Click here to see all recaps on a single page
| Other Week 15 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF at NYJ | CLE at PHI | DEN at CAR | DET at IND | GB at JAX | MIN at ARI | NE at OAK | NO at CHI |
| NYG at DAL | PIT at BAL | SD at KC | SEA at STL | SF at MIA | TB at ATL | TEN at HOU | WAS at CIN |
Week 15 Game Recap: Washington Redskins 13, Cincinnati Bengals 20
What you need to know
| Washington Redskins |
QB Jason Campbell struggled for much of the day after getting off to a frigid start. At no time did he seem comfortable in the passing game and only a TD toss to WR Santana Moss salvaged his day from being a fantasy disaster.
RB Clinton Portis amassed 77 yards, but still had a frustrating day. For much of the contest he was unable to gain significant yards, and was totally ineffective when he was used close to the end zone.
WR Santana Moss was the lone offensive bright spot for the Redskins as he was QB Jason Campbell's favorite target and the recipient of Campbell's only TD toss.
| Cincinnati Bengals |
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick actually managed to put up some decent fantasy numbers despite an average at best passing performance. Much of this came on the strength of his legs (which carried him to a rushing TD) and the legs of RB Cedric Benson who took a short screen pass for 79 yards.
RB Cedric Benson showed that, when not facing a top defense, he could give the Bengals a real rushing attack. Moreover, he demonstrated that he could do some damage in the passing game as he took a screen pass 79 yards late in the first quarter.
WRs T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson suffered from a passing game that focused on the short ball and combined for a paltry six receptions and 52 yards combined.
What you ought to know
| QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 17 - 28 - 167 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 21 - 0 |
In a must win game against one of the league's worst teams, Campbell came out of the gates ice cold. Through the first quarter of action he completed only two of his passes for a measly 23 yards. The second quarter didn't start much better, but then, with just under five minutes remaining in the first half, Campbell finally managed to generate some offense and hit WR Santana Moss on a ten yard dart for his only TD toss of the game. The remainder of the game was up and down for Campbell. He never seemed to find a rhythm and while he didn't go through a cold stretch to equal that in the first quarter, he never really got hot either.
| RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 25 - 77 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) |
Portis had a very average day in the Redskins backfield, and struggled for much of the game to generate yardage. His first quarter was frustrating as he got plenty of carries, but did nothing with them. It wasn't until Washington's final two possessions in the second quarter that he finally seemed to get on track. While that success carried over into the third quarter, it only did so through the Redskins' first third quarter series. After that, the ineffective Portis of the first quarter returned. Most troubling were his performances inside the ten yard line. On three such carries he ran for only a total of two yards -- including being dropped for losses on two of them. Perhaps this is why FB Mike Sellers got the call on two consecutive rushes from the Bengals' one yard line as the minutes ticked away late in the third quarter (though Sellers fumbled the second carry on the goal line.) Portis did not play a meaningful role in the passing game.
| WR Santana Moss, Rec: 7 - 72 - 1 (11 targets) |
Despite a mediocre passing day from his QB Jason Campbell, Moss was still able to help his owners with a solid fantasy day. That was a clear result of his being Campbell's favorite target and the fact that it was Moss who finally managed to get the Redskins on the board late in the second half as he pulled down a ten yard dart in the end zone. Overall he was the lone real offensive bright spot on a bad day for Washington.
| WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) |
As a result of QB Jason Campbell's struggles in the passing game and the fact that Randle El was, by far, the #3 option in that passing game, Randle El was an almost complete non-factor in the this game.
| TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 6 - 51 - 0 (8 targets) |
Despite finishing second on his team in targets, Cooley's 51 yards on six receptions was average at-best. Both his best and his worst moment in the game came on his first reception. On that play he took a short pass underneath from QB Jason Campbell and turned it up the right side for a gain of 19 yards. Unfortunately, as he was tackled he coughed up the ball and the Redskins' first drive came to a screeching halt.
| PK Shaun Suisham 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points |
Suisham was two for two on the day, hitting on FGs from 23 and 36 yards.
| WAS Rush Defense |
The Washington rush defense was strong, if not spectacular, today. While Bengals RB Cedric Benson did manage 73 yards on 21 carries, Washington largely held him to short to medium gains and no big runs. Also, while Washington did give up a rushing TD, it was on a bootleg run by Bengals QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.
| WAS Pass Defense |
With the exception of a single play, the Washington pass defense played well. They prevented easy passes deep and regularly put pressure on Bengals QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. That single bad play, however, was a whopper. Late in the first quarter, Cincinnati RB Cedric Benson took a screen pass and converted it into a 79 yard gain down the right sideline.
| QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Pass: 16 - 29 - 209 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 11 - 29 - 1 |
While he was the better of the two QBs on the field today and led the Bengals to only their second win, Fitzpatrick wasn't really all that impressive. He barely cracked a 50% completion percentage, and were it not for the fact that RB Cedric Benson turned a first quarter screen pass into a 79 yard gain; Fitzpatrick wouldn't have amassed more than 130 yards. Much of this is due to the fact that the passing game seemed to focus on short routes all day long, and Fitzpatrick rarely had much time to look deep. Even considering the above, however, Fitzpatrick's fantasy numbers ended up respectable. In addition to the 79 yarder to Benson, Fitzpatrick also tossed a 12 yard TD strike to WR Chris Henry. Moreover, Fitzpatrick managed to do a little damage with his legs as he scored his own TD on a first quarter one yard bootleg run right after he had scrambled for 14 yards to get the offense there.
| RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 21 - 73 - 0, Rec: 3 - 88 - 0 (5 targets) |
After having faced a series of tough defenses in recent weeks, Benson had to be looking forward to seeing a little more running room against the Redskins -- and he did. Benson regularly gained meaningful yards and gave his Bengals a credible ground attack. While his final numbers -- 21 carries for 73 yards -- certainly weren't outstanding, they were definitely an improvement on recent performances, and at no time was any other RB worked into the offense. If his rushing game was decent, Benson's receiving performance was nothing short of spectacular. Tied for third on the team with five targets, the highlight of Benson's day was a short first quarter reception on a screen pass that Benson turned into a 79 yard gain. During the run after the catch, Benson exhibited the speed and strength that made him a first round pick. The only real downside to this play was the fact he didn't score -- and that was the result of ineffective blocking by WR Chris Henry on the sole remaining Washington defender as opposed to anything Benson did wrong.
| WR Chris Henry, Rec: 4 - 54 - 1 (6 targets) |
Somewhat surprisingly, Henry emerged in this game as the second most targeted receiver in the Bengals' offense. Though he only pulled down four of them, that was sufficient to amass 54 yards, and, more importantly, he was the recipient of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's only TD toss on the day as he easily corralled the 12 yard pass over his right shoulder on a basic corner route.
| WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 3 - 19 - 0 (5 targets) |
Largely as a result of a passing game that seemed focused on short dump-off passes, Houshmandzadeh spent much of the game as a decoy more than anything else. QB Ryan Fitzgerald targeted him only five times and that resulted in a disappointing 19 yard day.
| WR Chad Johnson, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (8 targets) |
Though he was QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's favorite target, Johnson still posted disappointing numbers -- much as he has all season. The Bengals' focus on short passes didn't help, and neither did Fitzpatrick's inability to effectively get the ball deep. On one of the few occasions that Fitzpatrick did throw a catchable ball downfield, Johnson hauled it in for a 23 yard gain. Unfortunately a holding call brought it back. That was the kind of day it was for Johnson.
| TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) |
Though he started the game at TE, Kelly saw only a single target in the game, and while he caught it, it went for only three yards.
| PK Shayne Graham 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points |
Graham was two for two on the day, hitting on FGs from 32 and 45 yards.
| CIN Rush Defense |
Through much of the game, the Bengals were able to stymie Washington's Clinton Portis. By far the most impressive part of the game, however, was a third quarter goal line stand that not only kept the Redskins out of the end zone, but generated a turnover inside the one yard line.
| CIN Pass Defense |
Though they were unable to sack Washington QB Jason Campbell, the Bengals defensive line was able to generate regular pressure and that seemed to keep Campbell from getting comfortable all day long. Downfield the DBs were able to largely contain Washington's receivers, and prevent them from making the type of big plays that they have given up all season long.
