Washington Redskins: Another Nail-Biter In D.C. in Loss To Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts traveled to the nation's capital and barely got out of Washington D.C. with a win.

I said it last week and I'll say it again, have you sat down yet?

The game started off with a bang, literally. The opening kickoff return for the Colts was disrupted by HB Blades, who rocked the stadium with a vicious hit. The drive following was turned from cheers to groans as Carlos Rogers dropped another interception, which I wonder if it was a drop, allowed the Colts to keep the ball so they could punt it away.

Looking at the replay four times, I still wonder how the interception with Rogers was ruled an incomplete pass and a drop because he had the ball tucked in his arm and contact between his elbow and the ground is what made the ball come loose. Isn't that a catch?

Throughout the game the defense tried their best to keep the Washington offense in the game. But for every fumble the Colts lost, McNabb almost made up for in interceptions.

The passing game for the Redskins was not as polished as it has been with many balls just off the fingertips of players, including a few drops by tight end Chris Cooley. A shining moment of the passing game was when Fred Davis finally flashed some talent and nearly matched his year totals in one game.

Hip, Hip, Torain! The running game was on fire Sunday night. Torain ran for 100 yards on only 20 attempts and had two touchdowns to show for it. If he wasn't spinning out of Robert Mathis tackles, he'd duck his head and plow for a few more yards. Last night brought back shades of Riggins-style running that a Washington team so desperately needed.

Overall, it just seemed like both defenses were willing to concede to the run and were trying to shut down the pass. Both running games seemed stellar while the passing game was barely better than a few hoo-rahs. A teardrop pass to Pierre Garcon for a slap in the face touchdown in the first quarter and then a Reggie Wayne-esque one-handed grab by Garcon later showed he was on top of his game.

Grades for this week

QB: C

Hitting 65 percent of his passes is pretty good for McNabb, who has been hanging around the 50 percent mark for a while, but the two interceptions really hurt him and the Redskins. Kudos to the Skins offense for allowing McNabb to throw more passes than Peyton Manning.

RB: A

No doubt Ryan Torain was electric Sunday night. The spinning, the shaking and the head butting was all precise, and he was fighting for each yard. That's hard-core running that the Redskins have been needing for a while, but notice he had another good game against a 4-3 defense.

WR: B+

A few balls bounced off their fingertips, but overall, the whole corps had a good game. I'd be writing a completely different article this morning if Brandon Banks makes an adjustment and catches that bomb, though.

TE: B

 I know this will get me a few comments, but I really think a few of the passes that Cooley dropped were catchable passes. Some were not, and I'm willing to admit that, but there were a few he should have had.

OL: B

The only reason they got this grade is because Torain ran so well. The three sacks and multiple hurries for the passing game was not that good. I will give an A+ to Trent Williams for keeping Dwight Freeney contained, as he did not even get an assisted tackle last night.

DL: C

More pressure was needed on Peyton Manning—flat and simple. Nobody from the defensive line got more than three tackles and Brian Orakpo was the only Redskin to have a sack. Coach Shanahan's decision to sit Albert Haynesworth may have been costly for the defensive line.

LB: A

London Fletcher led the team in tackles and had a forced fumble. Brian Orakpo got held constantly but still managed a few tackles and the games only sack for the Redskins. He also got a timely forced fumble which Andre Carter gobbled up. The linebackers were on their game against the Colts.

CB: B

That stands for "burned" one too many times, but for the most part, when they needed to make a tackle, they held on long enough for someone to come help. Carlos Rogers had seven tackles and another near interception. Philip Buchanon was hitting hard for once. But DeAngelo Hall was having a tough time being left on an island trying to handle Reggie Wayne or Pierre Garcon by himself. Garcon even burned the secondary through double-coverage in the first quarter.

S: A

LaRon Landry was right at the top of the defensive leader board for tackles again, including a great stop at the goal line. It seemed like Kareem Moore and Reed Doughty were always available to help assist with a tackle, and they did a great job closing in on the ball.

K: D

One-half equals 50 percent. Which is failing in any school I've ever been to, but he did make all the extra points so that bumped his grade up a little. Another made field goal and the Skins have an overtime game at least.

P: A

I cannot say how happy I am that the Redskins have decided that going with Hunter "The Punter" Smith as the right option over Josh Bidwell. All of his kicks were high and booming. The longest was 56 yards and two went inside the 20.

Return game: A

Brandon Banks is now showing Washington fans why they cut Devin Thomas. His flashy speed and cutting ability was carving up the Colts special teams for most of the game. Banks averaged 25 yards a return, while Chad Simpson returned only one kick for 32 yards.

Coaching: B

They lost which is why it was not an A. They did a good job of keeping the game close with a potential Super Bowl-worthy team.

Overall, the Redskins did a pretty decent job in Landover Sunday night. They made the Colts fight for it and they did. It was a good game to watch with both teams coming out swinging, and there were glimpses of hope for the Redskins running game against a 4-3 defense.

The Redskins fly to Chicago next week to take on a very stingy Bears defense. Look for my next interview with a Bears Featured Columnist. See you next week, and Hail!