The Houston Texans trailed the Redskins 27-10 in the third quarter of a week two game last season. Washington had beaten the Dallas Cowboys to begin the year and were well on their way to a 2-0 start before Matt Schaub caught fire, throwing two touchdowns passes en route to an improbable 30-27 overtime win.
Now the Redskins find themselves in a familiar situation after beating the New York Giants in this year’s season-opener. They play host to the Arizona Cardinals -- a winnable game that would set the stage for a climatic week three showdown on Monday Night Football against the Cowboys.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Redskins know they can’t overlook this game. Good teams take care of business each and every week by keeping the focus on the present.
“I want to win,” said running back Tim Hightower. “I’m one of those guys where, when I’m there, I’m all the way in. I’m never one-foot-in and one-foot-out…I don’t care if we rush for 400 yards and we lose, I’m going to be upset. If we rush for 500 yards and we win, personally, I can deal with that. To be 2-0 is my focus right now.”
Hightower has some extra motivation, as he’ll take the field against his former team this week.
“When you play with the same guys three years in practice and, now, you’re finally playing against them, it’s a little bit different,” he said. “You kind of know those guys and have a relationship with some of those guys. You feel like you’re playing against some of your friends. It’s exciting though.”
Hightower scored on a one-yard touchdown run in his Redskins debut last week. Rex Grossman added a pair of touchdown passes and the offense continued to show signs of progression in its second year under Kyle Shanahan.
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But concerns remain. The Redskins offensive line surrendered four sacks and struggled to help generate an effective run game. Washington averaged just 2.8 yards per carry yet somehow managed to consistently pound the football enough to afford Grossman the time to pick apart New York’s secondary.
“You always want to be able to stick with [the run game],” said Shanahan. “It’s always a challenge play calling and not getting enough yards that you want. In the NFL, that’s how it is. You just have to stick with it. We moved the chains pretty good and picked up first downs. Moving the chains allows you to switch things up. When you can do that, whether or not it works, it really helps the team out a lot.”
A similar commitment to the run this week should result in better numbers versus a Cardinals team much weaker against the run than the Giants. Considering the Redskins will need a balanced attack to keep up with Arizona’s high-powered offense, that’s a good thing.
More importantly, Washington can’t suffer a late-game lapse like they did last year against the Texans. A similar effort would be a serious setback for a team who only just showed signs of being able to finish in last week’s victory.
Is this a game the Redskins should win? Sure, but that only scares fans all the more because Washington has made a habit of playing down to their competition. They aren’t head-and-shoulders above the Cardinals anyways. Kevin Kolb had his own 300-yard passing game last week, and Larry Fitzgerald is the same type of receiver as Andre Johnson who played a key role in Houston’s 2010 comeback.
Nevertheless, it’s the Redskins who have a bit of a swagger before Sunday’s game. By the final gun, we’ll know just how justified that confidence is.
“Arizona is well-coached and they have some good leaders there,” Hightower said. “They have some veterans there who have been there, been to some big games and been through some tough times. They are going to come ready to play. The biggest thing is to show up with passion. I think if you outmatch their emotion and energy, you have a good chance to win.”
