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Associated Press 9y

Redskins drop 5th straight, fall 24-0 to Rams

NFL, Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Washington Redskins had the RG3 trade rubbed in their face. They failed to score. The quarterback who started got sent to the hospital to have his neck X-rayed, so Robert Griffin III actually got to make a cameo appearance.

But more to the point: The Redskins are now officially in yet another December of turmoil that will focus on the futures of coaches, quarterbacks and the front office more than anything that actually happens on the field.

The Redskins (3-10) dropped their fifth straight Sunday, falling 24-0 to the St. Louis Rams and clinching a fifth double-digit loss season in six years.

"Well, it's pretty bad," Washington nose tackle Chris Baker said. "It's just the same story -- different Sunday."

The offense managed 206 total yards. Colt McCoy was sacked six times, suffering a sprained neck on sack No. 6 with two minutes remaining in the game. Griffin mopped up and was sacked once, giving the Rams seven for the game.

The injury presents a twist in a quarterback saga that's already been running overlong. Griffin was benched two weeks ago by first-year coach Jay Gruden. McCoy is 0-2 since, so both performance and health could determine whether Griffin gets another shot next week.

"We've got to look at Colt and see how his neck is doing and then look at the tape and see what happened as far as the production is concerned," Gruden said. "You know, one of the reasons we took out Robert in the first place is lack of production on offense. We brought Colt in here and he did some good things last week, and this week, same thing. No production, so to speak.

"But I've got to look at the film and try to make a judgment on the quarterback situation. We're all searching for answers in this building to try to find out who can lead us to victories and who can get this offense on a roll. That obviously is still to be determined."

For the second straight year, the Redskins are overloaded with questions as the season hits its homestretch. Will Griffin be back next year? Is Gruden one-and-done as a head coach? What about general manager Bruce Allen and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett?

Haslett's name came up before the game when longtime Redskins linebacker and captain London Fletcher, who retired after last season, appeared on CBS and called Haslett "clueless" and in charge of "five years now of just ineptitude."

It's the sort of stuff that's par for the course for the Redskins in recent years, and Gruden is getting a full taste of it.

"When you lose, you open yourself up to all kinds of scrutiny -- Twitter, newspaper, whatever it is," Gruden said. "You get what you deserve in football. When you lose, you deserve some of this."

The Rams (6-7) are interested observers because they were the beneficiaries of the mega-trade that helped land Griffin in Washington. The six players sent by St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher out for the coin toss were part of the team's three-year haul stemming from the Griffin deal before the 2012 draft.

"I will always be remembered as (being a part of) that blockbuster trade," St. Louis defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. "And, you know, the Rams won. The Rams won that one."

Right now, it's hard to argue with that. Griffin has been benched twice in two years. On Sunday, he was 3 of 4 for 33 yards in his one drive. McCoy didn't look like a better alternative, going 20 of 32 for 199 yards with two interceptions. He has been sacked 12 times in two weeks.

The Redskins played without their principle downfield threat, DeSean Jackson, who sat out with a bruised left shin after not practicing all week, but Pierre Garcon had nine catches for 95 yards. Alfred Morris rushed for a meager 6 yards on eight carries.

"I've said rock-bottom once before," Washington linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said. "It downplays what rock-bottom is if you keep saying (it) every time you lose."

NOTES: The Rams from the Griffin trade who played were Brockers, Janoris Jenkins, Alec Ogletree, Greg Robinson, Stedman Bailey and Zac Stacy. ... The Redskins attempted a fake punt in the third quarter, but punter Tress Way managed only a 2-yard gain on fourth-and-5. ... Washington RB Roy Helu left the game with a sprained toe.

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