Bell: Redskins continue to feed off pre-playoff pressure

• Redskins win NFC East by beating Cowboys in Week 17
• Washington veterans realize they still have plenty of flaws to address
• 'Skins have already beaten Dallas once this season but could advance even if they lose in finale

PHILADELPHIA — A ruckus from the corner of the visitors' locker room abruptly interrupted London Fletcher in mid-sentence. It was the type of roar that you'd hear with a fumble, and sure enough there was a fumble — about 1,500 miles away.

The Dallas Cowboys-New Orleans Saints game was on in the equipment room. It was overtime. A mass of Washington Redskins players, among others, gathered around the television to catch the Saints victory (keyed after tight end Jimmy Graham fell on teammate Marques Colston's fumble) in real time.

Fletcher barely flinched through the noise.

"I've had enough drama for one day," he said.

This was the perspective of a wise man. Fletcher, 37, is in his 15th NFL season, with an iron-man streak of 239 consecutive games. He has seen a lot. Even while enveloped by playoff fever, you get the impression that it takes a lot to get him excited.

The drama of note for Fletcher on Sunday came with the Redskins being pushed to the brink, before pulling out a 27-20 victory. The Philadelphia Eagles had first-and-goal from the 5-yard line in the final seconds, but the game ended — courtesy of a 10-second run-off — after rookie quarterback Nick Foles was flagged for intentional grounding.

Said Fletcher: "Sometimes, it's better to be lucky."

It's pretty simple for the Redskins (9-6) now. Beat the Cowboys (8-7) in a winner-take-all finale, and the franchise has its first NFC East title since 1999. Lose, and the division crown would go to Dallas on the third tiebreaker, record against common opponents (8-4 vs. 7-5). The Redskins' chances to claim a wild-card spot would be, at that point, complex.

"Man, I just know we need to win next week," Fletcher said of such permutations. "That's the only thing that matters."

That's a theme expressed across the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings scored an upset victory at Houston on Sunday to keep their postseason hopes alive, while denying the Texans from claiming the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Easy enough on the surface.

Still swirling were all sorts of possibilities for the Vikings and others, including the New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears.

Washington won its sixth consecutive game but flirted with the prospect of losing control of its destiny, as they say. Even though the Redskins were relieved to see sensational rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III back from the sprained knee that forced him to sit out last week, they almost blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter to a team that is 4-11.

This is not how to build momentum for the playoffs.

"We let them hang around and think they can play with us. And before you know it, they think they can play with you, too," grumbled cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

Stephen Bowen, the defensive end who forced Foles' game-clinching penalty, warned of not letting the lapse carry over to next week.

"Simple mistakes," he groaned.

Fletcher, meanwhile, wasn't sweating the style points. Ugly was OK. That's how it will be in the playoffs, too. Just find a way to win. Survive. Advance.

"Next week, another big game, like the last six," he said. "We've already had six playoff games. The seventh one is coming up."

These victories have done so much for the team's confidence, and as Griffin pointed out the latest result demonstrated another way to win — by gut-wrencher.

Technically, Griffin may be a rookie, but he knows better.

"We're already on to the next one," he said. "You don't have to celebrate wins at this point of the season. You just know what's ahead of you."

Dallas.

The Redskins stung the Cowboys 38-81 on Thanksgiving, when Griffin threw four TD passes. Now comes the rematch. Hall said he would start preparing on Sunday night, which could have meant breaking out video of Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.

"We're not done yet," Hall said. "All this means nothing if we don't go out next week and do what we need to do."

A few weeks ago, this did not seem possible. The Redskins were 3-6 as they entered a bye week in early November.

"Everybody counted us out," Bowen said. "That's what's great about football. One more win, and we're on to a new season."