The vibe changed in the second half, as Jason Campbell turned from a guy wondering, ‘Why me?’ in the first half to one predicting touchdowns.
So it was that in Washington’s 16-13 victory over Tampa Bay, Campbell told his line: Give me time; this play is a touchdown.
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And it was. Campbell’s 59-yard strike to Santana Moss gave the Redskins (2-2) the lead for good. It also showed just how much Campbell’s day, and that of his team, had changed in the final two quarters. A three-point win over 0-4 Tampa Bay doesn’t solve their woes.
The Trend» Quarterback Jason Campbell dropped back to throw 16 times in the first half. He was sacked three times, ran once and was intercepted twice. He was not sacked in the second half on 10 pass attemptsDid you notice» The Redskins used rookie end Jeremy Jarmon at tackle a couple times Sunday, a role they’ve worked with him on since camp. Jarmon forced a fumble from this spot. His quickness is welcomed inside, though he’ll only do it on occasion. Under the Radar » Safety Reed Doughty was active in his first start of the season, as he’s been for the first three games. Doughty’s sure tackling helps this defense especially in the open field. He finished with a team-high nine tackles.From the sidelines» Jim Zorn finally had a big call go his way on the fourth and two in the third quarter. But his playcalling was suspect early. We loved the corner blitzes called by Greg Blache. It’s about time. » The Bucs had a sound game plan in the first half vs. Washington’s offense, manning up the receivers and pressuring the quarterback. But Raheem Morris, with a young quarterback, could not take advantage of numerous gifts offensively.
“Just one week of relief,” Redskins safety Reed Doughty said.
But they hope it means more.
“The best thing that happened was us sticking with Jason,” Redskins running back Clinton Portis said. “Jason really grew to be a leader of this team.”
In the first half, Campbell turned the ball over three times; his first-series fumble led to Tampa’s lone touchdown. He threw two interceptions. He was booed – along with his teammates.
“The first thing I was thinking was, ‘Why me? Why is this happening?’” said Campbell, who was seven of 10 in the second half for 110 yards after going 5 of 12 for 60 yards in the first. “I’ve seen the great ones throw a lot of picks and it was all about how they responded. I felt all this would be … forgotten if I came out in the second half and made plays.”
That’s what he did.
Campbell scrambled for nine yards, converting a third and seven that led to a field goal and 10-3 deficit.
He executed a fourth-and-2 pass, looking away from intended, and covered, target Santana Moss and, as he rolled to his right, finding tight end Chris Cooley back to his left. Campbell ran for 13 yards on third and 11. Two plays later he and Cooley connected again, this time for a 17-yard touchdown. A blocked extra point left the Redskins still down 10-9 in the third.
After the Redskins got the ball back, Campbell issued his plea to the line. Then he delivered a strike, hitting Moss in stride. Moss had beaten corner Aqib Talib – who intercepted Campbell three times – with a move to the outside and then sprinted upfield. But for Campbell, Sunday was more about a change in attitude than plays.
“In the second half I came out and said, ‘I need to take some chances,’” said Campbell, who said he’d never thrown three interceptions before, even as a kid. “In the first half I was timid, I didn’t run. I wanted to stay in the pocket and throw.”
The Redskins had 99 yards at halftime.
“I started looking at the game plan thinking what else could go wrong,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said. “I felt very frustrated.”
He didn’t consider benching Campbell. Zorn said Campbell’s eyes told him he was not beaten down.
At one point, Campbell told him, “Coach, I’m going to get it together.”
