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By Rich Campbell

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Week 10: Game Balls, Gassers and Observations

Nov. 18, 2009 10:31 am

Before moving on to Dallas week, here's my recap of the Redskins' best and worst performances from their 27-17 win over the Broncos, and a few observations from re-watching the game. After this one, there are a lot more game balls to go around.

GAME BALLS

RB Ladell Betts: After missing practice almost all week because of an injured ankle, Betts showed no ill-effects on Sunday. He ran hard and took advantage of a very good performance by his offensive line. Betts was elusive, too. He ran through S Brian Dawkins on one play in the fourth quarter, turning a 9-yard run into a 17-yard gain. He displayed his strength in getting across the goal line for the winning score. I'm eager to see him start against Dallas. It's foolish to rush Clinton Portis back if he's still experiencing post-concussion symptoms.

C Casey Rabach: I've been down on Rabach, but I'm more than willing to give him credit for his best game of the season. He was much better in pass protection this week and frequently created some effective running lanes. On Rock Carwright's 17-yard run in the first quarter, Rabach fought off NT Ronald Fields and got to LB D.J. Williams. He also made a tremendous block on second-and-12 on the game-winning drive that allowed Ladell Betts to gain 11 yards.

LT Levi Jones: Jones wasn't perfect in pass protection, but considering that this was his first start since last season, he did very well. He helped seal off Denver's defensive line on Betts' game-winning touchdown run. He drove DE Kenny Peterson to the outside on Cartwright's 17-yard run in the first-quarter.

LB/DE Brian Orakpo: He had 1.5 sacks and 5 solo tackles. His numbers as a pass-rusher speak for themselves, but Orakpo also perfectly snuffed out a screen pass on the first series to make a tackle for no gain. That's progress at linebacker.

DE Andre Carter: Carter was disruptive in the passing game and took advantage of Denver's switch to rusty QB Chris Simms. He had 1.5 sacks. But Carter was also stout in the run game with aggressive pursuit and effective backside contain. He had 7 tackles. He responded well from a quiet game last week. Denver chipped him and double-teamed him a few times, and he should continue to see that as his sack total increases.

P Hunter Smith: Smith's touchdown throw was the Redskins' play of the year so far. His pump fake, which was part of the play design, froze the defense. And he had just enough oomph on the throw to get it back across the field to Mike Sellers. I'd like to see some of his high school quarterback highlights.

FB Mike Sellers: Sellers gets a game ball despite his ineffective block and holding penalty on a critical fourth-and-1 in the third quarter. He blocked well for most of the game while playing on the line of scrimmage as a tight end. He also did well to slip downfield to haul in punter Hunter Smith's throw for a touchdown.

TE Fred Davis: The Redskins' leading receiver (4 receptions, 50 yards) also maintained his improved blocking. Perhaps he has turned the corner in that regard.

DL Lorenzo Alexander: His crushing hit on LaMont Jordan during a kickoff return was worthy of the highlight reel. But Alexander's forced fumble in the second quarter was even better. He was 7 yards behind the play at one point but hustled to pop RB Correll Buckhalter from behind.

S Reed Doughty: Doughty told me two weeks ago that the key to the Redskins' recovering more fumbles is to pursue the ballcarrier even after you hear the whistle blow. That aggressive mentality led Doughty to his recovery of Buckhalter's first-quarter fumble. He also led the team with 9 tackles. He has been great against the run this season.

DT Albert Haynesworth: Despite frequently being double-teamed, he continues to exert his will on opposing offensive linemen. He showed some toughness in returning from an ankle injury to produce a critical hurry on Chris Simms late in the game. I also saw Haynesworth trucking downfield in pursuit of WR Eddie Royal, and he batted down a pass on first-and-goal at the 10 in the second quarter. The Redskins need his ankle to be healthy this week.

CB DeAngelo Hall: His fourth-quarter interception on a horrid deep throw by Chris Simms was a game-changer. That is enough for me to overlook his boneheaded lateral to LaRon Landry on the return and his missed tackle of RB Knowshon Moreno on Denver's first play of the second half.

WR Devin Thomas: He broke four tackles with a superb individual effort on a quick catch-and-run on third-and-3 on the game-winning TD drive. He also showed some awareness on a sideline catch on third down in the third quarter when he fell to his knees to stay in bounds. Thomas also blocked fairly well, for the most part, in the run game.

RB Quinton Ganther: He had a very rugged blitz pickup against S Renaldo Hill, who blitzed on a second-and-8 off the right edge. He stayed on the block, too, which helped QB Jason Campbell scramble for 14 yards. Normally this isn't enough to earn a game ball, but running backs who can pass protect are at a premium for the Redskins.

GASSERS

CB Carlos Rogers: He was benched after being victimized for a touchdown on a double move for the second time in three games. He didn't step foot on the field after Denver's first series. Rogers has some big money at stake over the final seven games (he'll be a restricted free agent at season's end), so I expect him to respond accordingly.

FS LaRon Landry: He charged the line of scrimmage and gave up his deep responsibilities on Brandon Marshall's 75-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. He also missed a tackle in the first quarter, but this time it actually helped the Redskins. It slowed RB Correll Buckhalter up enough for him to be stripped from behind by Lorenzo Alexander.

FS Kareem Moore: Moore was toasted by WR Eddie Royal on a double move in the second quarter. He breathed a sigh of relief after QB Kyle Orton overthrew a sure touchdown. That play would have made it 21-7, and I doubt the Redskins would have recovered. With SS Chris Horton out, he didn't show that he deserves more playing time.

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

*A couple guys did some good things, but their play was too uneven to get a game ball. Others weren't so good, but they weren't bad enough to earn a gasser. Still, they're worth noting:

--QB Jason Campbell missed potential touchdown throws to Santana Moss and Todd Yoder in the first half. He was inaccurate throughout the first half, and I thought he held the ball too long at times. But he helped the Redskins with his legs, again, and made a nice checkdown to Yoder for a first-quarter touchdown.

--RT Stephon Heyer played his best game of the season. His pass sets are too deep sometimes, and that disrupts Campbell in the pocket. But Heyer positively impacted the running game for the first time this season.

--K Shaun Suisham made both his field goals in the fourth quarter on a soggy field. To me, that's more important than his two kickoffs out of bounds. Still, those mistakes could have been costly.

--LB Rocky McIntosh had 4 solo tackles and 2 assists, but he also missed some. LB London Fletcher had only two tackles and missed a couple others. He has been quiet the last two games.

*Campbell dropped back to pass 31 times. He took a 3-step drop from under center 6 times. He dropped 3 or fewer steps out of the shotgun 13 times. The Redskins rolled Campbell out three times. Two of his three sacks came on 5-step drops. The other was a 3-step drop.

*The Redskins did not turn the ball over and committed only two penalties. It's not a coincidence that they won.

*The blame for Denver's two long touchdown passes rests with Washington's secondary, but it's worth nothing that on the Broncos' four deep passes, their quarterbacks had too much time to scan the field because the pass rush wasn't effective.

*CB Justin Tryon blitzed twice out of the slot but never reached the quarterback.

*DeAngelo Hall did not go back to return a punt. Santana Moss didn't after he was face-masked down.

*The soggy field adversely affected footing for both teams, and it led to more than a few missed tackles.

*Jason Campbell fumbled in the third quarter when he was sacked by Andra Davis at the Washington 44-yard line. The Redskins caught a HUGE break that the referees said Campbell's forward progress was stopped. It wasn't.

*CB Fred Smoot played solidly in place of Carlos Rogers. The Redskins might not like Smoot as their slot corner, but he's an adequate corner on the edge. Let's see if he starts this week.

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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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