When the Lions punted with just 16 second left in the first half, you've got to believe that most folks thought the half was over. Luckily for Redskins fans, Brandon Banks isn't most folks.
Banks returned a punt by the Lions 24-yards to give Washington the ball just one yard shy of midfield. In a game that's been dominated by both teams' defenses, special teams continues to be an incredibly important factor. Banks has provided a crucial element for the Redskins. And as Hunter Smith has started to punt away from Stefan Logan to limit Detroit's punt returning potential, the Lions made the mistake of punting to Banks to give the Redskins one final chance to score before the half.
And score they did. Donovan McNabb connected with Santana Moss for an 8-yard pass on first down. The team then took a timeout, and found Ryan Torain wide open for a screen pass on the right sideline.
Torain stepped out of bounds at Detroit's 28-yard line with 11 seconds left on the clock.
Kicker Graham Gano has been somewhat inconsistent this season, but he's been on today. Gano kicked the 48-yard attempt straight through the uprights to give Washington a surprising 13-7 lead heading into the locker room for halftime.
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