
At least the Washington Redskins’ revamped play calling structure didn’t produce a delay of game penalty.
Everything else about the Redskins’ offense remained the same, resulting in a similar result as in losses to Carolina and Kansas City — only more lopsided.
Deflated by three takeaways that handed Philadelphia 13 first-half points, the Redskins again dug themselves a hole, limping into their bye with a 27-17 loss to the Eagles on Monday night.
New playcaller Sherm Lewis couldn’t make an immediate difference. The Redskins’ offense remains a penalty- and turnover-prone outfit that is a model of inconsistency and now is one that will be without tight end Chris Cooley, likely out for the year with a broken right tibia.
The Redskins have lost five of their first seven games for the third time in Dan Snyder’s decade of ownership. Although management said Friday coach Jim Zorn would remain on the job for rest of the year, more losses like this could signal the players have tuned him out and force a change.
“We just have to find a way to refocus,” quarterback Jason Campbell said. “This isn’t a time for us to fall apart. We have to find a way to stay positive. We have put ourselves in a hole, but anything can happen. We have to keep pressing on.”
Lewis was calling plays for the first time since 2001. Zorn said Lewis handled the passing plays and offensive coordinator Sherman Smith the running plays.
“The result was the same; we got 17 points,” said Zorn, whose team has yet to exceed that total this year.
Said Campbell: “It’s not about the play calling. Everybody puts so much emphasis on everything else, but as players, we have to execute.”
At 2-5, the Redskins remain in the NFC East cellar and 12th in the conference. Against their first opponent that came in with a victory this season, the Redskins fell behind by 17 points.
During the second of four giveaways, Cooley went down at midfield while running a route. His leg appeared to buckle, and he was later carted from the sideline to the locker room.
“We’re quite certain it’s broke or fractured in some way,” Zorn said. “He’ll be out awhile. I don’t know if it’s going to be a season-ending injury yet.”
Philadelphia was spearheaded by two DeSean Jackson touchdowns — a 67-yard run on the game’s opening series and a 57-yard catch in the second quarter.
The two touchdowns accounted for 124 of the Eagles’ 262 yards.
“We were big contributors in this loss,” Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray said of the defense. “We had been playing stellar defense, allowing 14 points a game, and we gave up 14 points on two plays.”
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