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By Rich Campbell

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Week 4: Game Balls and Gassers

Oct. 7, 2009 10:50 am

I'll give myself a gasser, too, for my tardiness in getting this posted. I promise I'll run after practice today.

Here is my recap of the best and worst performances from the Redskins' 16-13 comeback win over the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4.

GAME BALLS

QB Jason Campbell (3^rd Qtr only): Campbell overcame an abysmal game with one good quarter. His ability to run is so valuable to the offense. His perfect throws on touchdowns to Chris Cooley and Santana Moss are snapshots of what he's capable of. Now do it consistently-easier said than done, of course. Credit Campbell's mental toughness in surviving three first-half turnovers to get his team a much-needed victory. That was one of Campbell's best examples of leadership.

RB Clinton Portis: He may not be the homerun threat he was earlier in his career, but Portis is tough as nails, and that's an asset. Without being fully healthy, he ground out 98 yards on 25 carries behind a porous offensive line. He left some yards out there by slipping on a couple carries, including on a third down that would have sealed the game, but he proved his value to the Redskins' offense. On that third-and-5 draw with 2:05 left, he would have had a big gain if he had bounced it outside LG Derrick Dockery instead of cutting in.

WR Santana Moss: Moss isn't among the elite wide receivers in the league, but you won't see him taking plays off like some of those guys do. Running hard, convincing routes every play is how you set up a sick double move like the one with which he burned Tampa Bay CB Aqib Talib for the decisive touchdown. Fortunately for the Redskins, his third-quarter false start penalty in the red zone didn't stop a touchdown drive.

CB DeAngelo Hall: Hall isn't a shutdown cornerback, but he makes plays. That's what gets players big contracts-something Carlos Rogers is going to learn the hard way. Hall's interception on the third play of the third quarter changed the game. Think that's hyperbole? Ask Jason Campbell, who said he felt a burden lifted from his shoulders after Hall's pick. This was an incredibly athletic play. Hall was covering a receiver in man-to-man in the flat when he read the quarterback's eyes, turned his back to the line of scrimmage, sprinted back and picked the underthrown ball. Very impressive.

K Shaun Suisham: He punted well enough with Hunter Smith sidelined by a groin strain. He also is perfect on field goals this season. Sure, they've been short kicks, but he's making them.

CB Justin Tryon: He perfectly disguised his corner blitz from the left slot in the second quarter and used his speed to run down QB Josh Johnson for a sack. I'll wait to see what he does against better quarterbacks before I'm convinced he's a solid No. 3 cornerback. But if he can hold the position down, it would allow DeAngelo Hall to say on the outside where he's most capable of intercepting passes.

SS Reed Doughty: Doughty's health is making a huge difference for the Redskins' defense. He led the team with eight solo tackles. I'm starting to believe that he's one of the best open-field tacklers on the team; second, perhaps to London Fletcher. His intelligence is evident, too. His gap discipline is a tremendous boost.

DE Jeremy Jarmon: Jarmon is a hustle machine. His forced fumble sealed the game in the final minute. He got a great surge against a double team and spun off it to strip the ballcarrier. If he can get stronger in the offseason, he might just be scratching the surface right now.

TE Chris Cooley: His run blocking this week was, for the most part, better than last. And with Jason Campbell struggling, he was one of the few Redskins that was getting open and connecting with Campbell. He was open downfield on some third downs, he caught a screen pass and got some nice yardage, and he is the Redskins' best option over the middle of the field. His touchdown catch in the third quarter was his second of the season, which surpasses his 16-game total from last year.

DC Greg Blache: Blache's vow to call third downs like a "riverboat gambler" didn't exactly play out that way. He wasn't going Cover Zero and blitzing eight guys. But he did mix things up a bit. Putting Tryon at the nickel cornerback spot over Fred Smoot was a change, as was sending Tryon on a quarterback blitz. Safety Kareem Moore got his most extensive playing time of the season. The Redskins showed a different look on some third downs, with only three down lineman plus linebacker Brian Orakpo, who was standing up, rushing the passer. Blache realized that Tampa Bay QB Josh Johnson was going to condense his reads in his first start, and that helped the Redskins contain his running ability. Concerns linger, however, about stopping the run overall.

GASSERS

QB Jason Campbell (Qtrs 1, 2, 4): If it weren't for the third quarter, this would have gone down as Campbell's worst performance as a Redskin. He had three interceptions, but it easily could have been five. Tampa Bay's Will Allen dropped an easy pick in the first quarter, and a fluky deflection off the umpire should have been another. Campbell was locking in on receivers, allowing safeties to clearly read where the ball was going. He was admittedly rattled by the early pressure, and it's tough to blame him. I'm actually surprised this doesn't happen more often behind this line. He did make a couple of nice check downs to running backs in the flat when receivers weren't open, which was a problem all game.

WR Malcolm Kelly: After an encouraging preseason, he simply is not doing enough positive things to help the offense. Campbell's second interception was not a well-placed throw, but Kelly never got inside position on CB Aqib Talib and he didn't take Talib out of the play when it was clear he wasn't going to catch it. He, Antwaan Randle El and Devin Thomas weren't open enough on Sunday. Kelly also was flagged for holding.

CB Carlos Rogers: Rogers had a couple of nice breakups, including when he read a first-quarter screen beautifully. But he dropped an interception that would have been a touchdown. I guess we should all be used to this by now, but his inability to catch the ball never ceases to amaze me. It's also worth noting that the Bucs kicked a field goal two plays later, so that was a 10-point swing. He was in coverage on Tampa Bay's only touchdown. Rogers' coverage wasn't too bad on that one, though. It was a perfectly-placed pass.

LT Chris Samuels: Samuels has made the last four Pro Bowls, so the standard is higher for him than the other guys struggling on the offensive line. He got overpowered by Bucs DE Gaines Adams on the second play of the game and gave up a sack. In the second quarter he completely whiffed on a run block. I know those are only two plays, but if the Redskins' can't count on him up front, who can they count on? Through four games, we're seeing him drop off.

LG Derrick Dockery: He missed too many blocks in the run game and was not a dominant force.

TE Fred Davis: His playing time continues to decrease. Even on special teams, Chris Cooley replaced him at the front of the kickoff return unit. I mean, wow.

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Rich Campbell joined The Free Lance-Star as a sports writer in Sept. 2007 and covered the Washington Nationals until Jan. 2008. He is not related to Jason Campbell, but he does cover the Washington Redskins and local high school sports.

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