After surrendering a quick 40 Yard TD to Marshall by cornerback Carlos Rogers on a double move, the Redskins came back to tie the score with a Campbell to Yoder 2 Yard TD. Orton came back to Marshall again for a 75 Yard strike for a TD due to poor communication in the secondary between Hall and the safety.
Hunter "the punter" delivered another impressive offensive performance as he threw a perfect strike to FB Mike Sellers for a TD on a fake FG to even the score at 14.
The defensive line began to pressure Orton and eventually a tackle by Orakpo led to Orton leaving the game. Orton twisted his body during the tackle and was also fallen on. The defense appeared much sharper in the second half and was aided by the rust of QB Chris Simms who replaced Orton.
The OL improved during the game and eventually settled into a groove as Betts began to find open lanes to run through especially on the left side where LT Levi Jones saw his first action of the season. During the summer The DC Sports Page mentioned that Jones should be signed to compete for the open RT position. His release from the Bengals wasn't due to performance but the inability to stay healthy as his contract expired last season. Jones performed well in pass protection and pancaked defenders on the run.
Surprised as many fans were to see the Redskins defeat the Broncos 27-17 at home; many fans were left scratching their heads why yet again in short yardage and 4th downs the Redskins chose to run wide/sweep play rather than run north south or use Sellers to obtain the first down. Later in the game Yoder was used as the FB rather than Sellars for Betts lone TD of the game.
The Redskins held their own with the exception of a few lapses on defense. A trick play, a solid Redskins running game and the short passing game kept the chains moving. The offensive play calling has more of a rhythm than earlier in the season, but still lacks the execution and consistency necessary to win many games. Campbell is still inaccurate with throws as well as indecisive. Devin Thomas drops almost as many balls as he catches and Stephon Heyer is still overwhelmed as a starter on the offensive line. The unsung hero of the game belongs to Levi Jones. Little did anyone hear his name called, but the steadiness and he brought to the OL provided the Redskins an opportunity to be more successful. The Redskins know what they have in their young receivers and quarterback for better or worse, but the stability and high level of play of Jones should garner greater attention with any future success along the OL and in the offense.
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