No one expected very much out of the Redskins for 2007. The previous season had seen them stumble to a 5-11 record, placing last in the NFC East, and you would have been hard pressed to find any pundits expecting them to do much better for 2007. The team refused to lay down, however, and despite a stunning tragedy in the middle of the season managed to power through to the playoffs. The Redskins story of 2007 was all about determination.
After going 2-2 in the preseason, the team won their first two regular-season games against the Dolphins and Eagles, respectively. The Giants were able to slow them down in week 3, but by the beginning of November the Giants were 5-3 and stood in contention for the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were on the verge of a losing streak - and much worse.
On November 27, safety Sean Taylor was shot by an intruder at his home, and died the next day. The team was staggered, but vowed to play for their fallen brother - on December 2nd, the team began their first play of the game with only ten men on the field to symbolize the missing Redskin. Unfortunately, still shaken by the loss, they couldn't manage to break their losing streak and fell to 5-7 for the season.
It was make or break time, and the Redskins stepped things up. The team powered through the last four games of the season, winning them all and securing a shot at the Wild Card. They were unsuccessful in their bid, losing to the Seattle Seahawks, but the team had turned around a losing season and fought through tragedy to redeem themselves.
