The Washington Redskins gave the Carolina Panthers all they could handle and earned Jason Campbell a win in his home debut yesterday. At the very least, the win will be remembered as one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise frustrating season. Washington gave a complete effort in beating a quality opponent; their offense, defense, and special teams contributed in significant ways. At most, the win gives supporters a renewed sense of optimism, allowing some to think the unthinkable.

File us among the “lone bright spot” crowd. Campbell had a decent performance that was punctuated by his clutch 66 yard TD pass to Chris Cooley, a play he called himself after his headset malfunctioned. The play came with less than 5 minutes to go and proved to be the game-winning touchdown. However, Campbell’s heroics in the final minutes would have had far less impact had he not tossed an interception on an under-thrown attempt to Santana Moss on the previous possession.

There are still many areas of concern for the Skins. Yesterday’s solid defensive performance belies the season-long performance of the unit, second-worst in the league. High priced safety Adam Archuleta, even when benched from the defense, found a way to hurt the team when he let his man slip past him and block a punt. Though Ladell Betts rushed for 104 yards, the team’s long-term hopes rest heavily on Clinton Portis’ recovery from his various injuries. This doesn’t take anything away from the victory, however. The Redskins’ remaining games will be worth watching, as Campbell’s progress as an NFL quarterback should make for a compelling storyline. And, if they continue to occur, victories such as yesterday’s will provide us with glimpses of what could have been this season and what might transpire in the next.