MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010


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MADBOMBER Donovan McNabb completed his sixth pass of at least 50 yards this season when he connected with Anthony Armstrong in the second quarter.


THATHURTS One of the Redskins’ worst penalties came on a fourth-and-1 play with the Lions lining up for a field goal on the 7-yard line. Phillip Daniels was called for encroachment—an infraction that gave the Lions a first-and- goal at theWashington 3. The Lions scored two plays later to take a 14-13 third quarter lead.


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“Well, he makes the decisions. I just continue to go with it and just cheer for my team.”


—McNabb, Redskins quarterback on Coach Mike Shanahan, who benched him with 1:50 to go


Electric Banks breathes life intoRedskins’ return units BY RICK MAESE


detroit—Brandon Bankswoke up at the team hotel Sunday morning and before boarding the team bus, he pecked away on his iPhone. “Gotta get in that zone today,” the rookie tweeted. He not only reached the end


zone, he spent most of Sunday’s game in ametaphorical zone that Redskins returners hadn’t even dreamed about in quite some time. In Sunday’s 37-25 loss, Banks


posted his first career kickoff return for a touchdown, and his long returns led directly to 22 of the team’s 25 points. No single player had the impact Sunday that Banks did. “He was off the charts,” said


Coach Mike Shanahan. “If you weren’t impressedwithhim, then you don’t enjoy football.” On the day, Banks totaled 271


return yards, setting a franchise record. But it was his 96-yard kickoff return midway through the fourth quarter that will be preserved on highlight reels. It was the Redskins’ first kick re- turn for a touchdown in 70 games, and for Banks, an un- drafted rookie out of Kansas State, the first of his career. “I been waiting all season to


pop one,” he said. “I’ve been getting close. I’m tired of every- body saying, ‘almost.’ ” Banks did not enter the game


as a wide receiver, but had five punt returns and six kickoff re- turns. By the end of the game, the Lions were kicking away from him, making sure the game wasn’t decided on a return. In the second quarter, Banks


returned a kickoff 46 yards to Detroit’s 42-yard line. Three plays later, the Redskins scored their first touchdown of the game. His 24-yard punt return with less than 30 seconds re- maining in the first half allowed the Redskins to start a drive on Detroit’s 49-yard line. Three


TONI L. SANDYS/THE WASHINGTON POST Brandon Banks had a 96-yard kick return for a touchdown, had a 95-yarder called back, and set up 22 points with 271 yards of runbacks.


plays later, the Redskins were kicking a 46-yard field goal and taking a six-point lead into the half. Midway through the third


quarter, Banks broke free for the first time, sprinting 95 yards to the end zone. But therewas a flag on the kick return and officials ruled that Reed Doughty threw an illegal block. Instead of six


easy points, the Redskins eventu- ally had to punt. “Once everybody gets on the


same page, we could do those every week,” teammate Byron Westbrook said of Banks break- ing free. Early in the fourth quarter,


Banks had a 35-yard punt return, again putting the Washington offense in Lions’ territory to start


a drive. “He’s good at reading things,” said special teams coor- dinator Danny Smith. “He’s good at following his blocks.He’s got a lot of confidence, and that always helps.” It took just three plays before


the offense punched in a touch- down and the Redskins regained the lead, 19-14. The Lions answered with a


TRACEE HAMILTON For Shanahan, McNabb, the bye week won’t be quiet hamilton from D1


quarterback gave hima better chance to win than his starter? This is not to say thatMcNabb could have pulled out the game, but the chances that Grossman, who had not played a snap this season, was going to save the day seemremote, at best. So by all means create a quarterback controversy before the bye week. Shanahan had reason to be


unhappy withMcNabb— although if he’s going to play the controlling parent who withholds love hemight start with the offensive line, which gave up seven sacks. Still, McNabb contributed to the malaise, as he said afterward. The Redskins began theirmost important drive of the game at the 26-yard line with 5:21 to play. They needed ameticulous, clock- eating, touchdown-producing drive to put the game out of reach. Brandon Banks’s kickoff return for a touchdown with 8:05 remaining had given thema 25-20 lead but it was sandwiched between two Lions series, so the defense needed a blow. Forty-one seconds wasn’t


enough. On second and 10 McNabb threw a ball to Anthony Armstrong that was wrestled away by Alphonso Smith for an interception. The Lions got the ball at the


Redskins 37 with plenty of time to score, butMatthew Stafford was struggling to complete passes. A holding call on Kareem Moore kept the drive alive, Stafford found Calvin Johnson in the end zone for a touchdown, and the Lionsmade the two- point conversion for a 28-25 lead. McNabb had onemore series,


completing two short passes followed by two incompletions and a sack on fourth-and-10 out of the shotgun with 2:15 remaining. The Lions quickly kicked a field goal, and McNabb’s day was done. After the game,McNabb—in


a blue crushed velvet jacket and gold tie—was his usual placid


touchdown of their own and that’s when Banks trotted onto the field for yet another return. He caught the ball on the four- yard line near the left hashmark. He came across the field and eventually foundhiswaynear the right sidelines. “Once he gets out in the open


field like that, can’t nobody catch him,” said special teams captain


Lorenzo Alexander. Banks weaved his small frame


in and out of seams. “I don’t remember seeing nobody,” he said. “I just remember seeing the end zone and trying to get there before somebody tackledme.” There was, in fact, one player


in his way: place kicker Jason Hanson. Banks, who is listed at 5-foot-7 and weighs 150 pounds, had too much momentum to go around Hanson. So instead, he went through him. “I was kind of upset that he


caught me on the punt,” Banks said of an earlier return. Despite Sunday’s loss, Banks


earned rave reviews in the post- game locker room. Alexander compared Banks with Philadel- phia’s talented returner, DeSean Jackson. “He’s phenomenal. He’s a Pro Bowl-caliber player,” he said. Banks’s one flaw surfaced in


the third quarter. He fielded a punt on the Redskins 32-yard line and muffed the catch. He quickly recovered it for a four- yard loss. The Redskins went three-and-out on the ensuing possession. Banks struggled at times in the


preseason handling the ball, but coaches have no doubts thatwith his speed and athleticism, the rewards are worth any risks. “It’s not a concern at all tome,”


Smith said. Banks’s emergence on special


teams has filled one of Washing- ton’smost glaring holes of recent seasons. Antwaan Randle El, who was


released following the 2009 sea- son, had averaged just 6.2 yards per punt return over three sea- sons. Last year, the Redskins ranked 30th in the league. Banks is averaging 13.8 yards per return in five games this season. “I just wanted to make a big


play for my team,” Banks said. “Any way I can get the ball in my hands is anopportunity. Iwant to be that guy tomake a big play.” maeser@washpost.com


JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST Redskins quarterback DonovanMcNabb (5) was taken down to earth by CoachMike Shanahan after Shanahan put backup Rex Grossman into the game for the final two minutes.


self.McNabb exhibits no highs or lows, at least to themedia.He doesn’t complain.He doesn’t point fingers.He doesn’tmake excuses.He doesn’t get down, or up.Hemaintains an even strain, like Gordo Cooper in “The Right Stuff.” McNabb’s demeanor—“You


have to be a professional in everything you do”—worries some fans, who’d like to see more hand-wringing, especially when he’s asked whether he’s surprised the offense isn’t clicking after eight games. “There’s ways to look at it, but yes,” he admitted Sunday,


somewhat reluctantly. “I thought we’d be ready to get things going by now. But it’s a long season ahead of us.We just have to focus on these last eight games.” Ah, yes, eightmore games.


The Redskins go into the bye week with a 4-4 record. Even Steven. For this team, this


season, that’s hardly a disgrace. (Be patient!) The Cowboys at 1-6, that’s a disgrace. But in a down year in the NFC, the Redskins had a chance at 5-3 or better. They could be leading the NFC East right now, easily. Instead, they go into the bye week with a head coach who


apparently doesn’t trust his quarterback and a quarterback who apparently doesn’t have a firmgrasp of the playbook. If Shanahan andMcNabb don’t mend fences, all the patience in the world won’t resolve that problem.


hamiltont@washpost.com


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