D10


STAROFTHEGAME Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 497 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. Schaub connected with eight different receivers, including 12 completions to wide receiver Andre Johnson and 11 to wideout KevinWalter.


EZ SU Texans 30, Redskins 27 (OT) NOWHERETORUN


The Redskins’ 18 rushing yards were the team’s fewest in a game since they totaled just 10 in a 26-21 loss to Tampa Bay on Dec. 4, 1994. In Mike Shanahan’s 246 games as an NFL head coach, only once has his team run for fewer yards—the Denver Broncos had 14 in a 26-17 loss to Miami on Nov. 2, 2008. Sunday’s game marked just the seventh time a Shanahan team has rushed for fewer than 50 yards in a game.


“When you lose, you lose.”


—Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan, on the team’s second-half collapse.


KLMNO


MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010


Defensive meltdown costs Redskins a win


Unit gives up 20 points in second half, allowing Texans to force OT


BY RICKMAESE In the end,Houston’s offensive


output didn’t seem to matter. Matt Schaub’s monster figures, which looked more like lotto numbers than an NFL stat line, meant very little. Even the final score felt like a footnote. Theway defensive players view


it, the offense lifted the Redskins to a 2-0recordSunday against the Texans. But before the win could become official,Washington’s de- fense let the Texans back into the game, turning a momentous win into a heartbreaking defeat. “It’s not frustrating that we


lost,” cornerback DeAngelo Hall said after the Texans’ 30-27 over- time win. “It’s frustrating that we had the game won and we lost.” One week ago, the Redskins’


defense scored the team’s lone touchdown and held the Dallas Cowboys to just seven points. It appeared this defense would be capable of carrying the team while the offensive unit became comfortable in itsnewskin, not to mention its newscheme. But that wasn’t the case Sunday against the Texans. As much as this de- fense is capable of winning a game,playersshowedthat they’re just as able to let one slip away. After their offense soared, the Redskins’ defense allowed the Texans to crawl out of a 17-point hole and eventually pull out the win in overtime. Along the way, Schaub threw for nearly 500 yards and the Washington de- fense kept giving up big plays, including eight for 20 or more yards. “Good defenses — defenses


that make the playoffs and win championships — can’t allow that,” said linebacker London Fletcher. “It’s on us as a defense,” the


defensive captain said. “We didn’t get the job done today.” The Redskins held a 20-7 lead


at the half and eventually extend- ed it to 27-10. It remained that way until the final seconds of the third quarter. The Redskins had more than 15 minutes to protect a three-possession lead. Blowing it was a new experience for most of the defensive players. “I never have,” said linebacker


Andre Carter. “I’ve been on team that has come back from 17. But this is a first.” Schaub finished the game with


JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST Joel Dreessen’s 28-yard catch high above Redskins safety ChrisHorton in overtime set upHouston’s game-winning 35-yard field goal two plays later byNeil Rackers.


497 yards and three touchdowns on 38-of-52 passing. The Texans piledup526yards of total offense, had 29 first downs, converted 6 of 14 third-down attempts and ran 81 offensive plays, compared with the Redskins’ 58. The game marked the most yards Redskins have given up since December 2006 when St. Louis tallied 579 yards. At the half Sunday, the Texans


had totaled 198 yards of offense— 51 on the ground and 147 in the air. The Texans had scored just onetouchdown,andthe Redskins defense had come up with an


interception. They entered the locker room with confidence. “Mentally, we discussed it. We


talked about what we still needed to do,” Carter said. “And we played our butts off. But it was just little things, mental errors here and there.” In the second half and over-


time, Schaub threwfor 332 yards, the Texans scored two touch- downs and three field goals. On fourth and 10, Houston


wide receiver Andre Johnson jumped over safety Reed Doughty in the end zone to snare a 34-yard pass with 2 minutes 3 seconds


remaining in regulation to tie the game. It capped a drive the Red- skins might not feel like review- ing when they gather to watch film this week. With 3:16 remain- ing, the Redskins still held a seven-point lead.Adefensive stop would have ended the game. But Schaub hit Johnson for 29 yards and then Jacoby Jones for 18. After three incompletions, Schaub targeted Johnson in the end zone and took advantage of the mismatch over Doughty. “We just didn’t make the plays.


The plays are sitting right there for us to make,” Hall said. “We


THOMAS BOSWELL McNabb looks as good as he ever has, which is exciting news for Washington boswell from D1


toplay to virtually ice the game andif youcan’t keepthe one super-duper-star of the other teamfromcatching adesperation 34-yardfourth-and-10 touchdownpass to tie the score with2:03 toplay, youaren’t going to the SuperBowl this year, buddy. NoNFLteamwants to admit


suchrealities inSeptember.You want to escape theTexans, beat upthe lousyRamsnextweek in St.Louis andstart the season3-0. Oh, thatwouldbe better.The Redskins’ reality is that theyhave a lot ofwork todo before they are actually a goodteam.Butwhen andif they actually get there, they have a quarterbackworthy of a contender. McNabbdidn’t just complete28


of38passeswithnointerceptions or fumbles.Healsoheaveda65- yards-in-the-airbombthat slipped throughJoeyGalloway’s fingers in the endzone forashould-have- been54-yardtouchdown.Mike Sellers couldhave caughtanother deeppassupthe sideline.Yet another22-yardcompletionwas calledbackbyapenalty. Inotherwords,witha bitmore


help,McNabb couldhave blown awayhisprevious one-game yardage recordof 464 yards and shot into the stratosphere of 500- yardgames.Withbetter executiononkey fieldgoals,he couldhave talkedabout a victory.


As courageous as former


Redskins quarterback Jason Campbellwas,heneverhadaday whenhe lookedremotely as good as the spry 33-year-oldMcNabb inhis secondgame for Shanahan. Infact,Campbellwas liftedat halftime byhisnewteam, the OaklandRaiders. One blownvictorymatters a


lot.But getting this kindof vintageMcNabb for ameasly second-rounddraftpick anda third- or fourth-roundpick means a lotmore. Oh, that’snothowthe


Redskins feel at themoment. They’remiserable.Andthey shouldbe.They botchedwhat could’ve beena beautiful shock- the-NFC-East September. They led27-10late inthe third


period.But theyneverhadan answer for theTexans’ two big wide receivers,Andre Johnson andKevinWalter,who combined for analmost ridiculous 23 catches for 302 yards.For years, theRedskinshave triedto find just one large, swift outside threat who’s about 6 feet 3, 220pounds. TheTexanshave apair of ’em.The Redskins’defensive backs, climbing themlike kids ona fence,werehelpless. Worse thantheRedskinspass


defensewas their blundered blocking ona 29-yardfieldgoal with6:36 toplay thatwouldhave giventhema 10-point lead.An almostuntouchedBernard Pollardcoming fromthe left side


might imagine sucha thingwhen they contemplate theirnew/old star quarterback. Whowas the lastRedskins


quarterback to look this goodthis soonafterhe arrived? It’s beena long time: Sonny Jurgensen.The sillyEagles tradedhimforNorm Snead,whowas five years younger, eventhoughJurgensen hadwontwoNFLpassing- yardage titles. Inhis fifthgame, Jurgensenthrewfive touchdown passes and, fromthenuntilhe was 37,he ledanewRedskins era. “We left somepoints out onthe


JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST


DonovanMcNabb delivers a pass during the fourth quarter of a Redskins loss in which he completed 28 of 38 passes for 426 yards.


andsmotheredthe kick. The final twist of the knife


came inovertime.TheTexans passedupa 52-yardfieldgoal attempt andpuntedinstead, fearing they’dgiveMcNabb field positionto start adrive athis own 42-yardline.Themove looked ultra-cautious.Minutes later, the Redskinshadanidentical choice anddecidedto letGrahamGano try a 52-yarder towinthe game. Henaileditperfectly—about a millisecondafter theTexanshad calledtimeout. AnicedGanomissedhis


secondattempt—wide right— andtheTexans begantheir final


winningdrive for a 35-yardfield goal fromexactly the same fine fieldposition, the 42-yardline, that theydidn’twant to risk offering theRedskins just minutes earlier. “Thiswill be ahardone to get


past,” linebackerLondonFletcher said. “Wedidall kinds ofdifferent things against Schaub.We couldn’t stophim.” The biggerpicturewill emerge


after thepainof this loss fades. McNabb took theEagles to five NFCchampionshipgames.The Redskinshaven’t beenthat far since the 1991 season.Redskins fans, looking out a year or two,


fieldandcame away fromdrives inthe redzone twicewith[only] fieldgoals. Inthe secondhalf, that came back to biteus,” saida solemnMcNabb. “Weneedto get this thing rolling [nextweek]. I look forwardto leading that.” Thosewho believedMcNabb


waspasthisprime, especially fans inPhiladelphiawho booed, naggedandgainsaidhimfor years,have beennotifiedthat theywere spectacularly incorrect. Seldominhis superb career


hasMcNabbpassedmore accurately,movedmore quickly inthepocketwithveteran decisiveness, or sensedthe presence ofpass rushers breathingnearhimasprecisely as hedidSunday. Itwas appropriate that, along theway,hepassed JohnnyUnitas incareer completions. “Inthepassing game,we can throwit to just about anybody,”


saidSantanaMoss,who caught 10 passes butwas just one of anine receivers to recordreceptions. “Donovanhas a lot ofweapons.” That’s becauseMcNabb reads


defenses, andsees the fieldso muchbetter—andfaster—than anyRedskinquarterback inmore than10 years. “I like to get everybody to contribute,”he said. “Anytime youcanspreadthe ball around, other teamshave to key oneverybody.” For years,Eagle fans andcritics


have complainedthatMcNabb’s passing armwas inaccurate, that he bouncedballs or overthrew deeppasses.Theremay bedays like that intheRedskins future. ButnowWashingtonknows there will be otherdays, like this one, whenalmost everything that hums offMcNabb’s fingerswill be caught andwhen300 or 400 yards canbe amassed. If theRedskinswere, this year,


a teamwitha realistic chance to godeepintheplayoffs, thenthis might be ahauntingdefeat. In fact, they are amuch-improved teambut far fromawonderful one. If they ever become excellent, theynowhave a leader worthy of them. Intime, this gamewillnot be rememberedfor its final score but for the knowledge itpassedto everyone. DonovanMcNabb is still as


goodashehas ever been.Andhe’s aRedskin,nowandprobably for a long time.


boswellt@washpost.com


didn’t make them.” In overtime, Houston reached Redskins territory but settled for a punt from the Washington 39- yard line.Ontheir second posses- sion, they again powered through theWashington defense, pushing the Redskins backward. For much of Houston’s final possession, the Redskins’ top two safeties were on the sideline: La- Ron Landry nursing a wrist inju- ry and KareemMoore inactive for the second straight week because of a knee injury. The Texans spotted a weakness in a defense that was supposed to


have few. First, Chris Horton, temporarily replacing Landry, was drawn offside on third and nine. Then Schaub went right after Horton, burning the third- year safety for a 28-yard pass to Joel Dreessen to the Redskins 18-yard line. Two plays later, Neil Rackers kicked the 35-yard field goal to win the game. “This offense came out here


and played outstanding football. We can win like that,” Hall said. “We can’t win playing the kind of defense we played today. We won’t win like that.” maeser@washpost.com


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