What former Redskins quarterback does Jason Campbell resemble after two starts?
A short poll of longtime Redskins watchers fell evenly between Doug Williams and Joe Theismann. Not a bad list given both won Super Bowls.
Williams seems a natural choice since both he and Campbell are tall and African American, but that’s not why people said Williams. It was the savvy that brought the comparison. Williams was a smart quarterback. Very gifted to be sure, but the man was unflappable.
Theismann was the other choice by possessing some of the same elusiveness as Campbell. Did you see Campbell scramble 10 yards up the middle to gain a needed first down? Joey T. had some moves in his early days, even returning punts. Many Redskins quarterbacks have been statues, but these two probably show the most mobility.
The Redskins seem to have resolved one crisis among their never-ending problems. Campbell looks very promising. To be compared to two veterans instead of recent novices Patrick Ramsey or Heath Shuler is a major positive. The latter two struggled as rookies and left town as busts. While it’s too soon to anoint Campbell as the next big thing after two games and one victory, at least he looks a little more advanced than many players his age.
The knock on Campbell came from his Auburn coaches, who told the Redskins staff before the 2005 draft the passer would need at least one year to learn the system. Well, Campbell learned two in 1 1/2 seasons and looks pretty seasoned in his limited time. Maybe the Redskins could have played him earlier, but that probably wouldn’t have saved this season. But now that he can get eight games of experience, next year’s prospects sure looks a lot better.
On some level, Campbell regressed in his second start. Take away the 66-yarder to Chris Cooley and Campbell barely cracked 50 yards passing. However, many passers step back in their second start because defenses gained film to prepare for them. Tampa Bay had no real idea what Campbell would do in his debut, but Carolina saw a few things when meeting on Sunday.
Now Atlanta will have two games of film in preparation for Sunday. It’s just like rookie pitchers enduring midseason slumps the second or third time around the league. The key is whether they can beat a prepared opponent.
Campbell threw more short passes against Carolina, but don’t blame him for the game plan. Both teams essentially spent three quarters waiting for the big turnover. When that didn’t happen, they opened the offenses and three touchdowns followed.
Campbell flashed some of Williams’ confidence when his headset died prior to the Cooley touchdown. Most young quarterbacks would have called timeout, but Campbell showed poise by picking his own play that went for the winning score. You can’t buy that kind of moxie.
Theismann certainly wasn’t short on confidence then or now, but his mobility in the pocket brought comparisons to Campbell. When Campbell couldn’t see over the middle near the goal line, he sidestepped the rush and threw a dart to Antwaan Randle El for a touchdown.
If Campbell can even remain close to this type of production — four touchdowns, one interception in two games — the Redskins can finish with six or seven wins. More importantly, they can worry about rebuilding the defense this offseason.
Quarterback may finally be settled for a few years.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
