Posted at 10:24 a.m., Sunday, October 7, 2007
NFL: Redskins rout Lions, improve to 3-1
Associated Press
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) _ The Washington Redskins had no choice but to be creative.
Their No. 1 receiver didn't play, and the No. 2 wideout was gone by halftime. Jason Campbell had to throw to people who hadn't caught anything all season, and fullback Mike Sellers had his most productive game ever.
The Redskins held the ball and wore down the Detroit Lions on a hot day, keeping the No. 1 passing offense off the field in a 34-3 rout. A better than 2-to-1 advantage in total yards today kept alive a 70-year hex for the Lions in the nation's capital.
Sellers, who has been pleading with coach Joe Gibbs to get the ball more often, caught a pass for one touchdown and ran for another as the Redskins (3-1) made it 21-0 at home against the Lions since moving to Washington in 1937. Detroit (3-2) had been averaging 28.5 points and 387.3 yards per game. But offensive coordinator Mike Martz's unit could only generate a field goal and 149 total yards against a Washington defense that had five sacks by four different players.
Chris Cooley caught a touchdown pass, and Andre Carter sacked Jon Kitna for a safety for the Redskins, who led 14-0 at halftime despite playing without top receiver Santana Moss, who missed the game with a groin injury. Antwaan Randle El, expected to carry the load in Moss' absence, had seven catches for 100 yards before leaving with a hamstring injury just before halftime.