He made plays with his arm, completing deep passes and touchdown throws. He made plays with his legs, scrambling for vital yardage and sustaining drives. Philadelphia fans have come to expect such play from a quarterback in this stadium.
They just got it from the wrong one. And rather than this quarterback bringing them to their feet, he induced their silence.
So, too, did his teammates.
Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell led the Redskins to a 20-12 victory over host Philadelphia Monday night. Philly drove to the Redskins’ 9 with one minute, 10 seconds remaining, but the defense held.
More importantly, the Redskins (2-0) earned an NFC East win in their first attempt this year. They were 1-5 in the division last year. They were 5-1 in 2005 — and made the playoffs. Also just as important: Division favorite Philadelphia dropped to 0-2.
“When you get confidence and get on a roll, it’s hard to stop you,” Redskins defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin said.
It’s not quite a stunning win for Washington. But it was a signal that the Redskins quite possibly have recovered from last year’s 5-11 disaster.
Campbell completed 16 of 29 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown. He also ran four times for 41 yards — before taking a knee on the final two plays. His 18-yard run on third and 10 at the Eagles’ 24 midway through the fourth helped set up Clinton Portis’ six-yard scoring run around the left end, giving Washington a 20-9 lead.
“[The win is] especially big for [Campbell], to win in this environment,” Redskins receiver Santana Moss said. “He showed you that, yeah, he’s young. But he has so much potential to be great.”
Meanwhile, the defense forced quarterback Donovan McNabb to be patient and accurate, the latter trait not always evident. Philly was four of 16 on third downs.
The Redskins capped the first half by showing confidence in Campbell. Washington had lined up in a field goal on second down and goal from the 16-yard line with 14 seconds left, perhaps a sign the staff didn’t trust Campbell in this situation.
But after Philadelphia called time out, the Redskins re-thought their strategy. And the offense re-entered, with Campbell throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Chris Cooley for a 10-6 lead.
“That was a big momentum swing,”Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said.
Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham ended two drives with field goals. The first coming at the end of the first quarter, a 35-yarder that was set up by a 48-yard Campbell pass to Moss. Suisham added a 37-yard kick with 5:47 left in the third.
Meanwhile, injuries continued to haunt the offensive line as Randy Thomas left in the second quarter with a partially torn triceps. He’ll undergo an MRI Tuesday, but the injury is potentially serious. Jason Fabini replaced him, giving Washington two backups now starting on the right side. Right tackle Todd Wade, making his first start, acquitted himself well.
“It feels like we know how to win,” Cooley said.
