By Jake Russell
The Redskins dropped a must-win Thursday night contest while the Ravens survived a late scare from division rival Cincinnati. The Caps made a key re-signing and the Wizards continue to make strides after a slow start to the season. The Nationals and Orioles made adjustments to their coaching staffs while two infielders earned some hardware. The Terps football team continues its downward trend as Navy stays perfect at home. The Terps basketball teams are experiencing two big Friday night matchups against UConn in a one-week span.
The Washington Redskins (3-6) failed to pick up their first two-game win streak of the year when they fell to the 1-7 Vikings Thursday night. With a 10-point lead at halftime, the Redskins let the game slip out of their hands and only scored three second half points. The offense was unstoppable in the first half, scoring on its first five drives, something that had not been done by the team since 1985. Robert Griffin III went 24 of 37 for 281 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Alfred Morris ran 26 times for 139 yards and Pierre Garcon caught seven passes for 119 yards and one touchdown. It was also announced Friday that rookie running back Chris Thompson will have season-ending shoulder surgery. He had been inactive the last six games. Next game: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, November 17, 1:00 p.m.
The Baltimore Ravens (4-5) endured the Cincinnati Bengals’ 51-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton that was tipped by Ravens safety James Ihedigbo into the hands of wide receiver A.J. Green as time expired. The play propelled the game into overtime. The defense stymied the Bengals offense enough to turn the ball. Justin Tucker nailed a 46-yard field goal in overtime to seal the victory. The offense continued to struggle but the team found a way to pull out a division win and improve their home record to 3-1 on the season. Next game: at Chicago Bears, November 17, 1 p.m.
The Washington Capitals (9-8-1) reeled off four straight victories before suffering a 4-3 shootout loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday and a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Last week the team announced Friday that left wing Jason Chimera was signed to a two-year, $4 million extension. Next game: vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, November 12, 7 p.m.
After starting the season 0-3, the Washington Wizards (2-4) almost completed their third straight victory last night in Oklahoma City against the Thunder but fell 106-105 in overtime. Washington was up by 10 points with 3:26 left to play but the Thunder ended regulation on a 14-4 run, including the game-tying three-pointer from Kevin Durant with 13.6 seconds left. Bradley Beal scored a career-high 34 points, 18 of which came from beyond the arc. Next game: at Dallas Mavericks, November 12, 8:30 p.m.
Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond won his second straight Silver Slugger award on Wednesday, validating his best season in terms of games played, runs scored, hits, doubles and RBIs. Today third base coach Trent Jewett reunited with new Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon as their new bench coach. Jewett had been with the Nats organization since 2009.
The Baltimore Orioles are set to name Dom Chiti as their new bullpen coach, replacing Billy Castro. Chiti was a special assistant in the Atlanta Braves organization. Last week, it was announced that third baseman Manny Machado won the 2013 American League Rawlings Platinum Glove Award for his sterling defensive output last season.
The Navy Midshipmen (5-4) improved to 4-0 at home on the legs of quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who ran for 226 yards and three touchdowns while passing for another in a 42-28 win over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The Mids head into senior day next Saturday looking to keep their home record perfect and earn a bowl bid with their sixth victory of the year. Next game: vs. South Alabama Jaguars, November 16, 3:30 p.m.
The Maryland Terrapins (5-4) season, once riding high at 4-0 and later 5-1, has plummeted to a disappointing 5-4 after a lackluster performance against the Syracuse Orange Saturday. Heading into the game, Maryland was two games over .500 facing off against a .500 team but an inept 20-3 loss against the Orange has added to their downward spiral. The outlook continues to look bleak as they travel to Blacksburg, Va. next Saturday to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies, who are coming off of a 42-28 road upset over the Miami Hurricanes. Next game: vs. Virginia Tech, November 16, 12:30 p.m.
Terps men's basketball (0-1) traveled to Barclays Center in Brooklyn to take on No. 18 UConn. Down 17 at one point, the Terps stormed back to make it a game in the final minutes. With the Terps trailing by a point, Dez Wells missed a jumper in the final seconds that was rebounded by UConn. The Terps put up a fight but ultimately fell 78-7. Next game: vs. Abilene Christian Wildcats, November 13, 7 p.m.
The No. 6 Terps women's team (2-0) topped South Florida (78-70) on the road and Loyola (89-53) at home last weekend in preparation for No. 1 UConn, who comes to the Comcast Center as the defending National Champions. Last March, the Terps were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 at the hands of the Huskies 76-50. Next game: vs. No. 1 Connecticut Huskies, November 15, 6 p.m.
