Week 1 ●Rookie Defenders Make Major Impact in Debut, R3 Redskins 28, Giants 14 ଁଁ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 Washingtontimes.Com/Sports/Football SECTION R
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SPORTS INSIDE: Strasburg takes a back seat to offense in Nationals’ 8-2 win, C1 | LIFE: C8 ●Reshaped defense comes up big in victory, R2 Week 1 ●Rookie defenders make major impact in debut, R3 Redskins 28, Giants 14 ଁଁ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 washingtontimes.com/sports/football SECTION R ROD LAMKEY JR. / THE WASHINGTON TIMES Rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan returns an interception for a touchdown early in the third quarter. Kerrigan started the play by tipping a pass by Giants quarterback Eli Manning . ONE GIANT STEP Big play leads to Confident Grossman leads reversal of fortune way as Washington receives osing can become a contributions from all over habit. It certainly has for the Washington Red- BY RICH CAMPBELL skins as far as the New THE WASHINGTON TIMES LYork Giants are concerned. In recent years, the Giants have Jabar Gaffney had seen this Rex Grossman before. The two of them been the lock without a key, the were on top of the college football world at the University of Florida back puzzle without a solution, the in 2001. Grossman-to-Gaffney was one of the nastiest quarterback-receiver cigarette and the blindfold. combinations in the country. Before Sunday’s opener at So when Grossman said he was DAN FedEx Field, the Redskins had “feelin’ like I was in Florida again” after “I thought Rex DALY dropped six straight to Tom leading the Washington Redskins to a Coughlin’s bunch and nine of 28-14 season-opening win over the New played an excellent 10. They had lost by a lot. They York Giants on Sunday, Gaffney was game. ... It’s really had lost by a little. But almost always, they had right with him. lost. What, they’ve been asking themselves, is it “That’s exactly what it looks like,” hard to get big going to take to put a stop to that? The Giants Gaffney said. “Just like we were in col- plays in the passing aren’t that much better than us. Or are they? lege — nothing but confidence in his game against a As it turned out, all it took to change the course eyes.” of this series — for an afternoon, at least — was Grossman showed some of the form defensive front that some big plays by players unburdened by the past. that made him the 2001 Heisman Tro- puts a lot of Rookies such as Ryan Kerrigan and Chris Neild, phy runner-up. He overcame a rocky pressure on the the Redskins’ first and last draft picks. Free agent start and, for at least one week, vali- pickups such as Jabar Gaffney, Stephen Bowen and dated coach Mike Shanahan’s decision quarterback.” Sav Rocca. And let’s not forget Tim Hightower, to start him at quarterback over John who the Arizona Cardinals, next week’s opponent, Beck. --- Mike Shanahan were nice enough to send this way in a trade. He finished 21-of-34 passing with 305 Collectively, that group produced three of the yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His 110.5 passer rating was Redskins’ four touchdowns, three of their four the fourth-best of his 42 NFL games. sacks, 72 of their 74 rushing yards and four beauti- “I thought Rex played an excellent game [against] a lot of pressure up fully placed punts inside the 20 to help the home front, very talented football team; they play extremely hard,” Shanahan team pull away to a 28-14 win. In terms of instant said. “It’s really hard to get big plays in the passing game against a defen- impact, you can’t ask for much more. sive front that puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback.” It was Kerrigan, still settling in at his new out- It was high praise from a coach who is normally subdued, who has to side linebacker spot, who made the single biggest watch the film before saying anything about anything. But this was the play. Three snaps into the second half, he batted a Grossman who Shanahan believes is capable of engineering a playoff push. pass by Eli Manning, gathered the ball in at the Grossman headlined a stirring start to Shanahan’s second season at New York 9 and, depending on your point of view, ROD LAMKEY JR. / THE WASHINGTON TIMES the helm, as the Redskins beat their NFC East rivals for the first time in Redskins running back Tim Hightower gets a lift from tight end Fred Davis » see DALY | R3 after a touchdown. Gallery, www.washingtontimes.com/multimedia. » see REDSKINS | R3 EXPANDED REDSKINS COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON: WASHINGTONTIMES.COM/SPORTS/FOOTBALL R2 | REDSKINS ଁଁ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 OPENING DAY SNAPSHOTS PRATIK SHAH/THE WASHINGTON TIMES The New York Giants kick off to the Washington Redskins to start the 2011 season. The game was a matchup of the cities most directly affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. ANDREW HARNIK/THE WASHINGTON TIMES Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell (left) is greeted by fans as he walks down a tunnel at FedEx Field following pregame ceremonies. Mr. Powell served as an honorary captain for the Redskins. AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA Buffalo 1 0 0 1.000 41 7 Miami 0 0 0 .000 0 0 New England 0 0 0 .000 0 0 N.Y. Jets 0 0 0 .000 0 0 South W L T Pct PF PA ANDREW HARNIK/THE WASHINGTON TIMES Houston 1 0 0 1.000 34 7 Scott Ryan and his girlfriend, Amy Rider, react to the Jacksonville 1 0 0 1.000 16 14 9/11 tribute before the Redskins and New York Tennessee 0 1 0 .000 14 16 Giants clashed in a divisional matchup. Indianapolis 0 1 0 .000 7 34 North W L T Pct PF PA Baltimore 1 0 0 1.000 35 7 Season starts with a verdict for the defense Cincinnati 1 0 0 1.000 27 17 Cleveland 0 1 0 .000 17 27 he Red- troops had an unadulterated takes awhile,” Fletcher said. “Last half. Pittsburgh 0 1 0 .000 7 35 skins’ chance to make a positive impres- year, some of the plays the Giants But that pretty much con- West offense sion and begin their road to re- ran today would’ve been big plays. cluded the Giants’ highlight reel. T W L T Pct PF PA was in a lose- demption after last season’s hor- But this year, having the scheme Washington gave up just two first lose situation rific performance. under our belts and the addition downs after intermission before San Diego 1 0 0 1.000 24 17 entering Sun- Statement delivered. First step of the new guys makes a big differ- linebacker Brian Orakpo blocked a Denver 0 0 0 .000 0 0 day’s season- taken. ence.” field goal attempt with 5:04 re- Oakland 0 0 0 .000 0 0 opener against They pitched a shutout in the Maybe it’s just that simple, maining. On the previous play, Kansas City 0 1 0 .000 7 41 the Giants. second half of Washington’s 28-14 where a little more familiarity, a Doughty tackled Bradshaw for a 2- Rex Grossman victory, yielding just one drive little more talent and a little more yard loss on third-and-1. NATIONAL CONFERENCE DERON & Co. could longer than 15 yards. Rookie Ryan youthful energy equals a whole lot Orakpo said aside from the East SNYDER have shined Kerrigan returned an interception more improvement. Maybe coach newcomers, the defense is pretty W L T Pct PF PA against the in- for a touchdown, and fellow rookie Mike Shanahan’s vision of an ac- much the same with “a few tweaks Washington 1 0 0 1.000 28 14 jury-depleted Chris Neild contributed two sacks. tive, ball-hawking, havoc-wreaking here and there,” and they’re just Philadelphia 1 0 0 1.000 31 13 New York defense and elicited a Linebacker London Fletcher and defense is en route to becoming a focused on themselves — not out- huge so-what? cornerback Josh Wilson stuffed reality. One game is too early to siders’ impressions. He said his Dallas 0 0 0 .000 0 0 The Giants’ starting middle halfback Ahmad Bradshaw on tell for sure, but Redskins nose unit wasn’t fazed when Grossman N.Y. Giants 0 1 0 .000 14 28 linebacker was third string a few fourth-and-1 with the Redskins tackle Barry Cofield isn’t waiting took a sack and fumbled, setting South days ago. Two of their best defen- clinging to a seven-point lead. for additional evidence. His ver- up a short field for the Giants’ W L T Pct PF PA sive linemen spent the day in Everywhere you looked, the dict is in. would-be game-tying touchdown Carolina 0 1 0 .000 21 28 street clothes. Their top defensive Redskins were making plays on “We’re convinced of that,” drive. back went down with a season- defense. Some were drafted last Cofield said, asked if his unit can “We were laughing when the New Orleans 0 1 0 .000 34 42 ending knee injury in the presea- April, like Kerrigan and Neild. Oth- rank among the best. “That’s what ‘O’ turned the ball over,” he said. Tampa Bay 0 1 0 .000 20 27 son. ers were holdovers, like Fletcher we believe and that’s what Haslett “We were ready to go.” Atlanta 0 1 0 .000 12 30 Under those circumstances, and safety Reed Doughty, who led preaches.