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Packers have their way with Redskins

©Associated Press

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 25, 2001

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Packers and Redskins verified their openers were no flukes.

Brett Favre threw three touchdowns, Ryan Longwell kicked three field goals and Ahman Green rushed 25 times for 116 yards as Green Bay routed Washington 37-0 Monday night.

It was Green Bay's first shutout since it beat the Raiders 28-0 on Dec. 28, 1993, and Washington's first shutout loss since 3-0 to the Jets on Dec. 11, 1993.

It also was Washington's first road shutout since 1971. The Redskins have not scored a touchdown in their first two games for the first time in franchise history.

"I know they're struggling on offense, but to be able to keep them out of the end zone was really something," Packers coach Mike Sherman said.

The game capped the NFL's first weekend of play since it postponed all of Week 2 following the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York on Sept. 11.

After the long layoff, neither the Packers, who beat Detroit 28-6 on opening weekend, nor the Redskins, who lost to San Diego 30-3, knew if those games were true gauges.

But the Packers dominated from the start behind Favre and Green, the NFL's leading rusher and the first Packers running back to top 100 yards in the season's first two games. Green also caught a team-high six passes for 30 yards.

"We knew if we ran the ball right at them we'd be able to put the game out of reach," Green said. "The offensive line opened up holes the whole second half."

Redskins quarterback Jeff George, benched during the loss at San Diego, played even worse, handing Marty Schottenheimer his first 0-2 start in his 15-year coaching career.

George finished 15-of-24 for 102 yards. Favre was 20-of-31 for 236 yards.

Redskins returner Michael Bates, one of the league's top return men, committed a 15-yard personal foul on coverage duty and fumbled three times, the last of which was returned 27 yards for a touchdown by Rondell Mealey with three minutes left.

The Redskins were outgained 217 yards to 70 in the first half but remained within 10-0 thanks to rookie Fred Smoot's second interception of the season, an end zone pickoff of Favre with 23 seconds left in the second quarter.

"We came out in the second half and played physical football," Sherman said. "At halftime, I told the team if they really wanted to be a championship team, they were going to have to play a dominant second half. And we did."

George, who has struggled to adapt to Schottenheimer's ball-control passing game, was sacked five times, including four straight third-down plays.

After going 6-of-10 for 37 yards in the first half, George was intercepted by Nate Wayne at his 16 on the first series of the second.

Washington's defense held and Longwell's 32-yarder made it 13-0.

Then, Bill Schroeder, who hadn't caught a pass all night, caught a bullet from Favre in stride as he sliced through the coverage of Champ Bailey and Sam Shade on a quick slant for a 41-yard score and a 20-0 lead.

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