On Tennessee’s first possession, the ball sailed right at Redskins linebacker London Fletcher. He was brought in partly because of his ability to make plays. He was part of a unit that had spent extra time catching extra passes, emphasizing turnovers.
And the predictable happened: he dropped the ball.
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Here they went again.
Here they went, indeed. But where they went was not back to 2006 and the “Year of the Dropped Interception,” but a year or two earlier when the Redskins’ defense was considered one of the league’s best. Fletcher might have dropped that pick, but he clearly made a positive impact.
Though the Redskins have plenty to be concerned about after their 14-6 comeback win over Tennessee — a sputtering offense; shaky play along the offensive line; injuries to key players — they can point to the defense as reason for hope.
Any enthusiasm must first be tempered. Tennessee does not have a strong running game and its starting quarterback, Vince Young, did not play. Also, one preseason game hardly means last year’s 31st-ranked woes are cured.
But it was a good start — and it started up front where the starting line, all of them, did its job. It stuffed running lanes and allowed Fletcher to run to the ball.
“It was a good showing,” said Redskins assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams said afterward.
The Redskins limited Tennessee to 117 first-half yards, when both teams used their starters. Fletcher, a key free-agent signing this past offseason, showed that he’ll be a significant upgrade over last year’s starter, Lemar Marshall, in the middle.
Fletcher’s instincts and decisiveness combined to spoil several Tennessee plays. He also showed a knack for eluding traffic, without taking his eyes off the ballcarrier or getting slowed in his pursuit. On one second-quarter run, tackle Kedric Golston got knocked back towards Fletcher. Without looking down, Fletcher somehow knew to sidestep around him and raced to the ballcarrier in the left slot, stopping him for one yard.
Linebacker Rocky McIntosh is faster, and stronger, than last year’s starter Warrick Holdman. McIntosh had one play in which he shed the blocker and made the tackle. Another time he quickly shot to the flat to cover a pass to the tight end, coming off a pick, for a two-yard stop.
And rookie safety LaRon Landry showed he could help, drilling quarterback Kerry Collins on one blitz and forcing an incompletion.
“We were very plain, but that’s how we’re going to be,” Williams said. “We’re going to let the players play.”
It was a good night for the Redskins. At least on one side of the ball.