NCF East

Sporting News, The, Dec 3, 2001

SCOUTING REPORT: RB Duce Staley finally appears healthy enough to run the team to its first division title since 1988. Staley fought back from last season's career-threatening foot injury only to suffer a shoulder injury in Week 2 that cost him two games and made him a part-timer in two others this year. Now he's running like he did in '99, when he rushed for 1,273 yards and caught 41 passes for 294 yards. Staley's strength is his ability to get yards after contact by making tacklers miss or running through them. A wide receiver in high school, he also is one of the team's best receiving threats.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: One of the new features of the team's offense this year is the big pass play. In his first two years as coach, Andy Reid rarely let McNabb go deep. Perhaps it was because Reid didn't feel he had the receivers to do it. In 16 games last year, starting WRs Charles Johnson and Torrance Small combined for 15 plays of 20 yards or more. Despite the lack of a downfield game against Washington, starters James Thrash and Todd Pinkston already have combined for 14 plays of 20 yards or more in 10 games. --Mark Eckel

ON THE SPOT CB Troy Vincent is the team's leader on and off the field, and a lot of the younger players will look to him as the playoff pressure builds. Vincent, a 10-year veteran who made the playoffs in four of his first six seasons and is bound for a third straight Pro Bowl appearance, needs to be there for them.

PASSING   Att.   Comp.   Pct.   Yds.   Long

McNabb     316     185   58.5   2006    64t

PASSING   TD   Int.   Rating   Sacked

McNabb    16      5     87.6       26

RUSHING      Att.   Yds.   Avg.   TD

Buckhalter     96    433    4.5    2
Staley         88    409    4.6    2
McNabb         47    298    6.3    2

RECEIVING     No.   Yds.   Avg.   TD

Trash          39    510   13.1    7
Staley         35    297    8.5    0
Pinkston       28    381   13.6    3

SCORING   XPM   XPA   FGM   FGA   Pts.

Akers      25    26    17    19     76

PUNTING        No.   Yds.   Avg.   Blk.

Landeta         58   2603   44.9      0

KO RETURNS     No.   Yds.   Avg.     TD

B. Mitchell     25   692   27.7       1

PUNT RETURNS   No.   Yds.   Avg.     TD

B. Mitchell     31    386   12.5      0

SACKS: H. Douglas 7.5, Simon 4.5,
Burgess 3.0.

INTERCEPTIONS: Vincent 2, Trotter 2,
Moore 2.

EXTRA YARDAGE

Washington Redskins www.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/redskins

LEADER OF THE PACK: The player who gets the most credit for the team's turnaround in the past five games is OLB LaVar Arrington. His physical, aggressive style has set the tone for the defense, and the power he has packed into his tackles has energized the entire team. The flow of the defense this season was set so that as many plays as possible would go through Arrington. He has responded in style. He has used his speed to run down ballcarriers, his size to run through blockers and his strength to consistently knock the stuffing out of anyone who gets in his way, including teammates. Arrington collided with DE Bruce Smith when the two players attempted to sandwich Broncos QB Brian Griese in Week 10. Smith, who can smile now about the play, says it was the hardest hit he ever has absorbed on a football field. Arrington also has played hurt, coming back from shoulder, knee and ankle problems this season. Still, he is not perfect. Sometimes, his aggressiveness gets the best of him, and the result is a personal foul. The coaches are less than thrilled with that, but they can live with it because Arrington makes so many plays at other times.