Skins have excelled inside the 20-yard line
ASHBURN – The biggest change is hard to ignore. The Redskins have excelled in the red zone the past three games, scoring touchdowns with regularity. And the major switch is obvious: Sherman Lewis is calling the plays.
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However, it’s not that simple. The play list is compiled by the same people. The design of the plays haven’t changed. And the biggest change is unrelated to who is calling plays — or even what plays are called.
Haynesworth has started every game this season, but has left a number of them because of various injuries. His status could finally force the Redskins to activate reserve tackle Anthony Montgomery, who has been inactive each game. The Cowboys use a power running game and Montgomery would maintain the Redskins’ ability to field a big player inside.
“He may be a factor this week,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said of Montgomery.
Offensive lineman Mike Williams will be a game-time decision as well. » As expected, running back Clinton Portis will miss his second consecutive game because of a concussion. Portis worked in the morning at Redskins Park, but did not participate in the afternoon practice.
He does not have as much blurriness, Zorn said. But he’s still suffering the effects of the concussion, which he suffered in the first quarter of the Nov. 8 loss at Atlanta.
“I’m going to rule him out,” Zorn said.Ladell Betts will start again at running back.» Rookie linebacker/defensive end Brian Orakpo grew up in Texas but, unlike many of his teammates, not as a Cowboys fan. So it was easy for the Houston native — and Oilers fan — to share the Redskins dislike of all things Cowboys.
“Houston and Dallas, we don’t like each other,” he said. “We hate each other.”
He said he’ll have 25 family and friends at the game.
“We’re just executing better,” Redskins offensive coordinator Sherman Smith said. “That’s what it’s all about, guys making plays.”
In many ways, Smith is accurate. Plays failed earlier in the season because blocks were missed — Mike Sellers in Detroit; Derrick Dockery and Fred Davis vs. St. Louis.
Against Denver, those blocks were made. Sellers, lined up as a tight end, drove his man into the end zone. Todd Yoder, lined up at fullback in the I-formation, finished a hole that tackle Levi Jones started. And running back Ladell Betts fell forward into the end zone after getting hit at the 2-yard line.
Solid execution.
“We’re running more straight at people and that helps,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said.
But the plays have helped, too. The same four people design the red zone plays: Zorn, tight ends coach Scott Wachenheim, receivers coach Stan Hixon and offensive assistant Chris Meidt.
Entering the game they know what plays will be called at what time. Lewis, who has declined all media requests, calls the pass plays; Smith calls the run plays.
“It’s a coincidence,” Smith said of the improvement. “We haven’t changed anything we’re doing.”
Except scoring.
“Whose to say it’s not him?” Sellers said of Lewis. “Maybe it is the play selection. It could be a whole bunch of variations.”
Regardless, it’s working.
In the past three games, the Redskins have scored six touchdowns on eight trips inside the 20-yard line. They’ve also kicked one field goal and fumbled on a fourth-down snap.
In the first six games, Washington scored six touchdowns, and six field goals, on 15 red zone possessions. During that stretch, they ran the ball 16 times — nine to the left — and managed just one rushing touchdown (aside from a fake field goal). They’ve run 14 times in the past three games — eight to the left — and have rushed for two touchdowns. They’ve also thrown four touchdown passes.
“We’re mixing it up good,” quarterback Jason Campbell said.
Against Denver, they ran out of shotgun formation on first down, spreading the field with three receivers and forcing the Broncos to use less defenders in the middle. They also ran a fake reverse to Santana Moss from the 2-yard line. The middle linebacker flowed with Moss. That left the middle open for Yoder, who started in and then slid out. Denver was forced to cover three receivers on the right side with only two defenders.
The play was designed by Wachenheim. Sometimes Zorn has nixed plays in the red zone because he’s wanted to feature a certain package — as in the case of Betts’ run Sunday.
“It’s more unpredictable,” Sellers said, “and we’re taking more chances that we would have and it’s paying off.”
