Samuels: Solid Performance In Opener
By Gary Fitzgerald
Redskins.com
September 13, 2004
Last season's Week 6 game against Tampa Bay had bothered Chris Samuels for nearly a year. In that game, a 35-13 Redskins loss, the Buccaneers' Simeon Rice recorded four sacks. Only one came against Samuels, but the Redskins' left tackle still felt like he had let his team down.
In Sunday's season opener against Tampa Bay, Samuels again was lined up against Rice, who has 30.5 sacks in the last two seasons.
This time, Rice was a non-factor in the game's outcome, as Samuels kept him from pressuring Mark Brunell.
"I was really anxious to play," Samuels said. "There was a lot of electricity in the stadium and I wanted to get the season off strong. It was a hard-fought game. I don't know where I got the strength from, but I just kept fighting."
Samuels earned Pro Bowl nods in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, but by his own admission, the 2003 campaign was a struggle. Late in the season, he injured his knee and had to miss three games.
All of that changed when Joe Gibbs returned to the Redskins. Gibbs, of course, brought with him the architect of "The Hogs," Joe Bugel. They bring an entirely different offensive philosophy than the previous coaching staff.
It started in preseason, when the Redskins offense allowed only three sacks in five games. The momentum carried into Sunday's season opener, a 16-10 win. The Redskins pass protection units shut down an imposing Tampa Bay defensive line that included Rice, Anthony McFarland and Greg Spires. The Bucs did not record any sacks.
The Redskins emphasized the ground game on Sunday, allowing the offensive lineman to establish themselves against the Bucs' defenders. For the game, the Redskins rushed 39 times for 166 yards. Brunell passed just 24 times.
Count Samuels among those who are optimistic about the new offensive approach.
"We're happy to run the ball," Samuels said. "We're the 'Dirtbags' up front. We don't get the glory, but we're going to respect each other and all of our teammates. We all had a job to do and each individual came up big."
Said Bugel: "Chris had a tremendous chip on his shoulder because the last few years weren't good for him. But he had a tremendous offseason. He came into training camp under 300 pounds and he's in super shape. He's learning what it takes to be a great tackle in this league. He's off to a roaring start now."
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