TEMPE, Ariz -- The Washington Redskins keep losing, but they insist they're not losers.
They suffered another frustrating defeat yesterday when their defense once again couldn't hold a lead with the game on the line, but they seemed to be almost upbeat after the game.
This time, Arizona moved 61 yards to set up Greg Davis' 27-yard field goal as time expired and give the Cardinals a 17-15 victory.
Davis' field goal trumped Chip Lohmiller's 21-yarder with 2:54 left. It was the seventh time this year the Redskins (2-12) lost a lead in the second half, and the fourth time they've lost a lead in the final minute.
The defensive lapse wasted rookie Heath Shuler's 286 yards passing as he continued to improve. He found veteran Henry Ellard for 191 yards on eight passes.
Still, the Redskins thought they could see better days ahead.
"I have a great feeling about this football team. . . . I don't want to sound like we're giving in when you say you feel good after a loss, but we put 400 [406] yards on the No. 1 defense in the league," coach Norv Turner said.
Cornerback Darrell Green, who sounded so depressed two weeks ago after the second loss to the New York Giants, echoed that theme. "That's OK that we lost today," he said. "I'll go ahead and say that. It's OK that we lost."
Green explained further. "Something was gained," he said. "There was something out there in the huddle and Ray Brown on offense said the same thing. They felt it over there. Brian Mitchell talked about it on special teams.
"There's a cohesion, a unifying that is taking place, even in losing. Every team has to go through it. My hat is off to this team. We have played hard every game. . . . We have to look forward to the future."
Despite that, the Redskins couldn't make the big play when they had to.
The game came down to a fourth-and-one Arizona had at the Washington 35 with 1:21 left.
It's was a make-or-break play after Arizona coach Buddy Ryan decided not to let Davis go for a 52-yard field-goal attempt.
"I talked to the kicker on the sidelines and I didn't like what I saw in his eyes," Ryan said.
Davis wanted to try it because he made a 58-yarder in practice. "I'm just thankful Buddy didn't listen to me this week," he said.
Said Green: "On a play like that, it's one for one. Eleven of us, one against one. We were in man. . . . That's what we all enjoy as athletes, young kids. All of you in this room would love to be in that situation. I appreciate the opportunity and we didn't win, but there'll be other opportunities and we will win."
On this play, the Cardinals had Garrison Hearst coming out of the backfield covered by second-year safety Darryl Morrison.
But Morrison didn't make the play.
"He backed off just a little bit. I think he anticipated a pick. He needed to snug up to him. You can't give him any room," Turner said.
Morrison said he couldn't get closer because Hearst wasn't lined up on the line of scrimmage. He also said Gary Clark bumped him coming off the line.
"I want to be the person to make that play. If you don't make it, you have to go on," Morrison said.
Morrison also missed the tackle after Hearst caught Jay Schroeder's pass and Hearst went 29 yards to the Redskins' 6.
Hearst, who has spent most of the year in Ryan's doghouse because he's been slowed by a knee injury, said, "It's nice to be on the outside for a change."
The Cardinals ran twice to take time off the clock, called timeout with four seconds left and Davis came in for the game-winner.
"I was doing Lamaze breathing. I remember when I was going to the class with my wife. I wasn't whistling and doing all of that, but I was trying to breathe and relax," Davis said.
Davis made it and the game was over.
But the Redskins had made a lot of mistakes earlier that help cost them the game.
They had a first down on the Arizona 43 with 1:04 left in the first half and Shuler threw a poor deep pass that was intercepted.
The Redskins' first three drives of the second half started at the Arizona 49, 47 and 44, but the Redskins couldn't score.
They were forced to punt the first two times and Lohmiller was wide left on a 29-yard field-goal attempt the third time.
They also had a first down on the Arizona 2 on their final drive and had to settle for a field goal.
Ryan said the problem was that the Cardinals took Washington lightly after seeing Tampa Bay dominate the Redskins last week.
"We shouldn't have shown them the Tampa game. That was a mistake on my part. Washington played well, about as well as I've seen them play. We didn't play well," Ryan said.
That's the kind of day it was. Ryan won and sounded unhappy; Turner lost and sounded happy.
Ryan still thinks the 7-7 Cardinals can make the playoffs.
"I believe," Ryan said. "I've just got to make those other guys believe."
Washington ... 3 .. 3 .. 0 ... 9 .. 15
Arizona ...... 7 .. 0 .. 0 .. 10 .. 17