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In Zorn-LeBeau Chess Match, Campbell Pays the Price
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Campbell was sacked for the first time on Washington's third possession, and two of the following three drives would end with sacks as well. Each time the Redskins were in three wide receiver sets. Pittsburgh's linebackers combined for five sacks alone (linebackers LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison had combined for 16 sacks coming into the game).
"They were coming from places where we didn't have people," guard Pete Kendall said.
Zorn went with a maximum protection scheme for one drive -- using two tight ends as blockers -- but when the Redskins fell behind, 16-6 in the third quarter, it was essentially check mate for LeBeau.
"It's not as vertical-friendly, if you will, as three wide receivers or four wide receivers," Zorn said of abandoning the two tight end set.
Just a week ago Washington's NFC East rivals, the New York Giants, beat the Steelers at their own game, running 35 times with several running backs and keeping extra players in to block. Quarterback Eli Manning was not hit once. In Week 3, Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh, too, but at a cost; the Eagles stuck to their West Coast scheme, threw the ball 38 times (often with three or more wide receivers on the field), to 23 runs, and quarterback Donovan McNabb was hit seven times. He nursed a painful sternum injury for a month afterward.
"I think we need to keep it simple and lull them to sleep," one Redskins veteran said last week, when asked how to combat Pittsburgh's blitz. "We need to see a lot of two tight ends, play physical, run the ball. If we try to open it up like Philly did, someone will get hurt."
Those words proved nearly prophetic, with Campbell often needing a helping hand to get to his feet, and a long date with an ice bath awaiting this morning.
