SEATTLE -- Todd Collins' transformation from mothballs to magnificent is over. So, too, is the Washington Redskins' inspired run into the playoffs following the death of safety Sean Taylor.
"It's tough," Marcus Washington said, barely above a whisper. "It really hurts."
And it showed.
Antwaan Randle El was stomping his feet into the sideline turf and shook his head. In the locker room, Washington's eyes were moist and red, his voice soft and low. Santana Moss looked incredulous, gazing into the night as if still looking for that pass he never saw from Todd Collins.
Collins threw his first two interceptions since 1997 in the fourth quarter, the more damaging one because Moss gave up on a deep route, and the Redskins saw their 14-13 lead midway through the final period disintegrate into a 35-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC wild-card game Saturday night.
This march in the memory of Taylor, who died Nov. 27 one day after being shot inside his Miami home during an apparent attempted burglary, felt to Portis, Collins and others as if the Redskins were destined for the Super Bowl. Four consecutive, must-have wins after the team attended Taylor's funeral sent Washington into Seattle not only as a sentimental favorite, but the NFC's hottest team.
Randle El even advised Redskins followers at the beginning of the week to make reservations for Arizona, the site of the Super Bowl next month.
"It wasn't inspiration. It was love," Portis said, dragging his severely sprained ankle across the quiet locker room and past a gaggle of Redskins personnel wearing black lapel pins with "21" - Taylor's jersey number - on them.
"No doubt, you can't help but remember this season. This organization turned from a team into a family."
Ultimately, its season turned on two, huge misplays.
First, Shaun Suisham's field goal from 30 yards drifted a foot wide left. It would have given Washington a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter and maintained the Redskins' sudden momentum surge. Instead, it became the shortest miss in Suisham's two-year career.
"Bad kick," the somber Suisham said. "I knew it was a bad kick coming off my foot. I was holding out hope it would sneak through."
The Seahawks turned the momentum shifting into a 21-14 lead when D.J. Hackett easily beat Pierson Prioleau for a 20-yard touchdown. One play later, Moss stopped his out-and-up route down the sideline. Collins threw as if Moss would continue to run, and Marcus Trufant made an easy interception.
He then zigzagged 78 yards the other way to make it 28-14.
"I was coming out of my break. (Trufant) ran before (Collins) pumped the ball. It's like he knew what was coming," Moss said in the locker room, still looking as incredulous as on the sideline.
"I thought it was a dead play. Then, all of a sudden I look up and the guy is catching it like a punt. You hate to be in a situation where the ball is coming and you don't even know it."
The Redskins unraveled from there.
"Knowing Santana, he'll probably be upset about it all off-season, maybe his whole career," Portis said.
The Redskins did next to nothing on offense for most of three quarters. Then Collins, making his fourth consecutive start after none in 10 years, used a no-huddle, shotgun offense to complete seven of nine throws and move Washington 84 yards. The final seven were on a touchdown pass to Randle El, who leaned across the goal line to cut Seattle's lead to 13-7.
Then rookie LaRon Landry, who moved from strong safety to replace Taylor at free safety after the star's death, intercepted a pass from Matt Hasselbeck to set up Collins' 30-yard touchdown pass to Moss. The second touchdown in less than 2½ minutes gave Washington a stunning, 14-13 lead and shocked Seattle's notoriously raucous home crowd into silence.
"We thought over the last few weeks that things might be in the cards for us. I thought that they were turning that way when we took the lead," Collins said.
"It's very disappointing that things can turn so quickly like that."
Yet that disappointment seemed to be with only this game, this ending. The season brought a unity, a resolve, that no one in Washington will ever forget.
Just like Taylor.
"You think about him, what he meant on this team," Washington said, his eyes still red. "Never has a player had so much fun. It wasn't about the money for him, it wasn't about the fame. He loved playing.
"I think he'd be real proud of this team."
Where do the Redskins go from here? Right on with honoring Taylor, of course.
"It ain't over, man," defensive end Phillip Daniels said. "I feel like for me, I've got to dedicate this offseason to Sean and come back stronger. And that's how it is. And I think every guy is going to do that.
"Sean will live with us forever, and it's not going to change."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
