Pro Bowl running backs -- Peterson, Seattle's Marshawn Lynch and San Francisco's Frank Gore -- are in the playoffs. Plus, Washington's Alfred Morris closed the season with a 200-yard effort against the Dallas Cowboys and finished with 1,613 yards.

and

5. What defenses are suited to stopping the run? The 49ers and Redskins are the NFC's only top-six rushing defenses to make the playoffs. San Francisco does it with talent. Washington does it with mirrors.

Credit Jim Haslett, the Redskins' defensive coordinator, with doing a great job of patching a defense that lost three key starters for the season -- defensive end Adam Carriker, linebacker Brian Orakpo and safety Brandon Meriweather.

and on injury concerns

The Redskins' biggest concern is safety. Starting free safety Madieu Williams suffered a shoulder injury, and backup strong safety DeJon Gomes has a knee injury that kept him out Sunday night. Guard Kory Lichtensteiger suffered an ankle injury, and his status will be monitored all week. RG III took a beating Sunday night, but he'll play in the wild-card game.

Week 17 Grades, Williams Brinson, CBS Sports

Redskins fans have become accustomed to statements like 'same old Redskins" and "this team was so overrated", and "here we go again."  This year was different though.  This year the Redskins were winning and doing something they have not done for nearly two decades, grew  a bandwagon.  Sure, Robert Griffin III, aka RGIII, had a major role in that development.  However, it is more than just RGIII.  This team is different.  Very different.  This is Mike Shanahan's team.  Here is how he explained it. 

"Just look," he said, pointing to the labels. "We've cut 150 players since I got here and only one of them is starting for another team -- Carlos Rogers in San Francisco. We've got a whole new team."

And that is why we could put away the old saying "same old Redskins."  They are from from it. 

Rob Carr -- Getty Images

IT WAS OVER WHEN... Trailing 21-18 with just over three minutes left in regulation, Cowboys QB Tony Romo dropped back to pass on first and ten from his own 29-yard line. ILB Perry Riley came flying down the middle on a blitz and Romo, who clearly did not expect to see Riley in his face, tossed the ball into the left flat, trying to hit TB DeMarco Murray on a quick screen. OLB Rob Jackson saw the pass coming, though, and moved quickly into position to make a play on the ball. Jackson, whose number was rarely called on a night when he made only one tackle, snatched the ball out of the air, fell forward two yards and went to the ground at the Dallas 25-yard line with his fourth interception of the season. The Redskins offense took over, running the ball 6 times on 7 plays and taking advantage of a roughing the passer call on a third down to move the ball down to the one yard line. On his final carry of the game, TB Alfred Morris muscled across the goal line, rushing for his 200th yard and third touchdown of the night. 

AP Photo

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING... The Redskins won the turnover battle tonight 3-0, as Tony Romo threw three interceptions and the Redskins didn't turn the ball over once... The Redskins defense forced 15 turnovers during this 7-game winning streak... Washington finished the regular season +17 on turnovers, one of the best in the NFL... The Redskins came into the game as the top rushing team in the NFL, but tonight they rushed for 274 yards, their best effort of the season... Despite being obviously limited by his knee injury and knee brace, Redskins QB Robert Griffin III rushed for 63 yards and 1 TD on six carries -- an average of 10.5 yards per rush... The Redskins averaged only 4.8 yards per pass tonight, but made up for it by averaging 6.5 yards per rush... PK Kai Forbath missed his first field goal of the year, a 37-yarder he shanked off the right upright in the first quarter... P Sav Rocca has only three touchbacks all season.

I LIKED THAT... Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett had a terrific game plan that forced Tony Romo into three interceptions and 17 incompletions on 37 passes with a dizzying variety of blitzes from inside linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks. While many quarterbacks can win a play before the ball is snapped by figuring out what the defense is going to do before it is done, that's very difficult to do against the Redskins because Haslett, who has to deal with a serious talent deficiency at several positions, never shows his true hand. Jim Haslett has done an awful lot with very little this year and tonight was his finest three hours of the year... CBs DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson were excellent tonight, keeping receivers in front of them and allowing no cheap receptions. Hall has had a typically up-and-down season and Wilson has played well while struggling in the #1 cornerback role, but both brought their A game in the biggest game of the season to-date... The Redskins had 9 passes defensed and Hall and Wilson had five between them... ILB London Fletcher struggled mightily the first half of the season, but during this 7-game winning streak he has played very well, despite battling an injured ankle that has left him in a walking boot on multiple occasions... The blocking for Alfred Morris tonight was magnificent, with Trent Williams, Will Montgomery, Tyler Polumbus, Pierre Garcon, Leonard Hankerson all throwing great blocks to spring Morris for many of his 200 yards... Speaking of Morris, he had his best game when the Redskins needed him the most. It's the kind of performance that makes you trust him in other big games... The Redskins proved they can win games against a quality opponent without RG3 having to play out of his mind. 

I DID NOT LIKE THAT... The Redskins wasted two drives when WR Josh Morgan and WR Pierre Garcon both dropped third down passes from RG3 that would have gone for first downs... Punt coverage was dismal tonight, with the Skins allowing Dallas to aveage 26 yards per return on 3 returns -- one of which set up Dallas' 4th quarter touchdown that narrowed Washington's lead to 21-18... 

No, it does not -- Rob Carr/Getty Images

AND IT MEANS... The Redskins are going to the playoffs for the first time in five years and will host their first playoff game in 13 years, since January 4, 2000. The Redskins completed their regular season with 7 straight wins to go from 3-6 to 10-6 and the NFC East division championship. Unlike that 1999 division champion, this time it feels like the first of many great successes to come. The Redskins are a young team with rookies at key positions. Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris accounted for 40 of Washington's 48 touchdowns this season, proving that a team doesn't need to be led by grizzled veterans to succeed. Washington will host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday and there is every reason to think the Skins can prevail, even against a red-hot team with a great defense and it's own first-rate rookie QB. This looks like the beginning of a great new relationship between the Washington Redskins and its legion of devoted fans. 

No Thumbs Down here.  No way.  Your Washington Redskins completed an improbable 7 game run to end the regular season as NFC East Division Champions!  Only Thumbs Up tonight.

THUMBS UP:

RB Alfred Morris.  Are you freaking kidding.  This kid is so damn good.  Morris carried this football team to victory tonight.  Period.  The passing offense was way off it's game plan and Morris took the helm.  He delivered gut punches to the Dallas defense all night, carrying the ball 33 times for a whopping 200 yards.  Morris added three touchdowns and averaged a powerful 6.1 yards per carry.  On a night where the passing offense only compiled 100 yards, Morris provided the spark to give Washington their first division crown since 1999.   Not only did Morris fuel the huge win, but he eclipsed Clinton Portis as the all time Redskins record holder in rushing yards in a single season.  A memorable night for the improbable 6th round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic.  Morris was the MVP tonight, period. 

Defense:  The defense has been an Achilles Heel all season for the Redskins.  However, they have been getting increasingly more efficient during this seven game run.  They came up big tonight, picking off Tony Romo three times, including a late pick by Rob Jackson to virtually seal the Washington win.  Jackson, rookie seventh rounder Richard Crawford, and team captain London Fletcher had the interceptions against Romo.   Kudos to Fletcher, who delivered an interception and two critical sacks.  Kudos to DeAngelo Hall who played a super impressive game tonight.  Perry Riley created the monster rush late that caused the late interception to Rob Jackson.   As much as you give this win to #46 and his 200 yards, you also have to give big time accolades to this defense.  Criticized much, they all, as a unit, came through big time tonight.

Shout outs to Punter Sav Rocca for his face mask penalty and saving a touchdown on a punt return.  Shout out to Niles Paul for a much needed 48 yard kick return in the second half.  Shout out to Robert Griffin III for dialing up 6 carrier for 63 yards on a knee that is not 100% and still braced up.  RGII is a total gamer folks. 

An all out team win and effort. 

Your Washington Redskins are NFC EAST division champions. 

Redskins RB Alfred Morris could not be stopped tonight -- AP Photo

The Washington Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-18 tonight in front of a raucous, joyous sold-out crowd at FedEx Field, sending the Redskins to the playoffs as NFC East division champs and the Cowboys home for a long offseason. The Redskins will host the red-hot Seattle Seahawks next weekend in the first home playoff game at FedEx Field in 13 years.

Few would have believed this would happen back on November 4 when the Redskins were thrashed at home by the Carolina Panthers, dropping the Redskins to 3-6 and provoking an angry Mike Shanahan to talk of evaluating his players in the final seven games. Instead, the Redskins have won all seven of those games to improve their record to 10-6 and win the NFC East division championship. 

On a night when an obviously-injured Robert Griffin III had easily the worst game of his young pro career, fellow rookie, tailback Alfred Morris, had his best. Needing 104 yards to break the franchise single-season rushing record, Morris rushed for 200 yards on 33 carries [6.3 yards per carry] and scored three touchdowns. Morris finishes the regular season with 1613 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, the latter a Redskins rookie record. 

But the defense deserves a ton of credit for this win, too. Much-maligned for the entire season, the defense responded with arguably their best game of the year. [Holding the Eagles to six points would have been more impressive two years ago.] ILB London Fletcher had two sacks and a game-high 11 tackles, OLB Rob Jackson intercepted a pass late in the fourth quarter to seal the win and CBs DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson blanketed Dallas' banged-up receivers, holding Cowboys QB Tony Romo to only 5.3 yards per dropback. Hall had three passes defensed.

Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett dialed up a baffling array of exotic looks and sent blitzing linebackers and defensive backs after Romo early and often -- and on almost every third down play. Romo struggled with the blitzes and hits, throwing three interceptions and completing barely 50% of his passes. 

The Redskins now move on to the playoffs for the first time in five years and their first home playoff game since January 2000.

Rookie tailback Alfred Morris, selected in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, broke the Washington Redskins franchise record for rushiing yards in a single season during the third quarter of Washington's home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The record was previously held by Clinton Portis, who rushed for 1516 yards in 2005.

Needing 104 yards to break the record going into the game, Morris gained almost 100 by halftiime and broke the record with just over 7 minutes left in the third quarter with a 10 yard run on 2nd down and nine. Morris gained 122 yards and 1 TD on his first 18 carries of the game. He now has 1533 rushing yards on the season. 

Morris also has 11 touchdowns, all on the ground, which is a rookie record for scoring by a Redskin.

LB Roddrick Muckelroy

LB Vic So'oto

RS Brandon Banks

SS DeJon Gomes

OT Jonathon Compton

OG Adam Gettis

WR Dezmon Briscoe

That means RT Tyler Polumbus will play and, one would think, start. Good news for the Redskins there. That also means the Skins will dress three quarterbacks for the active roster tonight, Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins and Rex Grossman.

For the seventh time in fifteen games, Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III has won Rookie of the Week honors.  

Griffin completed 16 of 24 passes for 198 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT in a 27-20 Redskins road victory over the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.