Neither team appeared ready to play this game, as the Cardinals turned over the ball on their first three possessions and the Redskins did the same on their first two drives. Quarterback Kurt Warner was responsible for two of Arizona's turnovers, throwing an interception and fumbling after being sacked. Mark Brunell accounted for both Washington turnovers with interceptions.

The Redskins scored their only points of the first half on a 41-yard field goal by John Hall to take a 3-0 lead. The Cardinals answered with a two-yard touchdown pass from Warner to LeRon McCoy and a Neil Rackers 44-yard field goal just before halftime for a 10-3 advantage. Brunell continued to struggle, throwing his third interception of the game late in the quarter.

The Redskins leaned more on the ground game, getting a 15-yard touchdown run by Clinton Portis to tie the game at 10. The touchdown capped an 80-yard drive that consisted of 13 plays and lasted 7 minutes 40 seconds. After Rackers kicked a 20-yard field goal, Antonio Brown answered with a 91-yard kickoff return for the touchdown and a 17-13 lead.

The Redskins did not get out of their territory on their first three possessions of the final period, but they had an 18-yard completion from Brunell to Robert Royal just before the two-minute warning, then ran Portis for three yards, one yard and seven yards to the Arizona 43 to put away the game. On the Cardinals' previous series, Washington's defense held on fourth and two from its 29.