CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Twelve months, five quarterback changes and one massive roster overhaul later, the 2003 Washington Redskins don’t look too different from the 2002 version.
That’s not an encouraging sign.
Despite the host of new weapons coach Steve Spurrier had at his disposal for last night’s preseason opener, the Redskins stumbled their way through a 20-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers that proved to be a harsh wakeup call for some inside the visiting locker room at Ericsson Stadium.
“It let us know we’re not as good as we think we are,” wide receiver Laveranues Coles said. “We have to go back to the drawing board.”
The shutout was Washington’s first in an exhibition game since a similar 20-0 loss to Kansas City in 2001 in Marty Schottenheimer’s first game. Spurrier hadn’t seen one of his teams held scoreless since his Duke Blue Devils were shut out by Rutgers on Oct. 3, 1987.
“They beat us in just about every phase,” Spurrier said of last night’s loss. “Nobody did much to talk about. … We’re embarrassed by the way we played.”
After spending the offseason revamping their roster and after two mostly positive weeks of training camp, the Redskins came to Charlotte last night with cautious optimism.
By the time the final gun sounded and the drubbing was complete, it was hard to find positives in any aspect of Washington’s game.
“They can’t accuse us of trying to win in the preseason now, can they, not the way we looked tonight?” Spurrier said, referring to those who accused the Redskins of running up the score in their last exhibition season.
Spurrier’s offense sputtered from start to finish, with quarterback Patrick Ramsey and the first-teamers accounting for one first down and 53 total yards (48 of which came on a pass to Coles) in three series. Backups Rob Johnson and Danny Wuerffel didn’t fare much better, combining to go 14-for-25 for 165 yards and two interceptions.
A first-team defense that many fear is dangerously thin up front proved to be just that, surrendering 87 total yards to former Redskins running back Stephen Davis (74 yards rushing, 14 yards receiving) in the first quarter alone.
Even a special teams unit that was supposed to be drastically improved contributed to the loss, with substitute kicker Matt Simonton badly missing a 35-yard field goal attempt, veteran Bryan Barker shanking a 26-yard punt and a porous coverage team consistently handing the Panthers good field position.
“We have the highest expectations for ourselves,” defensive end Renaldo Wynn said. “Trust me, we’re definitely down on ourselves more than anybody.”
Given the host of new players this season, the Redskins offense didn’t figure to be a well-oiled machine in early August. Still, few could have expected this.
Ramsey and the first-teamers were especially disappointing. Aside from the first-quarter pass to Coles — he might have scored if not for losing his footing — the Redskins starters didn’t produce a play of more than 9 yards.
New running back Trung Canidate ran three times for a paltry 4 yards; second-stringer Kenny Watson was given the same three rushing attempts and managed to pick up 3 yards.
Washington’s top three receivers, Coles, Rod Gardner and rookie Taylor Jacobs, combined to make three catches. Ramsey, though hurt by a couple of dropped passes, never found his rhythm and finished 2-for-6 for 57 yards.
“I’m not making any excuses,” Ramsey said. “We did not play well. We should have played much better than we did. At the same time, it’s not time to abandon ship.”
Washington’s starting defense was just as troublesome as its offense. Though they held the Panthers to six points on a pair of short field goals, the Redskins’ starting defense had all kinds of trouble containing Carolina’s running game.
Davis, making his Panthers debut against his former team, got off to a fabulous start. He touched the ball on Carolina’s first three plays from scrimmage, catching a 13-yard pass from Rodney Peete, picking up 6 hard-earned yards off-tackle and then busting through the line for a 34-yard gain.
“He ran hard; there’s no question about that,” nose tackle Brandon Noble said. “But we missed some tackles. That’s on us.”
The Redskins offense had plenty of reason to point fingers at itself as well. It failed to convert on a fourth-and-1, fumbled the ball away twice and had a Rob Johnson-to-Patrick Johnson touchdown pass called back on a holding penalty.
And that was only in the first half.
“You don’t want to lose,” kick returner Chad Morton said. “But at the same time, you have to remember it’s the preseason.”
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