updated 1:12 a.m. ET Dec. 17, 2007

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - With every game having playoff implications for the Redskins these days, Clinton Portis and the new proud pop, Todd Collins, made sure Washington had something to play for next week.

Portis ran for 126 yards and a touchdown and Collins led the Redskins on five scoring drives in his first start in 10 years, outplaying Eli Manning in a 22-10 victory that put a little doubt into the New York Giants’ once seemingly certain road to the postseason.

“It was another game we had to get and we just have to keep it going,” Portis said after Washington (7-7) won its second straight game and moved within a half-game of Minnesota for a wild-card berth. “We have a lot of strong will in this room.”

After losing four straight, Washington is back in the hunt after enduring the tragic shooting death of Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor in late November.

The Vikings (7-6) play the Chicago Bears on Monday night, before meeting the Redskins in Minnesota next week. New Orleans also is 7-7 with two games to play.

“We’re thrilled,” Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. “I told our players that they were taking me for a ride.”

No one had a wilder ride this week than Collins, the journeyman who took over as the starting quarterback after Jason Campbell was hurt against the Bears 10 days ago.

Not only did he lead them to victory again, he did it two days after his wife, Andrea, gave birth to their second child, Jack. Collins was in Boston for the birth on Friday and flew to the game Sunday morning in owner Daniel Snyder’s private jet.

Video   Mad Dog Minute: Giants choked Dec. 17: Big Blue is having a not-so-Giant season, Christopher Russo says. NBC Sports

“I definitely felt an electricity in the locker room before the game, like there was something special going on,” said Collins, who completed 8-of-25 passes 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.”

The loss was the third straight at home for the Giants (9-5), and this one was costly as Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey was lost for the season with a broken left leg early in the second half.

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New York still can clinch a playoff berth with a win at Buffalo next weekend. It had better win, because the final regular-season game is at home against New England, which will probably be looking to put the finishing touches on a perfect regular season.

“It’s just disappointing with everything on the line and everything that we had, win the game and we’re in the playoffs, and in that situation to come out and play as poorly as we did,” Manning said.

Video   Redskins keep hopes alive Dec. 17: The Redskins are excited to have played the full four quarters for the win against the Giants. NBC Sports

Portis scored on a 5-yard run, Ladell Betts got in from 14 yards out on a draw play and Shaun Suisham kicked three field goals on a blustery evening. The swirling wind knocked down passes, blew rolling punts an extra 20 yards and made life miserable for the offenses.

Manning had a horrible night, completing 18-of-52 for 184 yards in a game in which his receivers dropped at least eight passes.

“It wasn’t a day where you wanted to throw the ball a whole lot, but we’ve got to be able to throw better than we did today,” said Manning, whose 34 incompletions were the most since Joe Namath had 36 in a game against Denver in 1967. “We’ve got to be able to execute better.”

The biggest drop was by veteran Amani Toomer late in the third quarter with New York trailing 22-10.

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