Opening NFL exhibition games usually resemble car wrecks, so Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs felt right at home Monday night when he returned to the Washington Redskins after 12 years away as a NASCAR owner.
The deceivingly named Hall of Fame game against the Denver Broncos combined the off-season story of the year with the trade of the year as Gibbs’ new running back, Clinton Portis, and Denver’s new cornerback, Champ Bailey, faced their old teammates for the first quarter.
The Redskins won 20-17 on a last-second 39-yard field goal by Ola Kimrin, but mostly it was a demolition derby as 22 penalties in the first three quarters, injuries and wholesale substitutions clouded the debut.
“It was big for us,” Gibbs said. “Denver has a veteran group and we were just trying to come back.”
Right tackle Jon Jansen went down for the season with a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon in the first half, leaving the Redskins precariously thin on the offensive line.
But Gibbs got a more encouraging look at the future when his No. 1 draft choice, safety Sean Taylor of Miami, made two interceptions off Denver rookie Matt Mauck, including one he returned for the game’s first touchdown.
“[The win] means a lot to me and I told the team that,” Gibbs said. “They worked hard in the off-season and we’ve had only nine days of practice. It’s a little different being back out there in the heat of battle. It’s like taking a mental test.”
Gibbs’ new quarterback, Mark Brunell, started ahead of Patrick Ramsey and managed one first down in three series.
Rescued by Gibbs from Jacksonville’s discard pile at age 33, Brunell threw a nice 8-yard comeback pass to Rod Gardner against Bailey after Bailey’s Washington replacement, ex-Seattle Seahawk Shawn Springs, intercepted starter Jake Plummer’s second pass.
Portis gained only 11 yards on four carries and didn’t have nearly the space to run that his Denver replacement, Quentin Griffin, enjoyed in gains of 27 and 16 yards against Washington’s starting defense.
