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Redskins are better than they were last year for sure but they are not back to the old days of Gibbs.
Washington lost, but they battled a very good team on the road right down to the last second, and only a great defensive play kept the game from OT. Washing out played the Broncos in every part of the game, but the scoreboard. I am really excited about this team as they appear to be getting better and better each week.
Redskins 19 at Broncos 21
DENVER (AP) - The offense wasn't moving. Denver was facing overtime in the icy, bitter rain. Linebacker Ian Gold stuck his hand out, knocked down a pass, and with that, the Broncos showed that Washington isn't the only team that can find odd and ugly ways to win the close ones.
Gold knocked away Mark Brunell's 2-point conversion pass with 1:09 left Sunday to help Denver hang onto a 21-19 victory and keep the Redskins from adding yet another fantastic finish to their charmed season.
"Later in the season, you don't remember how they came, you only remember it's a win," said Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, held to 92 yards passing in the driving rain.
The problems that plagued Plummer, however, didn't bother Brunell.
He went 30-for-53 for 322 yards and drove the Redskins 94 yards for the touchdown - an 11-yard pass to Chris Cooley - that pulled Washington (3-1) within two.
On the conversion try, Brunell spotted David Patten open in the back of the end zone for a moment, but Gold came over and batted down the pass to prevent a possible overtime.
"You saw what his speed and athleticism will do," Broncos linebacker Al Wilson said. "It was a of a play."
The Redskins won their first three games by a total of six points, including a grinding 20-17 overtime win last week that came only after Seattle kicker Josh Brown hit the upright on the last play of regulation. This time, though - no great finish.
"This one is going to hurt, it's supposed to hurt," Brunell said.
While Gold's big play saved the game, Tatum Bell made the difference for Denver (4-1) the rest of the time, rushing for 127 yards and two long scores to help the Broncos to a 21-10 lead.
In the first quarter, Bell took a toss on fourth-and-1 and faked out Phillip Daniels en route to a 34-yard score. That stood as Bell's longest career run until the third quarter, when he burst through the Washington defense on a sweep for a 55-yard touchdown to put the Broncos ahead by 11.
"I just have to keep working," said Bell, demoted behind Mike Anderson in training camp this year. "I don't want to just be a 'one-game wonder.' I want to be the starter."
The Broncos won their fourth straight despite missing Champ Bailey, who sat out his second straight game with a sore hamstring. It put a damper on what was supposed to be the first meeting between him and Clinton Portis since the Redskins and Broncos pulled off a blockbuster trade and swapped the two stars before last season.
Portis, a flamboyant and temperamental playmaker during his two years in Denver, ran for 103 yards on 20 carries for the Redskins and was booed pretty much every time he touched the ball.
"My fans don't boo me in Washington and that's the only fans I look for to cheer for me," he said.
Cheers or boos, there was no denying Portis wasn't nearly as big a factor as Bell.
The Broncos acquired Bell last year with a second-round pick Washington threw in to complete the Bailey-Portis trade, and Bell finally cashed in on the potential he showed signs of during his injury-plagued rookie season.
His big plays were needed.
Denver gained only 257 yards and managed 11 first downs. Plummer went 10-for-25, a sloppy showing that wasn't nearly as efficient as he'd been in Denver's last two wins.
He was as happy as anyone that the defense held at the end.
"We'd been standing there a long time," Plummer said. "It would have been hard to get back out there as an offense and get back ready for overtime."
Brunell, meanwhile, looked at home in the rain. In the end, though, the Redskins had a number of missed opportunities to bemoan in such a close game.
A false-start penalty nullified what would have been a 54-yard field goal by Nick Novak - a good kick given the conditions - at the end of the first half. In the third quarter, Washington moved into field goal range again, but Trevor Pryce got a hand on Novak's kick.
Washington also had a safety taken away courtesy of the famous "tuck rule." Plummer lost the ball near his goal line and recovered in the end zone where he was tackled, but officials overruled the play, saying Plummer's arm had been moving forward when the ball slipped from his grasp, making it an incomplete pass.
"We had enough mistakes to actually go out and lose this game," Portis said. "We hurt ourselves."
Notes
Denver improved to 4-1 or better for the seventh time in Mike Shanahan's 11 seasons with the Broncos. ... Washington's lost fumble was the only turnover of the game and the Redskins' turnover ratio fell to minus-5.
Team Statistics
Redskins Broncos
First Downs 28 11
Rushing 7 6
Passing 18 4
Penalty 3 1
3rd-Down efficiency 6-15-40% 4-14-29%
4th-Down efficiency 0-0--% 1-1-100%
Total net yards 447 257
Total plays 79 54
Average gain 5.7 4.8
Net yards rushing 125 165
Rushes 26 28
Average per rush 4.8 5.9
Net yards passing 322 92
Completed-attempted 30-53 10-26
Yards per pass 6.1 3.5
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 0-0
Had intercepted 0 0
Return Yardage 109 74
Punts-returns 3-24 0-0
Kickoffs-returns 3-85 4-74
Interceptions-returns 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 10-67 6-43
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0
Time of Possession 33:49 26:11
Redskins are better than they were last year for sure but they are not back to the old days of Gibbs.
No offense... Lucky to be 3-1. They'll finish somewhere around 6-10.
Skins are a miracle away from being 2-2 right now.
That was a good game Jim. The fight that hasn't been there in years is there. That in itself is a good sign.
They showed good poise in a hostile environment.
The Skins are a miracle and a couple of field goals away from being 0-4 right now, but that's going to happen, because their defense is pretty good.
They are also a fingertip away from being 4-0...so what is your point?
I would rather have a team that plays great in crunchtime than a team that blows out every other opponent. Point differential is overrated, imo.
I look at the Rams from 2001. They had a point differential of 240 points but they weren't used to grinding it out. They barely beat an inexperienced but tough Eagles team in the NFC Championship game. And eventually, they lost to a battle tested Patriots team that had only a 99 point differential for the regular season.
There were other teams that had huge point differentials but couldn't win the Super Bowl (last years Colts and the Vikes with Randall Cunningham). But I look at the Rams as the best example because they had a very good defense. They just were not used to playing in close games and I think that is why they lost the Super Bowl.
Jim is right, I feel great about yesterdays game also they showed heart and some "O" I think the Skins are the surprise team so far and will only get better. Plus F#@k the cowboys!!!!!!!!!!
Um. Their defense is pretty good. That was my point. You Foreskins fans are kind of dense.
I'm still not convinced about the offense and Brunnell yet. It's an improvement over their previous performances, but lots of yards means nothing when you can't get the ball in the painted area.
- Charly Brown's teacher
Charlie Brown couldn't kick the ball with the game on the line...
He could if Lucy was not the holder.Charlie Brown couldn't kick the ball with the game on the line...
I believe the correct phrase is . . . "whanh-whanh-whanh-whanh-whaaaaaaah".
Okay, Pollyanna Jim. What are you willing to bet that you will still be happy with Brunnell's performance (assuming he stays injury-free) by the end of the year?
I will bet, barring injury, that almost every Skins' fan will be more than happy with Mark.
Joe Gibbs is only coach to win 3 SBs with 3 different QBs, so he obviously knows how to get the best out of that position.
So what is Gibbs going to do about Arrington?
I say either play him or trade him (if it's still possible). You can't let him waste away on the sideline. Why can't Arrington be more like Ken Harvey?
As you might imagine, this is the #1 topic on DC sports radio. No one outside of the team knows what the is going on.
Fortunately, the situation is not as ugly as it could be because, surprisingly, Arrington is not really sqawking. I don't expect that to last much longer, though.
Redskins Notebook
Arrington Says He's in the 'Doghouse'
By Leonard Shapiro
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Page E06
Saying, "I've put myself in the doghouse somehow," Washington Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington has no idea why he's not playing and vehemently disagreed with defensive chief Gregg Williams's assertion last week that players who want to be on the field Sunday "have to do it in practice."
During his weekly appearance on "The John Thompson Show" on WTEM radio, Arrington said yesterday: "Like Coach Williams says, I've got to show them in practice. Well in practice, give me some reps [repe ions] so you can see what I can do. If you're not going to play me, then don't play me. Just don't make things up about why I'm not playing. I'm healthy. I'm of sound mind and body. Don't try to slander me. It's being insinuated that I'm not smart enough to play this defense. That's absurd.
Despite being aggressive, the defense has not created any turnovers in the last three games.
Notebook: LaVar Arrington says he is in the 'doghouse' and he doesn't know why.
The defense has looked vulnerable against the run.
Tony Kornheiser: Where is LaVar Arrington?
Shawn Springs and Walt Harris will likely play against Kansas City.
"If you have a guy that you say he needs to prove he knows the schemes, if he doesn't do much of anything, how do you get the opportunity to see if he's improved. That's where I'm at."
Arrington, a three-time Pro Bowl player, was on the Redskins' active roster but did not play in the team's 21-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The week before against Seattle, he was in on two plays.
Coach Joe Gibbs said on Monday he hopes Arrington will play more. He said he didn't play against Denver because he did not figure into the game plan against a team that runs deceptive cutback plays and often throws from outside the pocket.
"If I was making an educated guess, if you go six plays to four plays to two plays to no plays, I would say it's going the opposite way," Arrington said, when Thompson asked him if there was a chance he would play more this season. "As far down as I can go is being inactive. I haven't been put on the inactive list yet. I don't know if it's something they're planning. . . . I'm watching the game [Sunday] and I know in my heart I can make a difference.
"When you see close games being won and close games being lost, it's difficult. I was someone this organization leaned on to get through these type of games. It's still 12 weeks to go [in the regular season]. It doesn't seem like this is going to change any. I don't know how to take it, or how to react to it. . . . I'm not someone content on collecting a check. It's what I've been reduced to."
Arrington also indicated he would have no problem playing on special teams if he was asked to do so.
"I approached [special teams coach] Danny Smith," he said. "If he wants me to do something, let's have it. I'm with it. I just want to help. . . . I'm not playing because I can't play. I don't know why I'm not playing. . . . If they put me out there to hit somebody, that's what I'll do.
"I'm to the point now that it's overshadowing what we're doing. I hate that this is where we're at. I'd rather know why I'm in the position I'm in. . . . I can handle you telling me. It's not telling me."
Injury Updates
The Redskins got good news on two fronts, learning that starting cornerback Shawn Springs had no structural damage to his bruised shin and that place kicker John Hall's injury is exactly what they thought it was, a strained quadriceps in his kicking leg.
Springs bruised his shin in practice last Thursday and aggravated the injury in the first quarter of the loss Sunday to the Broncos. After having difficulty pushing off, he missed the final three quarters and was replaced by Ade Jimoh.
The Redskins got back the results of Springs's Monday MRI exam, and Bubba Tyer, the team's director of sports medicine, said it confirmed there was no bone break. Springs will be treated for swelling in his lower calf and Tyer indicated his status likely will be listed as day-to-day.
Hall, who hasn't kicked since the season opener against the Bears, sought a second opinion on his quad injury from Stephen Haas, a Washington orthopedist who is team physician for the Washington Wizards.
"It's the same thing we've been saying," Tyer said. "It's a strained quad. It's getting better. He'll increase his kicking this week. We just need to be cautious in how he practices. Over-kicking would be non-productive. We'll just see how it goes."
Rookie Nick Novak, who scored the game-winning extra point against Dallas and the game-winning field goal against Seattle, almost certainly will handle the kicking chores again this week at Kansas City. Novak also nailed a 53-yard field goal at the end of the first half in Denver, but it was negated by a Washington penalty. The Redskins did not attempt a 58-yard kick; Gibbs indicated he thought that was out of Novak's range, especially on a raw, rainy afternoon.
The Redskins also expect to have starting cornerback Walt Harris back in practice today when they begin full-scale preparations for the Chiefs. He has been out the last two games with a calf injury and could return to the lineup Sunday. Tyer said running back Clinton Portis suffered a mildly bruised calf against the Broncos, but should be able to play.
Must have been nice to go up against 3 rookie db's. made brunnell look like a stud.
The Chiefs will fall.
Go Redskins Go!
Brunell continues to suprise me. Props to the man.
a record is what it is.
every team gets lucky. every team wins and loses close games.
what is your teams record? That is all that matters.
although points allowed, rushing yards gained and given up, and 3rd down conversions gained and given up are just as critical in deterimining how 'truly good' a team is...along with turnover ratio. we all know this, but i will look up these stats for the nfc east and report back...
and if your a cowboy, giant or eagles fan?
our teams will meet again, so I'll let the play on the field speak for itself.
May the Best Team Win. as it was, as it is, as it should be.
Arrington should be traded to the Vikings for their TE (klessenger, or something, i forget) and a high draft pick...AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
i'd say arrington and our day two draft picks for the te and the vikings #1.
and i said this along time ago on the redskins board cuz i knew they would struggle this year.
and i'd trade Ramsey and Samuels for draft picks and/or an upgrade at LT.
but that' s just the gm in me.
i'm throwin the chiefs in there cuz that's who the Redskins play this week and i'm throwin tampa cuz i think they are the top teams in the nfl...
i was gonna put philly, but i think they are off this week and they don't have a head to head preview which is where i'm pullin all this from on nfl.com...
anyhow...for your viewing pleasure...
CHIEFS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 135.3 yards per game (4th); Passing Offense - 210.0 ypg (18th); Total Offense - 345.3 ypg (11th). Rushing Defense - 94.5 ypg (8th); Passing Defense - 273.3 ypg (30th); Total Defense - 367.8 ypg (27th).
REDSKINS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 133.5 yards per game (6th in NFL); Passing Offense - 233.5 ypg (12th); Total Offense - 367.0 ypg (8th). Rushing Defense - 103.8 ypg (15th); Passing Defense - 178.3 ypg (6th); Total Defense - 282.0 ypg (5th).
GIANTS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 115.8 yards per game (15th in NFL); Passing Offense - 237.3 ypg (11th); Total Offense - 353.0 ypg (9th). Rushing Defense - 103.3 ypg (14th); Passing Defense - 322.0 ypg (31st); Total Defense - 425.3 ypg (31st).
COWBOYS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 115.4 ypg (16th); Passing Offense - 255.4 ypg (7th); Total Offense - 370.8 ypg (7th). Rushing Defense - 95.8 ypg (10th); Passing Defense - 202.0 ypg (16th); Total Defense - 297.8 ypg (10th).
BUCCANEERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 130.2 ypg (8th); Passing Offense - 188.6 ypg (24th); Total Offense - 318.8 ypg (19th). Rushing Defense - 61.6 ypg (1st); Passing Defense - 157.0 ypg (3rd); Total Defense - 218.6 ypg (1st).
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