Addicted to Zorn: Redskins Handle Eagles After Slow Start
Written by DCist contributor Rob Birgfeld
Just who the hell is this team? For the fourth game in a row, the final seconds ticked off the clock and Jason Campbell was taking a knee. 'Skins fans haven’t seen anything like this in years.
At about 12:59 p.m., the stage was set for a very, very bad day. Coming off a thrilling win against Dallas last week, the Skins seemed overconfident and ripe for a letdown against one of the toughest teams in the league. The five point underdog Redskins announced that they would be without the services of defensive starters Jason Taylor, Marcus Washington and Shawn Springs. On top of that, the injured Eagles Pro-Bowl running back and Redskins tormentor Brian Westbrook announced he would start in the backfield for Philadelphia.
True to that hunch, the Eagles jumped out to a quick 14 – 0 lead behind a Brian Westbrook touchdown and a Desean Jackson punt return. But once again, these Redskins showed fight unlike anything we've seen in years. With grit and some impressive play calling courtesy of the Zornado, the Redskins turned things around in a hurry and left Philly with a convincing 23-16 victory.
So how is that this team, playing as the underdog, pulled out another game against a tough opponent? I think we all know the answer to that, and it rhymes with “dallops.” These Redskins not only stopped Philly’s potent offense, they also rushed for over 200 yards against a defense that had yet to allow 100 yards in a game this season.
AP Photo/Mel Evans
Clinton Portis had some huge runs, finishing with 145 yards and a touchdown. Chris Cooley proved that with or without pants, studying the playbook is paying off—ending with 109 yards and a touchdown pass from Antwaan “better suited as a quarterback” Randle El.
As much as any unit, the defense set the tone for this game. After giving up some ground on the Eagles’ first possession, the London Fletcher-led defense tightened on the Eagles, holding them to just another three points after the first quarter. When the Redskins made an impressive stop on third and one from the two yard line in the fourth quarter, the Philly “boo birds” were audible for the first time all game, which meant the Redskins were doing something right.
Indeed, the Skins are doing a lot of things right these days. Sitting at 4-1 with some tough road games in the rear view mirror, the Redskins are now viewed as one of the top teams in the NFL and still surging. Take note: people around the country are talking about the Redskins, and not because of expensive free agent acquisitions or lost limbs at Six Flags. My how things have changed.