Redskins Collapse Against Saints in Fourth Quarter, Lose 33-30 in OT
The Washington Redskins have looked like world-beaters for the first three quarters in the past three weeks, as they’ve been leading the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints going into the final 15 minutes of each game.
But just like the last two weeks, the ‘Skins couldn’t close the deal when it counted, and the Saints escaped FedEx Field with a highly improbable win yesterday, with a 33-30 triumph in overtime.
QB Jason Campbell led the ‘Skins offense effectively all day, as they piled up 455 total yards of offense on the beleaguered Saints defense. Campbell had one of his best days as a Redskin, going 30-of-42 for 367 yards and three touchdowns (along with one late interception).
But some fluke plays kept the Saints on life support throughout the game, despite the Redskins’ offensive success. After Kareem Moore picked off Drew Brees’ end-zone pass with the ‘Skins up 17-10, he began running it back… until Saints WR Robert Meachem ripped the ball out of Moore’s hands and ran it back, untouched, for a 44-yard, game-tying score right before halftime.
That wasn’t even the worst of it. Late in the game, with the Redskins up 30-23, Campbell engineered yet another time-consuming drive that brought the ‘Skins to a 23-yard field goal with barely less than two minutes left. Incredibly, kicker Shaun Suisham missed what should have been a “gimme” (and a “gimme” that would have put the ‘Skins up by two scores with two minutes left!), and the rest was history.
Brees hooked up with Meachem less than a minute later for a 55-yard touchdown strike to tie the game, Campbell was picked as he tried to get the Redskins in field goal range in regulation, and fullback Mike Sellers fumbled in overtime and allowed the Saints to kick a game-winning field goal, sending 70,000 depressed fans out to the parking lot.
“I don’t think the best team won today,” Redskins center Casey Rabach said. “We had some bad breaks, some bizarre things happened.”
