Persistent Collins leads Redskins to 22-10 win

The veteran quarterback was in his first start in more than 10 years.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Todd Collins was unsure if he’d ever start in the NFL again.

The veteran quarterback never gave up hope, even as seasons came and went and his chances grew increasingly slim.

But in something like a scene out of a movie, there he was Sunday night, more than 10 years since his last start, leading the Washington Redskins to a 22-10 victory over the New York Giants.

“It’s been a long road and I’ve done my best to keep myself ready for every challenge, every week,” Collins said. “I was never sure how it would all turn out, but I remained persistent and I kept myself prepared, just in case I’d have another opportunity. This is my turn and I have to make the most of it.”

Collins was far from great, but he led the Redskins on five scoring drives as Washington (7-7) won its second straight and moved within a half-game of Minnesota (7-6) for a wild-card berth. The Vikings (7-6) played the Chicago Bears on Monday night and will meet the Redskins in Minnesota on Sunday. New Orleans also is 7-7 with two games to play.

“It was another game we had to get and we just have to keep it going,” running back Clinton Portis said. “We have a lot of strong will in this room.”

Portis ran for 126 yards and a touchdown as Washington rebounded from losing four straight to get back in the playoff hunt after enduring the shooting death of Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor in late November.

“I definitely felt an electricity in the locker room before the game, like there was something special going on,” said Collins, who was 8-for-25 for 166 yards. “The guys were really pumped up. I don’t know if it was Sean or what, but it was not a surprise that we came out and played the way we did.”

It was a fitting capper to a wild week for Collins, who became a father for the second time on Friday and then made his first start in 10 years and two days to set an NFL record for the longest gap between starts since the 1970 merger.

Collins, who replaced the injured Jason Campbell, last started for the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 14, 1997, a 20-14 loss to a Jacksonville team led by current Giants coach Tom Coughlin. The 36-year-old Collins surpassed the record of 9 years, 298 days between Tommy Maddox’s starts in 1992 with Denver and 2002 with Pittsburgh.

Collins was in Boston on Friday as his wife, Andrea, gave birth to their second child, Jack. He flew to the game Sunday morning on owner Daniel Snyder’s private jet.

“I can’t even begin to describe this,” said Collins, who was awarded the game ball. “It’s something I’ll never forget.”