WASHINGTON 13, CHICAGO 10

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- For the second consecutive week, the Washington Redskins' defense held an opponent out of the end zone. This time, they were able to get a win out of it.

Washington's defense limited the Chicago Bears to 160 total yards and Clinton Portis rushed for 171 yards as the Redskins ended a four-game losing skid with a 13-10 victory.

It was a much better outcome for coach Joe Gibbs than last Sunday, when his Redskins lost 17-10 to the Baltimore Ravens despite not allowing an offensive touchdown.

"Our defense has been bound and determined, our defense has just been great these first six weeks," said Gibbs, who improved to 26-4 against NFC North opponents in his career. "We are having to find a way offensively. I felt like our running game came back today."

Rookie safety Sean Taylor, who was the fifth overall pick in this year's draft, recorded his first career interception on a 4th-and-15 pass from Bears quarterback Jonathan Quinn with 25 seconds remaining to seal the Redskins' first win since a season-opening 16-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We've been needing a play or a turnover to just get victories in games," Taylor said. "I think each game I'm getting better, getting quicker, getting more comfortable, and I'm coming around."

Shawn Springs sacked Quinn on a corner blitz with 2:31 left to force a punting situation for the Bears, and defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin recorded back-to-back sacks to help stunt Chicago's final drive.

Portis, who rushed for 165 yards on 14 carries in his only previous game against the Bears last November 23 as a member of the Denver Broncos, rushed 36 times.

"I've been telling the offensive line all week, just give me that crease," Portis said. "I'm a big play guy and I want it eight yards here, 10 yards, 12 yards. It wears the defense down."

It was Portis' best yardage output since being acquired from the Denver Broncos in an offseason trade for cornerback Champ Bailey. He fell just two carries shy of matching his career high in rushing attempts.

"Like I told coach when we were on the sideline, 'Do you see my tongue hanging out?' He said, 'No.' I told him run me until my tongue hangs out," Portis said. "I said that not with the intention for him to do it, but he did it anyway."

Mark Brunell completed just 8-of-22 passes for 95 yards but found Rod Gardner on an 18-yard touchdown strike, giving Washington (2-4) a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Brunell was intercepted by cornerback Jerry Azumah, who returned it 70 yards with 5:36 left in the first half to account for the Bears' lone touchdown.

Thomas Jones rushed 24 times for 97 yards for the Bears (1-4), who lost for just the sixth time in 16 games following a bye week.

"It's the toughest loss we've had to date," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "I like the way we were able to run the football at the end of the game. We have to be able to do that at the start of the game."

But Smith admitted that Chicago must get better play from its quarterback. In his second career start after starter Rex Grossman was lost for the season with an Achilles tendon injury, Quinn completed 10-of-22 passes for only 65 yards and was booed loudly as he exited the field.

"They're frustrated. I'm frustrated," Quinn said. "They have a reason to be unhappy."