Washington  17 
 Detroit    10



SCORING


 
 

         
FINAL 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Washington0314017
Detroit030710
 
Scoring
2nd Quarter
WASFGOLA KIMRIN 24 YD, 10:25
Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards in 6:10
Key Plays:
  Thrash 43-yard punt retrun to Detroit 42
  Portis 12-yard run to Detroit 29
  Brunell 13-yard pass to Kozlowski to Detroit 6
WASHINGTON 3-0
DETFGJASON HANSON 40 YD, 14:57
Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards in :40
Key Plays:
  15-yard taunting penalty on Redskins' Smoot to Detroit 17
  Harrington 14-yard pass to Bryson to Detroit 33
  Harrington 16-yard pass to Hakim to Detroit 49
  Harrington 12-yard pass to Alexander plus 15-yard unnecessary roughness on Pierce to Washington 22
WASHINGTON 3-3
3rd Quarter
WASTDLAVERANUES COLES 15 YD PASS FROM CLINTON PORTIS (OLA KIMRIN KICK), 4:35
Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards in 4:35
Key Plays:
  Portis 21-yard run to midfield
  Portis 21-yard run to Detroit 29
  Brunell 8-yard pass to Coles on 3rd-and-5 to Detroit 16
WASHINGTON 10-3
WASTDWALT HARRIS 13 YD RETURN OF BLOCKED PUNT (OLA KIMRIN KICK), 10:28
WASHINGTON 17-3
4th Quarter
DETTDCORY SCHLESINGER 1 YD PASS FROM JOEY HARRINGTON (JASON HANSON KICK), 12:52
Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards in 2:29
Key Plays:
  Harrington 12-yard pass to Swinton on 3rd-and-5 to Washington 36
  Harrington 33-yard pass to Hakim to Washington 1
WASHINGTON 17-10
 
Statistics
Passing
Redskins Att Cmp Yds Td Int Lg
Brunell, Mark176580013
Portis, Clinton11151015
Lions Att Cmp Yds Td Int Lg
Harrington, Joey52262691137
Rushing
Redskins Att Yds Avg Lg Td
Portis, Clinton341474.3210
Betts, Ladell5193.8100
Gardner, Rod1-10-10.000
Lions Att Yds Avg Lg Td
Bryson, Shawn6213.560
Jones, Kevin12201.770
Harrington, Joey2147.080
Pinner, Artose273.550
Schlesinger, Cory122.020
Hakim, Az-Zahir100.000
Receiving
Redskins Rec Yds Avg Lg Td
Coles, Laveranues44611.5151
Kozlowski, Brian11313.0130
Portis, Clinton11111.0110
Betts, Ladell133.030
Lions Rec Yds Avg Lg Td
Hakim, Az-Zahir712017.1370
Swinton, Reggie5459.0120
Bryson, Shawn4287.0140
Williams, Roy33311.0170
Alexander, Stephen2199.5140
Schlesinger, Cory273.561
Fitzsimmons, Casey11414.0140
Jones, Kevin133.030
Pinner, Artose100.000
Tackles-Solo-Assists Sacks-Yds (unofficial)
Redskins T S A Sk-Yd
Clark, Ryan11830-0
Springs, Shawn7610-0
Taylor, Sean7430-0
Pierce, Antonio6510-0
Griffin, Cornelius6332-11
Smoot, Fred5410-0
Washington, Marcus5410-0
Salave'a, Joe3300-0
Wynn, Renaldo2110-0
Franz, Todd2110-0
Marshall, Lemar2020-0
Harris, Walt1100-0
Evans, Demetric1100-0
Warner, Ron1100-0
Daniels, Phillip1100-0
Lions T S A Sk-Yd
Holmes, Earl6510-0
Walker, Bracy6330-0
Marion, Brock5500-0
Davis, James5500-0
Rogers, Shaun5410-0
Wilkinson, Dan4400-0
Bryant, Fernando4400-0
Redding, Cory4400-0
Hall, James3300-0
Bly, Dre2200-0
Pritchett, Kelvin2110-0
Lehman, Teddy2110-0
DeVries, Jared1100-0
Edwards, Kalimba1100-0
Lewis, Alex1100-0
Interceptions
Redskins INT Yds Avg Lg Td
Smoot, Fred100.000
Lions INT Yds Avg Lg Td
None
Punting
Redskins No. Yds Avg TB In20 Lg
Tupa, Tom943147.90559
Lions No. Yds Avg TB In20 Lg
Harris, Nick934738.60350
Punt Returns
Redskins No. Yds Avg Lg Td
Thrash, James24623.0430
Lions No. Yds Avg Lg Td
Drummond, Eddie5214.290
Kickoff Returns
Redskins No. Yds Avg Lg Td
Thrash, James12020.0200
Kozlowski, Brian144.040
Lions No. Yds Avg Lg Td
Drummond, Eddie35719.0290
Kicking
Redskins XP/XPA FG/FGA Dist(Made/Fail)
Kimrin, Ola2/21/224 51 
Lions XP/XPA FG/FGA Dist(Made/Fail)
Hanson, Jason1/11/140 
Officials
Referee- Mike Carey, Umpire- Dan Ferrell, Head linesman- Steve Stelljes, Line judge- Mark Pearlman, Field judge- Art Horton, Side judge- Tom Fincken, Back judge- Keith Ferguson
Attendance - Time
62,657 ; 3:22
Team Statistics RedskinsLions
First downs1521
Rushing84
Passing613
Penalty14
3rd-Down Efficiency3 - 145 - 18
4th-Down Efficiency0 - 02 - 3
Total Net Yards229322
Total Plays5878
Average Gains3.94.1
Net Yards Rushing15664
Rushes4024
Average Per Rush3.92.7
Net Yards Passing73258
Completed-Attempted7 - 1826 - 52
Yards Per Pass4.14.8
Sacked-Yards Lost0 - 02 - 11
Had Intercepted01
Punts-Average9 - 47.910 - 34.7
Return Yardage4621
Punts-Returns2 - 465 - 21
Kickoffs-Returns2 - 243 - 57
Interceptions-Returns1 - 00 - 0
Penalties-Yards7 - 754 - 40
Fumbles-Lost0 - 00 - 0
Time Of Possession30:3129:29
p align="CENTER">News: 11/8/04

Haven't we been here before?

In the cruelest form of deja vu, the Lions lost yet another game that appeared to be a victory -- at least on paper.

This time, the Lions dropped a 17-10 decision to the Washington Redskins at Ford Field on Sunday.

The Lions have turned into the General Hospital of the NFL. Sick opponents play the Lions and get well immediately. Worse, the turn of good fortune for an opponent has now happened in back-to-back home games.

The Redskins entered the game with just two victories in their first seven. Another loss and their season would have been all but over.

A victory by the Lions and they would have put themselves in good position to make the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Instead, the Lions (4-4) squandered a golden opportunity and left many questioning whether this team has really improved.

"We're a young team and we're inconsistent," Coach Steve Mariucci said. "But those are not the reasons I think we have lost to struggling teams.”

Oh, yeah. There's the Lions' horrid running game -- 64 yards on 24 carries, almost none when the game was on the line.

If the Lions want to get to that next level -- serious, not just mathematical, playoff contention -- they have to win games like this. You simply can't be taken seriously when you allow a bad Redskins team to come into your building and beat you with little trouble.

The Lions couldn't mount anything offensively against the Redskins defense, which is solid.

The passing game was brutal. Quarterback Joey Harrington was bad -- 26 for 52 for 269 yards -- and receivers dropped a number of passes.

"We were just out of it," said receiver Roy Williams, who had three catches for 33 yards. "We didn't run it, we didn't pass it, didn't catch it. It was bad all the way around."

The Lions, who were hoping to be 5-3 at the midway point, weren't going to win every game this season. But there were at least two games you thought the Lions should have won and didn't. First, they dropped a 38-10 home decision to the Green Bay Packers. The Pack came into that game reeling.

The Lions were beaten by the Cowboys in Dallas after a wonderful road victory against the New York Giants.

Some might think the Lions are doing just fine at .500 because this team had won just 10 games the previous three seasons. It's not true, though.

The Lions should be disappointed they weren't able to do more, especially when they started the season with three straight road victories. That this team is just 1-3 at home tells you that it still has a long way to go.

"It's a little more disappointing losing to a team that hasn't been having success," right end James Hall said.

The reason the Lions don't have a losing record is because they've been able to make a few big plays to win some close games. Statistically, the Lions have not really played all that well.

"This is growing pains of a young team," guard Damien Woody said. "You just got so many inconsistencies. We're just so up and down.

"Our big thing right now is just trying to be consistent."

Sadly, the Lions are. But only when it comes to losing to bad teams they're supposed to beat.

RECAP:

Clinton Portis' versatility combined with excellent special teams play proved to be enough to keep Joe Gibbs perfect against the Detroit Lions.

Portis threw the first touchdown pass of his career and Walt Harris returned a blocked punt 13 yards for a score as the Washington Redskins posted a 17-10 victory over the Lions.

In addition to rushing 34 times for 147 yards, Portis turned what appeared to be a running play into a 15-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles into the right corner of the end zone with 10:25 left in the third quarter to snap a 3-3 tie.

"He was calling for that trick play for eight weeks," Gibbs said. "He swore to me he could throw the football. After he threw it, he was wanting to throw it again. He said, 'They won't expect it this time.' I said, 'You're right, they won't expect it, because we're not calling it.' I think he gets a kick out of that."

"It was a dream of mine that started when I was eight years old, to throw a touchdown pass in the NFL," Portis said. "I told L.C. (Coles) 'I'm putting it in the back of the end zone, I need this for my quarterback rating.' He went and got it."

Portis, who has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in four of his last five games against teams from the NFC North, became the first player to reach that plateau against the Lions in 14 games.

"Clinton Portis is one heck of a player," Lions defensive end Cory Redding said. "We knew this was going to be a big test coming in and we put all of our chips out there and the guy made plays regardless of what happened."

Just under six minutes after Portis' touchdown pass, Taylor Jacobs blocked a punt by Nick Harris and Walt Harris did the rest to give the Redskins (3-5) a 17-3 advantage.

"We're long overdue," Walt Harris said. "We needed a big play on special teams, somebody needed to step up, so we got it on special teams."

Aside from the efforts of Jacobs and Harris, James Thrash was the star on special teams for Washington. Thrash, a former primary receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, downed three punts inside the 5, including one with just 1:36 left.

Thrash also returned a punt 43 yards to set up a field goal in the second quarter for the Redskins, who improved to 11-0 against the Lions under Gibbs.

"You can say James Thrash was a one-man show," Portis said. "He played great. He's probably not getting everything he wants on offense. He could pout and be mad about not playing offense, but instead he took that energy and made a positive and went out and made plays on special teams."

Washington's defense, which entered the day first overall, contributed a key turnover when cornerback Fred Smoot intercepted Joey Harrington in the end zone with 6:25 left to preserve a 14-point advantage.

"I think there are some throws he'd like to have back," Detroit coach Steve Mariucci said. "He bounced a couple throws out there and probably would like to think he could have made a different decision on a handful of plays that could have been more productive for him. He kept fighting through."

Harrington completed 26-of-52 passes for 269 yards, including a one-yard TD to fullback Cory Schlesinger with 2:08 left that trimmed the deficit to seven.

Az-Zahir Hakim caught seven passes for 120 yards for the Lions (4-4), who have dropped four of their last six games after a 2-0 start.

First-round pick Roy Williams returned after missing a game with a sprained ankle and had three catches for 33 yards. Fellow first-rounder Kevin Jones was limited to just 20 yards on 12 carries.

"We're not as good as people say we are after some games and we're not as bad as people say we are after others," Harrington said. "The biggest thing is to develop consistency. When we're on, we're pretty good. When we're off, we struggle."

Detroit's Jason Hanson, who matched a club record by playing in his 200th career game, converted a 40-yard field goal with three seconds left in the first half.

Scott's Game Commentary:

Will I ever see the Lions win a home game this year? For the third straight home game I have been to this year, the Lions had a golden opportunity to take a big step forward, but failed miserably. Losing to Philadelphia and Green Bay is understandable since both teams are better than the honolulu blue and silver. But the WASHINGTON REDSKINS???? Are you kidding me? Sorry folks, but you just witnessed the 2004 season go up in flames. The bipolar Detroit Lions now own the 2nd worst home record in the NFL and at the same time the best road record. What makes this loss burn even more is the fact that Minnesota will most likely lose to Indianapolis on Monday Night Football. That meant all the Lions had to do was beat one of the worst teams in the NFL, but unfortunately, they were playing at home. The Offense tried its best to duplicate its pathetic horror show they displayed in the Green Bay game. Harrington, who seems to play only good on the road, was just as awful as he was in the Packers game. More times than not, his passes missed their mark. Joey complained a few weeks ago about the fans booing him and they were out in full force again today (myself included). Guess what Joey, you got what you deserved with another pathetic performance! Just like last week against Dallas, the Special Teams played if not the biggest part in the loss. I have never seen such a pathetic effort back to back weeks from the Special Teams ever! 10 of Washington's 17 points were a direct result of Special Team blunders. All in all, it was another wasted Sunday afternoon at Ford Field. Fortunately, the next two games are on the road!

Grades:

*Offense: --- F. Roy Williams mad a spectacular catch on the first drive, but the drive stalled a few plays later. Williams was invisible for the rest of the game and had a few drops. It is quite clear he is no where near 100% and his injured ankle will cost him a shot at rookie of the year. The "Ford Field" Harrington was back in action and had an awful day. I put no stock into the only touchdown drive when Washington went to the prevent defense late in the game. It is sad when I spend more time booing than cheering the Offense, but they were darn right awful for just about the entire game. Going up against the 2nd best run defense in the NFL, the 2nd to worst ranked run offense showed its colors. Kevin Jones, who I feel is turning out to be a 1st round flop, had 20 yards on 12 carries. The offensive line has been terrible for quite some time now, but if your an NFL running back, you should be able to produce better than a 1.7 yards / carry average. I have seen little to think Jones will ever materialize into a starting NFL running back. The loss of Charles Rogers is definitely taking its toll on the Offense. If Rogers were healthy, everything would be different. Hopefully that will happen next year.

*Defense: --- C+. When the Defense does not produce turnovers or have any sacks, the Lions are not going to win many ball games. The Defense, who had not yielded a 100 yard runner all year, gave up 147 yards to Clinton Portis. But, they were the last reason why the hololulu blue and silver lost the game. The Defense only gave up one long drive the entire game and for the most part, played "bend but don't break" football. They held strong in the 4th quarter giving the Offense chance after chance to come back, but without the big turnover, another home loss is what transpired.

*Special Teams: --- F. For the second straight week, the Special Teams ends up costing the Lions the game. There is no excuse to give up a 47 yard return on a punt, but to have a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown??? That was the ball game right there as Washington took a 17-3 lead. Eddie Drummond had some good returns, but unless he breaks one it does not mean much with an inept Offense. Nick Harris had ten punts, some were great while others were awful. Like I said, he's nothing more than a mediocre punter than hopefully won't be back next year.

*Coaching: --- F. There is no excuse to not have the troops ready to play against a team that you have to beat. Washington is by no means even comparable to Philadelphia or Green Bay! The Redskins have struggled all year and came into the game with a 2-5 record. The problem with Mariucci is he is way too conservative calling the plays on offense. I lost count how many times I predicted the Lions would run up the middle for a yard or two. Mix it up Mooch!!! Go deep once in a while! I'm so sick of these 2 or 3 yard passing plays! Priefer has his worked cut out for him too after his units complete collapse the last two weeks.

*Overall: --- F. Instead of having a great shot of being in first place with the Vikings and gearing up for the playoffs, the Lions are now one game back from being in last place! Yes, last place! If the Lions were a playoff caliber team, they definitely would have won this game and the one last week against a struggling Cowboys team. Instead of being 5-3 heading into the toughest three gasme stretch of their schedule, they are back to .500 tied with the surging Packers. Looking at the next three games (Jacksonville, Minnesota and Indianapolis), the Lions will need a miracle to not be 4-7. I can't begin to envision how scary the Thanksgiving Day game will be with the Colts coming to town (given that Ford Field is a home away from home). But, nothing surprises me anymore this season. It would be typical for the honolulu blue and silver to win a game that no one expects them to. Why? Because it makes absolutely no sense at all and it happens every single week in the NFL. Look at the NY Giants. After the Lions beat them, they go into Minnesota and blow out the Vikings. Just like the Lions, they have no clue how to win at home and lose to the Chicago Bears. Talk about two teams that are clones of eachother! Unfortunately, the 2004 season went up in flames for the fourth straight season- this time a few weeks later than usual.

*Click HERE to go back to my LIONS page!!