Redskins take 9-game road losing streak into game at Bears
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) When defensive back DeAngelo Hall and the rest of the Washington Redskins set foot in Soldier Field on Sunday, 13 1/2 months will have passed since their most recent road victory.
The Redskins have lost all five games they've played away from home this season, and the drought extends to nine in a row dating to last season, the longest current road losing streak in the NFL. Washington's last road victory came against the Dallas Cowboys in October 2014.
In all, the Redskins are 1-12 on the road under second-year coach Jay Gruden.
''We've had a lot of difficulties on the road, but it's not anything where we go into the week like, `Oh, man, we have one on the road. What are we going to do?''' Hall said Wednesday.
''Whether it's home or away, we understand we've got to play a disciplined, perfect game to win,'' Hall said. ''That's no penalties, no silly mistakes.''
Heading into Sunday's game at Chicago (5-7), the Redskins are 5-2 at home and 5-7 overall, leaving them tied with the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East.
Washington, which lost at home to last-place Dallas last weekend, will be the visiting team in three of its remaining four games.
''That's definitely one of the hurdles that we've got to jump this season,'' rookie receiver Jamison Crowder said.
Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, for one, finds the vast discrepancy between home and away records confounding.
''You search for answers. It's hard. You can't just put your finger on one thing. If that was the case, then it would have been fixed,'' Williams said. ''It's always something different, it seems, every time.''
It didn't help matters, to be sure, that the Redskins played the unbeaten Carolina Panthers and the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on the road. Or that they faced the Atlanta Falcons back when that team was playing well and still undefeated.
Still, while the Redskins like to talk about how they have a chance to reach the playoffs, they also know that getting there probably will require winning somewhere other than at their own stadium.
''We understand our struggles on the road and we have to address them,'' Gruden said. ''We have to address them head on and go compete against Chicago.''
NOTES: DE Jason Hatcher said he has a pinched nerve in his neck and ''lost some strength in my arm'' and isn't sure whether he will play Sunday. ''The nerves got a mind of their own, so you've just got to wait on them to wake back up and give me some strength so I can protect myself,'' Hatcher said. He added: ''If I've got enough strength where I can protect myself and play even half as good as I've been playing, I'll be out there.'' ... RB Chris Thompson has a torn labrum in his shoulder. ''That's a concern,'' Gruden said. ''He can play with that, possibly, if the swelling and the pain go down.'' ... Gruden canceled practice Wednesday and instead held a walkthrough. ''We're a little banged up right now, obviously,'' Gruden explained, ''and I thought it was important for our staff to be able to have extra time to get a plan together (and let) players get an extra day of rest.''
---
Online:
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
---
Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich
