"No question, yeah, we've got some problems." free safety LaRon Landry, Sept 27, 2009.

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THE RESULT:  Following a now-familiar theme, the Washington Redskins were pushed around up front on both sides of the ball, got down to a lesser team, and never could find the momentum shift they needed, falling to the Detroit Lions at half-full Ford Field, 19-14.

It was Detroit's first win in 19 games.

Things started well enough for the Skins.  They stopped Detroit after five plays and forced a punt, then marched 75 yards to the Lions one-yard line.  On fourth down, though, coach Jim Zorn decided to go for the touchdown, and Clinton Portis was stopped short of the end zone. 

The Lions then went the length of the field to score their own touchdown, and the wind was taken right out of Washington's sails, right there after two possessions.

"We drove all the way down there," Zorn said. "I didn't think we'd be denied getting in the end zone, and we were, but there was no way a team could drive 99 yards on us."

Zorn even helped the lions out on their drive, taking a penalty instead of forcing the Lions to attempt a 50-yard field goal.  Rookie QB Matthew Stafford pulled the ball down under pressure on the ensuing third down play and went 21 yards for the first down.  On the following play, Stafford hit Bryant Johnson for a 21-yard score.

Detroit controlled the ball, the line of scrimmage and the time of possession, especially in the first half, with drives of 3:51, 5:50, 5:26 and 6:23 as they built a 13-0 halftime lead.

RB Kevin Smith, who averaged less than three yards a run coming into the game, rushed 16 times for 101 yards before leaving due to injury early in the third quarter.

Washington finally got some things going in the second half, as Jason Campbell (27-for-41, 340 yards, one interception) threw for two touchdowns, one to Santana Moss (10 catches for 178 yards ) and Rock Cartwright.  But it wasn't enough, as the final drive died with the Skins desperately lateraling the ball multiple times in an effort to reach paydirt, to no avail.

THE TAKEAWAY:  The Redskins just completed the "soft" part of their schedule, against two of the worst teams in the league last season, with a 9-7 win and a loss to a winless team in 19 games.  This only get rougher from here.

The Redskins defense's inability to get off the field in the first half really tells the story of where this team is at right now.  As a whole, Washington is getting out-worked, out-hustled and out-classed, even by the bottomfeeders of the NFL.

The quarterback was quick to defend his coach and teammates. "Let me make one thing clear: It's definitely not on one person," said Campbell, who threw two second-half touchdown passes but also had an interception that ended a third-quarter drive at midfield. "And it shouldn't be directed on Coach Zorn at all."

"We all got to uphold our part. We all participate. We all go out there and play. Every time, it's something that's here or there, and people can't put this on one person. And if you're a guy that's finger-pointing, then you're wrong."

But it needs to be directed somewhere.  It's hard to win in this league if you don't have talent.  It's harder still if you don't have effort.  The Redskins say they have both, yet they are one play away from being 0-3.

The Skins were out-rushed 154-65, 116-0 in the first half.  Where was Clinton Portis?  His meager totals?  Twelve carries for 42 yards.  That's getting whipped up front.  Is the offensive line that bad?  Or were they outworked that hard?

And the defense?  Detroit drives of 99, 74, 86 and 85 yards, and 281 yards of total offense, tell the story there.  Embarrassing.

It's going to be a long week at Redskins Park, looking for answers to the many questions about this team's talent, character, and administration.

THE GOOD:  Santana Moss.  10 catches for 178 yards.  Passes to Moss were the only things that worked with regularity.

THE BAD:  The complete absence of a running game.  Washington had 10 possessions in the game, none of four minutes length and only two over three minutes.

THE UGLY:  The defense.  It's an absolute embarrassment to allow the repeated drives the Lions had.  They were facing a rookie QB, who had throw five interceptions in his first two games, and all he did was walk his team down the field time and time again. 

Defensive coordinator Greg Blache should feel his seat getting hot, and his words after the game sounded like a coach defending his scheme, "... we didn't execute. It was one guy one time, and it was one guy one time, it was not one person all the time."

"It was execution. They executed, and we didn't. We talked early on about detail. Taking care of detail. In the run game, we weren't very detailed, particularly early on. We had guys with 'bad' eyes. We had guys with wandering eyes, watching more than they should be watching, which caused some issues."

NEXT GAME:  Washington hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1:00 pm.  The Bucs were shut out by the New York Giants on Sunday and are 0-3 this seaason.

"If I could see it now, if I could see every play that was going to fail before it failed, I wouldn't call it." coach Jim Zorn, after repeated failure in the Red Zone, in last Sunday's 9-7 win over St. Louis.

THE RESULT:  Amidst fans' boos right up to -- and past -- the final whistle, the Washington Redskins earned their first win of the 2009 season, barely beating the St. Louis Rams 9-7, before a rambunctious and unsatisfied crowd of 87,780 at FedEx Field.

Shaun Suisham was the hero of the day for Washington.  He kicked field goals of 21, 28 and 23 yards, leading the home team to victory over a Rams squad that lost their opener 28-0 the previous week.

Several players noticed -- and commented -- on the vocal displeasure exhibited by the Skins faithful.

"I understand that they want us to beat the Rams by 40," said Cooley, who led the Redskins with seven catches for 83 yards. "But we still won, and if we continue to win games, that's great. The booing was unnecessary."

Cooley and the rest of the Redskins players may not like the booing, but after a decade of not hosting a playoff game and missing out on the playoffs altogether last season, there may be more negativity in the future should the team not right the ship, starting this weekend in Detroit.

St. Louis almost pulled off the upset late in the game, but QB Marc Bulger completed a pass to WR Donnie Avery on third down deep in Redskins territory, but safety Chris Horton knocked the ball loose, stopping the drive.

The game was eerily reminiscent of the Rams' 19-17 upset at Fed Ex last season, one of just two all season for St. Louis.

Washington spent a good portion of the day shooting itself in the foot.  WR Devin Thomas and FB Mike Sellars both dropped potential touchdown passes, Santana Moss (three catches for 35 yards) coughed up a fumble, and rookie Brian Orakpo's roughing the passer penalty negated a fumble recovery.

"It can be just one or two plays in a game to make it look a whole lot different," Campbell said. "You catch two passes in the end zone and you're up 14-0, but that's just the way it is sometimes in this game.

The Skins had several sustained drives and controlled much of the play between the 20s, but just did not find the recipe for a touchdown.

"I have got to look at this thing very hard because it is my responsibility," Washington coach Jim Zorn said. "I can wave all kinds of magic wands, but I have to come up with the right play."

QB Jason Campbell finished 23-of-35 for 242 yards, and Clinton Portis carried 19 times for 79 yards.

THE TAKEAWAY:  The win is huge, coming off the loss opening day against New York, but Zorn has to find a way for his team to be more efficient in the Red Zone.

Washington outgained St. Louis 362 to 243 and had scoring drives of 83, 64 and 74 yards, plus another long drive that ended with the Skins turning the ball over on downs deep in Rams territory.  But failed gadget plays (halfback option on third down after two runs?), penalties and poor execution, resigned the Redskins to kick field goals and fill out Suisham's resume.

THE GOOD:  Jason Campbell.  He controlled the ball, moved the chains, didn't turn it over, and hit the receivers where he needed too.  He can't catch it as well.  Players have to make plays, and if Thomas and/or Sellars comes up with a play when called upon, we're probably not wringing our hands over the Detroit Lions this week.

THE BAD:  The Red Zone offense and play calling.  A third down halfback pass in the Red Zone is perfectly acceptable, but you should use it when the other team is expecting run, not on third down after two failed runs.  Another fourth-and-one rushing attempt was quashed by a missed assignment.  The drops.

If Zorn can't straighten the Red Zone problems out, it will be a long season for the Burgundy and Gold.

THE UGLY:  Inactive reserve linebacker Robert Henson.  After the game, he posted to this Twitter account that the fans that booed were "dim-wits" that "work 9-to-5 at McDonald's". 

He received a tremendous backlash and has since apologized, but the young player, who hasn't even taken a snap in a game to this point, should gain some perspective from this incidence.  Players often feel an isolation with the fans, and that's due to a plethora of reasons.  But c'mon, man.  Calling your fans "dim-wits"?  Yikes!

NEXT GAME:  Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:00 pm against the winless in 19 games Detroit Lions from Ford Field.  Does the streak end here?

NOTES:  G Randy Thomas tore his right triceps and is lost for the season.  His position will be filled by Will Montgomery.  Montgomery had a holding penalty on the failed halfback option play that would have negated the play, had Portis connected.  The Redskins signed RB/KR Anthony Alridge to take Thomas' place on the roster.

"Osi made a great play on the ball. It's something you have to understand as a quarterback you have to feel it more or slide up in the pocket." -- Jason Campbell, on Osi Umenyiora's sack, fumble recovery, and touchdown, Sept. 13, 2009.

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THE RESULT: The New York Giants controlled both lines of scrimmage, outrushing the Washington Redskins and putting constant pressure on quarterback Jason Campbell, and opened the 2009 season with a 23-17 win over a division rival before a sellout crowd in Giants Stadium, the last home opener in the big bowl in East Rutherford, NJ.

The Giants jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half and cruised home from there.

Eli Manning threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham and Lawrence Tynes added three field goals, including a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter that was set up by an offside penalty by newcomer Albert Haynesworth, who did little else in his Washington debut.

The game-changer was Umenyiora's second quarter TD. He beat Chris Samuels on an outside speed rush, knocked the ball from Campbell's hands and scooped it up, rumbling 37 yards for the score. Campbell held the ball too long on the play, one of the knacks against the embattled QB.

The Skins got a late TD on a 17-yard pass from Campbell to TE Chris Cooley with 1:30 left on the clock. Washington's other TD was a second quarter score from punter Hunter Smith, who took a fake field goal eight yards with 21 seconds remaining in the first half.

Shaun Suisham added a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter.

THE TAKEAWAY: Clinton Portis ran for 62 yards on just 16 carries, but the Skins had just five non-Portis carries, so it wasn't a shift in philosophy or anything. Washington just found themselves in a hole early, and threw quite a bit trying to catch up.

But New York dominated the time of possession, holding the ball over 12 minutes more than the Skins. The Giants outgained Washington 351 to 272. The Giants also sacked Campbell three times and pressured him all day.

THE GOOD: Chris Cooley. He had seven catches for 68 yards and score. He and Antwaan Randle El were Campbell's favorite targets all day, each finishing with seven grabs.

THE BAD: Jason Campbell. He finished 19-for-26 for 211 yards, one TD and one INT. But he looked indecisive all day, dumping the ball off to Cooley or Randle El, usually the safety valve. The offense could not take advantage of the Giants inexperience in the secondary, especially rookie free agent corner Bruce Johnson.

“I didn't hear, 'Bruce got beat,'” said DE Justin Tuck. “All I heard was him making tackles, him breaking up balls." Johnson had three tackles and a forced fumble.

THE UGLY: Antwaan Randle El's getting sacked on the end-around pass. On the second play of the game -- directly after Portis busted a 34-yard run to open things up, coach Jim Zorn got tricky and called for an end-around pass. Randle El got caught by Chase Blackburn and was pulled down for an 11-yard loss.

"I should have thrown it away," said Randle El. "You either have it or you don't."

He didn't.

NEXT GAME: The home opener at FedEx Field against the St. Louis Rams, who were embarrassed on the road in Seattle, 28-0. Game time is Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 pm.