Mike Sellers
The Washington Redskins had no choice but to be creative. Their No. 1 receiver didn't play, and the No. 2 wideout was gone by halftime.
Jason Campbell had to throw to people who hadn't caught anything all season, and fullback Mike Sellers had his most productive game ever.
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Team Report
as of Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:43 PM.
(Sports Network) - The Washington Redskins' 3-1 start to this 2007 season has probably come as a surprise to many. What's even more startling, however, is that the team's defense has led the charge to that impressive early record.
After fielding one of the NFL's most porous stop units a year ago, a prime contributor to Washington's disappointing five-win total of 2006, the Redskins took steps to address the lack of playmakers on the defensive side during the offseason. Those moves clearly have paid off, as defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' bunch has allowed the third-fewest yards (268.0 ypg) and points (13.0 ppg) in the league through five weeks of play.
The defense's improvement was never more evident than this past Sunday, when Washington completely shut down a Detroit Lions squad chock-full of offensive talent in a 34-3 dismantling at FedEx Field.
Detroit entered the contest averaging a league-best 312.8 passing yards per game and erupted for an NFL-record 34 fourth-quarter points to rally past defending NFC champion Chicago in their previous game. However, the Lions' usual roar on offense was reduced to a weak meow by Williams' troops on Sunday.
The Lions mustered a mere 76 net yards through the air and 144 overall against Washington's fired-up defense. Quarterback Jon Kitna was sacked five times, including once for a safety by rejuvenated end Andre Carter, and intercepted twice. The second pick was run back 61 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Carlos Rogers which put the final stamp on the Redskins' rout.
"I think the mindset of the defense changed, especially coming after a (Week 3) loss against the Giants," said Carter, who finished with two sacks and has a team-high four so far this season. That was such a disappointment in performance. Fortunately, we had the bye week just to recharge the battery, regroup and say 'okay, enough's enough'."
Big plays like the ones from Carter and Rogers were noticeably absent from the defense last year. Washington produced only six interceptions and 19 sacks in 2006, both of which were the lowest totals in the league. Through four games this season, the Redskins have four picks and 12 sacks.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
The Redskins have now won all 21 of their meetings with Detroit that have taken place in the Washington area, including three playoff victories. They have not lost a home game to the Lions since 1935, when the franchise was located in Boston.
In addition, Washington's Joe Gibbs moved to 12-0 lifetime against Detroit. The Hall of Fame head coach is perfect in 10 regular-season meetings with the Lions and also owns postseason triumphs over them in 1982 and 1991.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
The Redskins played Sunday's game without the services of speedy wide receiver Santana Moss, who sat out with a groin strain suffered in the late stages of the team's loss to the Giants two weeks back. Jason Campbell wasn't affected by the absence of his top target, however, as the young quarterback put together one of the best performances of his brief career in the victory.
Campbell completed 23-of-29 passes for a career-high 248 yards and delivered a pair of touchdown strikes on the afternoon, despite having to work with an unfamiliar set of receivers for much of the day. The team's other starting wideout, Antwaan Randle El, sat out the entire second half with a hamstring injury after scorching the Lions' burnable secondary for seven catches totaling 100 yards over the first two quarters.
Sixteenth-year pro Keenan McCardell, signed by Washington during the bye week, had two receptions for 39 yards in his debut with the Redskins. Fellow veteran Reche Caldwell, who was brought in by the club on September 11 but was inactive for the last two games, also saw plenty of action on Sunday but did not have a catch.
"We knew we would be missing Santana, but the other guys did an outstanding job stepping up and making plays." said Campbell. "Keenan came in and did an outstanding job. Reche Caldwell lined up in the right position. In a short amount of time they did an outstanding job of preparing themselves."
SELL HIGH
Fullback Mike Sellers saw a more prominent role in the Redskins' offense on Sunday and responded with an extremely productive day. The versatile 32-year- old scored a pair of touchdowns, one on a one-yard run in the second quarter and the other an eight-yard catch early in the fourth. He also recorded career highs of five rush attempts and 24 yards on the ground while adding 36 yards on three receptions, including a memorable 24-yard gainer in which the 284-pound Sellers bulled over Detroit safety Kenoy Kennedy.
It was the second two-touchdown game in Sellers' seven years as a Redskin. He had a pair of scoring grabs in a 52-17 rout of San Francisco on October 23, 2005.
Sellers, who serves mainly as a lead blocker and is also one of Washington's key special-teams contributors, had been clamoring for more involvement in the game plan since training camp.
"I got tired of Mike grabbing and pulling on me, talking about, 'J, look at me, look at me in the flats. You know I'm going to catch the ball and run somebody over', Campbell joked afterward. "He also lives in my neighborhood, so I have to watch out for my back, so make sure to get him involved."
TIME TO PACK
The Redskins will hit the road for the second time this season on Sunday, when they pay a visit to historic Lambeau Field for a key October meeting with Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. Both teams are off to terrific beginnings to their 2007 campaigns, as Green Bay won its first four games before being handed a 27-20 home setback to rival Chicago this past weekend.
Washington has lost three straight games to the Packers and has not defeated Green Bay since the 1988 season. In the Redskins' last appearance at Lambeau, the Pack rolled to a 30-9 victory on October 20, 2002.