The Redskins Blog

Redskins v. Colts – Third Quarter Reactions

Somewhat unbelievably, the Redskins head into the fourth quarter trailing the Colts by just one score, 24-17. And it’s largely due to the two guys in this picture: Brian Orakpo forced the fumble on a sack of Peyton Manning — which is, quite literally, not something you see every week in the NFL — and Lorenzo Alexander forced another fumble on a punt return that was recovered by Byron Westbrook.

It’s indicative of the way this game has gone that the Redskins only managed to get a touchdown after one of those two takeaways, but they did get three points out of the other, which is why the lead is relatively manageable.

The problem, unsurprisingly, is the Colts offense. Peyton Manning has (as noted) been every bit as good as advertised, 23-of-32 for 279 yards and two touchdowns, and he’s also been perfectly willing to go to the running game when necessary. That was how the Colts scored their touchdown, three running plays for 63 yards, with the Redskins largely having extra defensive backs on the field, seemingly expecting the pass.

Still, it’s somehow only a one-score game, and that’s about the best the Redskins could be hoping for given the way this game has gone.