ASHBURN – Jason Campbell produced two things missing in the first two games: points and hope. He made plays in the pocket; he delivered timely passes for first downs and even resorted to a backyard-type fake to score another touchdown.
Campbell needed this night.
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The Redskins needed this night.
And, yet …
The running game produced nothing and the defense did even less, at least when New England quarterback Tom Brady was in the game. Brady completed 12 of 19 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, but did not play in the second half of New England’s 27-24 win because of a sore shoulder.
The Patriots scored 17 first-half points but they were stopped for three-and-outs on their last two drives. So it was a night of good mixed with bad for the Redskins.
“We knew it would be hard to run the ball against them,” Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell said. “We’d like more production to help the play-action game. But it won’t be that way every game. When one part of your offense is not working, the other part picks it up. We’ll face some great fronts and we’ll have to be able to move the ball through the air.”
Then again, Campbell’s effort if nothing else quieted the what’s-wrong-with-Jason talk. Campbell completed 13 of 22 passes for 209 yards. He led the Redskins to 17 first-half points vs. New England’s No. 1 defense.
“I saw him being real sharp on a lot of things he did,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said. “We need to see him hit that deep post to Santana Moss. But for the most part he stood real strong in the pocket. He made some moves within the pocket to get some plays off that might not have been there. He got stuck on a receiver or two. But he was very aggressive and ran our offense well.”
Zorn was not pleased with one play in which Campbell looked off his intended target to the right, Malcolm Kelly, with a linebacker nearing that area, and threw back to his left to Moss, who jumped for the reception.
The offensive line helped with mostly good protection. Most of the breakdowns came in the run game as the Patriots front controlled Washington’s and the tight ends failed to provide much help in this area.
Another problem from Friday’s loss is kicking competition. The Redskins attempted two field goals; Dave Rayner made a 25-yarder while Shaun Suisham, the incumbent, missed a 52-yarder. The Redskins have attempted three field goals this preseason.
“I’m very undecided about the situation,” Zorn said. “It’s very close.”
