Bad Mojo at Right Tackle

These two guys are the man

Takeaway drill: Jason Campbell looked good but the offense needs to improve, a lot but love that running game; Antwaan Randle El became Santana Moss for a day; Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts are a great tandem; Jon Jansen is lost, maybe for the season; the defense was all over everything and will need to step it up for next week, great run defense; Chris Chambers and Jason Taylor are awesome.

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Monday walkthrough: Redskins beat Dolphins 16-13 in overtime to start the season 1-0, the fifth consecutive season opener for the Redskins decided by six points or less (the Redskins are 4-1 in these games).

It was a sloppy game (15 penalties between the two teams) and could easily have been a loss but when you are the Redskins and coming back off a horrid 5-11 2006 season then you will take a win any way you can get it. If the Redskins play this way next week in Philadelphia on Monday Night Football the Eagles will beat the hell out of them. But this was a win, one that came with a cost: right tackle Jon Jansen may be lost for the season.

The Redskins defense came out ferocious and forced the Dolphins into a three and out to start the game. Here's one for you: Fred Smoot started ahead of Shawn Springs at cornerback and Anthony Montgomery started ahead of Kedric Golston at defensive tackle. We heard nothing of this before the game and the conventional wisdom was that Shawn and Carlos Rogers would be 1-2 with Loveboat Freddie the number three corner. I have no idea if this turn of events presages Loveboat Freddie as the starter all season but one would certainly think the team would put what it considers to be its best two players on the field to start the season. As for Anthony and Kedric, Kedric moved into the starting spot when Joe Salave'a was injured last season and did not relinquish the spot. I had not gotten a sense that Anthony was in higher regard.

I am inclined to think after this one game that the Redskins have good depth all around and the coaches will be rotating players liberally.

The first quarter featured Jason's first interception, three Miami punts and a lot of Clinton Portis. Clinton appears to be just fine and as advertised he and Ladell Betts shared the load, racking up 26 yards in the quarter together. I like the way they used Mike Sellers, giving him the odd carry as the first man through. Boy he's a load. There was no scoring in the first quarter.

The second quarter started with a Redskins field goal but there was a price. Right tackle Jon Jansen fell back over Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas and dislocated his right ankle. He was carted off the field and he may be lost for the season. It was not lost on me that his replacement was Stephon Heyer who played left tackle in preseason while Chris Samuels recovered from a knee twist. This means that an undrafted rookie free agent is higher on the depth chart than Todd Wade, thought to be a reliable backup that started a game last season at right tackle when Jon was out.

On the next possession Shawn Springs recovered a Jesse Chatman fumble. It was great to see the Redskins come up with a turnover early. They set a 16-game record for fewest takeaways last season.

The Dolphins finally mounted a sustained drive and went down and scored on a strange sequence of events. On first and goal from the Redskins two yard line with 42 seconds left Dolphins tailback Jesse Chatman hit a wall for no gain...and did not call a timeout. Jesse got the ball again on second down and gained a yard to the one but there were only four seconds left in the half, no time to run another play and still hold the field goal attempt in reserve. The Dolphins called the timeout and when they came back they were lined up on offense, ran a roll right for Trent Green who hit tight end Justin Peelle for the touchdown as time expired. A gutty play and one wonders if it was not the happy outcome of poor clock management.

The Redskins opened the third quarter with a 6 play 78 yard drive for a Clinton Portis touchdown and focused on power running. This drive featured a spectacular 49 yard pitch and catch from Jason to Antwaan Randle El to go with the 35 yard catch by Antwaan in the first quarter. With Santana Moss not a factor in the game and Brandon Lloyd a paperweight Antwaan really had a great game, finishing with 5 catches for 162 yards though one catch and 52 of those yards came on the weird play at the end of regulation.

The Dolphins managed another long drive in that quarter, getting as far as the Redskins one yard line but the defense was swarming and Miami had to settle for a 20 yard field goal to tie the game at 10.

The next possession for the Redskins spilled into the fourth quarter but only one play as Jason threw his second interception. The teams traded field goals to tie it up at 13 nearing the end of regulation and then the Almost play happened.

Jason Campbell cocked and launched a hail may from about the Redskins 35 yard line to the end zone where Jason Taylor knocked it down right into Antwaan's hands at the three. Antwaan broke right instead of left and could not score, if he had gone left he may have had a touchdown but he cannot be faulted, it happened so quickly. A head's up play by Antwaan to snatch it and by Jason Taylor to recover from batting it to Antwann to come out of the end zone and make the tackle.

In overtime (op. cit.) the Redskins won the toss and rode Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts on seven running plays to two passing plays into Shaun Suisham's range, one 39 yard field goal and that it, it's over.

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Soapbox: The Redskins defense did its job, holding the Dolphins to 13 points and 66 yards rushing, Ronnie Brown could not get it in gear and Andre Carter looked more like a big money player. But they are going to need to do a lot better next week against the Eagles. The Dolphins are not expected to contend for anything and were opening a new season on the road with a new coach and a new quarterback. I'll leave the detailed analysis of the line play to Dillweed, but anecdotally it was not terrible. London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh were everywhere. Chris Chambers is awesome.

The offense on the other hand had a hard time. The run blocking was good but pass blocking was iffy, granted the longtime right tackle was out most of the game. Again hopefully Dillweed will have some more detail for us in a day or two. I'm even more worried now that Jon is out. Todd Wade was inactive this week (shoulder) and we do not know who will start at right tackle in Philadelphia but Stephon, who has never played right tackle (op. cit.), did pretty good for himself. I am beginning to wonder how this guy went undrafted.

Santana Moss was never really a factor though I do not know if that has to do with Dolphins cornerback Will Allen or some other factor. Antwaan was there for Jason even if you take away the catch and yards from the hail mary. Clinton Portis is in fine shape. Brandon Lloyd is a paperweight.

The kicking games were good, Shaun Suisham was clutch with field goals and Derrick Frost knocked off a couple of good punts.

Cam Cameron and Trent Green were returning as former members (op. cit.) of the Redskins family. We wish them well now that they are off the schedule.

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Chattering class: Mike Wise talks poised Jason Campbell versus impulsive Jason Campbell and has an odd reference to an uncomfortable postgame interview with Clinton. Dude get over it we're behind you. Thom Loverro says there is a chip on Clinton's shoulder and I'll take one if it means 100 yards a game. Rick Snider says that when Clinton's manhood is called on, it er, comes out.

Tom Boswell was tabbed for the obligatory 'opening win is a great deodorant' piece. Not bad and if the running game can be as powerful as all that yesterday, Redskins fans will forget the anemic preseason attack, which is maybe intentional anyway. Les Carpenter puts it in A section context:

It is far too soon to know if this Redskins team has truly shaken the problems of last season...A better test will come next Monday night against an NFC East division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles -- a team that will be more familiar with the Redskins players and Gibbs's philosophies. Yet there was a sense after the game that this has less of a chance of being like last year: a season that fell apart after the team lost five of its first seven games and never recovered.

Redskins blogs: Hogs Haven; Running Redskins, I take some minor exception to Master4Caster here and not sure if I will drop it in a comment on his blog or if I'll write it up here; The Redskin Report; Hog Heaven; Redskins AOL Fanhouse (lol w/ the Mark Rypien reference); Bram Weinstein's Covering the Redskins, money quote:

Amazing stat of the day, the Redskins with an undrafted rookie at right tackle, a left tackle who hadn't played since December and a guard who two weeks ago played for the Jets rushed for 165 second half yards against a team [whose defense] was ranked 4th in the NFL a year ago..

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Omnibus: putative fifth cornerback Leigh Torrence got in the game but fourth corner David Macklin did not. Leigh plays on special teams which served as a good reminder to players that special teams is a third of the game and when you are not a star you want to get in the game any way you can.

Also Marcus Washington must be pretty well recovered from his dislocated elbow (ouch!) as backup strongside linebacker Randall Godfrey never got in the game.

Todd Wade, who backed up Jon Jansen at right tackle last season, did not play as Jon's place was taken by rookie Stephon Heyer so between the cornerbacks and offensive line I need to rework my depth charts.

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Building on the success of last season's Curly R gamewrap regular features Duckett Watch, B-Lloyd Blues, Being Mark Brunell and Arch Deluxe, The Curly R is pleased to debut its first three gamewrap regular features for the 2007 season, Area 51, Mason Nation and Freddie Your Cruise Director. Others may appear as the season wears on, depending upon who has the best luck, the worst luck and who amuses me.

Area 51: LaRon Landry had a couple of good hits, separating Marty Booker at one point from both the ball and the ground. I did not see Sean Taylor level anyone though several times I did see him hustling up from the defensive backfield to help out with run support and underneath routes. When Sean comes up the play stops, bad things happen in the Graveyard.

Freddie Your Cruise Director: as noted above, Loveboat Freddie started opposite Carlos Rogers and ahead of Shawn Springs so I may have lots of material this season. Loveboat Freddie dropped a sure interception in the fourth quarter (op. cit.) and while it was too bad he did not it was good to see him on position and defensing the pass. He was also called for an illegal contact early in the fourth on a play that would have brought up 3rd and long deep in Dolphins territory. Ultimately it was a harmless foul as Miami wound up punting.

Mason Nation: my man Marcus Mason was inactive for his first NFL game.

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Washington Post recap, box score, full play by play. NFL recap, box score, full play by play, Gamebook (PDF), photos.


A win, next up, Eagles on MNF. Lifetime Eagles fan, season ticket holder and Curly R reader/lurker Wilbert Montgomery and I will be in attendance in the heart of South Philadelphia.



Antwaan Randle El & Clinton Portis after Clinton's 3rd quarter touchdown: Win McNamee / Getty Images from here. Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb: Reuters Pictures from here. Man that guy would look good in burgundy and gold.