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| Other Week 5 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI at STL | ATL at TEN | BAL at SF | CAR at NO | CHI at GB | CLE at NE | DAL at BUF | DET at WAS |
| JAX at KC | MIA at HOU | NYJ at NYG | SD at DEN | SEA at PIT | TB at IND | ||
Week 5 Game Recap: Detroit Lions 3, Washington Redskins 34
What you need to know
| Detroit Lions |
The Detroit Lions Mike Martz offense, a juggernaught for the first quarter of the season, ran into a brick wall Sunday, posting an embarrassing 144 yards of total offense.
Jon Kitna was sacked another five times, to go with his 19 sacks coming into the game. Detroit's offensive line woes were central in their inability to post more than three points today. Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams had only five targets between them as the defense stayed back in a deeper zone and only allowed the Lions short passes underneath and runs on the day.
Kevin Jones, held out of the first half, was the bulk of the Lions offense in the second half.
| Washington Redskins |
The Washington Redskins, playing with out three starters on offense, spread the ball around with eight different receivers targeted and five different players getting carries. The result was a well balanced attack, tallying 366 net yards and three offensive touchdowns to go with one defensive touchdown and a safety.
Antwaan Randle El stepped in for the injured Santana Moss and posted 100 yards receiving before leaving at halftime with a minor hamstring injury.
What you ought to know
| QB Jon Kitna, Pass: 16 - 29 - 106 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 4 - 3 - 0 |
Kitna took what the defense gave him, bumps and bruises on five sacks along with the short stuff. He completed 16 of 29 for an abysmal 3.65 yards per attempt. The five sacks came primarily due to failures by the offensive line. While there were a couple of drops, the Lions were playing from behind as they only had six plays total in the first quarter. The Washington Redskins defense seemed to confuse and frustrate Kitna, as he threw two interceptions and fumbled three times, losing two.
| RB Kevin Jones, Rush: 11 - 48 - 0, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (4 targets) |
Jones didn't play at all in the first half, but was the central figure of the offense in the second half, carrying the ball 11 times for 48 yards and catching two passes for 17 yards. Jones may have been a viable offensive force if he had been allowed to play the entire game.
| RB Tatum Bell, Rush: 4 - 15 - 0 (1 targets) |
Bell started the game and played the first half, but did not touch the ball in the second half. He managed 15 yards on four carries, but could not get a rhythm established as the Detroit Lions never seemed to get the wheels of offense rolling.
| RB Aveion Cason, Rec: 2 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) |
Cason had two catches for five yards, but fumbled on his first touch and was not a factor in the game.
| WR Shaun McDonald, Rec: 4 - 19 - 0 (6 targets) |
McDonald managed to haul in four short passes, totaling 19 yards. McDonald led the team in targets, running primarily short underneath patterns.
| WR Roy Williams, Rec: 3 - 36 - 0 (3 targets) |
Williams was well covered most of the game, only targeted three times, all in the second half. Williams managed to haul in all three targets for 36 yards, but was frustrated by a mix of man and zone coverage the whole game.
| WR Mike Furrey, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (4 targets) |
Like all the Detroit receivers Mike Furrey had a tough day, posting just one catch for 14 yards.
| WR Troy Walters, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) |
Walters got into the game late, posting one catch for five yards.
| WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) |
Returning from injury, Calvin Johnson had one short catch for three yards. Johnson seemed to run smoothly and showed no ill effects of his previous back injury.
| TE Casey Fitzsimmons, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) |
Backup tight end Casey Fitzsimmons pulled in one catch in the third quarter for four yards.
| TE Sean McHugh, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) |
Starting tight end Sean McHugh was held to just one reception for three yards. Playing from behind the whole game, Detroit's need to run four wide receivers kept McHugh off the playing field much of the second half.
| PK Jason Hanson 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points |
Hanson converted his only attempt on the day, a 39 yard attempt in the third quarter.
| DET Rush Defense |
The front seven of the Detroit Lions did well trying to get the Washington Redskins out of their 'grind it out' mentality, holding the Redskins to 118 yards on 35 carries. The Lions did manage to force and recover one fumble.
| DET Pass Defense |
The Detroit Lions pass defense posted no sacks and no interceptions, allowing Jason Campbell to pass for 248 yards and two touchdowns on 23 of 29 passing for an 8.55 yards per attempt average.
| QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 23 - 29 - 248 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0 |
Campbell looked more like the veteran QB he had many believing he was after the first two weeks of the season, passing for 248 yards on 23 of 29 passing. He did not throw any interceptions, but did have one fumble that he managed to recover. Campbell used subtle footwork to avoid the pass rush and did not surrender a sack.
| RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 18 - 72 - 0, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (2 targets) |
Portis, coming into the game a little banged up, ended up with the largest portion of the running back duties, tallying 72 yards on 18 carries. He also added two receptions for 19 yards. He did tweak his ankle in the first quarter but continued to play the rest of the game.
| RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 8 - 22 - 0, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Betts continued his sharing of the running back duties with Clinton Portis. However, most of Betts' touches came in the first half, seven of his eight carries and both of his receptions. He posted 22 yards rushing and eight yards receiving. Mike Sellers vultured a goalline carry that could have belonged to Betts.
| RB Mike Sellers, Rush: 5 - 24 - 1, Rec: 3 - 36 - 1 (4 targets) |
This was possibly the biggest game of Mike Sellers' career in terms of offensive production, he posted 24 yards on five carries, including a one yard touchdown run. Sellers also hauled in three passes for 36 yards, capped off by an eight yard touchdown reception. It has been reported in the media that Sellers has been lobbying Coach Joe Gibbs for more short yardage touches, and it appears that Coach Gibbs is listening.
| RB Rock Cartwright, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0 |
Mainly a special teams player, Rock Cartwright was rewarded for his hustle earlier in the game where he ran the length of the field on a James Thrash punt return and recovered a fumble. That reward came in the form of a couple rare carries that he was unable to convert into any yards.
| WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 7 - 100 - 0 (8 targets) |
Randle El was the number one receiver with Santana Moss out, and looked like a number one receiver for the first half. Randle El posted 100 yards on seven receptions in the first half. On the final reception, a 37 yard play to the one yard line, Randle El strained a hamstring and did not return after halftime.
| WR Keenan McCardell, Rec: 2 - 39 - 0 (2 targets) |
Due to injuries to other receivers, the Washington Redskins signed Keenan McCardell this week. McCardell hauled in two passes for 39 yards, getting into the game when Antwaan Randle El went out with an injury.
| WR James Thrash, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (4 targets) |
Pressed into more receiver duty than usual due to injuries, James Thrash had one reception for one yard. Thrash did have a 62 yard punt return to set up a score early in the fourth quarter.
| WR Brandon Lloyd, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
Was there a Brandon Lloyd sighting in Washington? Lloyd pulled in his first catch of the season, good for nine yards in the third quarter.
| TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 4 - 26 - 1 (8 targets) |
Cooley had a very productive day, hauling in four passes for 26 yards. The real production came in the form of a seven yard TD catch in the second quarter and a two point conversion catch in the fourth quarter.
| PK Shaun Suisham 1 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points |
Suisham was one of two on field goals, converting on a 28 yard attempt, missing a 48 yard attempt. He also was successful on all three PATs he attempted.
| WAS Rush Defense |
The Washington Redskins defense was more geared towards the pass rush and defending the passing game, but managed to do well against the run, especially in the first half. In the first half they held Tatum Bell to just 15 yards. In the second half, Kevin Jones came in and managed 48 yards, but the Redskins were playing with a comfortable lead at that point.
| WAS Pass Defense |
The scheme Greg Williams put together for this game was highly effective, forcing two interceptions, one returned by Carlos Rogers 61 yards for a touchdown, and also added five sacks. Coming in, the Detroit Lions passing attack was one of the top units in the league, but the Redskins pass defense made them look otherwise.
