Demonstrating the poise of a veteran, third-year quarterback, Jason Campbell converted several big plays and got plenty of help from Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley and a big-play defense in Washington's 20-12 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The surprising Redskins, coming off a 5-11 season, are 2-0 and tied with Dallas atop the National Football Conference East, which Philadelphia was expected to dominate.
But the Eagles are 0-2 and their offense, other than the dynamic Brian Westbrook, has been far too spotty.
PHOTO: AFP
STYMIED
Portis and Cooley scored touchdowns and Shaun Suisham made two field goals. Washington's defense stymied every Eagle except Westbrook, who rushed for 96 yards and caught eight passes for another 66 yards.
Westbrook's work wasn't enough to get the Eagles into the end zone, however, as an array of blitzes and some hard hitting by the Redskins' secondary kept Donovan McNabb off-balance much of the night.
McNabb has lost six of his last seven starts and is 9-12 since the Eagles lost the Super Bowl to New England in January 2005.
Campbell, in his ninth pro start, kept the Redskins on the move when it counted with sharp passes and timely third-down conversions.
After Suisham's third field goal, a 37-yarder, put Washington on top 13-6, David Akers matched it with a 26-yarder later in the third quarter.
Then Washington's mastery on third down -- it went 8-for-15 -- helped it to the winning score, a 6-yard run by Portis early in the fourth period.
Campbell found Cooley for 9 yards on third-and-8 and hit Todd Yoder, Cooley's backup, for 18 on third-and-10.
Philadephia lost safety Brian Dawkins, its defensive leader, with a neck injury on the play that moved the ball to the Philadelphia 6. Then Portis swept left for the decisive points.
Portis wound up with 69 yards rushing and Campbell added 39 to go with his 209 passing, but it was his maturity in tight situations that stood out.
HARD-HITTING
Washington's hard-hitting defense was led by safeties Sean Taylor and rookie LaRon Landry, as well as a pass rush that got to McNabb three times and pressured him all game long.
The biggest cheer of the night by the 67,726 fans might have been in the first quarter, which ended 3-0 for the Redskins. It came when re-signed Reno Mahe caught a punt.
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