Dec/14/12 08:32 AM Filed in:
Santana MossAfter a dozen years in the NFL, Redskins receiver Santana Moss still gets excited by winning football in the month of December.
Over Moss's eight seasons in Washington, the Redskins hold a 15-17 record in the game's final month, including a 2-0 record this season.
Not surprisingly, the team's last winning December was in 2007, the last time that Redskins made the playoffs.
"It feels good," Moss told the media after Sunday's 31-28 overtime victory over the Ravens. "I’m out of body right now. I’m floating somewhere around here."
Moss was also floating around the field, finishing as the team's third-leading receiver with three receptions for 52 yards, including a 31-yard strike to open the game.
For Moss, this season has been a long time coming, but something he envisioned when he signed a three-year contract with the team before the 2011 season.
"I’ve been waiting for this moment, where we can beat this kind of team," he said. "It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to be here a couple of years ago when it was time for me to sign back.
"There’s nothing more important for me than to come out here and be part of something like this."
Moss is having a solid season statistically, tallying 32 receptions for 468 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns. At his current pace, Moss will finish the year with 40 receptions for 576 yards and nine touchdowns.
Even if Moss falls short of these projections, his leadership in the final three games will provide a positive impact for the Redskins' playoff hunt.
That leadership was on display in the final moments of Sunday's win, when Robert Griffin III left with a knee injury and was replaced by Kirk Cousins.
"I told them in the huddle when we got to the red zone, 'We are going to overtime, so just put that in your head,'" Moss said after the game. "That mindset has to be there, that we are going to take it to overtime. Kirk came in and handled himself well."
Now one game over .500 for the first time since Week 1, the Redskins travel to Cleveland for their final AFC matchup of the regular season.
The Redskins have won four-straight, but are well aware that they need to close out the final three games strong if they intend to play in January.
"We have the opportunity and just need to do something with it," Moss said. "If we can continue to play together, regardless of who is up and who is down, I think we can come up with the wins.
"I'm proud to be on the other side of the playoff conversation for a change."
(redskins.com)