Creamed Zorn: Washington, St. Louis Join Forces to Beat 'Skins
Written by DCist contributor Rob Birgfeld
No offensive turnovers in the first five games of the season. A four-game win streak. Two big wins against tough opponents on the road and a winless, patsy opponent coming to FedEx Field. Life seemed good for the Redskins. Even in the opening minutes of Sunday’s affair with the St. Louis Rams, things were looking up, as Stephen Jackson fumbled at the Redskins one yard line. Just one play later, Clinton Portis ran in a touchdown to the delight of the faithful at FedEx.
Fast forward three quarters, three turnovers, and the lovable antics of punter Durant Brooks: the Redskins were having a tough time stopping the Rams and getting out of their own way. When Josh Brown nailed his fourth field goal and the clock read scallops, the nightmare was final—St. Louis had pulled the upset of the week in the NFL, upending the “surging” Redskins, 19-17.
As always, Sunday’s loss to NFL doormat St. Louis Rams taught us many things about the 2008-09 Redskins.
AP Photo/Nick Wass
- Pete Kendall could never be a running back in the NFL. His end-of-the-first-half attempt at heroics turned into a disaster quickly, with the Rams knocking the ball from him and running it back for a touchdown to close out the half with a sudden lead.
- Durant Brooks could never be a punter in the NFL. Oh, wait, somehow he is—showing all the beer-belly weekend warriors that anyone has a chance to punt…and fail miserably at doing so. Nice draft pick, Vinny.
- When there’s trouble in the secondary, look for Leigh Torrance. While the defense held strong nearly all game, they “bent” and “broke” when it mattered most. Al Saunders must have remembered the intolerable failures of Leigh Torrance from intersquad scrimmages last year.
- This is not a team that plays well as a favorite. A 13 ½ point favorite, the Skins laid an egg, and after the game, running back Clinton Portis admitted: "We hadn't thought ahead all season long until this week. ... The previous four games, the focus was there." Huh?
Still, this is a team that sits at 4-2, and has lost little ground since Arizona beat the Cowboys yesterday afternoon. Things are still rosy in RalJon, but the stench of reality is back.