The Washington Redskins, playing their best game in years, shellacked the New Orleans Saints 47-14 in front of fired up fans at FedEx Field.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who connected on his first 10 passes, had his best game as a Redskin. He went 20 for 25 for 324 yards and a career-best four touchdown passes and ended the game with a perfect passer rating.
The offense also had a staggering 514 yards, including 213 yards rushing, led by Alfred Morris who finished the game with 92 yards on 15 carries.
With the game tied at 14-14, Washington ran off 33 straight points, and have now won four straight games at FedEx Field.
The game became so lopsided in the fourth quarter that the Saints were forced to go for it on fourth down deep in Redskins territory. They failed to convert which led to the Redskins final field goal of the game. Kicker Dustin Hopkins did his part going 4-4 in the game.
Cousins was so efficient running the offense that he earned and early seat on the bench for a good reason as he was replaced by backup Colt McCoy late in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, the defense held a potent New Orleans offense led by All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees, to 19 for 28 for 209 yards, two interceptions and two touchdowns, including a pick-six from safety Dashon Goldson that ended any doubt about the outcome of the game while giving his team a commanding 44-14 advantage.
It was a grand Sunday for the Skins, as all of the other three teams in the NFC East division lost, and with a (4-5) record the Redskins in spite of a slow start to the season find themselves only one game out of first place behind the (5-5) New York Giants.
Cousins set the tone for the game early as he engineered a 96-yard scoring drive on the Redskins first possession of the game. The drive, the longest in 15 years, ended with a 16-yard scoring strike to tight end Jordan Reed giving Washington a 7-0 lead with 8:14 to play in the first quarter.
Reed would later add an eight yard touchdown reception in the third quarter giving his team a 37-14 lead. He finished the game with three receptions for 29 yards and two touchdowns.
The Saints answered with a drive that included a 70-yard run to tie the game at 7-7. The teams traded touchdowns as the Redskins ended the half with a 27-14 lead. The offense then went on a second half scoring rampage while the Redskins defense shutout the Saints to secure the victory.
The Redskins also got a big game from rookie running back Matt Jones who ran for 56 yards on 11 carries and had a thrilling 78-yard scoring run off of a screen pass and finished the game with three catches for a team-high 131 yards.
Chris Thompson finished the game with two carries for 54 yards. Rookie Jamison Crowder led the team in receiving with four catches form 60 yards and one touchdown.
DeSean Jackson, back in the lineup after injuring his leg in the first game of the season, provided a big spark on the Redskins first scoring drive of the game by catching a beautifully throw 42-yard pass from Cousins which helped the Skins get out of their own end zone and gain an early 7-0 lead.
The Saints were led in rushing by Mark Ingram who gained 77 yards on five carries. The team was led in receiving by Brandon Cooks who had five receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort for the (4-6) Saints.
