Redskins Get Big Win Against Saints

The Redskins came out of this week of NFL action with a win and an overall record of 1-1. They beat the New Orleans Saints 29-24. In case you missed it, the Skins were down by 9 in the 4th quarter and came back with two scores, one of them a Portis run, the other, a 67-yard Campbell to Moss pass play. I'd like review what I correctly predicted to be the key match ups in this game:

"1. Santana Moss vs Tracy Porter. Watch for the Skins to test the Saints CB Tracy Porter early and often. Especially watch for any time that Santana Moss gets this guy one on one.

2. Redskins Offensive Line vs. the Saints Defensive Line. I believe that Clinton Portis is a major key in the Redskins success in this game. And where does the run start? The Offensive Line!

Another guy to keep your eye on is arguably the Skins best playmaker, Chris Cooley. He got one catch in the Redskins loss to the Giants on Thursday. Look for that to change. The Skins need Cooley to win this game."

Both of these factors were keys to the Skins victory, in fact, the game what won on a 67-yard touchdown pass caught by Moss. Guess who was covering him? That's right, Tracy Porter.

The Offensive Line did an outstanding job blocking for Portis, who had 96 yards on the ground in 21 carries and two HUGE touchdowns. As I said before, the run starts with the O-Line, and they really could not have done a better job against the Saints front four.

My man Chris Cooley had 5 catches for 72 yards. All five catches came at critical points in the game for the Redskins. With the performance that he had today, I don't see how Washington can win without a solid effort from him.

Two other standouts were Jason Campbell, who, with his 321 yard and one touchdown performance, is starting to show us that he belongs in this league, and Chris Horton, a rookie out of UCLA who replaced Reed Doughty (Illness) had two picks and a fumble recovery. It will be interesting to see who gets the start next week at that position.

Jim Zorn made better play calls on offense this week and really gave Jason Campbell more responsibility. On the Defensive side of the ball, the Redskins really handled Reggie Bush and the Saints run game well, and did a very nice job against a former player in the NFC East, Jeremy Shockey.

Overall, Washington played MUCH better then they did against the Giants, and as long as they continue to improve gradually each week, will be the team NO ONE wants to play late in the year.

Sources: Redskins.com, NFL.com