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Let's go back to a couple days ago. The memories of a win against the Eagles that featured a very strong running game still fresh in our minds. The value of being able to pound the rock was clear, and we were sure that the Redskins would stick with that type of approach, now that they've seen that it can work.
Or, now hear me out, they could just have McNabb throw it 49 times, and still come out with a win against one of the best teams in the NFC. Ryan Torain, the guy who was supposed to step in for Clinton Portis all beats accounted for, rushed 16 times for 40 yards. How many of you thought the Redskins could win on Sunday if they only produced 51 total yards on the ground?
I understand the circumstances of the games were completely different. They were ahead against the Eagles, and trailed early against the Packers. I know the game plan is not the same for those types of situations. But the difference wasn't more than two possessions all afternoon long. If the Redskins wanted to incorporate the ground game they had plenty of time to.
They tried to run the ball early, saw it wasn't working, and put the ball in McNabb's hands for the rest of the ballgame. He wasn't flawless - he completed 26 of those 49 for 357 yards, with a touchdown and an interception - but he was good enough to get the Redskins in a position to win the game. And if Gano had made that first field goal, they might have been able to do it in regulation.
I know it's been asked before, but is the type of game Jason Campbell could win under the same circumstances? Based on what I've seen from him in Oakland this year, no. The Redskins are now 3-2, and I think a lot of that has to do with the play and experience of Donovan McNabb. He's significantly better than any alternative at the position, and he gives the team confidence that they can win every time they take the field.
Today's must-reads from around the SB Nation network:
- Federal Baseball compares Ian Desmond to Troy Tulowitzki. Sounds like a certain ant I know with an affinity for rubber tree plants.
- Andy Hutchins of SB Nation has a deeper analysis of College Football than you have, or will, see anywhere else.
- Japers' Rink wraps up of the Capitals big win over the Devils this weekend.
On tap today at SB Nation D.C.: If you're at work and you don't have a ton of time to read about the Skins' win on Sunday, check out Scott Jackson's Chain Reaction. He fits every perspective on the game into one article. Your productivity will thank us.