So, the first game of the season basically came down to a single third-and-seven from midfield in overtime. Convert, and the Redskins move closer to a sudden-death score. Fail, and the Dolphin offense, which had in the late-going proven to be a difficult squad to banish from the field, takes over with a chance to cast a pall over the entire season with a win. This is why we beseeched Redskins offensive coordinator to run the ball this season. By the time the Redskins had gotten to this point, they’d called about forty rushing plays, and that steady diet of smashmouth had the Dolphins’ defense reeling.

Not to deny the coaching staff some credit, this is why they went out and drafted Jason Campbell. He hadn’t, by the time overtime started looking inevitable, distinguished himself statistically. It had been a pretty shaky game. An early errant pass ended the Skins first drive with an interception. A late throw downfield to Brandon Lloyd in the endzone netted another. By the angle shown during the broadcast, Antwaan Randle-El’s ability to at least adjust the path of a pass that ended up incomplete may have prevented a third. (There’s no reason to feel bad about the second interception—anytime a throw to Brandon Lloyd results in a positive outcome for anyone, it’s a net gain for humanity.)