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Dolphins' luck runs out in opening loss to Redskins

BY JEFF DARLINGTON
jdarlington@MiamiHerald.com

LANDOVER, Md. -- Despite penalties, drops and other miscues, Miami was in a position to win Cam Cameron's debut. But the defense faltered badly in overtime.

Something wasn't the same. Unlike so many other times in their recent miserable past, the Dolphins' luck had not run out.

Even after quarterback Trent Green's pass with 28 seconds left in regulation should have been intercepted, even after the Redskins' Hail Mary almost worked, Miami was still breathing. Still surviving.

No way Miami could lose this one now, right? Not in overtime.

''When that happens, when fate seems to be on your side, you think you've dodged all of the bullets you need to dodge,'' Dolphins defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday said. ``We had a great opportunity. And we missed it.''

All that fortune. All gone to waste in a 16-13 loss at FedEx Field, the fourth time in the past five seasons Miami has dropped its first game.

Just when it seemed coach Cam Cameron's debut might have brought some long-absent good luck to his new team, something equally unexpected occurred: The reliable defense sputtered in overtime.

''In this business, the ball bounces funny,'' Cameron said. ``Sometimes, the difference between a great year and an average year is strictly on how the thing bounces.''

OWN WORST ENEMY

But even when the ball bounced the Dolphins' way at least three times Sunday, each of the opportunities wouldn't matter. That's because a poor running game, eight penalties, several drops and the failed defensive stand in OT was too powerful for a little bit of luck.

It didn't matter that Green's pass near the end of regulation bounced off the chest of cornerback Fred Smoot -- a wide-open field in front of him. It didn't matter that Redskins receiver Antwaan Randle El caught a Hail Mary attempt 3 yards short of the end zone before being pushed out of bounds by defensive end Jason Taylor.

Once Miami's defense allowed running back Clinton Portis to gain 34 yards on four carries during the winning drive in overtime, not even luck could override the lacking execution.

''It's not rocket science,'' Taylor said. ``You have to go kick somebody's [butt] and win the game, and we didn't do that. Especially in overtime. We got the ball run down our throat.''

Until the late-game drama, Sunday's season-opening game was generally dull. Still, at times, the Dolphins seemed to be aligning themselves for success. Even the Dolphins' secondary, which had just five interceptions last season, managed to intercept Jason Campbell's first pass.

And when Green found a passing rhythm in the second quarter that led to a brave touchdown with four seconds in the half, it sparked a level of optimism that Cameron's play-calling would be daring and different.

Rather than settling for a field goal, Cameron called a passing play on third down at the 1-yard line. Green hit tight end Justin Peelle -- typically used solely as a blocker -- for a touchdown and a 7-3 halftime lead.

''The bottom line is, we needed to score there and we scored,'' Cameron said, discounting any need for criticism on a play that would have been questioned had it failed.

And wide receiver Chris Chambers, coming off his most disappointing year as a pro, caught six passes for 92 yards.

''We really wanted to establish the run, but we weren't able to do that,'' Chambers said. ``So we just went back there and threw the ball. In this offense, if we have to throw the ball every down, we're going to do it.''

All of the other failures, however, would eventually negate the positive aspects the Dolphins first seemed to be building on. Running back Ronnie Brown, for instance, rushed for just 32 yards on 11 carries.

The offensive line failed to produce many holes for Brown or Jesse Chatman, resulting in 66 rushing yards on 20 carries for the team. Meanwhile, the Redskins' running game -- fueled by 98 yards and a score from Portis -- gained 191 yards, including 150 in the second half.

Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham accounted for the rest of the team's points, kicking three field goals, including a 39-yard game-winner on the first drive of OT after Washington won the toss.

SO CLOSE, SO FAR

''It's all frustrating,'' nose guard Keith Traylor said. ``It's not one particular play or one particular situation. Just the way the whole game went, it's just really frustrating.''

Perhaps most frustrating for the Dolphins was that even after Sunday's penalties (8 for 61 yards) and dropped passes (at least four), they still were in a position to win.

This time, not even a little bit of luck could help.

''They were messing up, and it was time for us to do something good and take advantage of it,'' linebacker Channing Crowder said. ``We were going to get on defense and beat them up. It never happened.

``Fortunately, we've got 15 more [games]. It's not the end of the world.''

''It's not rocket science,'' Taylor said. ``You have to go kick somebody's [butt] and win the game, and we didn't do that. Especially in overtime. We got the ball run down our throat.''

JSPB22 wrote:

''It's not rocket science,'' Taylor said. ``You have to go kick somebody's [butt] and win the game, and we didn't do that. Especially in overtime. We got the ball run down our throat.''

My personal favorite. :lol:

JSPB22 wrote:They had a real nice segment on NFL Match-up this week. Jaws said the Redskins' offense last Sunday was vintage Joe Gibbs. He said he thought he was seeing footage from '82. He then broke down two plays, one from the '80s and one from last Sunday to show our power running game. It was beautiful to watch, and reassured me that this is going to be our season. That is by far the best NFL analysis show on TV.

Justice Hog wrote:I just hope we can have a new addition of the "LOSER PAPERS" tomorrow after the Eagles game!

This 20-12 defeat leaves Eagles at a loss
By Aaron Knox
Philly.com Staff

Donovan McNabb no doubt will take the heat for the Eagles' 20-12 loss to the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field tonight, but he had plenty of help from his tentative receiving corps.

Not to mention a game plan that repeatedly insisted on throwing into the teeth of the Redskins' defensive strength, a physical and talented defensive backfield. That approach produced four David Akers field goals but no trips to the end zone.

After a last-ditch effort to tie the game died with two incomplete passes from the Washington 9-yard line, the Eagles find themselves in an 0-2 hole for the first time since 2003 and ripe for criticism.

Getting the ball at their own 20 with 4:52 to play, the Eagles used the passing game -- what else? -- to move downfield with their best drive of the second half. McNabb hit six different receivers on the drive, including the wide receivers. Jason Avant caught one for 18 yards. Reggie Brown had a 19-yard grab on a 4th-and-5 play to the Redskins 25 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Tight end Matt Schobel made a 12-yard reception to the Redskins 13.

But McNabb missed an open Kevin Curtis near the goal line on a 3rd-and-6 play from the 9 with 1:10 to play. Then Redskins rookie LeRon Landry delivered a hard hit on Curtis near the first down marker, forcing a drop, and that was it. The Redskins improved to 2-0, while the Eagles fell to an ugly 0-2 in games most thought they should win.

Clinton Portis ran for one score and quarterback Jason Campbell threw a touchdown pass to tight end Chris ey, and that was enough against an Eagles offense that has failed to score a touchdown in its first two games.

McNabb, making his 100th career start but just his second since ACL surgery on his right knee 10 months ago, was 28-of-46 for 240 yards, with 136 of those coming in the fourth quarter.

Brian Westbrook had 96 yards on 17 carries but ran just three times in the fourth quarter as the Eagles went almost exclusively to the air down the stretch.

Akers kicked his fourth field goal midway through the fourth quarter, but that was the extent of the struggling Eagles' scoring. Akers' 22-yard field goal with 6:30 to play marked the third time in the game the Eagles had driven inside the Redskins 10 but settled for three points. That's not counting the final drive when they came away empty.

Eagles receivers repeatedly failed to get separation against Washington's defensive backs, but the Eagles still threw the ball 46 times while calling just 18 running plays (McNabb also was forced to run twice).

Portis, meanwhile, scored on a six-yard run as the Redskins extended their lead to 20-9 earlier in the fourth quarter.

The Redskins marched 63 yards in eight plays for their second touchdown, which came when Portis ran wide left to score easily with 12:08 left to play. Brian Dawkins sustained a neck injury on the play before the touchdown when he tackled tight end Todd Yoder following an 18-yard gain. Dawkins did not return to the game.

After releasing safety/punt returner on Tuesday to make room for veteran punt returner Reno Mahe, the Eagles have just three safeties on their roster: Dawkins, Sean Considine and backup Quinten Mickell.

Before that, Redskins quarterback Campbell started the decisive drive with a 28-yard gain on a short pass and long run by Redskins running back Ladell Betts. The Eagles defense, which played well through three quarters, appeared to sag after being on the field much of the second half thanks to an ineffective Eagles offense.

Akers kicked a 26-yard field goal, his third of the game, to bring the Eagles within 13-9 late in the third quarter .

A 10-play, 59 yard drive stalled at the Redskins 8-yard line before Akers came on with 1:19 remaining in the third period.

Shaun Suisham kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Washington Redskins a 13-6 lead with 5:50 left in the third quarter.

ey's 16-yard touchdown catch capped a bizarre series of events late in the second quarter and gave the Redskins a 10-6 halftime lead.

Washington had three 5-yard penalties -- a delay of game and two false starts -- after getting a first-and-goal at the Eagles 1-yard line with 14 seconds left in the half. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs brought Suisham on for a short field goal try after the first penalty, but sent the offense back in after Eagles coach Andy Reid called a time out to "ice" the kicker.

Redskins offensive tackle Jason Fabini was called for consecutive false starts, but Gibbs kept the offense on the field and Campbell found ey for the score with just nine seconds left before intermission, threading the ball between Eagles defenders Dawkins and Joselio Hanson.

Campbell moved the Redskins 73 yards in 10 plays, taking just 1 minute, 33 seconds to score the first touchdown against the Eagles defense in six quarters this season. Campbell hit Santana Moss and Antwan Randle El twice each and scrambled for a 20-yard gain to the Eagles 18 for hitting Randle El for 17 more on the next play to set up the first half's wild conclusion.

Akers' second field goal, this one from 39 yards out, gave the host Eagles a 6-3 lead midway through the second quarter.

McNabb was a deceptive 10-of-18 for 71 yards in the first half. Playing almost entirely in a no-huddle offense, he was badly off-target on at least four throws to open receivers, including a potential touchdown pass to Reggie Brown early in the second quarter. McNabb hit eight different receivers in the first half, but just one completion gained more than eight yards.

Will James, beaten for a long gain by Moss to set up Washington's first score, intercepted Campbell to put the Eagles in scoring position at the Redskins 39-yard line with 9:53 left in the second period.

The Eagles threw five times in six plays after the turnover, with McNabb going 4-of-6 for 16 yards, but three straight passes gained a total of just two yards as McNabb overthrew Hank Baskett on third down after the Eagles had a first down at the Washington 24. Akers then gave the Eagles their first lead with 7:08 remaining in the first half.

Akers kicked a 24-yard field goal to pull the host Eagles into a 3-3 tie earlier in the second quarter.

Akers came on after the Eagles went 62 yards in nine plays before their first sustained drive of the game stalled at the Redskins 7-yard line. McNabb threw high to Brown in the end zone on third down before Akers' kick with 10:46 left in the second quarter.

The biggest plays of the drive were consecutive runs of 15 and 27 yards by Westbrook, who cut and ran through the Washington secondary to give the Eagles a first down at the Redskins 13 on the second carry. Westbrook finished the first half with 67 yards on just eight rushes.

Suisham kicked a 35-yard field goal on the final play of the first quarter, giving the Redskins a 3-0 lead after both teams struggled to move the ball early.

After the teams opened the game by trading three punts apiece, Campbell hit Moss for 48-yard gain down the right sideline to give Washington a first down at the Eagles 23-yard line with 1:26 left in the first quarter.

Moss beat James, starting in place of injured All Pro cornerback Lito Sheppard. Three plays gained six yards before Suisham came on for the field goal on the final play of the first period.

The Eagles threw the ball six times in their first eight offensive plays of the game. Westbrook had the Eagles' only two carries during the early going but was held to three yards. He had a reception for 18 yards and the Eagles' lone first down on the first three times they had the ball.

The biggest cheer from the home fans in the first quarter may have come when Mahe successfully fielded a punt at the Eagles 25 and gained a modest three yards. Mahe was signed on Tuesday after the Eagles muffed two punts that led to 10 Packers points in a 16-13 loss at Green Bay in Week 1.

With 1:10 left, on fourth down-and-6 at the Washington 9-yard line, Curtis dropped a pass across the middle. But it didn't matter.

Birds fall to 0-2 with loss to Redskins

By Bob Brookover
Inquirer Staff Writer

Donovan McNabb likes to say it's not about the numbers. He likes to say it's about the wins and the losses.
After two games of this Eagles season, the numbers are bad, the record is worse, and there are countless reasons for head coach Andy Reid, his players, and the fan base to be deeply concerned.

The Eagles' offense played poorly in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers but could not even match that effort last night in losing, 20-12, to the Washington Redskins in their home opener at Lincoln Financial Field.

Choruses of boos rained down from the cheap seats as well as the expensive ones at different junctures during the evening.

For the first time since 2003, the Eagles have lost their first two games. That team rebounded to win 12 of its final 14 and make it back to the NFC championship game. There is little reason to believe this team can accomplish a similar feat.

The Eagles will try to avoid going 0-3 for the first time since Reid's rookie season as head coach when they play the 2-0 Detroit Lions on Sunday at the Linc.

"We're sitting at 0-2, so something has to change," McNabb said after a second straight pedestrian performance. "There were opportunities on the field that we left out there. Field goals are something as an offense that we're not excited about."

And that's why there was no excitement from the offense, which settled for four David Akers field goals.

The Redskins improved to 2-0 and are tied with the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East.

McNabb may not like to talk about the numbers, but there was one statistic that was most telling on this disturbing night. The Eagles converted just 4 of 16 third-down attempts. The last failure in that department proved to be the fatal one.

With just 1 minute, 10 seconds left in the game and the Eagles trailing by a touchdown and a two-point conversion, wide receiver Kevin Curtis ran an out pattern and was open with a chance to score.

McNabb, however, threw a ball so far to Curtis' right that the receiver could not have stretched far enough to reach it even if he had 20-foot-long arms.

"I was hit on the play, but I still have to be able to make the throw, and I threw it just a tad bit too far," McNabb said. "I'm always hard on myself when we don't win the game, so I didn't play well at all."

On fourth and 6, McNabb tried to go over the middle to Curtis for a first down to keep the game alive, but Redskins rookie safety LaRon Landry arrived the same time as the ball to force a game-sealing incompletion.

Reid, as he always has, defended his starting quarterback.

"It's not all Donovan," Reid said. "It's me getting him in the right position to do some things and him knocking the rust off himself and the guys around him."

The offense has scored just one touchdown in eight quarters and McNabb, who started his 100th career game last night, is 1-5 in his last six games as the Eagles' starting quarterback. McNabb finished the game 28 for 46 for 240 yards, but most of those completions and yards came after the Eagles fell behind by 20-9.

"We put up a lot of points last year," tight end L.J. Smith said. "I don't know what it is. I'm sure Coach Reid doesn't know exactly what it is, either. I'm sure when we look at the film, we'll see a lot of problems."

While the Eagles' offense continued to sputter, the defense was not able to match its strong performance in the opener against the Packers.

The most critical failure for the defense came early in the fourth quarter when Clinton Portis finished off a 63-yard drive by rumbling around left end for a 6-yard touchdown that gave the Redskins a 20-9 lead.

With the way the Eagles' offense has played this season, an 11-point lead is almost as good as a 21-point cushion.

In case you were wondering, the special teams contributed to this loss as well. Rock Cartwright's 33-yard kickoff return gave Washington great field position on its final touchdown drive.

Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, who outplayed McNabb, set up Portis' touchdown run by rolling right and finding tight end Todd Yoder for an 18-yard gain to the 6-yard line. Safety Brian Dawkins left the game with a neck injury after tackling Yoder and did not return.

The first half ended with the Eagles being booed off the field after the Redskins went 75 yards on 10 plays for a go-ahead touchdown that was nicely orchestrated by Campbell.

Tight end Chris ey finished off the drive with a 16-yard touchdown catch from Campbell after a sequence of odd events. The Redskins had a first-and-goal situation at the 1-yard line after Campbell found Antwaan Randle El for a 17-yard completion, but a couple of penalties - one for a delay of game and one for a false start on guard Jason Fabini - backed Washington up to the 11.

Redskins coach Joe Gibbs sent his field-goal unit on the field, but before Shaun Suisham got a chance to kick, Reid called a time-out.

Gibbs sent Campbell and the Redskins' offense back on the field, and a second-false start penalty on Fabini pushed the ball back to the 16 with 14 seconds left. Despite being in an advantageous situation, the defense still yielded the touchdown, thanks in large part to a nicely thrown ball by Campbell, who beat coverage by cornerback Joselio Hanson and Dawkins to get the ball to ey.

The drive also included a 20-yard scramble by Campbell.

That touchdown, however, was only part of the fans' first-half frustration. They also were less than thrilled with an offense that managed just two field goals in the first 30 minutes.

After the Redskins took a 3-0 lead on a 35-yard field goal by Suisham as time ran out in the first quarter, the Eagles countered with a 62-yard drive, compliments of Brian Westbrook's legs, that set up a 24-yard field goal by Akers. Westbrook got the Eagles to Redskins' 13 with a couple of runs that covered 42 yards but never saw the ball again during the drive, which fizzled when Mc- Nabb's pass on a third-and-4 play sailed over Reggie Brown's head in the end zone.

Cornerback William James, burned by receiver Santana Moss for a 48-yard reception that set up Suisham's first-quarter field goal, made up for that play early in the second quarter when he stepped in front of Randle El to intercept a Campbell pass at the Washington 39.

The Eagles, however, had to settle for a field goal. Mc- Nabb could not find his receivers in the red zone.

That was the story from beginning to end for the quarterback and the Eagles' badly struggling offense.

"Hopefully we can get it fixed," wide receiver Reggie Brown said. "We have to get rid of this taste that's in our mouth. It's a rancid, buttermilk, goat cheese, maggot-filled taste, and once we get rid of it, we'll be all right."

GSPODS wrote:"Hopefully we can get it fixed," wide receiver Reggie Brown said. "We have to get rid of this taste that's in our mouth. It's a rancid, buttermilk, goat cheese, maggot-filled taste, and once we get rid of it, we'll be all right."

Sounds like Reggie Brown needs to get a different woman.

JSPB22 wrote:Hey all you posters in opposition land: Don't be afraid to add your own contributions to the "Loser Papers." I can't get enough these great articles.

McNabb says African American QBs take more heat

Philadelphia Inquirer: "It seems Donovan McNabb's timing is off in more ways than his passing. In an interview that was televised last night on the HBO show Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, McNabb, who has lost six of his last seven starts, said that African American quarterbacks received more criticism than white quarterbacks and that they had to do a little bit extra because 'the percentage of us playing this position, which people didn't want us to play this position, is low, so we do a little extra.'"

Numbers are there in black and white

Philadelphia Daily News columnist Paul Domowitch: "The chip on Donovan McNabb's shoulder always is there, held firmly in place by loving but misguided parents who long ago convinced their son that most white people aren't all that much different from those scum-sucking bigots who broke into the family's suburban home years ago and punched holes in their walls, urinated on their carpets and spray-painted the N-word on the side of their house."

McNabb should play better first, gripe later

Courier-Post columnist Kevin Roberts: "Donovan McNabb's victim complex is back, on full display again, and it's a heck of thing to play the victim when your team is 0-2 and you're posting a quarterback rating a few notches below Joey Harrington."

Reid remains confident in McNabb, declares offense with just one TD "off by a hair"

Detroit Free Press: "Will the undefeated Lions face the old Donovan McNabb on Sunday? Eagles coach Andy Reid was encouraged by what he saw from the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback in the fourth quarter of a 20-12 loss Monday night to the Washington Redskins, even though the Eagles fell to 0-2 and haven't scored an offensive touchdown in their last six quarters."

Eagles' offense coming up empty

Trenton Times: "The worrisome thing about the Eagles' 0-2 start in 2007 may not be that they have scored only one touchdown in 22 possessions, were 0-for-4 in the red zone during Monday night's 20-12 loss to the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field, or that the offense was a dreadful 4-for-16 on third down."

Redskins down Eagles 20-12 to remain perfect; Philly dropped to 0-2

PHILADELPHIA (Agencies): Showing the poise of a veteran, third-year quarterback Jason Campbell converted several big plays and got plenty of help from Clinton Portis, Chris ey and an opportunistic defense in Washington’s 20-12 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The surprising Redskins, coming off a 5-11 season, are 2-0 and tied with Dallas atop the National Football Conference East, which Philadelphia was expected to dominate. But the Eagles are 0-2 and their offense, other than the dynamic Brian Westbrook, has been far too spotty. Portis and ey each scored touchdowns and Shaun Suisham made two field goals. Washington’s defense stymied every Eagle except Westbrook, who rushed for 96 yards and caught eight passes for another 66 yards.


Westbrook’s work wasn’t enough to get Philadelphia into the end zone, however, as an array of blitzes and some hard hitting by the Redskins’ secondary kept Donovan McNabb off-balance much of the night. McNabb has lost six of his last seven starts and is 9-12 since the Eagles lost the Super Bowl to New England in January 2005. Campbell, in his ninth pro start, kept the Redskins on the move when it counted with sharp passes and timely third-down conversions. After Suisham’s third field goal, a 37-yarder, put Washington on top 13-6, David Akers matched it with a 26-yarder later in the third quarter. Then Washington’s mastery on third down — it went 8-for-15 — helped it to the winning score, a 6-yard run by Portis early in the fourth period. Campbell calmly found ey for 9 yards on third-and-8, and hit Todd Yoder, ey’s backup, for 18 on third-and-10.


Philly lost safety Brian Dawkins, its defensive leader, with a neck injury on the play that moved the ball to the Philadelphia 6. Then Portis swept left for the decisive points.
Portis wound up with 69 yards rushing and Campbell added 39 to go with his 209 passing, but it was his maturity in tight situations that stood out.
As did Washington’s hard-hitting defense, led by safeties Sean Taylor and rookie LaRon Landry, and a pass rush that got to McNabb three times and pressured him all game.
The biggest cheer of the night by the 67,726 fans might have been in the first quarter, which ended 3-0 for the Redskins. It came when recently re-signed Reno Mahe caught a punt.

Fios wrote:Kuwaitis love the Redskins

Fios wrote:Kuwaitis love the Redskins

rick301 wrote:Here's a little something from the Arab Times in Kuwait:

http://version2.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=5663&ccid=10

The biggest cheer of the night by the 67,726 fans might have been in the first quarter, which ended 3-0 for the Redskins. It came when recently re-signed Reno Mahe caught a punt.

JSPB22 wrote:

Fios wrote:Kuwaitis love the Redskins

Which is why that particular article isn't really "Loser Papers" material. I want to read opposition articles reflecting their perspective of being beaten by the 'Skins.

MITCH ALBOM: Lions pull disappearing act and move into bye a week early
October 8, 2007

BY MITCH ALBOM

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

LANDOVER, Md. -- Egg, laid.

Here it was Sunday, fresh from the wet hen of a Lions offense that didn't click and a Lions defense that didn't attack. No touchdowns. No sacks. No win. All feathers.

Egg, laid.

Or, as Jon Kitna put it, "Today sucks."

And in some ways, you saw it coming. For example, the moment I stepped outside Sunday and felt the sweltering sun beating down, I said to myself, "I bet Shaun Rogers won't be a big factor today."

And he wasn't. Rogers, the Lions' supremely talented but sporadically active defensive lineman, already misses chunks of games because of his knees and, let's be honest, conditioning. And with the afternoon heat pelting that 350-pound body, you figured recovery time might be an issue.

On Sunday, Rogers was out there and then he was gone, and then he was out, and then he was gone -- much like the Lions all day long. And sure enough, just as with the Philadelphia loss (another long afternoon in a blazing sun), the Lions' pass rush put no pressure on quarterback Jason Campbell, allowing him a Tom Brady For A Day fantasy, completing 23 of 29 passes for 248 yards as the Redskins rolled.

"You'd love him in there all the time," Lions coach Rod Marinelli admitted about Rogers, who had just two solo tackles in the 34-3 blowout. But again, you expected the big man to be somewhat absent.

Who knew so many others would join him?

Start with the wide receivers

Where did Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson disappear to? Aren't they the corner pieces of Mastermind Mike Martz's offense? Williams had only two catches while the game was within reach and Johnson caught one pass all day -- for three yards. One pass for three yards? Isn't a 6-foot-5 jumping machine worth a couple toss-ups just to see what happens? And isn't Williams the guy who says this team should score 35 points a week?

"I can't worry about 10 other guys ..." a clearly frustrated Williams said. "I gotta trust those guys do their job. I trust I'm gonna do mine. That's how this thing works."

Or doesn't. Williams may well have been stinging over the offensive line, which also disappeared for much of the day, allowing a mediocre Washington pass rush to look like the 737th Tank Battalion. Let's just say it. The line is bad. The Redskins sacked Jon Kitna five times. The man already leads the league in eating the turf, 23 sacks in five games.

The worst on Sunday came late in the third quarter, after the Lions had scored their first points of the day, and the offense had the ball back with dim hopes of salvation.

Instead, from their own 7-yard line, Kitna drifted back into the end zone, and Washington's Andre Carter all but threw Jeff Backus to the ground, ripping him aside like a cheap shower curtain. He sacked Kitna for a safety.

A safety? From the 7-yard line? Come on. This is supposed to be a better team than that.

Egg, laid.

Once again -- the yolk's on them

And what about Kitna? Where did he go? The man who made so many good plays in the Lions' three victories was all fumble-fingers Sunday -- losing the ball three times. He was slow to pull the trigger, had just 106 passing yards and was picked off two times, which, by the way, is double the number of Lions' third-down conversions.

Having said that, why the heck was Kitna still in there with less than a minute left and the score 34-3? Does Marinelli WANT to send this man to the hospital?

"He's tough," Marinelli said.

Tough? Be grateful he's upright.

So the Lions are 3-2. The victories are the good news. But those losses were such blowouts -- both in places where this franchise never makes headway -- that you still wonder just how real this team is. That's the price it pays for going "up and down," as Marinelli called it.

No touchdowns. No red zone appearances. No sacks. No real pressure. The bye week is upon us, but it felt like it started Sunday, right around kickoff.

Egg, laid.

MICHAEL ROSENBERG: Redskins' non-blitz approach befuddles Lions' offensive line
October 8, 2007

BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

LANDOVER, Md. -- When it finally ended -- with quarterback Jon Kitna still on the field trying to direct a game-tying, 4 1/2 -touchdown drive -- the Lions could only scratch their heads.

Well, some of them could scratch their heads. Every time an offensive lineman tried to do it, a Redskins pass rusher knocked his arms down.

You can call Washington's 34-3 victory many things. Just don't call it a blitzing. Because as Lions center Dominic Raiola said, "They didn't blitz one time."

Not one time? Not even for their own amusement?

Nope. The scariest part of this whole debacle was that the Redskins didn't even want to pressure Kitna.

"It was a glaring stat for us to see that Jon Kitna's quarterback rating versus pressure defense was 102 going into this game," Washington defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said.

Williams is known for blitzing, but he held off this time. The idea was to cover the receivers and hope somebody eventually got to Kitna. "Eventually" came quickly. Kitna was sacked five times and hurried eight more.

There were no adjustments. Just a start-to-finish mauling.

"We tackled very well as a defense today, and we were able to pressure with our front four," Williams said. "I wish I could tell you there was a hell of a lot of smart things going on, but there wasn't."

We're going to do a little simple math -- simple but painful. The first equation is that when you have five offensive lineman and the other team sends four pass rushers, you have approximately one extra lineman. So you should be able to block the other four dudes.

To recap: 5 > 4.

Still with me? Good. Now for a little more math. Last year, the Lions allowed 63 sacks, second-most in the NFL. Their offensive line was a mess. By the end of the season, they were ordering pizza before the game, and when Roy Williams refused to tip the delivery guy, they let the guy play right guard instead.

So in the off-season, the Lions brought in Edwin Mulitalo from the Ravens. You could almost hear them thinking: "The Ravens run-block well, Mulitalo is a Raven, therefore Mulitalo must run-block well." They brought in George Foster from the Broncos. They told Damien Woody that if he didn't slim down, Ford would start calling its spare tires "Damien Woodys," and Woody responded by losing weight. They were new, improved, revamped, fired up, and yes, I hear you: Hey! What happened to the math?

OK, here goes: Last year, the Lions allowed those 63 sacks.

This year, they are on pace to allow 83.

To sum up: 83 > 63.

The Lions have to improve just to be as bad as they were last year.

"Obviously we're not doing our job good enough," said left tackle Jeff Backus, who gave up a safety. "That's what it comes down to."

We probably shouldn't make too much of one (disastrous, unwatchable, pathetic excuse for a) game. The Lions are 3-2. But I'm starting to wonder: If the Lions make the playoffs, will Kitna have to watch from a hospital?

Kitna is a gamer, as tough as they come. But he is taking way too many hits. The Lions already have replaced Woody with Stephen Peterman. They can only make so many changes, and no matter what they say, hard work will only take them so far. At some point, your talent finds its level. The Lions ran for 68 yards on 20 attempts Sunday, and they did not give their quarterback time to throw.

And again, Rod Marinelli left Kitna in the game to the end, to get beat up even more. That was just stupid. Marinelli can talk about competing all he wants. Stupid = stupid. If the Lions are so hungry to compete after getting their butts kicked, they can play chess on the team plane.

Afterward, Marinelli answered questions with his usual patience, and he kept going back to the Redskins' pass rush. The Lions couldn't stop it. Unfortunately for Marinelli, it's easier to come up with answers in the news conference than on the field.

21-LOSS SALUTE: Washington keeps streak alive against up-and-down Detroit
October 8, 2007

BY NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

LANDOVER, Md. -- For almost 70 years, the Lions have come to Washington. Different stadiums. Different coaches. Different players. Regular season or playoffs, it has been the same result.

A loss.

You could joke this one shouldn't count because the Lions didn't show up. But it would be an old joke. The Lions haven't shown up many times before.

The offense couldn't stay on the field, the defense couldn't get off of it and the Lions lost Sunday, 34-3.

They are 0-for-forever at Washington -- 0-for-18 in the regular season, 0-for-21 including the playoffs. They hold the NFL record for consecutive regular-season road losses to a single opponent.

Now that's consistency. But it isn't the kind Rod Marinelli wants, the kind he has preached since becoming the Lions' coach, the kind he is still trying to achieve.

After beating Oakland and Minnesota, the Lions got crushed at Philadelphia, 56-21. They rebounded with a big victory over Chicago, but at Washington they got crushed again.

"The thing I'm disappointed in is, we're up and down each week," Marinelli said. "I'm not that way. I want to be a consistent team. The last two road games have gotten away from us, and then at home we seem to generate some great energy. You can't win consistently in this league doing that."

You can't win in this league doing a lot of things the Lions are doing. The Lions allowed five sacks Sunday and didn't get one. They went 1-for-10 on third down and allowed the Redskins to go 5-for-12. They held the ball for 25:25, while the Redskins held it for 34:35.

"The defense has got to stop them, and then the offense has to get first downs," Marinelli said. "We were terrible on both sides of the ball in terms of third down. It's tough to win if you're not getting off the field on third down and if you're not (converting) third downs."

The Lions came into the game with the NFL's top-ranked passing attack and fourth-ranked offense. But they haven't scored a touchdown in nine of their last 10 quarters, and this was their worst offensive performance since Mike Martz became their offensive coordinator last year.

Their three points were their fewest under Martz. Their 144 yards of total offense were their second-fewest under Martz, only two more than the 142 they gained in a December game at Lambeau Field last year. Quarterback Jon Kitna threw for 106 yards, his lowest total as a Lion.

The Redskins had their cornerbacks jam receivers at the line to disrupt routes, kept their safeties deep to prevent big plays and used a four-man rush. Classic "Cover Two" defense, and it was as if the Lions had never seen it before.

"They just pinned their ears back, came after us with their front four, played coverage and made it really difficult to move the football against them," said Kitna, who threw two interceptions and had trouble holding onto the football, fumbling three times.

The Redskins hadn't scored more than 20 points all season. They had only two receivers who had caught a pass this season. Their best, Santana Moss, sat out with a groin injury. Their second-best, Antwaan Randle El, left with a hamstring injury -- but not before catching seven passes for 100 yards.

Quarterback Jason Campbell went 23-for-29 for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while the Redskins rushed for 118 yards and moved down the field methodically. Coach Joe Gibbs improved to 12-0 against the Lions.

"That's what they do," defensive end Dewayne White said. "That's Joe Gibbs' offense. It's ball control, protect the quarterback, max-protect, play-action off of that and run to the perimeter. They did exactly that."

"They stuck to their game plan," cornerback Fernando Bryant said. "They did it well. There's no other way to explain it. They did what they did well, and we didn't get them out of their comfort zone."

The Lions have a lot of time to think about it as they head into their bye week.

"Today sucks," Kitna said. "But after five games, we're sitting at 3-2, and we've got a chance to come back after the bye with a home game. We've got to continue on. ... We'll bounce back. We're a tough-minded football team, and we'll be fine."

OVERHEARD: The best quotes following the game; Roy Williams: 'They didn’t throw nothing at us.'
October 8, 2007

• Lions coach Rod Marinelli: "It's a team loss -- coaching, offense, defense, special teams, all areas. There's not one area. It starts up front both sides of the ball. You've got to protect. You've got to rush. You've got to tackle better. Basic things in football beat us today. That's about it."

• Lions running back Kevin Jones: "They didn't blitz us. They didn't do anything too strenuous. They were just on top of our receivers. Every time Kitna tried to throw the ball, somebody was in his face or somebody was on a receiver's back. We just couldn't get it done."

• Lions wide receiver Roy Williams: "They didn't throw nothing at us. They are what we saw on film. They're going to sit back and play zone, play 30 yards deep, those two safeties, make you run it. We ran it. We just couldn't get to the end zone."

• Lions cornerback Fernando Bryant: "That controlled the ball, and you know with Joe Gibbs, that's what you're going to get. They're going to run the ball. They're going to protect the ball. They're going to dink-and-dunk you. Play action with the run."

• Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell: "It makes a big difference because you feel like you're getting into a fluid offense. No matter what coaches call you can get in there and make something happen. That's what we did today as an offense."

• Redskins coach Joe Gibbs: "We were concerned because their quarterback is a tough guy and they have a real good scheme. ... I just know that the guys had a great plan and worked extremely hard on it. I think you can say you always have the advantage when you have two weeks to get ready."


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7pin

these so called professional football players should be embarassed to accept their paychecks. They just throw their helmets out on the field and say we played hard.

Are we ever going to have professional football in Michigan? The best thing that could ever happen for us football fans is for the Lions to move somewhere (anywhere) give us a expansion team. the expansion team will be in the super bowl before this terrible franchise.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:18 pm


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DrewRules

Roy Williams: "They are Who we Thought they were! They are Who we Thought they were! We let 'em Off the Hook!!!!"

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:05 pm


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grussty

STFU Roy...please stop spouting off before and after every game...you are not a good football team!

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:03 pm


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broker627

I think what Roy meant was they did not throw anything new or unexpected at us. He said they were like they were on film. Sometimes he does put his foot in the wrong place but not this time.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:39 am


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jaywierenga

i am getting so sick of roy williams...the guy never stops putting his foot in his mouth. they didnt throw nothing at us? they didnt have to. they destroyed you. roy is a very talented receiver, but he was running scared today. you can see it whenever the lions play a team with hard hitting safeties. roy gets scared. im sure most of us would, but he gets paid to make tough catches and put his body on the line. roy is like that guy that all of us have encountered. you go toe to toe, he punks out, and then he walks away running his mouth.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:54 am

Cardinals come up short

Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 22, 2007 12:00 AM

LANDOVER, Md. - The final minutes of the Cardinals 21-19 loss to the Redskins on Sunday will be picked apart and examined like a presidential candidate's background. The substitution of quarterbacks, the choice of plays on a two-point conversion, the missed 55-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds all will be rehashed in newspapers, talk shows and message boards.

But the Cardinals lost the game in the early minutes, not the late ones. Two interceptions resulted in touchdowns for the Redskins. Penalties stopped other drives. A botched hold on an extra-point attempt near the end of the first half caused the kick to be blocked.

Eliminate a few of those mistakes and the Cardinals would be entering the off week with their toes tapping to the beat of a winning record. Instead, they are 3-4 after another valiant comeback ended just short of a more important "V" word - victory.

"We didn't quit," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "That's the one thing I will say about this team. A lot of people are going to say, 'The same old Cardinals,' but that to me wasn't the same old Cardinals. They felt like they had a chance to win and they fought the whole game."

Because of their first-half mistakes, it would have taken a miracle for the Cardinals to win. And they nearly got it. If only they hadn't fumbled a prime scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter. If only receiver Anquan Boldin had thrown the ball higher to receiver Larry Fitzgerald on a two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game with 26 seconds left.

If only Neil Rackers' 55-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds had not sailed just outside the left upright.

"We did a lot to put ourselves in the position to win," said quarterback Kurt Warner, who started the game despite suffering a torn ligament in his left elbow last week. "At some point we have to figure out how to make whatever plays that are keeping us from winning."

Or to avoid the ones causing them to lose.

Warner had two passes intercepted in the first half, and each led to a touchdown. Holder Mike Barr fumbled a snap that caused Rackers to have an extra-point attempt blocked, which forced the Cardinals to go for two late in the game. And rookie Levi Brown was beaten for a sack in the fourth quarter that led to a Warner fumble deep in Washington territory.

"I wouldn't say it's necessarily a hump we need to get over," safety Adrian Wilson said. "Just earlier in games we need to start a little bit faster. All you can ask for is a chance at the end and we had a chance at the end."

That chance would have been better had the Cardinals shown some life before the midway point in the third quarter, when they trailed 21-6.

As is their custom, the Cardinals made things interesting. When asked by a Washington-area reporter about the wild finish, Wilson just smiled.

"That's a typical game for us," he said.

First, Warner found Boldin for a 10-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Redskins' lead to eight early in the fourth quarter.

As it did most of the day, the Cardinals defense stuffed the Redskins (4-2), who didn't gain a first down in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals bounced back from the Warner fumble and drove to the Redskins 1 in the final minute, when they faced a third down.

Warner was replaced by backup Tim Rattay, who faked a handoff and hit tight end Leonard Pope for the touchdown, bringing the Cardinals to within two points with 21 seconds left.

Whisenhunt made the quarterback change because Warner's ability to hand off was hindered by his injury, and Rattay had worked all last week in practice in goal-line situations.

"When it gets down there, the handoffs are a lot tighter and the chance of him getting this elbow bumped are a lot greater," Whisenhunt said.

For the two-point conversion attempt, the Cardinals stuck with their game plan of having Boldin take a shotgun snap. Boldin sprinted right with an option to run or pass. But Boldin threw low to Fitzgerald, and the Redskins intercepted it.

"I thought I had Larry in the back, kind of lost him for it a bit in the flow of traffic," Boldin said.

The Cardinals recovered the onside kick with 20 seconds left and moved 22 yards to the Washington 37. A third-down pass that would have gotten them closer was incomplete, and Rackers missed the 55-yard attempt.

The Cardinals resume play Nov. 4 at Tampa Bay.

"Anytime you lose a game like this, you just want to get back on the field as fast as you can," said Boldin, who had eight catches for 29 yards and two touchdowns. "Next nine games, whoever we got, they better bring their A game."

JETS LET LEAD WASH. AWAY

'SKINNED IN OVERTIME THANKS TO MISSING RUN D, DROPPED PASSES

By MARK CANNIZZARO

CRUNCH TIME: Kellen Clemens, making his second start, gets sacked by the Redskins' LeRon Landry in the third quarter of the Jets' 23-20 loss in OT yesterday. The Jets led 17-3 in the second quarter.You are a dolt to think it wasn't partially chad's fault in a number of games. Can you count how many games he ended with an interception on a drive like the one clemens led to tie the game and would have likely gone for a td if not for the D'Brick...

Instead, yesterday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Redskins at Giants Stadium morphed into the same old story in this tired, wayward season.

Clemens, making his first start since taking over for Chad Pennington, ended up being a mere sideshow to this maddening eighth loss in nine games for the Jets.

Serby: Clemens Gives Fans Some Hope

As has been the case all season, there were so many problems other than at quarterback. Pennington. Clemens. Marques Tuiasosopo. Brett Ratliff from the practice squad. Put any of them in and the result will be the same.

The Jets, it seems, would find a way to lose with Tom Brady or Peyton Manning at quarterback.

The Jets, you see, spring a new leak every game. Eric Mangini and his staff fix a few leaks one week and the boat is taking in water from somewhere else the following week.

Forget that the Jets are in every game they play - they again led at halftime yesterday - at 1-8 they are fast becoming one of the embarrassments of the NFL this season, pretty damning for a team that hasn't been ravaged by injuries.

The Jets have either been tied or had a lead at halftime in six of their games this season and they've lost five of them. Thank goodness for the hapless Dolphins or the Jets might be chasing the wrong side of the history the Patriots are chasing right now after beating the Colts 24-20 yesterday.

"We're at the point now where it's past frustrating,'' Jets safety Kerry Rhodes said.

"We keep finding new ways to lose games,'' tight end Chris Baker said.

"It's hard to put a finger on it,'' defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "We watch film on Monday, come back and say, 'OK, we got this fixed,' and then a new thing pops up.''

The newest, latest problem yesterday was a series of killer dropped passes, particularly from arguably their most dependable player - receiver Jerricho Cotchery.

Last week it was the dependable Leon Washington fumbling in a loss to the Bills.

Yesterday, Cotchery fumbled one catch away with the Jets well within field goal range in the fourth quarter. And then, in overtime with the Jets a tantalizing few yards away from potential game-winning field goal range, Cotchery dropped a would-be first-down pass from Clemens on third down, forcing the Jets to punt.

They would never get the ball back as the 5-3 Redskins, taking possession at their own 10-yard line, marched down the field on the Jets and got themselves into field goal range for Shaun Suisham's game-winning 46-yard field goal with 7:43 remaining in OT.
The Redskins were able to move the ball into winning position the way they'd moved it all game on the Jets - gashing them with the running game.

The Redskins, who amassed 296 rushing yards on 48 carries (a 6.2-yard average), ran the ball on eight of 10 plays in that overtime drive before the field goal and the Jets had no answers.

"When a team runs the ball on you like that it's demoralizing,'' Rhodes said.

When a reporter began to tell Rhodes how many yards the Redskins stamped on his defense, he said, "I don't even want to know. Don't tell me right now.''

Well, we'll tell you that Clinton Portis, who'd gone 12 games without a 100-yard rushing game, ran for 196 yards on 36 carries. Ladell Betts added 64 yards on nine carries and quarterback Jason Campbell (12-of-23, 142 yards passing) had 31 yards on two killer scrambles.

And it all started so well for the Jets, who got an immediate lift with Washington returning the opening kickoff 86 yards for a 7-0 lead, and with Clemens giving the Jets a 17-3 lead in the second quarter with a one-yard scoring pass to tight end Joe Kowalewski.

Even after blowing the lead and allowing the Redskins to take a 20-17 lead on a one-yard Portis run in the fourth quarter, the Jets rallied to tie it with a 30-yard field goal by Mike Nugent with 10 seconds remaining in regulation.

In the end, though, the positive moments for the Jets were outweighed by those exasperating handful of negative moments.

You've seen this movie before, Jets fans. It's a bad re-run. You've heard this record before. It's a broken record.