SFgate: Redskins 27, Falcons 0

[1niksder]

(09-03) 19:16 PDT LANDOVER, Md. (AP) --

Mark Brunell opened the game with a touchdown drive and was done for the night. Michael Vick opened with an interception and never did produce a play for positive yardage.

Brunell and the Washington Redskins tuned up for the regular season Friday night with a 27-0 thumping of the Atlanta Falcons, who just might have pulled off the most useless road trip of the preseason.

Brunell, looking for some momentum to take into the regular season after winning the starting job over Patrick Ramsey, went 4-for-6 for 51 yards on a 78-yard opening drive aided by a questionable third-down defensive holding penalty.

Ladell Betts finished the drive with a 5-yard run, a mere dent in a 24-0 first quarter dominated by a Redskins defense that displayed an aggressive package of blitzes.

Washington outgained Atlanta 247-190 for the game, had a nine-minute advantage in time of possession, and forced four turnovers while committing none.

But the Falcons' ineptitude made it hard to determine how impressive the Redskins were. Atlanta had minus-9 yards of total offense in Vick's three series. Washington's blitzers went unblocked. Peerless Price committed a personal foul in the first quarter, and Eric Beverly's holding penalty wiped out promising field position on a kickoff return a few minutes later. Both of the Falcons' projected starting cornerbacks are injured, so the secondary was ripe for the picking.

How humiliating was it? The Falcons even managed to get a player injured by the Redskins kicker. Receiver Woody Dantzler left the game with a sprained right ankle after getting tackled by John Hall on a kickoff in the first half.

Vick, playing in a new offense under new coach Jim Mora, badly needed some work after a sore hamstring limited him to just 24 snaps in the first three exhibition games.

However, the Redskins caught more of his passes than the Falcons did.

Vick committed two turnovers in five snaps over his three series. Vick's first pass was a desperation lob, thrown while falling backward under pressure from blitzing cornerback Shawn Springs. It was picked off by safety Matt Bowen.

Vick went 0-for-2 on the next series and was tossed to the ground by unblocked linebacker LaVar Arrington after one throw. On the first play of the next series, Arrington -- unblocked again -- forced Vick to fumble, and Antonio Pierce picked up the ball and ran 23 yards for a touchdown.

Vick's final numbers: 0-for-3 with one interception and one fumble. He finished the preseason 5-for-12 for 35 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Most of the starters were gone by halftime in a game that gave second-stringers some needed experience and players on the bubble one last chance to make an impression before Sunday's final round of cuts.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Schaub continued his impressive preseason, albeit against other reserves. The rookie from Virginia went 12-for-23 for 128 yards in relief of Vick.

Ramsey, meanwhile, went 11-for-21 for 81 yards and led his first touchdown drive of the preseason, a 3-yard run by Betts in the first quarter.

Notes:

Atlanta linebacker Keith Brooking left the game with a hamstring injury. ... Redskins injuries: rookie safety Sean Taylor (bruised thigh), cornerback Rashad Bauman (ankle), Arrington (pinched nerve in neck). ... Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels played his first game of the preseason after missing nearly all of training camp with an abdominal strain.