Over the course of every game at FedEx Field, the rabid fans of the Washington Redskins continuously bellow out the verses of their fight song, the first two lines of which gleefully proclaim "Hail to the Redskins! Hail victory!" After the Skins' 23-17 Week 5 win over the host Philadelphia Eagles, the rest of the NFL might want to start attending the Church of Burgundy and Gold as well.
Just seven days removed from a 26-24 win over the then-undefeated Dallas Cowboys, Washington moved to 4-1 with an equally impressive dismantling of the Eagles. The Redskins gained just 23 yards in the first quarter and went into the second quarter down 14 points following an electric 68-yard punt return by Eagle rookie sensation DeSean Jackson and a Brian Westbrook power run up the middle.
But Washington quarterback Jason Campbell did what he has been doing all season and engineered productive drives to put his team ahead for good.
In three second-quarter drives, the Redskins produced nine points, cutting into the Eagles' slim margin before Clinton Portis broke loose all over the Philadelphia defense in the second half.
As a team, Washington rushed for 203 yards on the hapless Philadelphia defense, led by Portis' 145 yards. He, Campbell and Ladell Betts cut and darted at will through an Eagles defense that had only allowed an average of 53.8 yards through the first four weeks.
In just his third year out of Auburn University, Campbell is making better decisions in the pocket this season -- ones that will certainly produce quality wins down the road. On the Redskins' final drive, Campbell executed his best impression of Eagle sQB Donovan McNabb, scampering 15 yards on third-and-nine to keep the drive alive.
The most notable aspect of this game, though, was Jim Zorn's cementing himself as an elite coach in a profession littered with seasoned veterans. His flawless play-calling, highlighted by an 18-yard option pass from receiver Antwaan Randle El to tight end Chris Cooley, baffled Philadelphia throughout the afternoon.
The Redskins have all the components of a squad designed to consistently rack up quality victories. The stat most indicative of Washington's success -- gaudy offensive numbers aside -- is zero: the number of turnovers they have committed on offense in five games this season.
After enduring a horrendous schedule to open the season -- when they traveled to the homes of NFC East foes New York, Dallas and Philadelphia -- the Redskins now face the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions in the next three, creating an opportunity for Washington to be 8-1 when it takes on Dallas again in November.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants picked up right where they left off before their bye week, throttling the Seattle Seahawks 44-6 to stay perfect in 2008. The defending Super Bowl champions racked up 526 yards of total offense, headlined by a banner day from Eli Manning, who threw for 267 yards and two scores while completing 76 percent of his passes.
With stud receiver Plaxico Burress having been suspended due to a violation of team rules, Manning turned to his supporting cast, hooking up with backup Domenik Hixon for 102 yards in the first half. Running back Brandon Jacobs also took advantage of a depleted Seahawk defense, rumbling for 136 yards on the ground.
Should the Giants repeat as NFL champions, it will be because of Manning's supporting cast: players like Hixon and backup running backs Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw, who combined for 105 yards on the ground against Seattle. In a division loaded with strong teams, the Giants are the only team to have beaten the Redskins, and, with three weak contests ahead, they should go into a Nov. 2 matchup with Dallas undefeated and ready to enforce their dominance over the NFC East.
Elsewhere in the division, the Cowboys rebounded from a demoralizing home loss to the Redskins with a 31-22 victory over one of the league's saddest squads, the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cowboys out-rushed the Bengals 198-61, further demonstrating the depth that has carried them to a 4-1 record and a share of second place in the NFC East.
Rookie Felix Jones exploded for 96 yards, including a 33-yard score, while RB Marion Barber added 84 yards on the ground. Despite throwing for only 176 yards, quarterback Tony Romo hooked up with three different receivers for as many touchdowns.
Romo's day at the office was his lowest output of the season, but his veteran nature shined through as he catalyzed two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to put the Bengals, who had come within three points, behind for good.
With league power shifting over to the NFC this year, the East has fielded four legitimate Super Bowl contenders through the first five weeks of the season.
If these trends hold true for the remaining games, three of them could still be playing in January -- which happened last year when the Cowboys, Redskins and Giants all made the cut -- while perennial contenders such as the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots could be at home, learning the second stanza to "Hail to the Redskins."
