Redskins nip Browns 14-11

The Redskins defeated the Cleveland Browns 14-11 in front of a sellout crowd at FedEx Field today, raising their record to 5-2 and dropping the Browns to 2-4. The Redskins once again dominated the stats, but couldn’t put away a mediocre team at home. TB Clinton Portis rushed for 175 yards on 27 carries [6.5] and a TD, but a fumble deep in Redskins territory with less than 6 minutes in regulation allowed the Browns to turn a 14-3 yawner into a 14-3 nail-biter. It was Portis’ first turnover of the season. Santana Moss led the receivers with 4 catches for 75 yards and a beautiful 18-yard TD catch and run.  
QB Jason Campbell completed 14-23 for 164 yards and 1 TD and no interceptions. However, the Redskins continued to be unable to score touchdowns. Washington has only 7 offensive TD in their last 4 games [not counting a 3-yard TD drive last week that came off a fumble recovery by the defense]. Washington is able to run the ball almost at will against good teams [Dallas, Philadelphia] and not-so-good teams [St. Louis, Cleveland], but they cannot translate their dominance in the trenches into points. 
The Redskins were fantastic on defense again, holding Cleveland’s offense to only one field goal. Cleveland’s touchdown came after the Portis fumble gave the Browns the ball inside Washington’s 30-yard line. MLB London Fletcher was fantastic, with 12 tackles [7 solos] and making several big plays in a goal line stand that kept the Browns out of the end zone after they had a first and goal at the 1 yard line. Chris Horton added 9 tackles and linebackers Rocky McIntosh and Marcus Washington had 8 tackles. That shows you that the defense is working properly, with the linebackers and strong safety making the stops. Cornerback Carlos Rogers, taking the injured Shawn Springs’ place as the top cover man, played very well, limiting WR Braylon Edwards to less than 60 receiving yards. [Though Edwards helped by dropping several passes, as he usually does.] 
Washington had special teams problems once again, with PK Shaun Suisham unable to hit a 36-yard chip shot that would have made later drama non-existent. Somehow, the Redskins are going to have to fix the constant problems on special teams. New punter Blake Brockemeyer was fine, pinning the Browns inside their 10-yard line once, though he did have a touchback on another punt. 
It was a fairly unimaginative game plan by Head Coach Jim Zorn, who never wavered from his desire to win the game by running the ball early and often. The running game worked well, so Zorn is vindicated on that point, but the fact is the Redskins simply are not scoring many touchdowns. Sooner or later, that is going to cost them unless they can improve their scoring somehow.

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