Redskins, Optimism Fall in Season Opener
Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell reacts after the Redskins were assessed a false-start penalty during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants on Thursday night. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) |
Written by DCist Contributor Rob Birgfeld
It turns out the anxiety gathered from the last two preseason games was well-founded. Losing last night’s opener to the Giants 16-7, the Washington Redskins and their fans have a lot to be worried about. Right out of the gate, the Redskins struggled to stop the defending Super Bowl champion Giants from moving the ball. In short order, Eli Manning and running back Brandon Jacobs moved down the field to score a touchdown. Then, on the first offensive snap of the 2008 campaign, quarterback Jason Campbell was worked over and thrown to the ground. Reality check? Check. This game, and possibly this season, was already in peril.
The buzzed about “West Coast Offense” that head coach Jim Zorn was supposed to unleash on the league produced zero first downs until late in the second quarter. Jason Campbell, the newest “this is his year” candidate took approximately 28 minutes before completing a pass in the first and most of the second quarter. The offensive line was beaten and battered like scallopini, and when the receivers weren’t jumping off-sides, they were dropping balls.
While the defense eventually tightened up after the Giants's quick score, they were not without their own issues. The pass rush was mostly absent, Brandon Jacobs ran all over and through (sorry Laron) the defense, and the secondary (minus injured Shawn Springs) always seemed to be two steps behind the Giants receivers. Just look at the numbers… it’s a minor miracle the final score wasn’t 34-7.
While last night was an overall negative experience for most Redskins fans, there were definitely some positive takeaways:
- If it required 9 yards rather than 10 yards for a first down, the Redskins might have very well won this game.
- Chris Cooley should be very healthy and well-rested after catching one pass for 7 yards.
- Jason Taylor wasn’t very effective, but proved he is willing to fight for this team. Since he played hard for the cellar-dwelling Dolphins in years past, he might be okay with playing for another loser.
- The Redskins were calm and relaxed, even as time wound down. With an outside chance of making the game competitive in the final five minutes, the Skins gathered in the huddle, drew some plays up in the dirt and methodically moved four, five, six yards at a time. Who needs urgency when no one expects you to win?
- If this really is the West Coast offense, I’m proud to be from the East Coast.
So on to next week—the Redskins have time to learn a thing or two about the two-minute offense, lick their wounds, and search the waiver wire for quick fixes. I, on the other hand, have the more important task of figuring out if it was the Pete’s Apizza or the onion dip that brought the Redskins bad luck. Must have been the dip.