Curtains Fall: Redskins 2007 Season in Review - Part Three

Starting with a bang, a break and a tear

A quiet offseason, an up and down preseason, old faces and new faces, it was time to get it on, the 2007 regular season was here. Expectations were high. They always are. Curly R's Redskins 2007 Season in Review continues.

Part One: 2006 Season, 2007 Offseason
Part Two: 2007 Training Camp, Preseason
Part Three: 2-0 Hot Start
Part Four: 3-3 Sawtooth
Part Five: 0-4 Slump, Tragedy
Part Six: Monday Afternoon
Part Seven: Tuesday Morning
Part Eight: Tuesday Afternoon
Part Nine: Wednesday Morning
Part Ten: Wednesday Afternoon

Other Curly R Redskins Seasons in Review: 2006

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Game one: The Redskins rolled into game one of the 2007 regular season with a 2-2 preseason record and high hopes but low expectations following 2006's 5-11 campaign, even the Washington Post's section for kids said of Washington headed into the season:

So kids know that the Skins are not close to going to the Super Bowl. They are a bad team in need of major improvements and some breaks in order to have a winning season.

The Miami Dolphins came to Redskins Stadium with subplots: Miami's new head coach Cam Cameron, was Washington's former quarterbacks coach during head coach Norval Turner's first three seasons. Miami's new quarterback Trent Green was a former pupil of Cam's, Trent was a Redskin for four years from 1995 to 1998, and a starter for that final year.

Were it not for the ownership turmoil that enveloped the Redskins after Jack Kent Cooke died, Trent might still be the Redskins quarterback now. Well probably not but you get the point, he wanted to stay, the situation here in Washington was just too unstable for him.

The game itself, on a hot early fall day, was close, ended with the Redskins winning 16-13. It was sloppy football with 15 penalties between the two teams, quarterback Jason Campbell threw an interception early and Washington served liberal doses of tailbacks Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. In the second quarter right tackle Jon Jansen tripped backward over Miami linebacker Zach Thomas and dislocated his ankle and cracked his fibula. Jon would not be back for the Redskins in 2007. Dolphins quarterback Trent Green hit Jesse Chatman for an improbable touchdown as the half expired, Miami turned botched clock management into a halftime lead.

The third quarter seemed to disappear, Jason Campbell threw another interception and the teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, a Jason Campbell hail mary at the end of regulation was batted out of the air by future Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor and right into the hands of Antwaan Randle El. Antwaan broke the wrong way and could not score, sending the game into overtime. Capping excellent days by Clinton Portis, Antwaan Randle El and the Redskins defense, Washington won the toss, went downfield and won the game on a Shaun Suisham 39 yard field goal. Washington was 1-0 for the sixth time in Dan Snyder's eight years as owner.
(Curly R preview / gamewrap | Washington Post recap | NFL box score / photos)


In that Dolphins game, when Jon Jansen went down with a broken leg, it was Stephon Heyer that came in to play right tackle, and he did a decent job for an undrafted rookie playing a new position. Chris Cooley's game suffered at tight end as the team kept him in to block, but Stephon acquitted himself. During the week after the Miami game there was a fair amount of chatter about who should play the right tackle position. Todd Wade had been an abject failure at left guard, though the problem was really the team's decision not to address Derrick Dockery's departure in a meaningful way, Todd was just too tall and long for man his size to play guard. Should Todd get the start at right tackle or Stephon? Todd, who it turns out bears a striking resemblance to David Puddy was dealing with a torn labrum and Stephon was just raw. Ultimately the team made the right call and installed Todd as the new starter at right tackle. He would start the next nine games until hurting his knee in game ten against the Cowboys.

So then the Redskins had a roster spot open when they placed Jon Jansen on injured reserve. And what did they use it on? An offensive lineman like they hinted they might? No, they signed a receiver, Reche Caldwell, who had not been re signed when the Patriots signed Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker to completely revamp their pass catchers. This only further served to dim the lights on Brandon Lloyd, the thirty million dollar bust. Reche, signed off the street to veteran minimum, would finish the 2007 season with fifteen catches, Brandon Lloyd with two.

In other news that week, Curly R favorite tailback Marcus Mason was released, not picked up and signed to the Redskins practice squad, Tony Brown at Hog Heaven scored an interview with former Redskins and Florida Gators quarterback Shane Matthews, and there was much handwringing and scrutiny over why Fred Smoot got the opening day start at cornerback over Shawn Springs.


Then it was time for Eagles Week, that time that only comes twice a year, the week started with a salute to our friends up I-95, a preview of the Redskins by none other than lifetime Eagles fan, season ticket holder and Curly R reader/lurker Wilbert Montgomery, then it was game on.

Game two: Washington traveled to Philadelphia for a prime time game two against the Eagles on Monday Night Football and as we had for every game but one since 1999, Wilbert Montgomery and I were there, it was our 16th of the previous 17 games and my 15th straight. The Redskins won this game 20-12 with solid running, rhythm in the passing game and big plays on defense. Receiver Santana Moss and quarterback Jason Campbell hooked up on a crowd-quieting bomb in the first quarter, safety Sean Taylor leveled the boom on Eagles receiver Reggie Brown and quarterback Donovan McNabb (featured as the headline image on the Curly R gamewrap). Left guard Randy Thomas tore a triceps muscle and left, he would miss the next ten games. There is another strange end of half sequence, this one with the Redskins getting the weird touchdown, turning three consecutive penalties from first and goal into a Jason Campbell to Chris Cooley sixteen yard score.

After another sleepy third quarter the Redskins scored the put away touchdown and the Eagles could not come back, mainly thanks to a brilliant LaRon Landry hit on Eagles receiver Kevin Curtis at the Redskins nine yard to kill Philadelphia's last scoring hope. The home crowd boos lustily and the Redskins escape with only their Philadelphia third road in the past nine tries. The Eagles clearly missed cornerback Lito Shepard and with safety Brian Dawkins out most of the fourth quarter Philadelphia could not stop the Redskins when they needed. It was a balanced attack by the Redskins and despite the loss of another starting offensive lineman was an inspiring game as the Redskins moved to 2-0.
(Curly R preview / gamewrap / game journal | Washington Post recap | NFL box score / photos)


Signs were out in the week after the Eagles game that the fan base thought the 2007 Redskins could be special. Rick Snider at the Washington Examiner, who had begun the playoff whispers a month earlier, and Tom Boswell at the Washington Post both invoked Super Bowl 26 MVP Mark Rypien in discussions of Jason Campbell.

Trying hard not to think too much on what it meant to lose the starting right side of the offensive line, probably for the season, Washington Redskin fans were riding high. Next was the New York Giants.


Curtains Fall: Redskins 2007 Season in Review continues tomorrow with part four, 3-3 Sawtooth.



Sean Taylor's empty parking space: uncredited AP photo from here.