Big plays provide Taylor some ‘relief’

CHICAGO — Sean Taylor kept insisting the big plays would come in due time. He finally made good on his promise yesterday.

The rookie safety recorded his first career sack and his first career interception, both plays coming in crucial situations to help lead the Washington Redskins to a 13-10 victory over the Chicago Bears.

“That was a lot of relief for me,” said Taylor, who dazzled in the preseason with three interceptions and two forced fumbles but had remained relatively quiet through the first five weeks of the regular season.

There was nothing quiet about his performance yesterday. With the Bears trailing 10-7 and facing a critical third-and-2 at the Washington 43, Taylor came blitzing around the right end and hammered quarterback Jonathan Quinn for his first career sack.

“If I’m coming, I’m going to try to make the best play I can,” he said. “As soon as I saw the quarterback go, I tried to get him down and get the ball out.”

Taylor’s first professional interception put the final stamp on the Redskins’ win. With Chicago in a desperate situation — fourth-and-15 and the clock ticking — Taylor stepped in front of receiver Bobby Wade, picked off the ball and sprinted 45 yards before he finally was corralled at the Bears 15.

“When I got the ball, all I could think was, ‘Just don’t drop it.’” he said.

The interception was sweet redemption for Taylor, who had come close to making big plays the last five weeks but had yet to pull one off.

“There’s been balls right there I just couldn’t get to,” he said. “To finally get one in my hands and one that really counts, it feels good. And especially to be the exclamation point for us to get a victory, I’ll take it any day.”

Betts breaks through

Overshadowed by Clinton Portis’ big day was a solid performance by backup tailback Ladell Betts, who ran six times for 30 yards and picked up two key first downs.

Betts, the subject of criticism last week after failing to block Ed Reed on the Baltimore safety’s game-changing sack-fumble-touchdown, redeemed himself. With the Redskins backed up at their 3 and facing third-and-9 in the second quarter, Betts burst around the left edge for a 10-yard gain. Later, he came through with an 8-yard run on third-and-4 to extend a Washington drive.

“That’s my job,” he said. “When they call my number, my job is to keep the drive going. And I was able to do that with the guys blocking in front of me.”

Trans-Atlantic kicker

It’s doubtful any player ever has come farther to make his NFL debut than Redskins kicker Ola Kimrin.

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