Costly Win

Good thing this guy is a four game quarterback

Takeaway drill: cold night, sloppy game, injuries, defensive struggle, weak running, penalties, one great relief performance, Shawn Springs alive, Jason Campbell is done; Bernard Berrian has great hands.

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Monday Friday walkthrough: The Redskins win a subdued game against the Bears in the cold with lots of penalties and a few exciting plays, move to 6-7 and still unbelievably in the playoff hunt. Both starting quarterbacks are knocked out and it looks like Jason Campbell's season is over with a dislocated left kneecap.

The Bears elected to receive in the first quarter and opened up in a no huddle offense but could only manage 15 yards of offense before punting. The Redskins did no better with a three and out. On the next possession two Bears offensive linemen got their feet tangled up and Cornelius Griffin poured through the line, tackling quarterback Rex Grossman low as he fell. Rex's left knee bent at an awkward angle and Rex left the game not to come back. Brian Griese replaced Rex but could not give the team a spark and they punted after which the Redskins had another three and out. On their next possession the Bears started with good field position but stalled at the Redskins 30 before trying a 48 yard field goal. Backup second year defensive tackle Kedric Golston, a started his rookie year, leaped high and got a piece of it and it missed. The Redskins answered with a no huddle drive of their own but could only manage 33 yards before Shaun Suisham's 48 yard field goal try was just short. The Bears had one more shot but three and outed and the quarter ended on Redskins ball and the score tied at 0-0.

The Redskins season took a major turn in the second quarter. The Redskins continued their drive which ended in a missed 48 yard Shaun Suisham field goal. At this point it looked like no one wanted to win. The Bears then mounted a sustained five and half minute drive before...punting. The Redskins got the ball back on their 20 and on 2nd and 10 from the 20 Jason Campbell was forced left out of the pocket. Cradling the ball in his right (inside, throwing) hand, Jason was hit by defensive back Brandon McGowan as he went out of bounds. Jason took a shot right on the forearm and the ball popped out, Jason's 13th fumble in 13 games, but it went out of bounds and the Redskins retained possession. Jason's throwing arm was visibly hurt and he came out and in came Todd Collins, for one play before the Redskins punted.

The Bears actually went backwards three yards on their next possesion, Jason came back in the game and three and outed but not before Chris Cooley got banged on the shin and left the game. On the next play, 3rd and nine from the Redskins 33, Jason was pressured from the left, tried to roll right and had 600 pounds of humanity roll his left leg as he went down. In agony Jason grabbed his left knee and it was obvious on the TV screen that his kneecap was er, not where it should be. After a long pause Jason was carted off the field, trying to flash a strong fist but it just looke dlike he was in pain. Once again Todd Collins was back in the game.

The Bears three and outed and the Redskins got the ball back with 1:40 left in the half. On 3rd and six from the Chicago 37 Bears defensive end Mark Anderson got around left tackle Chris Samuels and batted the ball from Todd's hands, the Bear recovered. After moving 22 yards on two plays and calling their second timeout, Brian Griese hung one out for Devin Hester, Shawn Springs gambled and jumped the route, intercepted the ball and ran 53 yards with it, nearly scoring. On the next play Todd Collins threw a perfect touch pass to Todd Yoder who dragged Chicago defenders over the line to score a touchdown, the game's first point.

But the half was not over yet. Shaun Suisham kicked away from Devin Hester and the Bears had the ball back at their 38 with 12 seconds in the half. Brian went long to Devin Hester but Shawn Springs beat him to it for his second interception in two Bears plays, his first two of the season.

Todd Collins ran a screen to Clinton Portis to end the half, Redskins winning 7-0.

The Redskins opened the third quarter by going all the way down the field in five plays before Mike Sellers goes over left guard for a touchdown. The key play on this drive was a screen to Clinton Portis, *pew* 54 yards down to the one. The Bears then went on a 10 play drive 75 yard drive and the Redskins defense held deep and forced a 30 yard Robbie Gould field goal. On this sloppy drive LaRon Landry reminded Redskins fans that Sean Taylor was not the only hitter on this team, drawing a 15 yard late hit penalty with a crushing hit on Muhsin Muhammad. The Redskins then three and outed, when the Bears got the ball back they went 31 yards in two plays before Brian Griese tossed a corner pattern to Bernard Berrian in the end zone. It was ruled incomplete, the Bears challenged and the play was reversed, touchdown Bears. The Redskins got the ball back and moved to midfield when the quarter ended, Redskins winning 14-10.

The Redskins continued that drive into the fourth quarter, Todd Collins was 6 for 8 on this drive which ended with a Shaun Suisham 23 yard field goal. The Bears got the ball back and switched to no huddle full time and it was apparent the Redskins defense was starting to get winded. The Bears got all the way down to the Redskins one yard line but Cornelius Griffin poured in from the right side and not that Adrian Peterson the other Adrian Peterson for a three yard loss. From there Brian Griese went for Greg Olsen twice before kicking a 22 yard chipshot field goal which was good for the Redskins but sucked for me since Greg is on my fantasy team. The Redskins got the ball back with 6:43 left and tried to milk the clock on a 54 yard drive. On 3rd and six from the Bears 16 yard line Todd Collins threw a low burner over the middle to Ladell Betts, a pass that just went through the arms of Brian Urlacher but was caught for a touchdown.

Trailing by seven points with 2:42 left in the game and with no timouts, the Bears went 56 yards in 14 plays to the Redskins four yard line but could not stick it in and needing two scores went ahead and kicked another chipshot, a 21 yard field goal. The onsides kick was kicked out of bounds, Todd kneeled once and it was over, Redskins win 24-16.

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Soapbox: well isn't that just a shit bummer. Jason Campbell dislocated his left kneecap on a night when the injury bug was on both benches and it looks like he will be done for the season. I hope Jason is taking all his lumps as an NFL starter now with the maturing, the turnovers, the big games, the humbling, the late game drives and now the big injury, and comes back next season rip roaring and ready to go.

These teams were incredibly well matched, they were like identical twins with solid defense, crappy running game and spotty passing game. Overall both were pretty bad, neither of these teams deserves based on performance alone to get to the playoffs.

The devastating hit LaRon Landry laid on Muhsin Muhammad in the third quarter was uncalled for to be sure but it did not affect the outcome and so it becomes a great statement about the post Sean Taylor Redskins defense: we hit too. If Sean was watching, he smiled.

Both of those tight catches by Bernard Berrian, the one falling out of bounds on the sideline and the touchdown, both in the third quarter? Shawn Springs could not have defended those passes any better, Bernard just managed to pull them in, they were both great catches.

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Chattering class: Mike Wise at the Washington Post:

Maybe Collins has got something left in those 36-year-old bones. Maybe Portis is still intent on carrying the Redskins. Who knows, maybe yet another return to hard-hat football -- the kind of man-up offense Gibbs still wants to run in an arts-and-crafts league -- will carry the day once more and shock the Giants in New York next week.

Michael Wilbon calls the Bears

...inadequately prepared and utterly inept, to the point even of being an embarrassment to their profession.

I don't know if I would go that far. They looked little worse than the Redskins...oh I guess that would be the point.

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Omnibus: Jason Campbell's dislocated left kneecap will not need surgery but I can't believe he will come back this season, the Redskins have been through so much. If there ever was a time when fans were not yelling for a guy to get back out there it is the 2007 Redskins.

Who's at fum Southie? Is at Tawd Cawlins, fackin Tawd Cawlins fum Wahpole? After hearing Todd's postgame comments and his Boston accent my respect for him jumped a few points. Todd was 15 of 20 for 224 yards and two touchdowns. His passes had great touch, they floated. That is something Jason Campbell is still work on and as I discussed after the game with my neighbor, the Redskins are inextricably tied to large framed strong armed quarterbacks that can throw the screen, the deep and the bomb but not the intermediate touch pass: Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Gus Frerotte, Patrick Ramsey.

Cornelius Griffin's hit on Rex Grossman was low and he may be fined for it. That it was an unfortunate hit does not change the fact that the Bears have completed the standard post Super Bowl loser not making the playoffs deflation.

Shawn Springs almost did not go, in fact his pads were not even in his locker. As usual he is hurt but good on him with two interceptions.

Stephon Heyer is a massive man. He started in place of Todd Wade aka Big Head Todd aka Eight Ball and Stephon looks like he has about an eight foot wingspan. I saw him standing next to Clinton Portis and he made Clinton look like a little kid. If they can craft this Heyer kid into a real NFL offensive lineman that would be awsum.

The Redskins red zone defense continues to be excellent. The Bears drove inside the Redskins 20 yard line four times, coming away with one touchdown (that needed a challenge reversal to count) and three field goal and two of those times Chicago got inside the Redskins five yard line and as a Redskins fan I can tell you how frustrating that is.

Randy Thomas was back from the triceps injury that happened in game two but went out in the first quarter with an elbow injury (op. cit.).

Last night's game was the lowest attendance at Redskins Stadium since 2004. Also, safety Adam Archuleta, traded to the Bears after last season for a sixth round pick, was booed when he made a tackle. I say lay off Adam, he's been benched, he's obviously on the way down (both from here).

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Area 51: with all respect intended LaRon is not disappointing as the new hitter. LaRon laid some devastating hits and although the 15 yard late hit penalty hurt the team it did not affect the outcome and it sent a message: just because Sean Taylor is gone don't think you can get comfy in our backfield. I saw Reed Doughty hustling as well, he can make a hit when he gots an angle.

Freddie Your Cruise Director: disclaimer I thought Fred Smoot played well and was gutty coming back from an arm injury but never have I see so many weak arm tackles. When we spotted Loveboat Freddie on the sideline in the third quarter my neighbor laughed and speculated that Loveboat Freddie had finally busted something leading with his arm.


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

Other recaps: Hogs Haven, The Redskin Report, Hog Heaven game blogcast / recap, Redskins AOL Fanhouse, Covering the Redskins recap / stories to make you cry, Rich Tandler's quarterly reports: pregame-1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, review, Fake Todd Collins Blog.


Next up, the Giants who despite sucking early are still two and half games ahead of the Redskins. Eli Manning (lol).



Todd Collins and Todd Yoder after Todd caught a touchdown pass from Todd at the end of the first half last night: Toni L. Sandys / Washington Post from here.