The Washington Redskins' defense was one of the worst units in football last season. They sure didn't look like it in their 2011 season opener against the New York Giants. The Redskins shut down the Giants in the second half, holding them scoreless over the final 32:48 of the game in a 28-14 Week 1 victory.
Rex Grossman was outstanding at quarterback for the Redskins, throwing for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the win. One of those touchdowns went to Jabar Gaffney late, putting the game away. But the story was Washington's defense. Rookie Ryan Kerrigan made the game's biggest play, intercepting Eli Manning and running it back for a touchdown to give the Redskins the lead for good. Brian Orakpo also made a huge play blocking Lawrence Tynes' field-goal attempt that would have cut the lead to three points.
All in all, an excellent debut for the second year of the Mike Shanahan era.
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