A fan base that has shouted his name for weeks awaits his arrival Sunday. So, too, does a team with a nasty pass rush, one that wracked up seven sacks last week.
Not that new Redskins starting quarterback Jason Campbell is pressured by either situation. First he spouts off a one-game-at-a-time cliché to combat the anxious fans. Then he calmly expresses confidence in his offensive line to deflect Carolina’s rush.
Only one game into the starting portion of his NFL career and Campbell already acts like a veteran.
Funny, he also played that way in his debut in Tampa Bay last weekend. The trick now, though, is to do it again. And again. And again. After a strong opening start — Campbell completed 19 of 34 passes for 196 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions — he gets his second start Sunday.
“There were none of the things you would expect from a young kid in his first game,” Redskins associate head coach/offense Al Saunders said, “things like illegal procedure, huddle problems, formation problems. … To manage the game like he did, it was outstanding and that’s what we want to build on.
“There aren’t a lot of [technical] things he’s going to improve drastically over the next four, five weeks. The most important thing is to know who to throw the ball to and when to throw it. Every week will be a growing period.”
Unlike Tampa Bay, Carolina will have film of Campbell.
But Panthers coach John Fox said it’s not the quarterback they watch as much as “what the coaches give him [to run].”
The Redskins used less motion and did not call audibles, another departure, though that could have stemmed from playing on the road. But they did have Campbell run rollouts.
“When he was on the move, he demonstrated an ability to make plays and that will separate him from other quarterbacks,” Saunders said. “That was tremendously encouraging because those are examples of talent and decision-making and doing it in a pressure-packed environment.”
Campbell missed on some throws, though Saunders blamed some on receivers not running the proper depth on their routes. It’s also a matter of Campbell working more with them.
For Campbell, the excitement of getting the job is over; the construction of his game has intensified.
“I got an opportunity to build some chemistry,” he said. “There are always throws you wish you had back, and made better. There are things you didn’t see, but as you get back into the game, that will change.”
Week 12 Notes
» After his first play against Tampa Bay, which happened to be the first of his career, receiver Mike Espy stood on the sidelines soaking it in.
“I’m in the league,” he recalled thinking. “I’m in the NFL and this is what I’ve always wished for.”
How long he remains is uncertain, but with injuries at receiver — Santana Moss (hamstring) remains questionable and David Patten (hamstring) is doubtful for Sunday — Espy will get more opportunities.
“It’s been hard,” said Espy, a rookie free agent from Mississippi. “I don’t think I’m a practice squad player and I don’t think anyone should think they are.”
As for his emotions before his first game, Espy said, “I was floored. Nobody saw it because I kept it calm. But if you could have looked at how I was feeling, you’d see cartwheels. I told myself to chill out, keep it cool.”
» Cornerback Shawn Springs and the secondary have a tough assignment Sunday: stopping Panthers All-Pro receiver Steve Smith. Few have had much success as the Carolina wideout, who has 57 catches for 870 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.
“I don’t think you can [stop him],” Springs said. “They put him in position to make plays by moving him around. If you’re on Steve Smith, you’re going to have some opportunities. He makes a play, you make a play.”
