Snyder Can Only Break Even

The Washington Redskins’ blowout victory came too late to save their season. Terry Robiskie hopes it didn’t come too late to save his job.

The Redskins finally combined imagination, talent and a degree of spirited play worthy of a playoff-caliber team Sunday. They beat up a bad team early and went on to a 20-3 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, although the victory was little consolation for a season that began with a $100-million roster and thoughts of a Super Bowl.

The Redskins (8-8), who once were 6-2, avoided a losing season and gave interim coach Robiskie his first NFL victory and some faint hope that he will be retained by free-spending owner Daniel Snyder. His inspiration: Dave McGinnis, who took over at midseason and last week signed a four-year contract with the Cardinals (3-13).

“I want the job. I’ve applied for it. I’d love to get it,” Robiskie said. “I’m sitting here and my record is 1-2, and a great friend of mine across the hall, Dave McGinnis, is 1-8 since he took over. The Cardinals saw it in him to give him an opportunity to go on. I’d rather be 1-2 than 1-8.”

The Cardinals are already in next-year mode. Their hopes essentially ended when Rob Moore, Coby Rinehart and J.J. McCleskey were injured in August. They went 0-8 on the road and finished with the franchise’s worst record since the Chicago Cardinals went 2-10 in 1959.

The Redskins have several veterans who might retire or go elsewhere. One who is definitely on the way out is pending free agent Brad Johnson, who completed 18 of 31 passes for 192 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in his final start in Washington.

Robiskie was certainly creative in his last-ditch coaching audition bid--using 38-yard-old receiver Irving Fryar and cornerback Champ Bailey as running backs. Fryar went up the middle for 15 yards on the third play of the game, Bailey scored his first offensive touchdown with a seven-yard run that ended with a two-handed dive at the pylon.

Robiskie also let kickoff specialist Scott Bentley try a field goal. He made it from 50 yards--the longest by a Redskin kicker in 27 games.