Monday, November 19, 2007

...This Close


Growing pains

Takeaway drill: the Redskins do not humilate themselves but do give up another halftime lead; Jason Campbell has a big day; the defense almost won it; the offense almost won it; this game came down to a just a few plays; another offensive lineman is hurt; DeMarcus Ware overwhelmed Chris Samuels; I love TO on my fantasy team.

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Monday walkthrough: the Redskins lose to gracious hosts the Cowboys 28-23 in a game they could have won. Sean Taylor's absence hung over the team. Without him Tony Romo and Terrell Owens went long all day and the defense gave up plays deep.

Dallas got started in the first quarter with a drive to the Redskins 33 stalled and Nick Folk missed a 51 yard field. The Redskins responded to my wide eyed amazement by taking the excellent field position and moving down the field, scoring on 19 yard pass to Chris Cooley. On the following drive Cowboys center Andre Gurode botched his second snap sending the ball over Tony Romo's head. The ball bounced right into Tony's hands and as Cornelius Griffin was bearing down on him Tony tried to force the ball into Terrell Owens rather than throw it away. Shawn Springs and TO both went for the ball which popped into the air where London Fletcher pulled it down for an interception with an incredibly acrobatic leap. The Redskins however could not capitalize and punted, as did the Cowboys and the quarter ended 7-0 Redskins.

The Redskins opened the second quarter with a 64 yard drive that ended with Shaun Suisham's missed 49 yard field goal, this drive featured a nifty piece of trickery with Jason Campbell tossing the option to Antwaan Randle El who cut it back inside and found Chris Cooley open for 19 yards. Dallas took the ball on their 40 yard line and took more than seven minutes to go 60 yards and score on a 4 yard pass to TO. On this drive Andre Gurode botched another snap but Tony recovered and threw a first down pass to TO then TO burned Shawn Springs for 23 yards to set up the score. The Redskins responded with an all passing hurry up drive with 1:08 left in the half and netted a 45 yard field goal to end the half Redskins up 10-7.

The third quarter got off to an ominous start when DeMarcus Ware, who had been challenging left tackle Chris Samuels all day, went wide and got a hand on Jason Campbell, causing him to fumble where it was recovered by Dallas' Chris Canty (Wahoowa!). There was no damage as the Cowboys then punted. After a Redskins punt on the next Cowboys drive Tony Romo was intercepted by Rocky McIntosh but Dallas challenged and Rocky did not have possession when hitting the ground. On the next play safety Reed Doughty who was subbing for Sean Taylor committed a 51 yard pass interference penalty on Patrick Crayton. Before Washington could get their balance TO got London Fletcher turned around and walked right between Reed Doughty and Leigh Torrence for a 31 yard TD catch. As they did in the second quarter the Redskins answered a TD with a field goal to end the third quarter which ended with Dallas leading 14-13.

The Cowboys started the fourth quarter with the ball and moved quickly on mostly passing. After a false start left them at 2nd and 13 at midfield once again Terrell Owens got open down the middle in the seam between LaRon Landry and Reed Doughty and caught a 46 yard touchdown. For the third time Washington then responded to a Dallas touchdown with a field goal to keep the game to five points. On Dallas' next possession it went run run run Terrell Owens 52 yard touchdown catch. TO got open in the seam between Shawn Springs and Pierson Prioleau and took it home. The Redskins now down 12 with 7:42 to play moved down the field on all passing no huddle and went 74 yards for a Santana Moss TD catch to move it back to a five point deficit. The Redskins defense miraculously held and Dallas then punted.

The Redskins got the ball back with 2:51 left in regulation and all three timeouts. Jason Campbell moved the team to the Dallas 19 yard line needing a touchdown and on 3rd and 10 Terence Newman stepped in front of Antwaan Randle El and intercepted the pass. Dallas ran three straight times before punting. The Redskins last gasp started on the Washington 30 yard line with 0:34 left in the game. Jason moved the team 20 yards with no timeout before the final hail mary was swatted out of bounds, game over Dallas wins 28-23.

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Soapbox: count me amongst those Redskins fans that thought this might have been a thorough beating and I am proud of the team that it was not. That said the team's low expectations at this point are not something to be proud of.

THE REDKSINS SHPULD HAVE WON THIS GMAE!!!1!!1

As promised with the absence of Sean Taylor the Cowboys tested the Redskins deep and it worked with Tony and TO hooking up for 31, 46 and 52 yards. And a word for TO, the whole no one respects me thing is wearing thin. You are a star and you have found a place where no one gives a crap what you do off the field as Andy Reid and Bill Parcells did. Enjoy it and knock off the hurt look, it's ok to say I'm the man.

Jason Campbell is officially a keeper. With Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El still gimpy from injuries, Keenan McCardell off the street and apparently no one else with an eighty number Jason kept the team alive and threw for more yards (348) than any Redskins quarterback since before Joe Gibbs came back, further back than four years, Patrick Ramsey in 2003 also with 348.

I know the offensive line is banged up and the right side needs extra blocking from the tight ends and fullback but please, a little help one time, DeMarcus Ware really abused Chris Samuels yesterday.

This game was not plagued with bad coaching and poor management, the Redskins looked like they knew what they were doing.

The game came down to six plays, these plays will be detailed and examined later today only on Curly R.

5-5 is not loveable.

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Chattering class: I wonder if they will catch and change this typo from Jason La Canfora's Washington Post recap piece (op. cit., emphasis mine):

The conservative shackles were off, and he nearly matched Romo, one of the best passers in the league in just his second season as a starter. Campbell led a 74-play drive -- capped with a five-yard rocket to Moss in the end zone -- to get Washington to 28-23,..

Les Carpenter's obligatory front page A1 piece, mashed in between stories on the FBI hiding flaws in its ballistics testing for decades, how great news is not translating to great polling for president Bush and the Maryland legislature about to pass a 1.4 billion dollar tax increase.

Mike Wise lionizes Jason Campbell, as I have indicated he is a keeper and the Redskins can build around this guy. The Terence Newman interception late in the game was forgivable, it was not like the team was going to surprise anybody by passing in that situation, but we need to get the fumbling under control (see below). This is one are where Jason does bear a striking resemblance to Mark Rypien.

Tom Boswell is upbeat and reminds us there are three key road games coming up. In his view the loss yesterday was a hell of a lot better than the loss last week.

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Omnibus: Jason fumbled again, he has more fumbles right now than anyone in the league except Jon Kitna and Philip Rivers but the mistake did not hurt the team, the defense held and forced Dallas to punt on the ensuing drive.

Todd Wade was hurt in the third quarter and did not return, a left knee sprain, more will be known tomorrow.

Santana Moss and Chris Cooley had big receiving days, Santana with nine catches for 121 yards and Chris with eight for 89. Santana had a highlight worthy catch late in the third quarter, pulling in a sideline route with with only his right hand, tucking it in before falling out of bouds. Although Jimmy Farris and Reche Caldwell got in the game neither caught a pass, only Santana, Antwaan Randle El and Keenan McCardell, but there were 21 balls caught by receivers, easily a season high for the Redskins.

Clinton Portis only had 12 carries and 36 yards. He looked good in the first half and kind of disappeared in the second.

Mike Sellers got an unlikely highlight moment in the second quarter when he took a short pass from Jason Campbell and then hurdled a diving Terence Newman who was going in for the low tackle.

Since returning in 2004, two and change seasons, the Redskins are 17-14 when leading at the half. This season the Redskins have lost games to the Giants, Packers, Eagles and now Cowboys. That stat was 86-11 for Joe Gibbs' first time with the team from 1981 to 1992.

Before the game Chris Mortensen at ESPN reported that some Redskins players were unhappy with the team because Dan Snyder blocked them from obtaining all the tickets they needed for friends and family in favor of giving team acquired tickets to Redskins sponsors. The team has denied this report (op. cit.) but I sure as shit believe the story. Also David Elfin at the Washington Times alludes to Dan Synder's entourage hogging all the parking passes away from the DC traveling media.

Shawn Springs did not have a great game but who can blame him. His father is about to die.

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Area 51: Sean Taylor sat this game out with his twisted knee. LaRon Landry played well in his absence but the back of the Redskins coverage clearly suffers without Sean. LaRon had one great hit on Jason Witten in the fourth quarter. Jason Witten is larger than LaRon and LaRon put his shoulder on Jason Witten's ribs and introduced himself. LaRon also was burned on TO's second, third and fourth TD catches.

Freddie Your Cruise Director: Fred Smoot again played a solid game, the problems in the secondary were not with Loveboat Freddie but with the safeties. It is somewhat disconcerting just how many arm tackles by Shawn Springs and Loveboat Freddie are easily swatted away by opponents.


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


Other recaps: Greg at Hog Heaven, The Redskin Report, Jason La Canfora at Redskins Insider, Redskins AOL Fanhouse, Bram Weinstein's Covering the Redskins, Riggo's Rag. Rich Tandler's quarterly game blog: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th.


Next up, a trip to Tampa Bay where Jeff Garcia has the Buccaneers leading the NFC South and a really hot girlfriend because he's not gay and gay guys don't have hot girlfriends.



Jason Campbell: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images from here. Jeff Garcia and girlfriend Carmella DeCesare: uncredited photo from here.

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