(Best E Casino) - Although Jason Campbell still can't be considered the elite quarterback the
Washington Redskins envisioned when the team selected the former Auburn University star in the first round of the 2005 draft, it appears the fourth-year pro is getting closer to reaching that lofty status by the week.
Campbell backed up a 321-yard, zero-interception performance in the Redskins' 29-24 home comeback victory over New Orleans in Week 2 with an impressively efficient outing that played a large role in Sunday's 24-17 triumph over previously-unbeaten Arizona at FedEx Field. The 26-year-old calmly completed 22-of-30 passes for 193 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Cardinals, including a 17-yard delivery to wide receiver Santana Moss that snapped a 17-17 deadlock early in the fourth quarter.
The talented young signal-caller also had a third scoring toss, a 68-yarder to a wide-open rookie Devin Thomas in the fourth quarter, waved off due to a personal foul penalty on offensive tackle Stephon Heyer.
Campbell finished Sunday's contest with a quarterback rating of 112.2, marking the first time in the improving triggerman's career he's amassed a number greater than 100 in back-to-back weeks. He also has yet to be intercepted in 93 pass attempts through Washington's first three games.
"He's showing that each week he's in charge with his offense," said Moss about Campbell. "Regardless of how much we know it, [the offense] is still new. I'm thrilled to see how he's progressed. The way he's handling situations is helping us win these games. He's done a great job."
Campbell's touchdown to Moss, who wove his way through a host of Arizona defenders on his way to the end zone, was set up by cornerback Carlos Rogers' interception of Kurt Warner and 42-yard return deep into Cardinals' territory. It was one of two takeaways on the afternoon for the Washington defense, which became the first to hold Arizona under 20 points since Week 9 of the 2007 season.
QUICK HITS: Moss led the Redskins with 75 receiving yards on seven catches and has now scored a touchdown in six straight games dating back to last season. That ties a team record established by Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell in 1964...Jason Taylor's streak of 133 consecutive games played will soon be coming to an end, as the veteran defensive end had surgery Monday to repair a calf injury suffered in the Arizona game and will miss this week's showdown at Dallas...Linebacker Marcus Washington returned to action on Sunday after missing the Redskins' Week 2 win over New Orleans with a hamstring strain and compiled six tackles.
NEXT UP: The Redskins face arguably the toughest challenge of the Jim Zorn era when the first-year head coach leads his troops to Dallas this Sunday for a battle with the 3-0 Cowboys...Washington (2-1) has lost in 11 of its last 12 visits to Texas Stadium, including a 28-23 setback last season.
DALLAS: The Cowboys enhanced their standing as the early-season front-runner in the conference with an authoritative 27-16 victory over defending NFC North champion Green Bay at Lambeau Field. The decisive win gave Dallas its second straight 3-0 start to a season, the first time the franchise has accomplished the feat in consecutive years since 1976 and 1977.
Once again, the Cowboys emerged triumphant on the strength of a devastating offense that piled up 453 total yards on the Packers. Most of the damage came via the ground, with Dallas amassing 217 rushing yards and averaging a healthy 6.2 yards per attempt.
Running back Marion Barber had a career night in the win, as the 2007 Pro Bowl honoree established personal bests of 142 yards and 28 carries in addition to a short touchdown run. His able understudy, rookie Felix Jones, had the game's highlight play when he outraced the Green Bay defense for a 60-yard scoring burst in the second quarter that gave the Cowboys a 10-6 lead.
Through the season's first three weeks, the Dallas offense has averaged a league-best 440 yards per game and the team's 96 points trails only Denver for tops in the NFL.
The defense did its part as well against Green Bay, sacking Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers five times and keeping its opponent out of the end zone until the game's waning minutes.
"I thought (the defense) was pretty outstanding," said Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips. "Our defense played pretty well the whole game. (The Packers) only had one big play (a 50-yard pass from Rodgers to wide receiver Donald Driver) and we still held them to a field goal on that drive."
QUICK HITS: Dallas recorded its first-ever victory at Lambeau Field, having failed in five previous attempts at the legendary stadium...Star wide receiver Terrell Owens was held to 17 yards on two catches, his lowest single-game yardage total since November 12, 2000. Seldom-used wideout Miles Austin picked up the slack, however, by hauling in two long Tony Romo passes for 115 yards. The return specialist also scored his first career receiving touchdown with a 52-yard grab in the fourth quarter...Cornerback Anthony Henry had two of Dallas' five sacks of Rodgers, the first two of the eighth-year pro's career...Among the Cowboys' inactives on Sunday were strong safety Roy Williams (fractured forearm), fullback Deon Anderson (knee), wide receiver Sam Hurd (ankle) and linebacker Anthony Spencer (knee). Left guard Kyle Kosier returned to the lineup after missing the first two contests with an injured foot.
NY GIANTS: The defending Super Bowl champions kept pace with the Cowboys in the NFC East standings with a hard-fought 26-23 overtime victory over a winless but determined Cincinnati team Sunday at Giants Stadium. Ageless kicker John Carney ended the stalemate with a 22-yard field goal on New York's second possession of the extra session, a play set up by Eli Manning's 31-yard pass to wideout Amani Toomer that put the ball on the Cincinnati seven-yard line.
Manning started the Giants' game-winning seven-play, 62-yard series with a deep strike to top receiver Plaxico Burress that went for 28 yards. The even- keeled quarterback also orchestrated a crucial long touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter that culminated with a four-yard delivery to tight end Kevin Boss. The score gave New York a short-lived 23-20 lead with 1:50 remaining in regulation.
Boss, who snared three Manning passes for 51 yards after failing to come up with an official catch in either of the season's first two games, was one of a number of lesser-known Giants players to make a big contribution to Sunday's narrow win. Backup running back Derrick Ward began New York's go-ahead fourth- quarter possession with a 22-yard burst and ended with 80 rushing yards on just nine attempts. Second-year slot receiver Steve Smith had career bests of seven catches for 60 yards, including a key 15-yard grab on 3rd-and-10 on that same drive.
New York's high-pressure defense did allow 247 net passing yards to Carson Palmer and his quality corps of receivers, but also compiled six sacks on the afternoon and forced the Bengals to go three-and-out on their lone possession of overtime.
QUICK HITS: Manning finished with 289 yards and a touchdown on 26-of-43 passing and wasn't intercepted. The former No. 1 overall pick rallied the Giants to victory from a fourth-quarter deficit for the seventh time in his five-year career...The 44-year-old Carney went 4-for-4 on field goal tries and has yet to miss on nine three-point attempts this season...New York also had six sacks in last week's 41-13 rout of St. Louis...Defensive tackle Fred Robbins took down Palmer twice on Sunday and now has four sacks over the team's last two games...Reserve defensive end Jerome McDougle was inactive for Sunday's test after experiencing soreness and swelling in his leg during pregame warmups.
NEXT UP: The 3-0 Giants will have their bye this upcoming week before returning to action against the struggling Seattle Seahawks (1-2), who visit the Meadowlands on October 5.
PHILADELPHIA: If the measure of a quality team lies in its ability to succeed without the services of its best players, then the Eagles should be feeling pretty good about themselves following Sunday's 15-6 decision over Pittsburgh at Lincoln Financial Field.
Philadelphia managed to get past the 2007 AFC North winning Steelers despite playing virtually all of the afternoon minus the team's two offensive Pro Bowl participants from last season, running back Brian Westbrook and guard Shawn Andrews.
Andrews was inactive for Sunday's tilt due to back spasms and Westbrook, the NFL's leader in yards from scrimmage a year ago, did not return after injuring his right ankle on the first play of the second quarter. In addition, quarterback Donovan McNabb had to sit out the Eagles' opening series of the second half after suffering a chest contusion earlier in the day.
The Eagles still prevailed due to a solid fill-in job by Westbrook's backup Correll Buckhalter and a dominating outing by a blitz-happy defense that made life miserable for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger all game long.
Philadelphia sacked Roethlisberger nine times and knocked him to the turf on countless other occasions, while limiting Pittsburgh to a meager 180 total yards over the four quarters. The Steelers entered the contest averaging 150 rushing yards per game, but mustered a mere 33 on the ground against the Eagles' now top-ranked run defense.
Sunday's results were in stark contrast to Philly's 41-37 loss to the rival Cowboys in Week 2, in which the defense failed to record a sack of Dallas' Tony Romo and surrendered a number of big plays.
"(The defensive players) were coming off of a game in which they were disappointed in their performance last week, and to be able to rebound like that coming off of a physical game against Dallas, I can't say enough for them," said Eagles head coach Andy Reid following the victory.
There seems to be a good chance that Philadelphia won't have either Westbrook or Andrews available for this Sunday's matchup at Chicago as well. Westbrook has been diagnosed with a possible high ankle sprain that puts his status for the Bears in doubt, while Reid said during his Monday press conference that Andrews' back hasn't improved much over the past few days.
McNabb, who only missed a handful of plays with his injury, is expected to be fine for the Chicago game.
QUICK HITS: Tight end L.J. Smith (back) and fullback Tony Hunt (concussion) also left Sunday's game with injuries...Buckhalter scored the game's lone touchdown with a 20-yard reception from McNabb in the second quarter and ended with six catches for 44 yards, as well as 43 rushing yards on 10 carries...Wideout Reggie Brown, the Eagles' second-leading receiver in terms of yards last season, returned to action on Sunday after missing the first two games with a hamstring problem but did not register a catch...Wide receiver Hank Baskett led Philadelphia with a career-high eight grabs for 85 yards...Defensive end Juqua Parker tallied a personal-best 2 1/2 sacks in the win, with end Darren Howard and linebacker Omar Gaither each recording 1 1/2...Backup quarterback Kevin Kolb's first NFL regular-season pass was intercepted by the Steelers' Troy Polamalu, but the second-year pro completed his other two throws.
NEXT UP: The Eagles visit historic Soldier Field this Sunday for a clash with the 1-2 Bears, who lost at home to Tampa Bay in overtime last weekend. Philadelphia has an opportunity to avenge a painful 19-16 loss to Chicago at Lincoln Financial Field last October, with the Bears scoring the go-ahead touchdown with nine seconds left in the game.