“The best thing you’ve got to have when you’re coming back from a hamstring is patience,” Washington said. “That’s the toughest thing for me. I can play through pain, but with a hamstring that’s the worst thing to do.”

» Zorn said he did not know what corner Shawn Springs’ status would be for Sunday’s game vs. St. Louis. Springs did not play against the Eagles because of a calf injury. But Zorn sounded optimistic that end Jason Taylor would do more this week.

“We’ll know more as we go along, but he’s certainly going to give it a go,” Zorn said.

» Defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin underwent an MRI Monday for a sprained shoulder. He left Sunday’s win over Philadelphia because of the first-half injury, but returned after halftime. Receiver Malcolm Kelly (ankle) and safety Reed Doughty (back) also have injury issues.

What we’ve learned


» Santana Moss is dangerous even when he doesn’t catch a pass. The Eagles were so worried about Moss that it opened up plays for the rest of the offense. Philadelphia rolled coverage to Moss on most plays. But this is the beauty of putting Moss at X. The Redskins could split him wide to one side and line up two receivers on the other, with less defensive help, and go that way. The Redskins have completely kept defenses off-balance during this four-game streak. Part of it is by simply using guys the right way.

» While the punting game is as volatile as the stock market, the kicking game has been terrific. Shaun Suisham was perfect on three field-goal attempts in the second quarter, including kicks from 48 and 50 yards. He kept Washington in the game while it’s offense gained a rhythm. And his kickoffs have improved; he already has four touchbacks, two shy of last season’s total. Suisham said he didn’t work on his distance in the offseason, but there has been a change. The Redskins are third in the NFL on kick coverage, with the average starting field position at the 22.2-yard line.

» Based on point totals, the Redskins’ coaching staff does the best in-game adjustments of any team. Washington has outscored the opposition by 16 points in the second quarter and by 24 in the fourth. Conversely, the Redskins have been outscored by 21 points in the first and eight in the third. Sunday provided a perfect illustration of this: after the first quarter, Philadelphia could not find a way to penetrate Washington’s defense. Meanwhile, the Redskins stuck with their game plan and found plays that eventually worked against the Eagles.

Player of Note » Durant Brooks • Punter


After two weeks of promise, Brooks returned to his woeful form of the first two games. He averaged 34.5 yards on four punts. And coach Jim Zorn nailed him on hangtime, length and height. At least he caught the ball well. But Brooks has punted poorly in three of five games. How long can the Redskins keep overcoming his bad kicks? Zorn said no change is forthcoming, but he knows the situation must improve.

Quarterback watch » Jason Campbell


Campbell was rather pedestrian Sunday, but he did complete 16 of his last 24 passes after a zero for five start. But he came through when needed most in the fourth quarter, completing an 11-yard pass to Antwaan Randle El on one third down and then running for 15 yards on another. Those first downs helped the Redskins kill the clock. Campbell has shown he can win games and Sunday he showed he could manage one.