For Joe Gibbs, this is old hat. But for a first-year Redskin like Mark Brunell, the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry, revived this week, is a sight to behold.
"In the preseason, the crowd was chanting, 'We want Dallas!'" Brunell said with a laugh. "I'm like, 'Hold on here. One at a time.'"
It's Dallas Week once more, and this time there's even more excitement in Washington as Gibbs and his old nemesis, Bill Parcells, square off at FedEx Field on "Monday Night Football." Even though Gibbs is immersed in scheming and preparing his team for an important NFC East game, a part of him enjoys the enthusiasm these battles generate.
"If we're fans — and I consider myself a fan — you want to see a big game," Gibbs said. "Something where a lot's on the line, there's history behind it. This game has all that. Those are the kinds of games you like to go to as a fan. I know our fans will be excited about it and hopefully help us."
The Redskins (1-1) are coming off a tough loss at Giants Stadium, where seven Washington turnovers handed the game to a weak Giants team. Among the few positives emerging from the contest was the fact that the Redskins had a chance to win in the fourth quarter despite the many miscues.
In addition, the team may benefit from the puncturing of Gibbs' mystique — this week there no longer was any sense that the Hall of Fame coach simply would pull some magic out and win games for the Redskins.
"It's not always going to be easy," linebacker LaVar Arrington said. "We're not always going to go out and things fall into place. Guys aren't going to lie down because it's the Joe Gibbs era. We've got to go out and play. We have a bulls-eye on us, just because our coach is a legend."
It remained unclear at midweek which quarterback would play, Brunell or Patrick Ramsey. Brunell is nursing a hamstring injury that knocked him out in the third quarter of the Giants game, while Ramsey threw three interceptions in his brief appearance. Gibbs was preparing as though Ramsey would play.
Ramsey, however, wasn't the only Redskin who committed turnovers. Brunell had an interception and a fumble. Running back Clinton Portis had two fumbles. And a host of other players on offense made little errors to kill Redskins drives, keeping Gibbs' famous offense largely stalled.
"We're more than capable," tight end Walter Rasby said. "We've got the skill people in place. We've got the line in place. We've got the quarterbacks in place. We've got the tight end in place. We've got everybody in place. It's just being consistent. Everybody's seen us do things the way we're supposed to do them — just not for any extended period of time."
With the first real worrisome performance pushing the Redskins through Dallas Week, it will be interesting to see if Gibbs can make the necessary corrections and have his team ready for this big game.
"The only way to fix stuff like that is practice, being real precise at it," Gibbs said. "To me, the best way to get yourself out of bad habits up here is to practice that way. So we put a special emphasis this week on everything that gave us trouble. Hopefully we'll work our way out of it."
SERIES HISTORY: Cowboys lead series 52-34-2, including playoffs. Washington's only win in the past 13 meetings came in the 2002 finale, when Steve Spurrier handed Dave Campo his last loss. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs was 12-12 against Dallas, including playoffs, in his first stint, and he went 6-11 against Bill Parcells when Parcells coached the Giants.
NOTES, QUOTES
The Redskins are being investigated by the league for potentially fudging their injury report. RT Kenyatta Jones was replaced by Ray Brown at Giants Stadium with no forewarning, and coaches said Jones sat because he had been limited in practice by bone chips in his ankle. Jones never appeared on any of the week's injury reports.
Coach Joe Gibbs argued this week that Jones didn't need to be listed, because he dressed and participated in full-squad drills each day.
"He could have played, and he was OK, but he missed some work early in the week," Gibbs said. "I can't remember what we did earlier in the week, but he was out there every day, he was in full gear every day, and he worked every day."
A violation would result in a fine.
—For Brown, it was an interesting adjustment to a position he hadn't played in more than a decade. Brown, at 41 the third-oldest position player in the NFL, has been a standout, even Pro Bowl, guard for years now, but as a Redskins backup he needs to be ready to play at the tackle positions, too.
The results at Giants Stadium were very solid. Brown held New York star defensive end Michael Strahan in check pretty much all day.
"For me, it's playing out in space," Brown said. "What I have to do is get on him and kind of feel like I'm in a crowd, or crowd him. At guard, everything happens on the first or second step. Where at tackle, you're out in space and guys are pretty athletic. I felt I'm a little stronger, a little bigger than him, so I tried to get in an area where I had an advantage."
—The constant questions about Gibbs' Hall of Fame credentials finally got under the coach's skin. You could almost see the hair stand up on the back of his neck this week when he was asked about tempering expectations in light of his resume.
"Listen, I've got to tell you the truth: I'm kind of fed up with that," Gibbs said. "Really and truly, me coming back here, I'm starting over. There's coaches in this league that have been here 12 years, doing great things. I haven't been. So for my part of this, I'm going to work as hard as I can, and do the best I can to put a good football team together.
"But to think that the coach is going to make a huge difference? Players make a difference. Making great plays makes a difference."
—It's been a tough summer for DE Phillip Daniels, who this week learned that he would miss 2-4 weeks with a torn muscle in his groin. The latest setback apparently stemmed from the abdominal strain that bothered him throughout training camp.
"I think one injury's compensating for the other," Daniels said. "When you overcompensate for one injury, other things happen. I've just got to be smart and realize that the teams that are winning in November and December are the ones that go to the playoffs. They need me for the long haul. They're doing pretty well without me right now. So hopefully I can get back soon, and when I do get back, I can help them out even more."
BY THE NUMBERS: 68 — the total yards the New York Giants generated in last weekend's second half. Although the Redskins' offense is struggling, Gregg Williams' top-ranked defense consistently is putting the team in position to win.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It was like a virus — everybody caught it. If it wasn't one person, it seemed like another. We just kept making (mistakes) over and over again. It hurt us." — WR Rod Gardner on the mistakes made by so many players in the Giants game. Besides seven turnovers, the Redskins struggled with interior O-line blocking, dropped passes, blown routes and penalties.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The biggest move is the one Washington isn't making — signing a replacement for injured DE Phillip Daniels, the starting right end who is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a torn groin muscle. The Redskins already cut Regan Upshaw in the preseason and now are expected to start Ron Warner, a four-year pro who has yet to start an NFL game.
The club did make a move this week, signing LB Michael Brown and cutting LB Devin Lemons. The move continued fairly extensive shuffling the Redskins have done at the bottom of the roster and on the practice squad. The team also cut K Ola Kimrin from the practice squad, showing confidence in the health of K John Hall even though Hall has a pair of strained hamstrings.
—QB Patrick Ramsey had three sacks in Sunday's loss to go with his three interceptions. Determining when to throw the ball and evading pressure continue to be among Ramsey's weak areas.
—C Lennie Friedman has had difficulty in two consecutive games. In Week 1, he botched two snaps. In Week 2, he allowed heavy pressure of the middle and was part of another misplayed exchange with the quarterback. The Redskins have veteran Cory Raymer in reserve, but he accidentally tripped Mark Brunell on one of his two snaps in Week 1.
—It's difficult to imagine LB Mike Barrow (knee) replacing Antonio Pierce in the lineup when he becomes healthy. Pierce enjoyed another outstanding game Sunday, batting down a pair of passes, assisting in run support and calling another solid game.
—CB Shawn Springs hasn't been tested much through two games. The much-scrutinized replacement for Champ Bailey has gotten involved in pass pressure but hasn't seen a lot of throws his way as teams have attacked CB Fred Smoot.
—P Tom Tupa continues to rank among the NFL's best with a 46.3-yard gross and 40.5-yard net. His performance is a boon to the Redskins as they play a game of field position while Joe Gibbs' offense struggles.
GAME PLAN: The Redskins' offensive key simply is to trim the mistakes. It starts with the quarterbacks but extends to RB Clinton Portis, who had two fumbles against the Giants. Portis clearly has been more comfortable on runs to the outside than on those to the middle—which could be problematic against an extremely fast Cowboys defense that generally doesn't get beat to the edge. If QB Patrick Ramsey starts, look for a more aggressive game plan that has a few deep tries to WR Laveranues Coles. If QB Mark Brunell is in, the Redskins probably will lean on Portis' runs and misdirection.
Defensively, the NFL's top-ranked unit is looking to continue its impressive play. The defense should continue its No. 1 ranking against the run given the absence of Julius Jones and the plodding late-career play of Eddie George. And QB Vinny Testaverde could be a statue for Washington's pressure—if the Redskins corners hold up their end of the bargain. This will be the biggest test to date for CBs Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot and Walt Harris, given the Cowboys' trio of strong receivers. Expect Gregg Williams to mix coverages and perhaps help Harris, who struggled last week against the Giants.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
Redskins LG Derrick Dockery, who struggled in this matchup last year, against Cowboys RDT La'Roi Glover, who has 61 1/2 career sacks and is one of the better interior rushers of his generation. Interior pass protection was a huge problem for Washington last week, though Dockery wasn't necessarily to blame. The Redskins must give plays time to develop.
Redskins RDE Ron Warner, who is expected to make his first NFL start, against Cowboys LT Flozell Adams, a solid, consistent starter. The Redskins are expected to miss injured DE Phillip Daniels, and their decision to play Warner at this spot, rather than pick up a proven veteran, could be an error. Warner will get a chance to prove he deserves the snaps.
INJURY IMPACT: QB Mark Brunell (hamstring) was on the fence at midweek. The Redskins need to pick a passer and go with him, because the offensive complexion changes when Patrick Ramsey subs in. Ramsey's errors to date will make for a nerve-wracking evening if he does start. Losing DE Phillip Daniels hurts. He's a character guy and has been strong at the point of attack. MLB Antonio Pierce has played well enough that the potential absence of Mike Barrow (knee) no longer is a concern. K John Hall (hamstrings) and LB LaVar Arrington (knee) both will benefit from the long week and should play.
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