ASHBURN, Va. -- In every workout, game and season, Kirk Cousins and his Washington Redskins teammates aim to start fast and finish strong.That start fast thing didnt work out so well, as the Redskins opened 0-2. But they know all about finishing strong.Even though the urgency isnt the same at 6-4-1, Washington is trying to put another December run together to make the playoffs as it did in 2012 and 2015.The Redskins are in a playoff position with five weeks left, but facing the desperate Arizona Cardinals (4-6-1) on Sunday has them thinking about what it takes to win and get in down the stretch.They are who we were, linebacker Will Compton said. We just know were going to get their best shot, whatever that is.We know theyre more desperate, so to say, than us, but at the same time were desperate as well as in if we want to continue to control our own destiny, weve got to win out.The Redskins were 3-6 in 2012 before running the table to win the NFC East, and they won four of five last season to capture the division again and render Week 17 meaningless.It might take the same kind of success this time because theyre chasing the New York Giants and trying to fend off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.Washington faces four of those teams -- Arizona, Philadelphia, Carolina and New York -- and is in the drivers seat as long as it keeps winning.We have an opportunity with five games to go to finish strong, Cousins said. Ive always believed that people may forget how you start, but they always remember how you finish, and what a great opportunity for us.Given the Redskins prolific offense, they probably should have more than six wins.But they have the fourth-worst red zone offense in the NFL, converting 43.5 percent of chances for touchdowns, and the third-worst red zone defense, allowing opponents to score touchdowns on 67.6 percent of their opportunities.Coach Jay Gruden called those glaring weaknesses team, execution and schematic problems.Execution has got to be at a premium down there, Gruden said Wednesday. Offensively, tight windows, youre going to have to make some tight-window throws and some great catches and break a tackle because there are going to be some free hitters in the hole down in the red zone.So, No. 1 weve got to check out our execution, and No. 2, weve got to check out our scheme and just continue to keep working.Receiver DeSean Jackson, who practiced Wednesday despite continuing to be bothered by a rotator cuff injury in his left shoulder, said fixing the red zone inefficiency is a daily grind the offense has to go through.Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay might also need to mix up the play-calling, especially with tight end Jordan Reeds status in doubt because of a sprained left shoulder.Completing in the red zone and the opportunities and the chances we have trying to score as many points as possible and not walking away in positions leaving field goals, Jackson said.As you see in the game on Thursday (at Dallas), if we couldve come out in the red zone a lot better, we would probably been in a different situation in that game.Red zone failures cost the Redskins in a 31-26 loss to the Cowboys, but they werent displeased with the performance.Cousins is on pace to shatter his franchise record for passing yards, rookie running back Robert Kelley has shown an ability to adjust to defenses and cornerback Josh Norman and members of the secondary are ready for a big challenge against Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals.I like the fact that it feels like were ascending, Gruden said. I know we lost last week, but I feel like were playing good football right now. ... We feel good where were at. We just have to go out and execute and get the tough wins on the road.Game notes Reed didnt practice, but Gruden said the tight ends injury wont require surgery. ... DL Anthony Lanier (lower leg) did not practice Wednesday, and DE Ricky Jean Francois (knee), LT Ty Nsekhe (ankle), RG Brandon Scherff (ankle) and LB Terence Garvin (shoulder) were limited.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. [url=http://www.cheapnfljerseysbiz.us.com/sooners-12-landy-jones-white-2014-suga... Jones Oklahoma Jersey . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. [url=http://www.cheapnfljerseysbiz.us.com/sooners-23-allen-patrick-red-stitched-... Patrick Oklahoma Jersey . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. CLEVELAND -- If Francisco Lindor werent so grounded and mature at age 22, he might be tempted to develop a crush on himself. Lindor already has an All-Star Game appearance on his resume. Hes a finalist for a 2016 Gold Glove award. And when Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon was recently asked for his opinion on the Cleveland Indians?shortstop, he sounded as if he were auditioning to be the kids agent.Amid the industry praise and recognition of his skills, Lindor is well aware that the growth process entails taking some risks, stretching boundaries to the limit and finding a way to move on from failure. While posting an impressive .360/.396/.540 slash line in October, he has had multiple opportunities to demonstrate his bounce-back power during Clevelands 13-game jaunt through the postseason.In Game 3 of the World Series at Wrigley Field, Lindor got picked off first base by Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks and grounded into a rally-killing double play only to be bailed out by Clevelands pitchers in a 1-0 Indians victory.He wasnt so fortunate in a 3-2 loss in Game 5 on Sunday night. Lindor was thrown out by Cubs catcher David Ross on an attempted steal of second base and struck out looking against Chicago closer Aroldis Chapman with the potential tying run on third base in the eighth inning. In the immediate aftermath, it was easy to reflect on those two missteps as potential difference-makers.Shortly after Javier Baez tagged Lindor out on the attempted steal, Indians outfielder Rajai Davis pulled Lindor aside to share a teachable moment. Davis led the American League with 43 stolen bases this season, and his inner thief spotted a missed opportunity; Chicagos Jon Lester has a well-known mental block that prevents him from throwing to first base to hold runners, and Davis thought Lindor was a bit too tentative to exploit that advantage.I was just letting him know I thought he could have gotten out a little further, Davis said. If he got out two more steps [with his lead], he would have been safe at second. Instead of bang-bang out, it would have been bang-bang safe. Those are the things you learn.Hes very good at taking instruction. He doesnt have too big of an ego where he cant listen to somebody that knows. He is so mature and beyond his age. Hes definitely had some good coaching to this point. Hes the most consistent 22-year-old Ive ever seen.The Indians were well aware of Lindors all-around package before they selected him with the No. 8 pick in the 2011 draft and signed him to a $2.9 million bonus. Lindor grew up quickly after moving from his native Puerto Rico to the U.S. with his family at age 12, and he made a name for himself against top competition as a prep player at Montverde Academy, a private boarding school in Florida. So it was no surprise when he zipped through the Cleveland system and finished his minor league apprenticeship with Clevelands Triple-A Columbus affiliate at age 20.While MLB talent evaluators express admiration for the Indians team-oriented approach and rave about the Cubs collection of young talent, Lindor is the one player who would fit right in with the Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber array of Baseball America darlings on the Chicago roster. He has the elite package of skills that an organization can build around combined with the natural fan appeal that marketing departments love.Lindors sense of style was apparent when he showed up at a news conference during the AL playoffs lugging a white leather backpack and wearing a fedora, a la Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa.dddddddddddd And his perpetually sunny approach to the game ensures that baseball never seems like drudgery. Lindor hugged Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ryan Goins during batting practice at the American League Championship Series, gave an unsuspecting Indians fan game tickets and a hug during the division series at Progressive Field, and even stopped to show some love to Cubs reliever Hector Rondon after a futile pursuit of a foul pop earlier in the World Series.Hes got a lot of positive energy about him, Maddon said. I love the way he interacts. Thats the kind of guy you need to attract young baseball fans. Not necessarily players, but fans. I think hes wonderful.Lindors dedication to the finer points of the game and willingness to put in the requisite time reflect his alternate, more workmanlike side. During spring training, manager Terry Francona told a story about how Lindor was on the list of players who were excused from the Cactus League opener against Cincinnati. But Lindor showed up to watch, regardless. The next day, Francona passed by a back field at 7:30 a.m. and saw Lindor working on jumps and lunges with Clevelands strength and conditioning coach.Lindors internal makeup precludes him from coasting. His attention to detail is evident when hes asking injured outfielder Michael Brantley how to approach a pivotal at-bat during a game, or when he takes ground balls from his knees in a drill the Indians use to improve hand-eye coordination.Lindor sent a message to the Cleveland veterans at the outset of his big league career by consistently deferring to their experience and tapping into their knowledge. Early in the World Series, a reporter asked Lindor the standard Who was your favorite player growing up? question. The depth of Lindors response showed he had given the matter considerable thought.I liked Robbie Alomar because he seemed like he was going to impact the game in different ways, Lindor said. I liked the swag he had, and how calm he was, and how he impacted the game. And Omar Vizquel. He always seemed like he knew what was going to happen.Derek Jeter was focused and always helping teammates. Barry Larkin was calm at the plate in big situations, and Jim Rollins was little but at the same time he was a big guy on the field. My dad and my cousin and brother always told me try to get something from everyone. Dont get stuck in one player. Just learn something from everyone.Some attributes -- like the ability to move past mistakes and maintain a sense of calm during pressure situations -- can be refined only with experience and time. Lindor has endured a few rough patches this month, but theyve been mere blips in an impressive debut on the October stage. Its all part of laying the groundwork for what promises to be a long and prosperous major league career.Hes so good at putting stuff behind him and staying in the moment, Cleveland closer Cody Allen?said. He continues to grind and grind, and he never settles on how well hes playing or mopes about how bad hes playing. He just continues to move forward.Lindor and his fellow Indians will move forward Tuesday night in World Series Game 6 against Chicago at Progressive Field. If they can close out the Cubs and bring Cleveland its first MLB title since 1948, the new face of Indians baseball will make sure there are plenty of hugs to go around. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '