Redskins Cruise To Two Point Win Over Rams

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

A bad win beats a good loss any day.

Make no mistake. The Washington Redskins win over the St. Louis Rams was a butt-ugly affair over a team that managed two wins in its last 18 games.

One of those wins last year came at the Redskins expense. Washington almost blew this game the same way by allowing a long fourth quarter reception by Donnie Avery. Only this time, safety Chris Horton was able to knock it down to kill St. Louis come-back attempt.

That's a good thing, but there's no way this game should have come down to that one defensive play to preserve a two point win, not when the Skins dominated statistically and got to the red zone five times with no touchdowns.

Here are a few game balls.

To Jason Campbell whose crisp efficiency (65.7% completions, 7.0 per pass attempt, no INTs) was better than most of his receivers Sunday. Mike Sellers and Devin Thomas deprived Campbell of two sure touchdowns that would have put the game away and have boosted Campbell's game QB rating from 85.7 to 104.7.

Chris Cooley did his part (7 recs, 83 yds). Antwaan Randle El continues to show that he excels playing from the slot. Malcolm Kelly is on pace for the 40 receptions predicted (by me) for him this season.

Daniel Snyder gets a win over Steve Spagnuolo who declined the offer to coach the Redskins.

Let's give a game ball to Jim Zorn who acknowledged after the game that he needs to get better at calling plays his players can do with excellence.

“I have to look at this thing very hard because it is my responsibility,” Zorn said. “I can wave all kinds of magic wands but I have to come up with the right play and put our guys in the right position.”

I thought I heard old Joe Gibbs somewhere in the background saying, "It all falls on me. It's all of us together...fighting our guts out to get a win."

On a down note, the Associated Press reported that right guard Randy Thomas could be lost for the season with a right triceps injury suffered in the first half. Will Montgomery replaced him.

Thomas' absence might explain why Zorn called four straight runs to the Redskins left side in the fourth quarter.

After the first, or second, or third time, the Rams sensed that Clinton Portis would run in that direction on fourth and one on the two yard line. Portis was stuffed. (See Jim Zorn comment above.)

At least Zorn gave the ball to Portis instead of Ladell Betts in that situation. With the game on the line, Washington's best ball carrier should have it.

Zorn also gave Marcus Mason a shot to run with the big boys and satisfy Mason fans like me who clamor to see him in games. Mason's three attempts yielded five yards. That shuts me up for a week or so.

All wins count the same, including the ugly ones.

Here's more good news. Three of the next four teams the Redskins face have less experienced  coaches than Jim Zorn.

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