Redskins 'Upset' Cowboys In Big D 26-24
New Head Coach Zorn and the Redskins made the Cowboys, the rest of the league, the media, and all of the pundits take notice and are not to be taken lightly. For much of the first half the Redskins dominated the game. Zorn appears to be learning from earlier mistakes within the game and from previous games. Last week Zorn learned that Suisham was an inconsistent kicker with limited range. Punting would have been the more prudent choice to pin the Cardinals back rather than provide Arizona with great field position after a potential missed kick. In this game, Zorn has learned that Suisham can't kick a short kick with hang time to the up back on a kick off. This miscue resulted in a Cowboys score.
It was interesting to note that Samuels had some difficulty at left tackle, while Jon Jansen (who was removed as the starting tackle) fared well. It appeared that Campbell felt more comfortable passing the ball this game. The ball was spread to multiple receivers including Thrash and Randel-El for touchdowns.
The defense mounted little in the form of a pass rush, but was able to coral Barber leaving the passing game on the shoulders of the secondary. It worked well until the second half. Once Springs and Smoot suffered injuries the game changed. Springs shut down Owens and forced Romo to look elsewhere for an open target in the first half. Smoot was also assigned to cover Whitten at times. When Smoot went down the Cowboys looked to exploit the match up of Owens vs. anyone else and Whitten vs. Marcus Washington. Shutting down Barber and Jones forced the Cowboys to become a one dimensional team.
The best thing the Redskins did was stick to the running game. It was similar to a playoff game in which the pounding of Portis and Betts would wear down an opponent. Gaping holes appeared in the second half. It almost seemed like old times as the Redskins ran towards the right on Jansen's side of the line. The Redskins were then able to apply a good mix of run and pass.
Andre Carter was able to record limited pressure, but once again Chris Wilson was able to get to Romo and disrupt the passing game with more success in less plays then Carter. Griffin's best years with the team appear to be behind him. Could it be possible that this season could be the last for Griffin and Daniels? Evans, Wilson, and Jackson seem to be able to fill in nicely at less cost and even apply greater pressure. Maybe Haynesworth from the Titans could be in the Skins future, but let's save this for another discussion.
The secondary's health is a constant concern this season and with a limited pass rush, something has to change to ensure that the Skins reach the playoffs. Poor coverage (due to injuries) and a poor pass rush is no recipe for a bright playoff picture, but today the Skins outcoached and outperformed the Dallas on the road. A true test of a team is the quality of the opponent and under what circumstances. The Redskins passed the test on the road vs. a team thought to be the favorite to head out of the NFC to the Super Bowl this year. Through every game the Redskins have improved. Next up are the Eagles in Philly for another good test and a division rival.
