Redskins Rally Behind Fake Punt, Beat Broncos 24-17
The Washington Redskins pulled off one of the most unlikely upsets of the season on Sunday, as they handled the Denver Broncos on all sides of the ball, beating them 24-17 at home on Sunday.
The ‘Skins turned the game with a huge momentum-swinging play midway through the second quarter. With fourth-and-20 on the Broncos’ 35, the Redskins lined up with tight end Todd Yoder split wide as a receiver in a field goal formation, clearly advertising a fake, but coach Jim Zorn had to call a timeout because Washington only had 10 men on the field.
Then, they lined up the exact same way, and actually ran the fake. Punter/holder Hunter Smith rolled right, then threw across his body, hitting FB Mike Sellers in stride with a 35-yard game-tying TD that knotted the game at 14.
“The way we play as a team these days, with these close games, you really need momentum-builders and things like that,” said Smith. “I thought it was the right call.”
“They were setting up something — we knew it,” defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday said. “They came back, and I think they may have even yelled out on their sideline, ‘Let’s just punt it. Let’s just punt it.’ And I guess we just bought into it, because we didn’t lock in on the play and what was going on. It seems like it took forever to unfold. You’ve got to know coming into a game like this, with a team like this, to expect it.”
“They definitely got the momentum,” Holliday said, “and, from there on, it seems like we never got the momentum back.”
Washington held Denver scoreless after halftime, as QB Kyle Orton was injured right before the half and did not return in the second, leaving Chris Simms in under center for Denver. While Simms does have NFL starting experience (with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), he hadn’t played at all this season and the rust showed. Simms finished only 3-of-13 for 13 yards, with an interception, and the Redskins D locked the Broncos down to only 36 yards of total offense after halftime.
