By Spence | September 22, 2008
This edition of Smoke Signals will also include by Quick Hitters thoughts about the game, something we will be doing in every Smoke Signals after a Redskins game.
The Redskins improved to 2-1 this season after their second straight home win [Jim Zorn is undefeated at FedEx Field!!], this one a 24-17 triumph over the visiting Arizona Cardinals, who fall to 2-1. I thought Zorn had a mostly good day. The play-calling in the red zone was sharp and the Skins continue to be able to throw and move the ball in the red zone. They were terrible in the red zone in the first half of the game against New Orleans, but in the second half of that game and the entire game against Arizona, Washington ran the ball and moved the ball well in the red zone. It’s a good development.
Two of Washington’s 3 touchdowns came courtesy of a clever adjustment by Zorn.
On the first score - Clinton Portis’s TD run - Zorn used the offical timeout to his advantage.
Bertrand Berry was hurt, and the Cards were a little short up front. Late in the stoppage Zorn pulled his spread formation people off, yanking receiver Devin Thomas and others, then sent his power personnel in, with just Santana Moss staying on the field as a receiver, and with two tight ends and a fullback.
He then threw out of that run formation, with Jason Campbell (more on him in a few paragraphs) showing great poise before passing to Todd Yoder for two yards. Then, Zorn sent the receivers back in, going with four wide, stretching that defense out, and running Portis behind the left guard for an easy TD (the Cards had only three defensive linemen on the field and there was all kinds of room to run).
Jason Campbell had another strong game, finishing with a passer rating of over 100 for the second straight week. He was accurate [23 completions in 31 attempts] and didn’t turn the ball over for the 3rd straight game. His 2 TD raise his total this year to 4 TD passes — 3 to Santana Moss. I also like the way Campbell tucked the ball twice and ran for big yardage right up the middle of the field. Campbell looks lighter on his feet and quicker, too. Campbell explained after the game that Zorn’s strenuous training camp forced him to lose 16 pounds and he’s down under 225 for the first time in a long time. It’s looking good right now, as Campbell has a 100.1 passer rating for the season, with 4 TD, no INT or fumbles, and he’s completing 66% of his passes. Those are All Star numbers. In the 4th quarter this season, Campbell is 23 for 32, [72 percent] for 331 yards and two TDs - a 125.9 passer rating. Those are superstar numbers. The season is still young and there is plenty of time for things to go sour, but right now, Campbell is playing like the quarterback the Redskins drafted him to be.
Clinton Portis’ numbers aren’t terribly impressive [21 carries for 68 yards and a TD], but he ran hard in the 4th quarter, picking up first downs when the Redskins really needed them. He also threw a few good blocks to pick up blitzing Cardinal defenders. Not a game Portis will put in a time capsule, but he played well enough when it counted to help the Redskins win. Backup Ladell Betts played very well in limited opportunities, averaging almost 6 yards a carry in 4 carries.
Santana Moss is healthy and that means he’s a star. Keeping Moss healthy has always been the key to his production and right now [knock on wood], Moss is healthy. He had a big game yesterday, despite never really getting the call for the deep pass. He caught several wide receiver screens and turned them into good yardage by fighting harder than you’d think he could with that little 5′9″ body of his. The 17-yard TD screen pass was not only a great call by Zorn, but the result of very tough running by Moss, who dragged multiple defenders into the end zone. His 6 straight games with a TD catch equals a team mark set by Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell back in 1964. I’ve written for years that the Redskins offense is just different when Moss is healthy and playing. He’s proving me right so far this year.
It’s a small point, but I still love the way WR James Thrash blocks downfield. He doesn’t get on the field much, but when he does, the Redskins are more likely to break a big run because Thrash repeatedly dominates whatever defensive back he is assigned to block. It’s impressive.
If Moss is the key to the Redskins offense, Shawn Springs is the key to the defense. The Giants took advantage of Springs’ absence in the season opener to repeatedly burn the secondary with passes to a tall wideout, Plaxico Burress. Yesterday, with Springs covering Anquan Boldin, Cardinals QB Kurt Warner just looked in another direction. Completing 70% of his passes in the first two games of the season, Warner barely completed 50% [16 of 30] yesterday. Boldin did catch a 4-yard TD pass, but that was when CB Fred Smoot was covering him and, as usual, giving up far too much space. For the game, though, Boldin caught only 3 passes for 25 yards, another great performance by Washington’s defensive leader, Shawn Springs. He’s not getting older, he’s getting better.
Although I grew frustrated by Defensive Coordinator Greg Blache’s unwillingness to blitz, I have to acknowledge that he called a good game. The Redskins flooded passing lanes with defenders and sent just the four down linemen to rush the passer on most plays. The result was that the Cardinals, who had a 10-game streak of scoring 20+ points [30+ points in 6 of those 10 games] were held to just 17 points. The Redskins also repeatedly used 3-safety sets in the secondary and dropped linebackers into coverage. The result was the Cardinals passing game was bottled up for the most part, but Arizona was able to run the ball more effectively. Blache probably bet that Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt wouldn’t have the patience to stick with the running game and he was right. So, kudos to Blache for calling a good game.
I thought rookie safety Chris Horton played well in those 3-safety sets, particularly underneath, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he takes Reed Doughty’s job from him before the end of this season. That’s a lot to ask from a rookie, particularly a 7th round pick, but Horton is playing like someone who should have been drafted much earlier.
Carlos Rogers is playing well this season and that interception and return was a thing of beauty. If Carlos Rogers is now catching the ball, we may have to reconsider all our prejudices! Fred Smoot still gives up way too much space to wideouts, though that may be on instructions of the coaching staff. Either way, it indicates a lack of confidence.
WLB Rocky McIntosh had a nice game, forcing a second fumble in two games, leading the team with 7 tackles and sharing a sack with DE Andre Carter. I thought McIntosh would take much longer to round into shape, but he’s playing well right now. This is perhaps the best football of his pro career.
I loved that Zorn is getting Chris Cooley into the game after bizarrely ignoring him in the season opener. Cooley had 7 catches for 72 yards, his second straight big game, and that 26-yard catch after the 2 minute warning was a beauty. Cooley showed unusual dexterity along the sideline and I was impressed that Zorn called the play when the standard procedure in that position is to just run the ball three times and punt. Cooley approves of Zorn’s aggressive play-calling.
Zorn’s a gunslinger. I wasn’t surprised. I was kind of hoping for it. I think everyone was excited in the huddle. I looked at the offensive line and said, “I promise I’m gonna get this first down for you guys.”
My only complaint with Zorn was calling that 52-yard field goal attempt late in the 4th quarter. That’s a tough field goal to make, particularly outdoors on natural grass. It’s not a kick Shaun Suisham is going to make very often and he didn’t make it. The miss set the Cardinals up in great field position at their own 42-yard line. The defense bailed Zorn out, but the correct call on 4th and 9 from the 34 yard line in that position is to pooch punt it or actually go for the first down. The field goal is the worst of those 3 options and Zorn picked it. He’s just lucky the defense wasn’t going to allow the Cardinals to tie the game.
Here are your game stats.
The Washington Post game review.
The Washington Times game review.
Post columnist Tom Boswell [who is writing about the Skins an awful lot] thinks cautious optimism is in order.
Post columnist Mike Wise writes about the impact Santana Moss is having on the Redskins offense.
Redskins players and coaches say things.
Washington Times columnist Dan Daly writes that the Redskins are finding it easier to find ways to win.
MMQB at The Washington Times answers a few questions about the Redskins.
London Fletcher used a little divine inspiration yesterday.
Redskinsblog has some nice postgame news and notes.
Rich Tandler blogged yesterday’s game.
The Curly R is pleased with another win.
more
Comment!