(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Shame And Fortune” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

For the second week in a row, the Washington Redskins had a chance to play on a national stage. For the second game in a row, the Washington Redskins embarrassed themselves in front of the rest of the country and looked nothing like a professional football team.

Not only were the ‘Skins shut out against the hated rival, the Dallas Cowboys, 17-0, but the entire team – offense, defense, special teams and coaching – looked woefully unprepared. How that is even possible in Week 16 is beyond us.

For the second week in a row, the Redskins won the coin toss. But this time, they decided to mix it up – electing to receive first. After four-straight plays involving running back Quinton Ganther, Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell decided to find another target. Unfortunately, this decision apparently caught tight end Fred Davis off guard, because the ball bounced off his hands and was intercepted by Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman.

Tony Romo and the Dallas offense took the field and never looked back, as they put together a seven-play, 36-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown pass from Romo to mediocre wide out Roy Williams. The Cowboys were up 7-0 barely six minutes into the game, and whether they knew it or not, officially had enough points to win this game.

2. “The Long Road” by Pearl Jam

The next eight Redskins drives all had one thing in common – they ended with a Hunter Smith punt. Before Washington’s final drive of the night, which ended with a fourth-down pass sailing over the head of rookie receiver “Free” Marko Mitchell, the team’s best drive was a 10-play, 38-yard effort that still didn’t do enough to cross midfield.

The announcers did their best to throw Campbell under the bus, but the truth is, his offensive line has reverted back to earlier in the season when they were barely capable of slowing defenders as they took turns crushing the Redskins quarterback. Pretty much all night long Campbell had time to drop back three steps and look at his first receiver. If option #1 was covered, he didn’t have time to even look for his next target because Dallas defenders were already closing in for impact.

Ganther finished the game with 13 yards rushing. Marcus Mason finished with 11. Rock Cartwright had 6. So basically, there was no running game to help shoulder to load. And since the Cowboys were ahead all game long and the Redskins offense looked completely lost, their defense could be as aggressive as they’d like.

We guess we could mention that guard Mike Williams and tackle Stephon Heyer both got banged up during the game, and therefore the Redskins offensive line was basically comprised of any fat guy with a helmet. But honestly, the line wasn’t doing any better with Williams and Heyer in against Dallas.

3. “What We Talkin’ About” by Jay-Z

The big news heading into the game was that Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth sounded off against defensive coordinator Greg Blache for the way he’s been used this season. After being sent home for being late to practice Christmas day, “Fat” Albert dialed up the Washington Post and let loose, essentially saying he’s got great players around him, they just don’t have a good enough defensive scheme to maximize this talent.

And here’s the thing – Haynesworth is absolutely 100 percent correct. Blache is an egotistical know-it-all who seemingly has no interest in adapting his defense to best suit the individual talents of his players. But none of that matters when Haynesworth is a nonfactor just days after calling out his boss.

Finishing with three tackles and two quarterback pressures isn’t going to cut it, not when you know all eyes are on you after you rip into Blache. We don’t care if you have to just say “screw it” and start calling your own audibles at the line; you’ve got to finish a game with more than just one solo tackle during a primetime game.

4. “Old Time’s Sake” by Eminem (feat. Dr. Dre)

If we had to pick one play from Sunday night to summarize this 4-11 season, it would be a 69-yard catch and run by Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. Now, we’ve got nothing against Witten, who is consistently one of the better tight ends in the NFL, but let’s be honest – he’s a slow white guy. He’s not someone known for yards after the catch.

But, as has been the case all year, anything is possible when Redskins safety LaRon Landry is involved. Once Witten caught the ball, he turned up field and took off (well, as best he could). Landry hustled his tail off and tracked him down. Unfortunately for ‘Skins fans, LaRon then “pulled a Landry” and completely whiffed on the tackle, which enabled Witten to gain an extra 35 yards and gave him the longest reception of his career.

One of these days, Landry is going to realize that, as a safety, he’s the last line of defense and he simply cannot try to hulk smash every opposing player in his vicinity. Until that time, he’s nothing more than a liability in coverage (which is what you like to hear about someone drafted with the sixth overall pick).

5. “You’re The Reason I’m Leaving” by Franz Ferdinand

Since Bruce Allen was brought in as the new general manager, the Redskins are 0-2.

Sadly, they’re even worse than that winless record would indicate, if that’s even possible. In two home games against divisional rivals, the Redskins have been outscored 62-12. Maybe Allen is better at finding a silver lining than we are. Otherwise, he, like anyone else watching the Redskins on primetime TV these last two weeks, must be thinking “How quickly can I blow this thing up?”

Over the last two seasons, which we’ll simply refer to as “The Jim Zorn era,” the Redskins are 0-7 in primetime games while being outscored 166-62. We’re not sure what the man even does anymore other than post-game press conferences, but he needs to go. Same for Blache. Same for Danny Smith, the special teams coach.

Allen, once he names Mike Shanahan or whoever as the next head coach, should also feel free to get rid of any and all players currently affiliated with the burgundy and gold. This team, regardless of their inept head coach, should not be allowed to go winless in the NFC East. Failing to win a single game against the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles means heads should roll. Absolutely no one should be safe. This team has been so mediocre for so long, why should we go to bat for anyone? It’s time for a change. The ball started rolling when Vinny Cerrato left town. The sooner we can send this entire coaching staff and half the roster with him, the better.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “There’s a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends” by Morrissey

The Washington Redskins won the coin toss … and that’s it.

Pretty much every other aspect of the team’s Monday Night Football contest against the New York Giants falls in the category of debacle, as the Redskins got annihilated 45-12 in front of a national audience.

To say this was unexpected is a vast understatement. Heading into the game, ‘Skins fans had every reason for cautious optimism. The Redskins offense finally had some momentum, putting up 30 points in back to back games for the first time in the Jim Zorn era.

The beleaguered offensive line had done well enough to get by and quarterback Jason Campbell had thrown for 1,749 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 92.3 QB rating in his last seven games. By no means were they competing with the ’07 New England Patriots offense, but they were at least looking competent after an embarrassing first two months of the season.

On the other sideline, the Giants came into this game heading in the opposite direction. After starting the season 5-0 and boasting the top-ranked defense in the NFL, the wheels had seemingly fallen off. Since then, New York had gone 2-6 and their defense has given up 40 points in a game three times.

Heading into this one, there was every reason to think that the Redskins were the team heading in the right direction, while the Giants were the team freefalling out of playoff contention. Sadly, this couldn’t have been further from the truth.

2. “It’s Hard to Walk Tall When You’re Small” by Morrissey

The defense is supposed to be the strength of the Redskins. After all, year in and year out, they consistently rank in the top 10 in the league, while the offense has seemingly struggled to score points since Norv Turner was drawing up plays for Michael Westbrook and Stephen Davis (when they weren’t sucker-punching each other).

Well, on Monday Night Football this defense was finally exposed for what it is – completely overrated. All season long they’ve allowed lengthy drives, regardless of the opponent. When they blitz the opposing quarterback (JaMarcus Russell aside), they almost never get there in time to disrupt the play. When they lay back in coverage, the quarterback – in this case, Eli Manning – has all the time in the world to dissect their secondary apart. And lord knows they’re completely incapable of getting a turnover.

The Giants’ opening drive completely set the tone for the entire evening. The Redskins attack was seemingly predicated on blitzing every down. New York, which had won six of the previous seven times these two “rivals” had faced off, apparently knew it was coming. So they allowed the Redskins defense to bull rush in, and then at the last minute, Manning pitched the ball over the first wave of attack to an open target, who then gained a large chunk of yards.

Their offense was stunning in its simplicity. Use the Redskins over-aggressiveness against them. Let them send the house, because you know they won’t get there in time and then once their guys are out of your way, dump the ball off to a target a few yards away and watch him pick up first downs in bunches.

When passing, Manning simply targeted whichever receiver was closest to safety LaRon Landry and Brian “I’m not really a linebacker” Orakpo. Once the passing attack had the Redskins defense on its heels, they simply handed the ball to the running back tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw (who rushed for nearly seven yards a carry on the night).

3. “How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?” by Morrissey

The offense … well … where do we begin? The offensive line, admittedly, had overachieved for much of the last month or so. Considering the line features Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach and a bunch of spare parts, it was only a matter of time before they remembered they weren’t any good. Turns out last night was the night, and Campbell was battered and beaten worse than at any other point in his career (which is saying something).

After the game, Campbell looked more like a prize fighter than a quarterback, with his face swollen and his shoulder sore after suffering a stinger during the bout. For something like the third time this season, we found ourselves saying, “I wouldn’t blame Campbell one bit if he refused to get up off the ground until they surrounding him with a halfway decent supporting cast.”

Todd Collins came in relief once Campbell suffered the stinger near the end of the first half, but even then, Campbell refused to stay out of the game. Once the second half started, he was right back out there – ready for the next beating.

4. “Little Man, What Now?” by Morrissey

The special teams unit clearly was intent on putting the “special” in special teams. Seriously, more than anything else Monday night, their amateur performance is what stands out the morning after. The kick return team is so bad, that for much of the night, Devin Thomas was unable to even get back to the 20-yard line. When the offense did finally find the endzone, the special teams killed any shot of momentum by screwing up the extra point.

And then there was the fake fieldgoal attempt.

Honestly, if Danny Smith and/or Jim Zorn still have a job this week, then newly appointed general manager Bruce Allen clearly is already sleeping on the job. For those who missed it, the Redskins pulled out one of the dumbest trick plays imaginable just before halftime, while trailing 24-0.

The Redskins sent out their fieldgoal unit, and then shifted nearly everyone except holder Hunter Smith and snapper Ethan Albright to the left side of the field in what can only be referred to as the “Flying V” formation of Mighty Ducks fame.

The Giants saw this and smartly called a timeout. Now, think back to the Denver game, when the Broncos coaching staff was so inept, they managed to be surprised twice when the Redskins set up the play and then after a timeout, called it again. Let’s just say the Giants weren’t fooled.

Instead, when the ‘Skins were dumb enough to try and run the play a second time, the Giants sent four defenders up the middle and crushed Smith, who was barely able to get rid of the ball before being pummeled.

No NFL team should ever try this play. And if an NFL team is moronic enough to line up for this play once and the opposition is forced to waste a timeout, it can only be considered a success. But to try the play, which is destined for failure, when the defense knows it’s coming … well, that’s a “gotsta go” situation. If heads don’t roll, then you’re basically saying, “We are not a professional football team.” The rest of us may already knows this, but it’s not a good idea to confirm it.

5. “Break Up The Family” by Morrissey

The only good thing to come from this humiliating defeat is that it’s now clear that this team needs to be blown up. A month’s worth of close losses might have prompted some to believe this team was close to respectability. Clearly, that is not the case.

No one should be safe – whether we’re discussing players, coaches or even cheerleaders. Seriously, sweeping changes are needed if this organization is hoping to become respectable again for the first time in basically 20 years. Bruce Allen was step one. Step two is replacing Zorn, whether it’s with Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden or some up-and-coming assistant coach we’ve never heard of.

Forget that his overall record as a head coach is 12-18. We’re now in a situation where the Redskins must defeat the playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys next week just so Zorn’s Redskins can improve to 4-8 against the rest of the division. How can you ever become a legitimate threat if you lose two thirds of your divisional matchups? The answer is – you can’t. Zorn is in over his head, and so too are the Redskins as long as he’s allowed to roam the sidelines.

At this point you’re better off just paying the man to stay home.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden

On a dreary, rain-soaked day in front of a half-empty stadium halfway across the country, the Washington Redskins finally lived up to expectations for the first time since Jim Zorn took over as head coach two seasons ago, beating down the Oakland Raiders 34-13.

The Redskins took on a tougher-than-you-might-think Raiders team that, although they only have four wins, they’ve beaten Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh this season. Also, it should be noted, that the ‘Skins have played down to the level of their opponent for much of the last two decades, which might explain how a doormat like the Raiders had beaten Washington in seven of their previous 10 match-ups coming into the game.

Despite playing without pretty much every “big-name” player on the roster, the Redskins put together a complete team effort in dismantling Oakland. The offense, led by quarterback Jason Campbell, started out each half by punting twice. On their other seven drives however, the ‘Skins offense put points on the board six times - scoring four touchdowns and two fieldgoals. The defense gave up 10 points in the first quarter, and then held the Raiders to a mere fieldgoal the rest of the game. And for the fourth-consecutive game, the Redskins went into a fourth quarter with the lead - this time up 17-13 heading into the final frame.

But unlike the previous three games that ended in defeat, this time around the Redskins stepped up their game on both sides of the ball and preserved the win. The offensive playcalling in the fourth quarter, for a change, didn’t go conservative. The players responded by adding 17 points. The defensive players got to do what they love most - put their hand in the dirt and rush the passer. The Raiders were simply no match for their aggressive and suffocating attack and wilted under the pressure. And the Redskins earned their first road win of 2009, even if it took them seven games to do it.

2. “Stay Wide Awake” by Eminem

Through the first 13 weeks, the Raiders had yet to allow a tight end to score a touchdown against them. In fact, this was a point of pride in Oakland that players and fans alike could hang their hat on. Well, that was before Fred Davis came to town. The second-year pro only had three catches on the day, but made the most of them - scoring two touchdowns and racking up 50 yards. After the game, Davis admitted he knew they hadn’t allowed a touchdown to a tight end in 2009. He also said that when a team goes man-to-man against the Redskins in the red zone, he feels he’s going to score any time the ball is thrown his way.

Davis wasn’t being cocky, he’s simply playing with confidence after taking over for an injured Chris Cooley halfway through the season. On the year, Davis now has 35 catches for 369 yards and a team-high five touchdowns, with the bulk of the production coming in the last seven games. Davis said after the game that this game felt like his good old days back at USC, where the offense marched up and down the field and put points on the board, and the defense took care of the rest. What’s clear is that Davis is now playing like a Mackey Award-winning tight end. He catches passes in traffic. He’s the go-to option in the red zone. He is nearly impossible to bring down with just one defender.

Davis’ production is helping the rest of the offense as well. In an up-and-down season, Campbell has quietly finished three of the last five games with a QB rating of over 100. In those three games, Davis has 12 catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns. You can basically pencil him in for four catches for 50 yards and a score. Once he gets going in the first half, opposing defenses have to alter their attack and focus more on Davis, which in turn frees up Devin Thomas, Santana Moss and the ground game to get involved. Davis basically jump starts the offense and then the rest of the offense comes along. And he’s doing it so well that the Redskins put up 30 points in back to back games for the first time since 2006. This from a guy who earned the nickname “Sleepy” because he overslept on his first day as a professional athlete.

3. “Run This Town” by Jay-Z

Speaking of the ground game, the Redskins came into this match-up with a virtual unknown as their starting running back. Quinton Ganther, who has been a member of the franchise for all of a month, was named the starter last week and responded with 93 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. In the first quarter, with Washington struggling to get going offensively, Ganther caught an innocent screen pass and showed what he’s capable of, making several defenders miss and picking up 42 yards with a burst of speed many ‘Skins fans didn’t know he had.

After the game, Ganther said this was a day he’ll never forget. That’s probably because the Richmond, California native scored the first two touchdowns of his career in front of roughly 250 friends and family members. A guy who was simply looking for a job a month ago was suddenly sealing a win with a pair of second half touchdowns in front of his loved ones on Sunday.

“Opportunities in this league are so hard to come by,” Ganther said after the game. “And when they do come, you have to be ready.”

So yeah, it’s safe to say this game was a dream come true for the 25-year-old.

4. “Candy” by Cameo

Enough about the offense.

The Raiders came into this game having won two of their last three games, thanks to switching to Bruce Gradkowski as their starter. It’s not like Gradkowski has been great since taking over for JaMarcus Russell. He’s simply been less shitty.

In the early stages of this contest, the Redskins and Raiders seemed fairly evenly matched. And then Gradkowski got hurt and Russell, the former number-one overall pick, was forced back into action. ‘Skins defenders smelled blood in the water and the onslaught was on. Safety LaRon Landry, who was targeted early and often by Gradkowski, stepped up his game with Russell (his former teammate at LSU) involved.

Landry finished with a forced fumble and an interception. Defensive end Andre Carter had two sacks, which is noteworthy because the guy only had four all last season. But the man of the hour was rookie Brian Orakpo, who tied the team record with four sacks on the day. After bringing down Gradkowski once, Orakpo switched to another level against Russell and seemingly spent the rest of the afternoon in the backfield.

Russell, who might be the biggest bust in NFL history, never had a chance. He was 10 of 16 passes for 74 yards and an interception, while being sacked six times for 52 yards.

In fact, the eight sacks by Washington was the most they’ve had in a game since 1990. The team record is 10. According to Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen, had JaMarcus Russell played the entire game, the Redskins would have had at least 15 sacks. Not to pile on, but one of the defensive players even referred to Russell as “The Statue of Liberty” because he’s so big, he’s basically incapable of evading any kind of pass rush.

With 11 sacks through 13 games, Orakpo is now tied with Carter for fourth place in the NFL. His four-sack effort against Oakland represented the best outing of his entire life. He told media members after the game that he’d never had four sacks in a game at any level, including high school and college. On a day without Albert Haynesworth in the lineup, Orakpo and Carter picked up six sacks.

Some might say they were stealing candy from a baby, but this came from a duo who supposedly cannot get to a quarterback without the $100-million defensive tackle taking up multiple blockers. Not bad for a rookie defensive end pretending to be a linebacker and a 30-something playing out of his natural position on passing downs.

5. “Add It Up” by Violent Femmes

With a bunch of nobodies, the Redskins continue to evolve into a legitimate franchise. Guys like Clinton Portis, Chris Samuels and Chris Cooley are out of action, and unheralded players such as Quinton Ganther, Levi Jones and Fred Davis step up. High-priced players like Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall are sidelined for multiple games, and whoever is next on the depth charts simply steps in and does their best. Jim Zorn gets stripped of playcalling duties, and a retiree shows this town what this offense is truly capable of. The question is - what happens next?

What happens when the stars are back in the lineup? Are the current guys performing at a higher level in place of the “name” players or because they’re not around? Has Jason Campbell shown he deserves to be brought back after a month of above average outings? Is it humanly possible for Jim Zorn to survive this disappointing season now that the team is actually competitive week in and week out? Or will the front office run the risk of blowing it all up and starting over because a “name” like Mike Shanahan is simply too big to resist?

No one is saying Zorn or Campbell or anyone else HAS to be brought back. After all, a four-win season is never acceptable. But the question that should be asked is - are the pieces finally coming into place for this team? And if you keep everything together, is this team capable of being a consistent winner? A month ago frustrated ‘Skins fans might have decked you for even dreaming such a silly scenario. Now, it’s a question worth considering as this team closes out the final three games.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “No Surprise” by Doughtry

The fact that the Washington Redskins lost to the New Orleans Saints isn’t shocking. After all, they came into this matchup 3-8 while the Saints were 11-0 and the consensus top team in the NFL.

But it’s the way in which the Redskins lost this game – a 33-30 overtime thriller that makes this loss sting so much. Just one week after New Orleans made Tom Brady look downright average, Jason Campbell outplayed Drew Brees as he racked up a career-high 367 yards, three touchdowns and a QB rating of 111.9.

Read that last sentence again. Tom Brady, the league’s savior, was pulled to avoid further embarrassment and injury, while Jason Campbell, a guy his own team repeatedly tried to discard this past offseason, had one of the best games of his young career.

Folks might try to say “Well, this was a classic trap game.” Everyone knew the Saints wouldn’t be able to get fired up for a three-win Redskins team the same way they did for a primetime matchup with the Patriots, and we’ll agree with that statement to an extent. But Gregg Williams was on the other sideline and anyone familiar with his falling out with Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato knows how much this game meant to him.

Williams truly believed in his heart that he would be the next head coach of the Washington Redskins once Joe Gibbs finished his second tenure with the team. But the front office had other plans – shunning Williams in favor of … well … anyone but Williams, and ultimately settling on Jim Zorn.

So yeah, the Saints, who boast the highest-scoring offense and defense in the NFL, were going to be ready – even against a lesser opponent like the Redskins. A few hours before kickoff it was announced that Redskins would be without cornerbacks DeAngelo Hall and Justin Tryon due to injury and suddenly an already-daunting task sounded insurmountable.

2. “I’m Going In” by Drake

And yet, the Redskins came out looking like an elite team, while the Saints appeared to be the doormat.

The Saints got the ball first and had it for four plays before punting. Their second drive was a three-and-out. Meanwhile, the Redskins promptly marched down the field on a nine-play, 94-yard drive that ended with a Fred Davis touchdown to put the ‘Skins up 7-0. The Redskins’ second drive also went nine plays, as the team had no problem moving down the field once again and suddenly the Redskins were up 10-0.

Speaking of Davis, the second-year tight end out of USC has officially stepped into “The Cooley Zone.”

With Pro Bowler Chris Cooley on the injured reserve, Davis has become the central figure in the Redskins’ offense – hauling in 25 catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns. This from a guy who had just seven catches for 45 yards and no touchdowns the first six games of the season.

Much of the credit for the team’s fast start against the Saints goes to Davis, who caught tough passes in traffic and routinely fought for extra yards to keep drives alive. It’s no coincidence that the first play on three of the first four Redskins drives was a pass to Davis. The coaching staff clearly trusts the young tight end and Campbell obviously has faith in him.

3. “Help Is Coming” by T.I.

Even though Davis had a strong showing against the Saints, his performance was completely overshadowed by Devin Thomas, who easily had the best showing of his 28-game NFL career.

He’s too immature. He’s too raw. He’s not smart enough. He’s lazy.

These are the kinds of labels that have been unfairly placed on Thomas since the Redskins drafted him in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. Thomas never complained. He simply let the mounting criticism build and used it as motivation. The former Michigan State Spartan truly believed as soon as he got his opportunity, he was going to make the most of it.

Well, Thomas picked a fine time to have his breakout game. Against an aggressive Saints defense, Thomas simply caught anything and everything thrown his way. Campbell targeted Thomas seven times, who responded with seven catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns. This from a guy who set his previous high in catches and yards a week earlier when he had four catches for 46 yards.

The only time Thomas didn’t catch a pass thrown his way was when he got mugged by Saints defensive back Michael Jenkins, who was flagged for a 32-yard pass interference call. Everyone knew there would be offensive fireworks when the Saints came marching in to FedEx Field, but very few could have guessed that Devin Thomas would be the one to steal the show.

4. “Ain’t That A Bitch” Lil’ Wayne

Campbell had the best passing day of his career. Same for Thomas in the receiving game. And yet, the Redskins lost a game they never trailed until the Saints stole the victory in overtime. So what the hell happened?

Fluke plays. That’s what.

Trailing 17-10 in the second quarter, New Orleans punter Morstead shanked a 27 yarder that should have given the Redskins one more chance to pad their lead before halftime. Only the punt took a crazy bounce off of rookie Kevin Barnes and the Saints recovered the ball.

Six plays later, safety Kareem Moore intercepts a Brees pass that was intended for tight end Jeremy Shockey. During the return, Saints wide out Robert Meachem made the play of his life, stripped Moore from behind. The ball popped out, Meachem plucked it out of the air and raced down the sideline for a backbreaking 44-yard score to tie the game at 17-17 at the half. Those two plays, more than anything else, decided this game.

Folks around town will blame kicker Shaun Suisham, who missed a gimme 23-yard fieldgoal. They’ll also point the finger at Campbell, who threw an interception late in the fourth quarter and fullback Mike Sellers, who fumbled the ball in overtime. But those two fluky plays, more than anything, woke up the Saints and helped them to remain undefeated.

5. “Supermassive Black Hole” By Muse

Earlier this season, everyone rightly blamed Campbell and the Redskins offense when they forgot how to score points. You go three separate games without scoring a touchdown and that’s gonna happen. Well, it’s officially time to let the offense off the hook, because they finally resemble a legitimate offense.

These days the offense is playing well enough to win games and it’s the Redskins defense that is costing this franchise victories. Campbell went toe-to-toe with Drew Brees. Davis and Thomas caught anything and everything thrown their way. On the day, nine different Redskins players caught a pass. But none of it mattered because, for the third week in a row, the defense was incapable of making a stop with the game on the line.

With no time outs, The Saints put together an 80-yard drive in just 33 seconds to tie the game and force overtime. During this drive, Brees picked on defensive backs Carlos Rogers, Fred Smoot and LaRon Landry. We’re not talking about youngsters like Barnes or Moore who have been asked to step up because of injuries. No, we’re talking about veterans who have been around and know what it takes to win.

Just like the game in Dallas two weeks ago and again last week in Philadelphia, the defense failed to get the job done against an opponent on the ropes. Everyone around town believe the offense is inept while the defense is among the NFL’s elite, but that’s simply not the case. The offense is better than anyone gives it credit for and the defense is overrated.

“We have to finish the football game,” said linebacker London Fletcher. “We have to close out the game. We did a lot of things to put ourselves in position to win that game, and we came up short.”

Simply put - until this defense can close out an opponent, brace yourself for more heartbreak.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” Vampire Weekend

The three highest-paid players on the 2009 Washington Redskins are defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, running back Clinton Portis and cornerback DeAngelo Hall. In related news, the Redskins were without the services of Haynesworth, Portis and Hall because of various injuries.

With that in mind, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that the Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Stadium, 27-24.

After all, they’ve lost eight of 11 games this season and 14 of their last 19 games overall. Add in a nine-game losing streak on the road and falling to a talented divisional rival in their hostile stadium was to be expected.

With most of the “name” players out of action, the Redskins took on the Eagles with essentially their junior varsity squad featuring unheralded guys like Rock Cartwright, Quinton Ganther, Marcus Mason, H.B. Blades, Lorenzo Alexander, Justin Tryon, Kareem Moore, Byron Westbrook, Lendy Holmes and Kevin Barnes.

These guys aren’t just blue collar – they’re happy to be collecting paychecks. They don’t have egos. They don’t walk around like they’re better than anyone else. They might not possess the natural talent that bigger names have, but they’re committed to doing anything and everything they can to help their team. Most importantly, they play each snap as if it might be their last, which is exactly the type of attitude coaches love.

2. “Description of a Fool” by A Tribe Called Quest

God bless Andy Reid.

The Eagles, more than any other team in football, give the Redskins fits. They have an aggressive defense that constantly applies pressure in a variety of different ways and an offense that isn’t afraid to take shots downfield or dial up trick plays when opponents least expect it.

Basically, when everything is clicking for Philly, they’re going to roll over the Redskins – which is clearly illustrated by the fact that they’ve swept the season series against Washington five of the last eight seasons. But it’s difficult to imagine just how lethal the Eagles could be if Reid didn’t continually find ways to get in his own way.

Think back to the Eagles’ 27-17 win at FedEx Field in Week 7. The Eagles basically won the game two minutes in when DeSean Jackson scored on a 67-yard run. All they had to do was continue to run their standard offense and the game would have been a blowout. Instead, for reasons that are unclear, Reid convinces himself that he has to run the Wildcat. So he kept throwing a rusty Mike Vick in at quarterback and was surprised when his offense stalled.

Fast forward to this week. The Eagles win the coin toss. They elect to defer, which essentially means they chose to kick off to the Redskins. And then they go for an onside kick, which fails miserably and gives the ‘Skins the ball on the 19-yard line. It’s as if Reid decided going into the game that he didn’t want the ball and then changed his mind at the last minute.

So instead of kicking the ball off to a 3-7 team who has been held without a touchdown three times this season, Reid got cute. The onside kick attempt fired up the Redskins and for the rest of the afternoon the Eagles were in a knock-down, drag-out brawl against an inferior team.

3. “Sideways” by Citizen Cope

Late in the first half, the Redskins led the game 14-10. Quarterback Jason Campbell joined punter Hunter Smith as the only Redskins player to run for and throw a touchdown pass this season, and a dangerous Eagles offense was struggling to get things going.

Unfortunately, a pair of Campbell interceptions, both by cornerback Asante Samuel, provided the wake-up call Philadelphia needed and the Eagles went into halftime up 16-14. It’s always a futile effort to second guess the playcalling the day after a loss, but we found it surprising that the Redskins went back to the passing game after the Eagles kicked a fieldgoal with 49 seconds left in the half to pull within one, at 14-13.

Had the ‘Skins been content to play it safe and simply run out the clock, they go into halftime with momentum still in their favor. But Campbell dropped back again and Samuel picked him off again. David Akers kicked another fieldgoal and the Eagles were back in business.

In the fourth quarter, linebacker Chris Wilson hit Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb as he released the ball and his pass floated in the air for roughly six minutes (give or take). When it finally came down, Tryon had his first-career interception and the Redskins took over on the 23-yard line with a 21-16 lead.

In the first half, the team went aggressive when they probably shouldn’t have. Now, with a fourth-quarter lead, the ‘Skins inexplicably opted to go vanilla and seemingly played for the fieldgoal attempt, even though Philadelphia would still only need one score to tie the game.

It wasn’t an Andy Reid caliber blunder, but the coaching decisions on those two drives definitely factored into the final outcome.

4. “Bring The Pain” by Method Man

Over the last few years, two Eagles players have had their way with the Redskins defense. First it was running back Brian Westbrook, who seemingly always saved his best for the Redskins. Recently, it’s been DeSean Jackson running circles around an otherwise-impressive Redskins defense.

Well, the Redskins have found an answer for those two playmakers, and his name is London Fletcher.

Back in October, Fletcher applied the “hit stick” on Westbrook and he’s been battling concussion symptoms ever since. On Sunday, Fletcher finally caught up with Jackson and delivered a punishing blow that knocked out Philly’s top offensive weapon out with … you guessed it … a concussion.

We’re not here to make light of head injuries or to kick a player when he’s down. We’re simply pointing out that in their last two matchups, Fletcher has K.O.ed the Eagles’ go-to players. The rest of the league can continue to overlook the magnificent play of Fletcher, but we’ve got a feeling that, if nothing else, the fine people of Philly will make sure they know where he is and what he’s doing at all times from here on out.

5. “Never Change” by Jay-Z

Last week, the Redskins outplayed a divisional rival on the road, only to fall apart in the fourth quarter and walk away with a painful loss. One week after the Dallas defeat, it was more of the same, as the ‘Skins couldn’t find a way to close out a game they had no business losing.

We fully understand that in both instances, the better team won. And yes, the Redskins are so crippled with injuries that they’re forced to field a team of no names. And we’ll even agree that, for the first time this year, the offense is finally showing signs of being competent. But that doesn’t mean anyone in the Redskins’ locker room is happy with the outcome.

“There really aren’t any moral victories out there,” said linebacker Brian Orakpo. “We’re just very disappointed that we didn’t close these last two games out. We had these games and just don’t know how to finish right now. We have played 90 percent good in these games, but it’s the remaining 10 percent that we’re failing ourselves.”

Nothing good comes out of winning the first 57 minutes of a football game. If the Redskins are going to return to respectability, they’re going to need to learn how to close out opponents. Moving forward, the Redskins coaches need to make smarter decisions and the players need to do a better job of executing when the game is on the line. It’s not fancy and it’s not glamorous. But it’s effective.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “When the Music Stop” by Eminem

One week ago, the Washington Redskins pulled off an improbable 27-17 victory over the Denver Broncos, thanks largely to the inspired play of backup running back Ladell Betts and a patchwork offensive line.

Betts rushed 26 times for 114 yards and a touchdown behind the fifth-different offensive line combination the Redskins have been forced to use this season, and the ‘Skins offense finally cracked the 20-point plateau for the first time in recent memory.

Heading into a rivalry game against the Dallas Cowboys, it was safe to assume that any real chance at a Redskins victory would depend largely on those same six individuals having similar success.

So of course, in a season in which nothing has gone right for Washington, Betts and offensive lineman Chad Rinehart were both injured during the game and lost for the year. Adding insult to injury, the Redskins lost to the hated Cowboys 7-6.

Betts lasted just five carries into the bout before suffering a knee injury in the first quarter, while Rinehart suffered a broken fibula and had to be carted off the field in the third quarter. We later discovered Betts tore his ACL and MCL, which means he won’t be playing football for the foreseeable future.

With Betts sidelined and Clinton Portis still not fully recovered after suffering a concussion against the Atlanta Falcons a couple of weeks ago, an already beleaguered Redskins offense was left wondering who exactly would be able to provide the offense against an aggressive Cowboys’ defense.

2. “Overcome” by Bubba Sparxxx

During Rock Cartwright’s eight seasons in Washington, he’s been primarily known for his above-average kick returning abilities. He’s also listed as a running back, but you’d have to take our word for it – as evident by his 12 carries for 29 yards over the last three seasons.

Well, once Betts was forced out of the game, Cartwright stepped in as the primary ball carrier and was easily the best thing the ‘Skins had going for them on offense. Cartwright carried the ball 13 times for 67 yards (5.2 per carry) and also chipped in seven catches for 73 yards. That’s 20 touches for 140 yards, which means the Texas native was basically good for seven yards every time he touched the ball.

The question of the day was simply – how was Cartwright able to step in and carry the ball in one game as many times as he had the previous three seasons and look like he hadn’t missed a beat?

“Regardless of the situation, I prepare each week as if I’m the starter,” Cartwright said.

Listed at 5-8 and 213 lbs., Cartwright is one of the smallest Redskins on the roster. But it’s days like these when Skins fans realize just how lucky we are to have such high-character guys like Rock. He doesn’t bitch or moan when he’s not given the ball. He simply practices harder and waits for his time, knowing full well that once he gets his shot, he’s going to make the best of it.

“The perception of me is that I’m just a special teams guy,” Cartwright said. “But I know in my heart I can run the football. I can catch the football. I can do a lot of stuff. I can offer a lot to anybody. I just go out, try to execute, play at a high level and try to do my job. I’m just trying to do my part.”

3. “Keepin’ It Tight” by Busta Rhymes

Even as the losses pile up, the Redskins defense continues to perform at a high level. Did you realize that in the last seven quarters, the Skins defense has allowed just 10 points?

Remember Michael Turner running for nine yards a carry as Redskins defenders bounced off of him? Or Brandon Marshall running circles around the ‘Skins secondary? Yeah, well those big plays seem to be a thing of the past. For nearly two full games, the opposition has struggled to put together much of anything in the way of offense against the burgundy and gold.

Through three quarters, Cowboys Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo was held to just eight completions on 17 attempts for 98 yards. The Cowboys’ offense, which averages more than 23 points a game this season, was held scoreless and had barely 200 yards of total offense. The only thing Dallas really had going was the play of running back Marion Barber, but his fumble in the first half certainly didn’t help his team’s cause.

And yet, somehow the Cowboys still picked up the win.

4. “World of Two” by Cake

The game came down to two players – Romo and Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham. Romo made plays when his team absolutely needed them, while Suisham could not.

With time winding down in the fourth quarter and his team trailing 6-0, Romo led the Cowboys on a nine-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a Patrick Crayton touchdown catch. Sadly, the Cowboys shouldn’t have been in position to take the lead. And they wouldn’t have been, if Suisham had been more accurate.

On a day when points were at their premium, Suisham converted just two of four fieldgoal attempts. One of his misses came on a 50-yard try, which history shows he’s not likely to make, but Suisham also missed a 39-yarder that would have given the Redskins a 9-0 lead.

So even if Romo marches Dallas down the field and scores that touchdown with less than three minutes remaining, the Skins still would have held the lead, 9-7.

“You hold Dallas to seven points and they walk away with a win, something’s wrong,” said assistant coach Jerry Gray.

Truer words have never been spoken, Jerry.

5. “The Drugs Don’t Work” by Ben Harper

The Redskins now stand at 3-7. They’ve been held without a touchdown in three games this season. Their injured list – which currently features Albert Haynesworth, Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Chris Cooley, Chris Samuels, Randy Thomas, Chad Rinehart and Chris Horton – has more talented than most expansion teams. Some might say the situation has gotten bleak.

“I think just from the emotion of losing that game, it’s just a heart-yank for our players,” coach Jim Zorn said. “We felt like ‘here we go, we’re climbing ourselves out of it.’ I just told them I was proud of all of them. To lose that way at the end, in a hostile situation, is just so hard. It wasn’t any one thing, but at the particular time that things were happening, you were getting stabbed every time something happened, even with our injuries. Yet, we hung in there. I really believe this is a special team of players who will not just check things in being 3-7. It is bleak. Being 3-7 is bleak, and yet we’re going to come back. We’ve got a big game next week. We’re going to look at our roster, patch it up and go again.”

While fans are left to debate just how “special” the 2009 Washington Redskins are, Zorn is correct when he says this team won’t quit.

“I think everybody has too much pride just to say it’s over,” said wide out Malcolm Kelly. “Everybody in here is a grown man – half of them grown men with families. You’re not going to go out there and put your family name out there on that field just to lay down. You’re not going to let another man just bulldoze you because you think the season’s over. That’s just not going to happen.”

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Keep Ya Head Up” by 2Pac

Morale was at an all-time low. Fans spoke of staging protests, walkouts and any other form of demonstration to show their disgust. Bench the quarterback. Fire the general manager. Hell, sell the team. This is what Washington Redskins football had become in 2009.

On the field, things were just as dire. The Redskins stood 2-6 at the midpoint of the season, and even in their rare victories, there was little cause for celebration. Beating two of the league’s doormats by a combined five points does little to soothe the situation.

So it goes without saying that the Redskins 27-17 victory over the Denver Broncos Sunday was just what the doctor ordered. Not only did the good guys get a win in a season in which they’ve been hard to come by, but they did so in a completely satisfying manner.

Beating the winless St. Louis Rams 9-7 with a woeful “offense” consisting of just three fieldgoals doesn’t cut it. Beating the 6-2 Broncos in a game in which you trailed three different times and broke the 17-point barrier for the first time all year … well … that’s a different story.

Think back to the Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles last month. When Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson scored a 67-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game, everyone in attendance pretty much knew the game was over.

Flash back to this week’s game and it was déjà vu all over again, as Denver wideout Brandon Marshall caught a 40-yard bomb just over two minutes into the game to give the Broncos the quick start that typically buries Washington.

“We’re not good enough to allow those kind of big plays,” defensive tackle Phillip Daniels said to us after the game.

Everything we’d seen up until this point backed Daniels up. And yet, the Redskins offense took over and promptly marched down the field with a 12-play, 78-yard touchdown drive. That drive said more about this team than anything else that’s happened this year. With every reason in the world to just give up, the Redskins “B Team” stepped up. They didn’t just put points on the board; they gave hope to a fanbase that was completely beaten down and in need of something, anything other than venom and negativity.

2. “Chillin” by Wale

If that first-quarter score was the single most important moment of the 2009 season, then who was the bona fide playmaker who made it happen? “Touchdown” Todd Yoder, of course. For the second time in as many weeks, Yoder stepped up to help fill the void created when Pro Bowler Chris Cooley was sidelined with an ankle injury during the Eagles game. His stats might not do him justice – two catches for five yards and two touchdowns – but that doesn’t mean he’s not getting it done.

Yoder is now tied with Cooley and wide out Santana Moss for the team lead in receiving touchdowns on the year. And if that doesn’t impress you, consider this – Cooley finished the 2008 season with just one touchdown catch. In two games since Yoder went Mohawk, he’s got two touchdowns. The 31-year-old has been so clutch since he changed up his hairstyle, that other members of the organization would be wise to make the switch (if you get our drift, Vinny Cerrato).

3. “You Can Do Better Than Me” by Death Cab for Cutie

Hey, remember back during the offseason when the biggest story in town was the Jay Cutler sweepstakes? Having tired of the situation in Denver, Cutler cried until the team decided to trade him and the Redskins, like several other teams, immediately contacted the Broncos to inquire about the situation.

At the end of the day, the Chicago Bears “won” the right to have Cutler throw five interceptions a game while the Broncos brought in Kyle Orton and the Redskins were left with Jason Campbell and his bruised ego. So it was fitting that Campbell and Orton squared off in a game we jokingly referred to as the Bridesmaid’s Bowl.

Orton was forced out of the game at halftime with an ankle strain, but still ended up with solid numbers, completing 11 of 18 passes for 193 yards, two touchdowns and an impressive 134.7 QB rating. Campbell wasn’t too shabby himself, completed 17 of 26 passes for 193 yards, one touchdown and a 100.3 QB rating. Campbell also completed passes to nine different Redskins receivers.

4. “The Fixer” by Pearl Jam

Campbell and Orton weren’t the only two players throwing passes at FedEx Field Sunday. When Orton was injured, Denver backup Chris Simms (minus his spleen) was called into action. In related news, the game quickly took a turn for the worse for the Broncos with Orton sidelined.

Simms completed just three of his 13 attempts for 13 yards with an interception. And with no production from the quarterback position, Denver quickly fell apart, as illustrated by their 36 yards of total offense after halftime.

On the flip side, we have Hunter “The Punter” Smith, who you might remember from such films as “I rush for touchdowns for fun” back in Week 1. Well, Smith was called into action on a 53-yard fake fieldgoal attempt in the second quarter that should have failed on multiple levels, and yet, somehow worked.

For starters, the Redskins faced fourth down and 20. The odds of converting that play are slim. They’re even worse when you take the field with only 10 men, as the Redskins initially did. Once the coaches realized they were missing a player, the team was forced to burn a timeout. The problem was – just before the time out was called, the Redskins shifted out of field goal formation, with kicker Shaun Suisham going in motion and lining up as a receiver.

So really, the Redskins showed their hand to the Broncos and then dared to run the play anyway. And somehow the second time was a charm. Smith took the snap and immediately rolled right. Inexplicably, the Broncos were still completely caught off guard and Smith had all the time in the world to scan the field for any possible options to throw the ball to.

Finally, in what seemed like an eternity later, Hunter found fullback Mike Sellers, who was completely wide open down the left sideline. The Redskins scored the backbreaking touchdown and from that moment on, had all the moment in their favor.

So while fans can debate whether the Broncos were wise to choose Orton over Campbell, there is no debate that they’d have been better off with Smith instead of Simms, who finished the day with an embarrassing passer rating of 7.5.

Hunter “The Punter” went one for one for 35 yards, a touchdown and a perfect 158.3 QB rating, which means he beat Simms by a mere 150.8 in the QB rating department.

Question of the day: what would you have said if before the season we told you that two of your most productive offensive weapons would be Todd Yoder and Hunter Smith?

“I’d have said you’re crazy, man,” admitted linebacker Brian Orakpo.

And you know what? We wouldn’t have blamed you.

5. “So Fresh, So Clean” by Outkast

As we were driving to the game, we couldn’t help but think of Bill Simmons, of ESPN.com fame. For years he’s touted something called the Ewing Theory, which is named after former New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing and claims that when a longtime superstar who has never won a championship leaves a team via injury, trade or free agency, and the media writes the team off, that team will actually play better.

With running back Clinton Portis out of action thanks to a concussion, coupled with an offensive line that has been routinely criticized all season long, we couldn’t help but think the Broncos game was the perfect opportunity for D.C. fans to see the Ewing Theory in action.

So the Redskins turned to running back Ladell Betts, who got his first start since 2006, and he responded with 114 rushing yards on 26 attempts, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and scored the game-winning touchdown. He wasn’t flashy. Instead Betts simply took the handoff and fought for as many yards as the Denver defense would allow him.

The Redskins finished the day with a season-high 388 total net yards. The team’s 174 rushing yards were also a season high, as well as the ‘Skins 35 minutes and 43 seconds in time of possession. Basically, Betts was everything the Redskins have lacked in the rushing game this season, and his effort helped fuel an offense that has been nonexistent for most of the season.

So now, the question becomes – what happens when Portis returns to the lineup? Do the Redskins stick with Betts or return to Portis?

Heading forward this is easily the most intriguing subplot in the second half of the Redskins’ season.