Redskins Learning New-Style Offense
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IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys and Redskins will renew their storied rivalry at 3:15 p.m. (CDT) on Sunday in Texas Stadium, and while the Cowboys haven't changed much from last season, Washington sure has.
Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips is in his second year in Dallas but the Redskins guy, Jim Zorn, is just three games into his first head-coaching gig. Zorn's style of the West Coast offense is taking some time to get implemented.
"It's all 11 guys, the first game I took a lot of heat and the head coach took a lot of heat, but you know how that goes," Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell said. "You want to win, so when you lose, the quarterback always gets most of the blame. We still got a long ways to go."
But after a problematic first game against the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Giants beating the Redskins, 16-7, in the nationally-televised opener, the Redskins' offense appears to be catching on.
"We're all still kind of in learning mode just trying to progress as we go along," Zorn said. "I think (Campbell has) done a nice job of learning all the basics early in our mini-camp and OTAs and then when we got to training camp we started working on the details."
After gaining only 209 yards and scoring seven points against the Giants, Washington came out against New Orleans to score 29 points while gaining 455 yards in a come-from-behind 29-24 victory. The Redskins followed that up with the 24-17 victory over Arizona, gaining 323 yards while upping their record to 2-1 coming into their final regular-season appearance at Texas Stadium.
"We're still not where we want to be just yet. We're still growing as an offense, we're still learning, still doing a lot of different things week in and week out." Campbell said. "It's a process."
And while Zorn brings his West Coast offense to Washington, running back Clinton Portis still is a staple of the offense. When Portis gains more than 100 yards rushing the Redskins are 28-9, and when he scores at least two touchdowns they are 14-4. In the final game of the 2007 season, needing a win to qualify for the playoffs, Portis accomplished both in Washington's 27-6 victory over the Cowboys.
Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin played in Seattle for the first four seasons of his NFL career where Zorn was the quarterbacks coach from 2001-2007, having also begun his NFL quarterbacking career back in 1976 with the Seahawks after getting released the previous summer by the Cowboys.
"(Zorn) did a great job with Matt (Hasselbeck) and the guys out there in Seattle," Hamlin said. "I know he has a couple of tricks up his sleeve. I think you can see that he likes to throw the ball a lot. But I mean, you can't get away from the running game when you've got a guy like Clinton Portis."
Cowboys nose tackle Tank Johnson knows the importance of stopping the Redskins from successfully running the ball. Even though Portis has yet to produce a 100-yard game in 2008 - 248 yards in three games, including 96 against the Saints - Zorn still has him pounding the ball. The seventh-year running back averages just less than 22 carries a game.
"They're going to try to run the ball; they stick to their running game," Johnson said. "I don't care what the score is and what's going on, they stick to their running game which makes defenses have to respect everything they do."
As a quarterback, Campbell is also getting more comfortable in the NFL. He first became the Redskins' starter with seven games left in the 2006 season. Campbell went on to start the first 13 games of the 2007 campaign before suffering a knee injury, giving way to veteran Todd Collins.
But it's his starting job again, and he will be gunning for his first career victory over the Cowboys with improving numbers. The fourth-year quarterback ranks ninth in the NFL with a 110.1 QB rating, and most importantly has thrown four touchdown passes without suffering an interception yet.
"He's maturing as a quarterback," Johnson said. "It's his fourth year in the league, he's really maturing and it shows. He's making some incredible throws and he's keeping plays alive. He's another quarterback you're going to have to start watching out for as far as game-breaking ability, so we got to prepare for him like we did Rodgers, McNabb and Anderson."
After a shaky start in the first game, Campbell threw for 321 yards in the second game. He also has been at his best in fourth quarters, completing 71.9 percent of his passes for 331 yards and a 125.9 QB rating, ranking him second in the NFC. And on top of all that, Campbell is a mobile quarterback, so he's not a sitting duck back there in the pocket.
"I want a standing target," Johnson said. "As a D-lineman, I'm 310 pounds, so I don't really want to be chasing people around that much. But, these guys make you do that. That's why we get paid."
Johnson Practices; Hurd Good To Go
While Cowboys backup nose tackle Tank Johnson insists he's ready to roll in the Cowboys' 3:15 p.m. (CDT) matchup at Texas Stadium with NFC East rival Washington, he once again was limited in practice on Friday and the Cowboys are listing him as questionable on the NFL's official injury report.
Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips seemed optimistic Johnson would be ready for Game Four after missing Thursday's practice with the sprained ankle he suffered in the third quarter of the Green Bay game.
"He says he feels good," Phillips said.
And that is exactly what Johnson said following Friday's practice.
"I needed a little bit of rest to be successful on Sunday," Johnson said of missing Thursday's practice to work exclusively with Cowboys associate trainer Britt Brown and receive further treatment. "And I feel better than I did yesterday.
"I'll be fine and looking forward to the game on Sunday. I'll be my normal, regular self."
In case he isn't, the Cowboys have given starting left defensive end Marcus Spears some snaps at nose tackle behind starter Jay Ratliff. Spears worked some at nose tackle during training camp and in preseason games so the Cowboys could take a look at Ratliff playing left defensive end.
Johnson has six tackles in three games and has been valuable in the middle of the Cowboys' 3-4 alignment tying up blockers.
All The Rest
The Cowboys have three players listed as out for Sunday, along with Johnson questionable, but the four other players to show up on this Friday's injury report all are listed as probable for the Washington game.
And that includes wide receiver Sam Hurd, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the final preseason game. Hurd has missed the first three games this season but appears ready to go for the Washington game, having been listed as fully participating in practice all week for the first time.
"Good to go," Hurd said.
Now the Cowboys must decide if they want to keep all five of their receivers active, a decision because of injuries that they have not faced yet this season. Phillips said he could keep all five active, which would include Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Isaiah Stanback and Hurd. If he keeps just four, it would seem the decision would come down to Stanback or Hurd. Both players participate on special teams, Stanback so far serving as the off-returner on kickoffs.
Other players listed as probable this week and fully participating in practice are outside linebacker Anthony Spencer (knee), safety Pat Watkins (neck) and tight end Jason Witten (shoulder).
The Cowboys definitely know they will be without three starters, including safety Roy Williams (forearm), guard Kyle Kosher (foot) and fullback Deion Anderson (knee). Anderson has a chance of returning next week while Williams just began running and likely will miss at least another game (Cincinnati). Kosier, who reinjured his foot at the end of the Green Bay game, likely will miss another two to three weeks.
Injured Skins
The Washington Redskins injury situation has cleared up some. They have already known they would be without defensive end Jason Taylor and now likely rookie wide receiver Malcolm Kelly, who is being listed as doubtful with a sprained ankle.
Starting right tackle Stephon Heyer (shoulder) and starting strong-side linebacker Marcus Washington (hamstring) are questionable. Both players were limited all week. If Heyer doesn't start, and Redskins offensive line coach Joe Bugel seemed doubtful of that on Thursday, then the job goes back to nine-year starter Jon Jansen, who failed to retain his starting status after missing all last season following the broken leg and dislocated ankle he suffered in the 2007 opener.
Listed as probable with injuries are starting fullback Mike Sellers (thigh), who progressed to full participation on Friday, and nickel corner Fred Smoot (hip), who still was limited on Friday.
Taylor, who is married to Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas' sister, had emergency surgery earlier in the week to relieve the compartment syndrome he suffered after getting severely kicked in the shin on Sunday. He could miss several more games.
Game Ball Award
There just might be a reason the Cowboys are ranked first in runs over right tackle: Marc Colombo.
The Cowboys starting right tackle, in the final year of his contract, was given a game ball for his play against the Green Bay Packers, and for good reason. Colombo has done a nice job protecting quarterback Tony Romo, but has excelled in run blocking, one of the main reasons the Cowboys are making a habit of running to the right.
According to NFL stats, the Cowboys have run over right tackle 20 times, right guard 17 and right end nine more times, giving them 46 of 85 planned runs to the right side.
"He's playing well," Phillips said of Colombo. "He plays with great technique and is really a smart guy.
"He keeps his guy from getting in on the play."
Felix Has A Chance “Four” History
Just how great of a start has Felix Jones had to his young career you ask? Well, with one more touchdown this week against the Redskins, the rookie from Arkansas will become just the fifth player since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to score a touchdown in his first four games. Jones has scored one touchdown in each of the first three weeks, the first NFL rookie to do so since both Donte’ Stallworth and Andre Davis accomplished the feat in 2002. Stallworth went on to score a fourth straight touchdown, joining the likes of Washington’s Charlie Brown (1982) and Buffalo’s Joe Cribbs (1980). However, Felix Jones may not be the only rookie to get himself in that mix. New York Jets wide receiver Chancey Stuckey has also scored a touchdown in his first three games, and will attempting to make NFL history as well. So currently, just four players have scored a touchdown in their first four games. By Sunday, the number could be up to six. Personally, I’d like to see Jones take his next reception to the house for a touchdown. Then he could have the distinction of saying he scored on his first NFL carry, his second career reception and his third career kickoff return.
Currently, Jones has just one reception for three yards.
Short Shots
The Cowboys have beaten the Redskins 11 of the last 12 times they have played at Texas Stadium, going back to a 21-10 victory in 1996. That Redskins' 14-13 comeback victory in 2005 is the Cowboys' only loss in the series at Texas Stadium the past 12 years . . . While this Cowboys-Redskins game is a 3:15 p.m. start on Fox, it might as well be a national broadcast since it's the only afternoon game on Fox. CBS has just two afternoon games, meaning Sunday's game at Texas Stadium should go to roughly 96 percent of the country . . . Terrell Owens is three touchdowns short of passing Marshall Faulk for fourth on the NFL's all-time career touchdown list. Owens currently has 134, the most by an active NFL player. Leading is Jerry Rice with 208, following by Emmitt Smith (175) and Marcus Allen (145).