Click here to see all recaps on a single page
| Other Week 3 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL at NE | CAR at DAL | CHI at SEA | CLE at BAL | DEN at OAK | GB at STL | IND at ARI | JAX at HOU |
| KC at PHI | MIA at SD | NO at BUF | NYG at TB | PIT at CIN | SF at MIN | TEN at NYJ | WAS at DET |
Week 3 Game Recap: Washington Redskins 14, Detroit Lions 19
Washington Redskins
| QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 27 - 41 - 340 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 21 - 0 |
Campbell had a solid game, although most of it was pitch and catch between him and Santana Moss. He moved the ball well on the opening drive of the game, finding Moss and his other young receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas. Unfortunately the Redskins couldn't get into the End Zone and the Lions controlled the ball for the remainder of the first half. In the second half, Campbell came out swinging. He hit Moss on a corner route that led to the biggest play of the game -- a 57 yard TD pass. Early in the 4th quarter he couldn't find an open man on 3rd and 9, and scrambled around the end for a big 21 yard gain. Unfortunately he missed connecting with Kelly and Antwaan Randle El later and the Redskins were forced to punt. On the final two possessions, Campbell marched the team well. He took the short passes of the middle that the Lions were giving him and checked down to his running backs when nothing was open down the field. He put his team in position to win the game, but eventually ran out of time on the final drive and couldn't pull out the game winner.
| RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 12 - 42 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) |
Portis was a minor factor for most of the game. He wasn't able to get the ball into the end-zone on the opening drive of the game and was stuffed as many times as he had solid gains before half time. The Redskins finished the first half with zero rushing yards and it showed in their time of possession. In the second half, Portis had a nice 12 yard run and turned out a couple five and six yard gains. He wasn't involved in the passing game either, and finished the game with less than 50 yards from Scrimmage.
| RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 4 - 43 - 0 (4 targets) |
Ladell Betts did not fair any better against the Lions. He was a non-factor for most of the game, and only saw a bit of action in the 4th quarter as the Redskins were trying to come back. Campbell checked down to him once and he had a couple short passes thrown his way for short gains. He had a couple key passes that kept the team moving but was ineffective for most of the game.
| WR Santana Moss, Rec: 10 - 178 - 1 (14 targets) |
Santana Moss had his best game of the season, and was the one bright spot on the Redskin offense. He worked the field well, finding the soft spots over the middle of the field, and working the inside out corner to perfection, including the 57 yard TD pass that was the biggest play of the game. In the third quarter, he continued to bite off big chunks of yards, like a 22 yard catch and run early in the 3rd and a nice 21 yard grab with only five minutes to go. He drew the most attention on the final two possessions for the Redskins, and Campbell was forced to check down to other receivers and his running backs, and he did have a nice 16 yard reception with under a minute to play. In general, Moss was the player of the game, although it was in a losing effort for the Redskins.
| WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (4 targets) |
ARE was a non factor for most of the game. He fair caught all but one of his punt return opportunities and his only two offensive catches came with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. He had a nice sideline grab that was originally ruled incomplete but was reversed after a challenge for a 15 yard gain. He had a nice eight yard gain on 3rd and 2 to set up the TD pass to Cartwright.
| TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (5 targets) |
Chris Cooley was a non-factor in this game. He had three receptions of 11 yards or more but at completely different times in the game. Once in the second quarter that came up short of the first down. Once in the third quarter on a series that led to an interception and once on the final series that fell short of reaching the end zone. Cooley was the target of two other passes on the final drive, but both fell incomplete.
Detroit Lions
| QB Matthew Stafford, Pass: 21 - 36 - 241 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 23 - 0 |
Stafford has his best game as a pro, and it led to the Lions' first win in 20 games. Many of the rookie mistakes that he made last week were not present this week against the Redskins. He didn't force the ball into coverage as he has done earlier this season, and he used his legs to roll out and create more time when he was under pressure. His primary target was Bryant Johnson, a guy who was a complete non-factor last week, and when the offense was sputtering in the second half, he didn't lose focus and kept the team in position to win. On their final position, when they had to keep the clock rolling, Stafford executed a perfect run fake and hit backup TE Will Heller on an outside corner route for 24 yards and kept the drive alive. Stafford didn't play like a rookie in this game and he was a big factor in why the Lions are on a winning streak now.
| RB Kevin Smith, Rush: 16 - 101 - 0, Rec: 3 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) |
Kevin Smith tore up the Redskins in the first half. He took advantage of the fake reverse plays to Calvin Johnson and ran up the gut for 5 or more yards multiple times. He opened the second quarter with runs of 19 yards and 16 yards two plays later. He had multiple runs of five or more yards and worked the middle of the field as well as sprinted to the outside on an end run. He left the game early in the 3rd quarter with a shoulder injury and did not return. For the game he had over 100 yards rushing.
| RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 8 - 10 - 1, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) |
Morris had only one reception for 12 yards early in the game. He took over primary rushing duties for the Lions in the third quarter when Smith left the game with his injury and although he was the primary carrier, he was not effective and frequently stopped for a loss. He scored the final TD for the Lions on an outside flip, but was stopped for a loss on the play before. He had nine touches but only twenty two total yards for the game.
| RB Aaron Brown, Rush: 5 - 6 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
Brown saw limited action in the second half when Kevin Smith was on the sidelines with a shoulder injury. He had just five carries and although two of them were solid gains, he was stuffed for negative losses on the other three resulting in just six total yards for the game. He was more effective on special teams, but did not have any long runbacks.
| WR Calvin Johnson, Rush: 1 - 9 - 0, Rec: 5 - 49 - 0 (7 targets) |
Calvin was used more a decoy/setup man for Kevin Smith in the first half. The Lions ran multiple fake reverses where Smith ran the ball up the gut for big gains. He had a few minor receptions and one key series where he ran for nine yards, and had two back to back receptions for 27 yards. He had a big 36 yard gain in the 3rd quarter that was called back on a questionable pass interference call on him. He finished the game with only minor statistics and was more of a set-up man for Bryant Johnson.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 4 - 73 - 1 (11 targets) |
Bryant Johnson was the star of the Detroit Offense. Despite multiple drops early in the game, Stafford kept looking to him at key moments and he came up big. On the TD pass, Stafford put the ball up and Bryant Johnson went up to get it. It was an excellent play between QB and WR. He also drew a key pass interference call on the series that led to the Maurice Morris TD run. When Stafford looked deep, it was Bryant Johnson that he was looking to. Stafford overthrew him a few times, and there were several passes underneath that could have been bigger plays if Stafford had better touch on the ball. He was a big key to the Lions' first win.
| WR Dennis Northcutt, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (4 targets) |
Northcutt was a minor factor in this game. He had a beautiful outside corner play on 3rd and 10 in the first quarter to keep the offense moving. The drive eventually led to Bryant Johnson's TD reception and put the Lions up early. His other two catches were for short yards. On punt returns, he was ineffective and fair caught all but one of them.
| TE Will Heller, Rec: 2 - 30 - 0 (2 targets) |
Heller had one minor reception in the third quarter and a huge 24 yard reception on the Lions' final series. On second and nine, Staffford executed an excellent fake, rolled out and hit Heller for a big gain and put the Lions in position to win the game.
| TE Brandon Pettigrew, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (4 targets) |
Pettigrew was involved in a few minor plays in the first half of the game, but disappeared in the second half of the game. His two receptions were good pitch and catch plays where he caught the ball and fought for extra yards. He was targeted on two other plays but Stafford missed him both times. Will Heller was they key TE for the second half.