Redskins Get Lead, Get Fancy, Get Beat
Despite the fact that only the most optimistic of fans bought the line this week that the Washington Redskins were still nursing the slightest of playoff chances, it was still disappointing to watch the Redskins blow a fourteen-point lead and wither away under the resurgent Falcons, 24-14. Ladell Betts and Santana Moss had the terrific games they needed to have, the defense made some inspiring plays, and no one was bagging on Scott Suisham for missing his only field goal try—he at least got his kickoffs past the twenty-yard line.
The Redskins looked positively fantastic on both sides of the ball during the first quarter. Andre Carter dropped Vick for a nine-yard, drive ending sack on Atlanta's first possession. The offense responded with a touchdown drive, mainly running the ball with Betts and Duckett, with Campbell adding a 13-yard scramble of his own along with a nice pass play to Brandon Lloyd. On their next drive, more Betts running set up the big pass to Moss, who showed his trademark evasiveness on his way to the endzone. A minute or so into the second quarter, Washington stuffed a Vick sneak on fourth and one.
This was, in short, perfect football. Textbook. You can shoot the game tape of that first quarter into space and teach aliens how to play.
So, what the foxtrot happened?
--A shift in playcalling: Les Carpenter, in the Washington Post, absolutely nails where Washington first went wrong. After playing a quarter of by-the-numbers, physical football, the Redskins started getting fancy. When Washington took over on downs in the second quarter, they were only 52 yards from the end zone. Betts was averaging 6.2 yards a carry, Duckett 4. Time for a nine-play, clock-chewing drive of asserting your physical will on your opponent, right? Instead, out came the deep-outs, the ends-around, the pass wackiness. Betts, inexplicably, only got four touches in the second quarter, and, as soon as the Skins let up on the throttle, the Falcons began to wake up.
--A rough outing from Jason Campbell: We got nothing but respect for Campbell. He’s shown grit and ability. But, short of being Ben Roethlisberger, most new QBs are bound take some lumps in their first few games. Campbell was due for some hardship, and he got it in spades, finishing the day 18 for 38 for 217 yards, a TD and two interceptions—the most costly coming in the third quarter, when a Lawyer Milloy hit caused him to throw wildly to Falcon DE Chauncey Davis, setting up the touchdown Atlanta used to take the lead.
--Big play lapses: The Davis interception was just one of them. Washington’s secondary suffered without Shawn Springs in the game, most notably on a 46-yard pass to Alge Crumpler that set up Atlanta’s first touchdown and on a poorly covered post-in route that got them their second. Nothing, however, epitomized Washington’s snakebitten defense more than watching some guy named Jerious Norwood twist his way downfield for a 69-yard touchdown run, making Washington tacklers look like Keystone Kops.
But this was a day the Washington defense, on balance, played pretty well. If you take away Norwood’s scamper, the Falcons 6.2 per rush average drops to 4.1, which isn’t bad when you consider how well they run the ball.
And that is why that failed second quarter drive looms so large. If you eschew the fancy pages of the Saunders playbook and pound your way downfield for a twenty-one point lead, then you leave the Falcons very little time to do what they do best—run the ball—leaving the pressure of surmounting the deficit squarely on the shoulders of an average passer last seen flipping fingerbombs to his fans at the Georgia Dome. Strategically, this is basically Pop Warner stuff. So, if you’re asking yourself how the Redskins came to be eliminated from playoff contention in 2006, here’s your answer: they coached the season away.