Graham Gano, victorious. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

So how do you like Donovan McNabb and his (reasonably) fat contract now? The Redskins prized quarterback threw for 376 yards and a touchdown in a 19-16 overtime barn-burner merciless-torture-on-the-eyes victory over the Tennessee Titans. In case you’re doing the math: yes, McNabb put up nearly 400 yards in a game that had only one offensive touchdown (the Titans scored their touchdown on a punt return that featured a blatant block in the back). The game wasn’t ugly by conventional standards. Both teams moved the ball, minimized the number of three-and-out series and made big plays in all facets of the game. But scoring opportunities in opponent territory featured both a lack of execution and some laughable play-calling.

Early on, the Redskins’ running attack got a much-needed boost from the return of Clinton Portis. The Titans were particularly vulnerable on the edge and both Portis and Keiland Williams were gaining sizable chunks of yardage on each run. But Portis re-aggravated his groin and the Titans adjusted to stop the outside run. This left the load to Williams and backup Darrel Young, neither of whom could find any room to run late. After gaining 24 yards on a series of three carries, Keiland’s next eight carries netted a grand total of -1 yards. Contrary to the Monday night disaster where he stubbornly stuck to the run, Kyle Shanahan’s game plan finally showed some flexibility, although the idea of interleaving the run with the pass is still mostly foreign.

In as big of a back-handed compliment as I can muster to defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, I have to say that the defense played a solid game — and by solid, I mean that missing tackles and leaving receivers wide open late in the game had no bearing on the outcome. The secondary play is still atrocious, as Titans quarterback Vince Young was hitting just about everything, making perfect throws into tight coverage and easily hitting receivers that were open by at least five yards (the ongoing result of the coverage scheme Haslett has designed). But Haslett made the perfect adjustment, putting pressure on Young and injuring his right thumb.