NFL: Roles Reversed, But Redskins Rolling

The Redskins are finally coming together and playing like the great team they can be. It took them five weeks, but they are now playing up to their potential.

Taking the Buccaneers’ best shot, weathering that Super Bowl favorite’s body blows and matching them all game long will go a long way toward fixing the problems that were brought to everyone’s attention after back-to-back losses to Detroit and Dallas.

The irony of all this is that the team has performed this turnaround with the strength of this team a year ago, the offensive line, in dire straits, while last year’s weakest unit, the defensive line, is winning games.

The O line did clear the way for Stephen Davis’s 141 rushing yards against Tampa Bay, but injuries have put them one or two plays from serious meltdown.

The line is bookended by arguably the two best young tackles in the game, Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen. The problems begin up the middle, where starting center Cory Raymer is out for the season with a knee injury. His replacement, Mark Fisher, has been solid except for two high snaps that have resulted in big yardage losses.

The guard to his left, Keith Sims, is a gamer, but he’s playing on an extremely sore achilles that gives him problems all week. Somehow, he has laced up and played without practicing in three weeks, but he may have to sit and give it a rest.

To Fisher’s right, a big hole has opened up with Monday’s announcement that Tre Johnson’s knee injury will force him to miss at least six weeks, but probably the entire season. The good news there, if that’s possible, is that his backup, Jay Leeuwenberg, is a solid veteran who made the key block on Davis’s 50-yard touchdown dash Sunday.

Behind him the line’s depth is paper thin. Word on the street is that the team this week will sign Derrick Fletcher, a guard who was cut by New England. (That can’t be good. It seems that every highlight I see of the Patriots ends with QB Drew Bledsoe lying on the field in a heap.)

On the other side of the ball, the Redskins’ D line is putting fear into opposing offenses. Tackles Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson are using their big "bases," getting penetration and clogging the run lanes. Kenard Lang and Nolan Harrison are effective when rotated in at the right times. Defensive end Bruce Smith is playing better than most observers predicted. He is always in the backfield, always pressuring the QB and disrupting the running game. He has taken on double and triple teams, freeing up his counterpart Marco Coleman to sack and pillage. After three sacks on Sunday, Coleman has already surpassed his career high for an entire season. I would say he is the best player on the defense right now, but there are too many candidates for that award, from Shawn Barber to Champ Bailey to Deion Sanders to Darrell Green.

Green defied many who think 40 is over the hill by intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble on Sunday. This defense is just starting to gel. Without a very fluky Tampa Bay TD--QB Shaun King was stripped of the ball, picked it up and found a receiver wide open downfield (the second time in three games, so it’s time to look at some film)--this defense might have held Tampa under 10 points. They can only get better, as LaVar Arrington has much room for improvement.

Speaking of Deion, he finally lived up to his nickname--Prime Time. I was prepared to call for his removal from the punt return team to save him from both injury and embarrassment, until he uncorked the punt return that put the ‘Skins in field goal range in overtime. Apparently the only person in the stadium who was not surprised was the confident Deion himself.

With these last two big wins, it sure looks like the confidence has returned to the burgundy and gold, even if some of the team’s roles have reversed.

A peek at this week’s game: I’d like to say the Redskins will pitch a shutout against the Eagles’ young offense, but Donovan McNabb makes me think otherwise. He is the type of scrambling quarterback the Redskins have trouble with, because he creates plays where other QBs would have been sacked. Their running game will go nowhere, though, so it will be completely on his shoulders.

The Eagles D looks awesome in the few games I’ve seen. I can’t forget about the Mitchell Factor either. Eagles running back/kick returner Brian Mitchell was cut by the Redskins in the offseason. He has been thinking about this matchup for months. He’s often underestimated, but he is one of the top return men in NFL history. I see him scoring on a punt return to keep the game close. That and the fact that Washington has one once in their last ten trips to Phily conspires against them, but the ‘Skins are playing too well on defense to lose to the Eagles. It’s time for an interception return by Barber or Bailey. Redskins 21, Eagles 20.