Jason Campbell's efficiency as a passer is one of the biggest reasons the Redskins are 6-2. He has picked up coach Jim Zorn's West Coast offense quickly, considering most experts agree it takes three years for a quarterback to master the system. There are two stats that reflect his rapid development:
- Campbell has thrown 230 passes this season without an INT.
- Just three of Campbell's 152 completions are over 40 yards.
The first is a no-brainer. Obviously, going eight games without an interception is phenomenal for any quarterback.
Anatomy of a Play
Anatomy of a Play extras:
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**Jansen breaks down protecting Campbell**
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**Moss also comes up big on special teams**
More Anatomy of a Play:
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**Giants go for it on fourth-and-6**
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**How bunch formation confuses defenses**
But why is the second stat relevant? How is having less big plays a good thing? Well, it's not necessarily good, but it shows that Campbell is being patient. He is completing over 66 percent of his passes and most of them are short-to-intermediate throws. He is, in fact, ranked fourth in the NFL with 16 completions of over 25 yards, so he's not just dinking and dunking.
40-plus yard plays are simply hard to come by.
In our Anatomy of a Play segments, we focus on two of Campbell's three 40-plus yard passes -- his Week 2, 67-yard game-winner against the Saints and last week's 50-yard go-ahead touchdown against the Lions.
Washington trailed New Orleans by two with less than four minutes left in the game. The Saints played Cover 3 and brought a zone blitz. Santana Moss was running a deep post against rookie cornerback Tracy Porter. Moss' route was excellent, threatening Porter deep to the outside, and then breaking back across his face to the post. Moss' speed beat Porter and the angle of his route kept Moss away from the free safety in the middle of the field. All Campbell needed was some protection and he had a shot for a big play.
But the blitz caused a mix-up in the Redskins' protection and defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy broke free up the middle. With Clancy bearing down, a lesser quarterback might have thrown the ball away, taken a sack, or even worse, tossed an interception. But Campbell simply rolled his shoulder and stepped to his left, letting Clancy run by him, all while keeping his focus downfield on Moss. He threw with balance and rhythm and made the 60-yard bomb look effortless.
Last week, the Redskins were trailing the Lions by one in the third quarter. Detroit had a zone blitz called, similar to the Saints' blitz from Week 2. The rusher who came free this time was nickel corner Ramzee Robinson. He was untouched off the right edge, sprinting directly at Campbell. Again, there was no panic or sudden reaction on the part of Campbell. He simply rolled his shoulder and stepped up, letting Robinson pass by. He again kept his focus downfield and made another terrific throw to Moss.
Campbell's ability to calmly avoid a free rusher is a big step in the maturation process for any young quarterback. He isn't forcing these kinds of plays, but when the opportunities present themselves, Campbell has plenty of arm and accuracy to execute them.
