T H E E X A M I N ERF R I DAY, NOV E M BER 20, 200948
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AP IMAGES
Quarterback Jason Campbell has led the Redskins to six touchdowns on eight red-zone trips the last three games.
ON THE SPOT
Ladell Betts, RB
After rushing for
114 yards last week,
Betts will be more
targeted this week
by Dallas. Denver
rarely used eight-
man fronts to slow
Betts and often, be-
cause the Redskins
spread the field,
the Broncos were left in six-man fronts.
That created big running lanes and Betts
capitalized. Dallas typically does not
use eight-man fronts, but might have no
choice if the front seven does not handle
the run well. That will put more pressure
on Betts, making his second start in
place of Clinton Portis, to produce.
� John Keim
UP NEXT
Redskins at Cowboys
When � Sunday, 1 p.m.
Where � Texas Stadium,
Dallas
TV � FOX
Radio � 980AM/
Sirius 152
"Sure, the Cowboys ran the ball better to
open the season than they do now. But
what was a recurring theme during the
Cowboys' 2-2 start? It was how [Tony]
Romo didn't look quite right, how he
struggled to find a balance between
managing the game and making big
plays. Something else happened after
the Cowboys got off to a running start.
[Marion] Barber got hurt. Then [Felix]
Jones. [Coordinator Jason] Garrett
didn't abandon the run as much as his
runners abandoned him. The deteriora-
tion of the running game is understand-
able when put into this context. But now
is the time to force a correction."
� David Moore, Dallas Morning News
"Going into the road swing, a split of
the Philly and Green Bay visits would
have been acceptable. Greed, of course,
comes into play once the Cowboys were
impressive in the win over the Eagles.
And besides, the Packers appeared
dead. Desperate but dead. Anyway,
where we thought the Cowboys were
going into Green Bay is now a distant
memory. Where the Cowboys are right
now, certainly on offense, is suddenly
a concern. It's back to zero. And where
does it go from there?"
� Randy Galloway,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"For all the criticism heaped on him, [Ja-
son] Campbell is having a pretty good
year. His completion rate (66.1 percent),
yards per attempt (7.36) and passer rat-
ing (87.9) are the best of his career. If he
possesses a maddening weakness, it's
in his inability to protect the football; he
has fumbled 30 times (lost 12) since the
beginning of the `07 season. ... Maybe
my assessment of Campbell is all wet
and a new team wouldn't be a panacea,
but give him a change of scenery and I'll
take my chances."
� Len Pasquarelli, ESPN.com
"Former first-round draft pick Jason
Campbell has been a disappointment
at quarterback for the Washington
Redskins. That's why owner Daniel
Snyder pursued deals that would have
brought the Redskins first Jay Cutler,
then Mark Sanchez last offseason. But
Campbell wheels out his A game when
he plays in Texas. In 2007 he completed
a career-best 33 passes for a career-
high 348 yards in a 28-23 loss to the
Cowboys. In 2008 he threw for 231 yards
and two scores in a 26-24 victory at
Texas Stadium."
� Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News
Skins chatter from
non-local sources
DUEL IN DALLAS
The Redskins and Cowboys meet
for the 97th time Sunday afternoon
in Irving, Texas. A look at the history
of their storied rivalry:
First meeting � Nov. 16, 1960
Redskins 26, Cowboys 14
Last meeting � Nov. 16, 2008
Cowboys 14, Redskins 10
All-time series � Cowboys, 57-39-2
Tale of the tape
WAS DAL
Division titles 6 16
Conference titles 5 8
Super Bowl titles 3 5
Recent Skins magic
Dec. 30, 2007 � Needing a win
to advance to the playoffs, the
Redskins jump all over Tony Romo
and the Cowboys in a 27-6 rout.
Todd Collins, filling in for the injured
Jason Campbell, throws for 244
yards and a touchdown.
Sept. 19, 2005 � After losing 14 of
their last 15 games to the Cowboys,
the Skins stage a miracle comeback
in Dallas. Mark Brunell completes
two long touchdown passes to San-
tana Moss in a span of 71 seconds
late in the fourth quarter to give
Washington a 14-13 win.
� James Irwin
Skins have excelled
inside the 20-yard line
By John Keim
Examiner Staff Writer
ASHBURN � The biggest change is
hard to ignore. The Redskins have
excelled in the red zone the past
three games, scoring touchdowns
with regularity. And the major switch
is obvious: Sherman Lewis is calling
the plays.
However, it's not that simple. The
play list is compiled by the same peo-
ple. The design of the plays haven't
changed. And the biggest change is
unrelated to who is calling plays -- or
even what plays are called.
"We're just executing better,"
Redskins offensive coordinator Sher-
man Smith said. "That's what it's all
about, guys making plays."
In many ways, Smith is accurate.
Plays failed earlier in the season
because blocks were missed -- Mike
Sellers in Detroit; Derrick Dockery
and Fred Davis vs. St. Louis.
Against Denver, those blocks were
made. Sellers, lined up as a tight end,
drove his man into the end zone.
Todd Yoder, lined up at fullback in
the I-formation, finished a hole that
tackle Levi Jones started. And run-
ning back Ladell Betts fell forward
into the end zone after getting hit at
the 2-yard line.
Solid execution.
"We're running more straight at
people and that helps," Redskins
coach Jim Zorn said.
But the plays have helped, too.
The same four people design the red
zone plays: Zorn, tight ends coach
Scott Wachenheim, receivers coach
Stan Hixon and offensive assistant
Chris Meidt.
Entering the game they know
what plays will be called at what
time. Lewis, who has declined all
media requests, calls the pass plays;
Smith calls the run plays.
"It's a coincidence," Smith said
of the improvement. "We haven't
changed anything we're doing."
Except scoring.
"Whose to say it's not him?" full-
back Mike Sellers said of Lewis.
"Maybe it is the play selection. It
could be a whole bunch of varia-
tions."
Regardless, it's working.
In the past three games, the
Redskinshavescoredsixtouchdowns
on eight trips inside the 20-yard line.
They've also kicked one field goal and
fumbled on a fourth-down snap.
In the first six games, Washington
scored six touchdowns, and six field
goals, on 15 red zone possessions.
During that stretch, they ran the
ball 16 times -- nine to the left -- and
managedjustonerushingtouchdown
(aside from a fake field goal). They've
run 14 times in the past three games
-- eight to the left -- and have rushed
for two touchdowns. They've also
thrown four touchdown passes.
"We're mixing it up good," quar-
terback Jason Campbell said.
Against Denver, they ran out of
shotgun formation on first down,
spreading the field with three receiv-
ers and forcing the Broncos to use
less defenders in the middle. They
also ran a fake reverse to Santana
Moss from the 2-yard line. The mid-
dle linebacker flowed with Moss.
That left the middle open for Yoder,
who started in and then slid out.
Denver was forced to cover three
receivers on the right side with only
two defenders.
TheplaywasdesignedbyWachen-
heim.SometimesZornhasnixedplays
intheredzonebecausehe'swantedto
feature a certain package -- as in the
case of Betts' run Sunday.
"It's more unpredictable," Sell-
ers said, "and we're taking more
chances that we would have and
it's paying off."
jkeim@washingtonexaminer.com
Racking it up in the red zone
Redskins notes
� Defensive tackle Albert Haynes-
worth will be a game-time decision in
Dallas on Sunday. Haynesworth, still
using a walking boot, sprained his left
ankle Sunday vs. Denver and has not
practiced this week.
Haynesworth has started every
game this season, but has left a
number of them because of various
injuries. His status could finally force
the Redskins to activate reserve tackle
Anthony Montgomery, who has been
inactive each game. The Cowboys use
a power running game and Mont-
gomery would maintain the Redskins'
ability to field a big player inside.
"He may be a factor this week,"
Redskins coach Jim Zorn said of
Montgomery.
Offensive lineman Mike Williams
will be a game-time decision as well.
� As expected, running back Clinton
Portis will miss his second straight
game because of a concussion. Portis
worked in the morning at Redskins
Park, but did not participate in the
afternoon practice.
He does not have as much blurri-
ness, Zorn said. But he's still suffering
the effects of the concussion, which
he suffered in the first quarter of the
Nov. 8 loss at Atlanta.
"I'm going to rule him out," Zorn said.
Ladell Betts will make his second
straight start at running back.
� Rookie linebacker/defensive end
Brian Orakpo grew up in Texas but,
unlike many of his teammates, is not
as a Cowboys fan. So it was easy for
the Houston native -- and Oilers fan
-- to share the Redskins dislike of all
things Cowboys.
"Houston and Dallas, we don't like
each other," he said. "We hate each
other."
He said he'll have 25 family and
friends at the game.
� John Keim

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