(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Throw Some D’s” by Rich Boy

Statistically speaking, the Washington Redskins have had a top-tier defense for much of the last decade. Now, I say statistically speaking because, let’s face it, the defense has done much of the heavy lifting over the last 10 years, but timely stops and turnovers have always been hard to come by.

Preseason or not, vanilla offenses and defenses or not, what we’re seeing so far this year is a trend that could really swing things in favor of the Redskins defense.

The Redskins’ aggressive mindset on defense translated to four turnovers against the New York Jets in the team’s 16-11 victory. Instead of sitting back and reacting to what offenses throw at them, as was the preference during the Greg Blache years, Jim Haslett’s 3-4 defense is much more chaotic.

Redskins players love this brand of defense, which has helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win multiple Super Bowls since 2005. They love that blitzes come from all angles in any situation. They love forcing offenses into mistakes rather than passively waiting to be picked apart. They love dictating play. Basically, they’ve already completely bought in.

That was evident when DeAngelo Hall picked off his second pass of the preseason. Or when Phillip Buchanon, who was beaten on a short pass, made up for it by punching the ball free from receiver Santonio Holmes.

Linebacker Robert Henson did the same thing to running back Joe McKnight, dislodging the ball by getting a hand on it, and cornerback Ramsey Robinson recovered it for Washington. And finally, there was defensive lineman Darrion Scott, who forced former Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell into a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Kevin Barnes to effectively seal the win for the burgundy and gold.

Notice a pattern? The Redskins defenders, while playing straight-forward defense, are trying to get a hand on the ball whenever possible. It’s something simple, but it’s something the team practices every single week. It’s now ingrained into their heads that, if you get beat, hustle to make the play and be sure to try and get a hand on the ball.

After the Jets game, the Redskins entered the weekend tied for first in the NFL with seven forced fumbles and tied for seventh in interceptions with three. If the players continue to have that same aggressive mindset, this could finally be the year turnovers come in waves for the Redskins.

2. “Giving Up The Gun” by Vampire Weekend

Mark Sanchez, the franchise quarterback who Redskins owner Daniel Snyder was smitten with coming out of college, is now a glorified game manager.

Stunning really, when you think about it.

The second-year quarterback, who is surrounded by talented players such as LaDainian Tomlinson, SHonne Greene, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and more, is now being treated like he’s Trent Dilfer or some other equally mediocre signal caller.

“You have to realize that there are times to take chances and there are times not to,” said Jets coach Rex Ryan of Sanchez. “The way we play defense, kick the field goal, so we’re up.  The way [Jets kicker] Nick [Folk] kicks off; the offense will have to drive 80 yards on us. I think that’s part of it. We don’t need to force passes. We have a good enough offense that the plays will be there. Go through your reads and make throws. He’s not going to be perfect by any stretch.”

I feel obligated to point out that Sanchez is going into just his second season in the NFL, so maybe it’s not wise for his coaching staff to rush to judgment just yet. But I watched from the sidelines as Ryan and friends were terrified to put the ball in his hands at the end of the first half.

There they were, taking timeouts and trying to move the ball quickly during their two-minute drill. Except, Sanchez wasn’t throwing any passes. Instead, he kept handing the ball off on delays. Even if Ryan said otherwise, it was clear by the playcalling that they have zero confidence in Sanchez at the moment.

And maybe it’s because the former USC standout is a little sensitive. We’ve learned that watching Hard Knocks this season. The first-team offense has been missing in action for New York and they needed to keep Sanchez in the game into the fourth quarter, just to get a meaningless touchdown. So maybe there is a method to Ryan’s madness. But it’s just a stunning turn of events for a guy who the Redskins were willing to give up multiple first rounders to acquire.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Oh No! Not You Again!” by The Heavy – While many folks would like you to believe that a rivalry exists between the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens, the truth is there’s nothing there.

The Redskins and their fanbase put plenty of time and energy into despising divisional opponents like Dallas, New York and Philadelphia, while Ravens fans (hon!) focus their hatred towards Pittsburgh. When the Redskins and Ravens square off, both teams obviously want to win, but it’s not like anyone cares about the “battle of the beltway” 10 minutes after the game is over.

Now, that being said, there was one guy prominently involved in this game who has to have strong feelings against Baltimore, and that’s Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb.

He might not ever say anything publicly, but rest assured that McNabb remembers the last time he faced the Ravens. That’s because he was benched after going just 8-for-18 for 59 yards with two interceptions and a fumble in the first half against Baltimore back on Nov. 23, 2008.

“I thought it might be a little bit of a spark, and we might be able to get some things going,” Eagles head coach Andy Reid said at the time.

Less than two years later, the Eagles said goodbye to McNabb and turned the team over to quarterback Kevin Kolb, who replaced Donovan against Baltimore that day. So yeah, it’s not much of a stretch to believe that seeing the Ravens again could drum up some emotions for the 33-year-old.

How did he fare the second time around? McNabb completed 11 of 26 for 206 yards and an interception in one half of action against a very aggressive Ravens defense. The 206 passing yards were the most a Redskins quarterback has thrown for in a half since 2002.

And honestly, McNabb’s numbers would have been even more impressive if his teammates could catch passes that hit them in the hands. You could go down the list – Fred Davis, Chris Cooley, Larry Johnson and Anthony Armstrong to name a few – all dropped catchable passes in the first half.

Maybe they heard footsteps, maybe one or two of the passes had a higher degree of difficulty, but the bottom line is – if it hits you in the hands, you’ve gotta catch it.

As for McNabb, preseason or not, you’ve got to love his gutsy performance. The man was under siege for much of his evening and he needed ice on his ankle after the game, but he chose to look at the 23-3 loss in a positive light.

“I felt great, I felt great,” he said. “I had a couple of throws I missed, some miscommunications and some balls that we missed. But, the thing about it is, they were opportunity plays. We made some plays throughout this game. We drove the ball and put ourselves in position to score, now we just have to capitalize.”

2. “Who Cares?” by Gnarls Barkley – Brian Orakpo might only be a second-year player, but the man is wise beyond his years. I swear the guy carries himself as a 10-year pro. So after the loss, I sought him out to get his perspective on the game.

The good news is Orakpo wasn’t worried about loss. He openly admitted that the Redskins defense didn’t watch film or gamplan for the Ravens. Unlike Steve Spurrier, who felt the need to use every trick in his bag during the preseason, Jim Haslett is content to go straight vanilla until meaningful games are played.

“I think we matched up pretty well,” Orakpo said. “They had a fluke play. I don’t think they’ll do that in the regular season, with the fake punt to get the ball back on the 1. I think we fared well against them. Obviously, I’m disappointed we lost, but the [starters] were able to get off the field and create turnovers. That’s a goal we emphasize each week, and we did a good job at that.”

I’ve always believed that moral victories are for losers, so there’s no real need to sing the praises of a team that lost by 20 points – preseason or not. But a few players did manage to have a solid game.

In addition to McNabb, the coaches should also be pleased with Armstrong, Santana Moss and Justin Tryon, who all stood out during an otherwise forgettable evening.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “What a Strange Day,” by Dr. Dog

Yes, I know that Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan have been with the Washington Redskins for a few months now. And yes, I’ve seen them both at countless practices and camps since their respective arrivals. But I’ve still got to admit, it was surreal seeing them both rocking the burgundy and gold Friday night against the Buffalo Bills.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who needed an extra second to adjust to it all either.

“When I came out of the tunnel it really hit me that, obviously, it is a new uniform, new scenery, and a new team,” McNabb said. “The exciting thing about it is that guys came in here just excited. Everybody wanted to see everybody get out there and make plays in game situations and I think we were able to show that. The most exciting part is putting up points, eating up yards, getting Redskins turnovers and special teams scoring points. I think you are seeing a whole new different ball club than you are used to seeing in the previous seasons. We don’t want to get too overly excited.”

In his preseason debut, McNabb completed five of eight passes for 58 yards with one touchdown. In limited action, he finished with a passer rating of 124, and even at 33-years-old, managed to outrace a Bills defender or two during a third-down scramble during the team’s second drive.

‘Skins fans still aren’t completely sure what the team has in terms of depth at receiver, but it didn’t hinder McNabb against the Bills. He just dropped back, picked his target and fired passes without hesitation. Whether it was Roydell Williams, Chris Cooley or Anthony Armstrong, if they were open, the ball came their way.

If this is a sign or things to come in 2010, then now might be a good time for you to start working on getting tickets. This Redskins offense might finally be capable of keeping up with the defense.

2. “Almost Easy” by Avenged Sevenfold

The Redskins moved the ball on offense. They created pressure and forced turnovers on defense. Hell, even the special teams unit managed to recover from receiver Devin Thomas’ opening kickoff gaffe to tilt the field in Washington’s favor.

Regardless of whether they played a mediocre Buffalo squad or some junior college from South Dakota, the Redskins looked sharp for long stretches of the game and dictated play in all three phases of the game.

“They keep score to see who wins,” said Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels.

Well, the final score was 42-17.

It was 35-3 before the Bills backups made the score a little more respectable against the Redskins backups. The 42 points were the most a Redskins team has scored in the preseason since 1988. There was a lot to like and plenty of preventable mistakes the coaches can focus on this week in practice to keep the players humble and hungry.

“We played with lots of effort today,” Shanahan said. “I thought, overall, we got a chance to evaluate a lot of people – first, second, third and even fifth stringers. I thought we gave some good effort. I thought we played well and other times not so well, but it was a good first game and hopefully we can build from here.”

3. “Sexy Back,” by Justin Timberlake

Sexy Rexy. The Sex Cannon. Money in the bank.

It doesn’t matter what name you call Rex Grossman, as long as you call him the Redskins’ backup. Seriously, the coaching staff can cut John Beck and “Tricky” Dick Bartel now. Shanahan typically only keeps two quarterbacks and it’s clear that Grossman, with an extra year in the Kyle Shanahan offense, is light years ahead of the other guys.

Grossman’s first touchdown pass, a bullet to tight end Fred Davis, was a throw I didn’t even know the guy could still make. His second touchdown pass, a 44-yard bomb that hit Thomas in stride to effectively end the competitive portion of the game, was even better.

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(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.