More on Jason Campbell and the Redskins' Offensive Philosophy

A recent Washington Examiner article by John Keim is one of the most fair and accurate analyses of Campbell that I have read in a while, and sums up my feelings of him very well.

As I briefly touched on in my last post, I believe Campbell has shown the level he is capable of playing at in the NFL, and it all relies on his supporting cast. When Campbell is supported by good line play, a dominant run game, and good defensive play, which the Redskins had through eight games last season, he can play the role of what fans and coaches call a "game manager" very well.

Through the first eight games of 2008, Campbell threw eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. While the Redskins weren't putting up a ton of points through the air, the passing game was consistent and did not turn the ball over.

With the support of a dominant run game, in which Clinton Portis was in the ballpark of 1,000 yards at the midway point, the Redskins were able to make up for the lack of scoring through the air by keeping opposing offenses off the field and winning the time of possession battle.

Football fans across the country will find themselves hard pressed to find an NFL analyst who won't swear by the "run the ball and play good defense" philosophy as a recipe for success in the NFL. It was the Redskins' gameplan through the first half of 2008, and had them at 6-2 and near the top of the NFC.

While I agree with this idea, I have two major concerns with it which apply to the Redskins.

My first concern is that this philosophy isn't one that will lead to very many convincing victories in terms of outscoring the other team. While the game may be won convincingly in terms of physically outplaying a team, or in terms of the time-of-possession or turnover battle, the low offensive output through the air will often have fans biting their nails as the opponent is often still within one score late in the fourth quarter.

Out of the Redskins six wins through the first half of the season, only one was by more than seven points (and it was an eight-point victory against the lowly Lions, who would go on to finish 0-16). Sure they were winning, but there wasn't a game where their opponent wasn't within striking distance late in the fourth quarter.


On the other end of the spectrum, a team like the Colts, Patriots, Chargers or Saints can rely on their passing game to come out and score two, three or four touchdowns on any given Sunday and put less pressure on the defense and the running game. They have the capability of putting 27+ points on the board every week, which the Redskins did only once in 2008. (Saints - 10 times, Chargers - 8 times, Colts - 6 times, Patriots - 6 times, without Brady).


It will be interesting to see how the Redskins do in the passing game this season. Campbell is in his second year as a starter in the same system for the first time since high school, which should improve his decision making. One of the great weaknesses in his game is that he holds on to the ball too long. We should get a better idea this season of whether this is because he is simply a slow decision-maker, or because he did not yet feel comfortable in the system.

Additionally, Malcom Kelly has begun to stand out at the wide receiver position throughout training camp and the preseason. He is a big target with great hands, and rumors around Redskins Park suggest that he is poised to take the #2 receiver spot from Antwaan Randle-El.

This is a move that should work out great for the Redskins, as Randle-El is best suited in the slot where his quickness can cause matchup problems for linebackers and nicklebacks. It also gives the Redskins more size on the outside, which they have needed in the redzone for a long time.

If Kelly performs well, and provides a legitimate threat outside of Cooley and Moss that opposing defenses have to gameplan for, the Redskins should see fewer eight-in-the-box sets, which will allow Portis to flourish and open up the play-action game, giving them a balance on offense which disappeared in the second half of 2008.