CINCINNATI | It won’t receive as much attention as the offense failing to score more than 13 points or the defense getting burned early and failing to stop Cincinnati late. But Washington’s special teams also struggled in Sunday’s stunning 20-13 loss to the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.
Special teams coach Danny Smith didn’t want to say much until he watched the film Monday, but he acknowledged that three penalties on punt returns hurt. Coach Jim Zorn wasn’t as diplomatic about the two misplays by Chris Wilson and one by Khary Campbell.
“It devastated us on the punt returns,” he said. “It really hurts when we get the short field and then get backed up. When you’re behind, you don’t get desperate, but the odds are we’ll have to go a long way.”
Second-year man Wilson made the biggest mistake, wiping out a 26-yard punt return by Antwaan Randle El and forcing the offense to start a fourth-quarter drive at the Washington 11-yard line. Another holding call, this one on special teams co-captain Campbell, pushed Washington back to its 12 in the third quarter. Wilson’s illegal block cut short Santana Moss’ spectacular 31-yard return in the second quarter, but the Redskins still scored on that drive.
”Those definitely hurt,” Wilson said. “Some officials call things differently. After the first one, I should’ve been more alert.”
Kicker Shaun Suisham made both of his field goal attempts (from 23 and 36 yards), but his slump continued with two kickoffs out of bounds. One came after Moss had been penalized for celebrating a touchdown and gave the Bengals the ball at the Washington 45. The other, an onside kick after his second field goal, let Cincinnati run out the clock.
Ryan Plackemeier, who came in as the NFL’s worst punter, had a good day, pounding a 62-yarder and deftly placing a 59-yarder at the Cincinnati 5 while averaging 43.7 net yards on six kicks.
Playing through pain
Quarterback Jason Campbell bruised his right wrist when he was crunched by Bengals defensive tackle John Thornton late in the third quarter. Campbell returned for the next series. Moss suffered a concussion when he was smacked to the ground by Bengals cornerback Leon Hall but said after the game he felt OK.
London Fletcher (sprained foot) maintained his streak of never missing a game in his 11 seasons. Fletcher has started 133 straight games, the NFL’s sixth-longest active streak.
With safety Chris Horton (sprained right shoulder) out, Mike Green made his second start of the season. Like Horton, right tackle Jon Jansen didn’t make the trip because of the left knee he sprained at Baltimore. Jason Fabini made his first start of the year in Jansen’s place.
Defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin was inactive with the abdominal strain he suffered against the Ravens. Kedric Golston, who had missed two games with bone spurs in his right ankle, returned and started.
Every little thing
Chad Johnson made himself a favorite of the referees again.
Officials nailed the receiver, who took the last name “Ocho Cinco” in the offseason, with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after he handed the ball to Clinton Portis after being run out of bounds on a reception.
“I’m sure Chad looked up and was shocked that it was me and handed me the ball,” Portis said. “All of a sudden they got him for 15 yards. Like I said the referees are watching everything.”
The penalty didn’t end up hurting the Bengals. Shayne Graham’s field goal at the end of the drive put them up by two scores late.
“It wasn’t going to cost us,” Johnson said. “I’ll always be able to make up for whatever happens.”
Marvin the challenger
In a season in which not much has gone right for the Bengals, one thing that has is Marvin Lewis’ ability to get calls overturned on instant replay.
After going winning both challenges Sunday, Lewis has been successful on three of four this season.
In the second half, Lewis had a touchdown by Mike Sellers overturned and then won another challenge on the spot of a Redskins’ ball during the fourth quarter.
“It’s a help at home, but on [the Sellers play] they had already told me that [the coaches] felt like they had seen it upstairs,” Lewis said.
Extra points
Rock Cartwright’s 32-yard return on the opening kickoff moved him ahead of Mike Nelms and into second place in team history with 4,151 kick return yards. Cartwright added 150 more to reach 4,301. Brian Mitchell is first with 9,586. …
Trainer Bubba Tyer, who joined the Redskins’ staff in 1971, worked his 600th game with the team Sunday. He retired after the 2002 season and returned in 2004.
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