Hail To The Redskins!

Sometimes you have to love it when you're proven wrong.

I predicted a 31-17 victory by the Eagles over the Redskins in last night's Monday Night Football matchup. Fortunately for Skins' nation, I proven with my two Sundays of NFL picks that I'm an idiot and know nothing about football.

The Redskins defense bent, bent, bent, and bent again but finally stiffened when it mattered the most and held on for a 20-12 victory at the Linc. They allowed Westbrook to run in space and left receivers open, but McNabb was wild in the first half and missed high on a lot of his throws. The Eagles moved the ball but Greg Williams' defense held the Eagles to four David Akers field goals and didn't let any Philly player sniff the endzone.

After a very boring first 29:46 of the game, the Redskins drove the field and found themselves with a first and goal from the one-yard line. Campbell spiked the ball to stop the clock. Then in a bizarre chain of events on 2nd and goal:

First try on 2nd and goal from one-yard line: Penalty - Delay of Game after Gibbs and Saunders were too late in getting Campbell the play and the goalline package into the game.

Second try on 2nd and goal from six-yard line: Penalty - False start on new right tackle Jason Fabini (starting RG Randy Thomas tore his tricep and was forced to leave the game)

Third try on 2nd and goal from 11-yard line: Penalty - False start on Fabini

Fourth try on 2nd and goal from 16-yard line: Gibbs sends out K Sean Suisham and the field goal unit. First of all, it's only second down. Second of all, there are 14 seconds left.

What the hell was that?

Lucky for Gibbs, Andy Reid calls a timeout to freeze the kicker giving the Washington assistant coaches a chance to remind him that he's supposed to win football games and not tie them. He sends the offense back onto the field and on try number 5, Campbell hits Cooley with a great ball on a corner route to the back of the endzone for a touchdown.

The teams traded field goals in the third quarter, then Washington scored on a 63-yard drive highlighted by a 28-yard screen pass to Ladell Betts and capped off by a 6-yard Portis TD run to give Washington a 20-9 lead.

After a Philly field goal, Washington took over with 6:32 left and a chance to run out the clock. After a 4-yard Betts run, Saunders called a play-action pass that had Santana Moss streaking down the middle of the field a good eight yards behind the Eagles secondary. Somehow, Cambpell overthrew one of the fastest guys in the NFL by nearly 10 yards and missed a chance to clinch the game.

Philly took a Redskins punt at started at the 20-yard line with just under five minutes left in the game. McNabb led the Eagles down the field, including hitting Reggie Brown with a 19-yard completion on 4th and 5.

The Eagles had a first down on the Skins' 13-yard line with just over two minutes remaining in the game. The Skins defense held with great tackles and constant pressure on McNabb. Facing fourth and sixth, McNabb hit Kevin Curtis with a pass over the middle good enough for a first down. However, rookie safety LaRon Landry crushed Curtis and separated the man from the ball.

Last season, Washington lost three games in which they led by over ten points. This is usually a product of poor coaching, conservative play calling, and prevent defense. In Monday's game the Skins took a shot down the field with Moss and continued to blitz during the final drive. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come this season.

Washington hosts the 0-2 NY Giants next Sunday, then gets the 2-0 Lions a week later. I predicted final scores of 24-17 and 35-24 in two Redskins victories.

Hopefully they won't prove me wrong in these games.