Redskins.com recaps Sunday's 17-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers at FedExFieldi

First Impressions:

#### Revealing Moment:

Strange game plan for the Carolina Panthers, and strange play from Jake Delhomme, a former Super Bowl quarterback. Delhomme's final pass of the game, a deep throw to Steve Smith in double coverage with 1:10 still on the game clock, was off the mark and up for grabs. Sean Taylor came across field to make an over-the-shoulder interception and seal a Redskins win.

Redskins Play of the Game:

#### Redskins Player of the Game:

Chris Cooley's 66-yard touchdown catch-and-run was the offensive spark the Redskins needed. Cooley showed grit by breaking a tackle by cornerback Chris Gamble, and then he slipped by safety Mike Minter to get into open field. Cooley ran untouched 66 yards for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. He finished with three catches for 89 yards.

Redskins Unsung Hero:

#### What Went Right

-- In an efficient performance, Ladell Betts ripped off runs of 13, 9, 11 and 12 yards en route to a total of 104 yards on 24 carries. With Clinton Portis sidelined, Betts stepped up for his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season and the fourth of his career.

-- T.J. Duckett had just seven carries for 24 yards, but his 19-yard pickup behind blocks by Randy Thomas and Jon Jansen late in the third quarter helped set up the Redskins' first touchdown.

-- The Panthers recorded a franchise-high seven sacks in its Week 11 win over the St. Louis Rams. Against Washington, they logged just one, on a linebacker blitz by Chris Draft. Jon Jansen minimized sack specialist Julius Peppers, and the Redskins found success running Ladell Betts and T.J. Duckett directly at him.

-- The Redskins' front seven was able to pressure Jake Delhomme at times, but Sunday's win is best credited to the secondary. Panthers' dynamic wide out Steve Smith caught a touchdown pass on a remarkable catch, but otherwise he was quiet.

-- Safeties Sean Taylor and Vernon Fox each recorded interceptions and were forces to be reckoned with in the secondary. On a key 4th-and-6 play in the fourth quarter, Taylor slammed wide receiver Drew Carter to the turf two yards short of the first down.

-- Has Carlos Rogers turned a corner? The former first-round draft pick was impressive, knocking away three passes and recording six tackles. It was clear that Jake Delhomme wanted to test Rogers in deep coverage, and he proved up to the challenge on Sunday.

-- It was an uneven performance by Jason Campbell, who was asked to manage a relatively conservative game plan. He managed 11-of-23 pass completions for 118 yards, with one interception. Among his 11 completions: two TD passes, including one in which he overcame a helmet malfunction and had to call his own play. It turned out to be a 66-yard touchdown pass to Chris Cooley.

What Went Wrong

#### What's Next:

Nice to be home for a stretch of games. In the second of three consecutive contests at FedExField, the Redskins host the struggling Atlanta Falcons this Sunday. (Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET.) On Sunday, the Falcons lost to the New Orleans Saints 31-13 and are reeling at 5-6. Quarterback Michael Vick didn't help matters by making an obscene gesture to Falcons fans at the end of the game. Washington lost to the Vick-like Vince Young earlier this season, so the defense will need to be on its toes this week.

Stats Geek:

#### Quote:

"The biggest thing we preached all week is controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides: the offensive line and the defensive line. I think we did that today. We came out and rushed for over a hundred [yards] and pretty much stopped the run with the team. Whenever we do that then we give ourselves a good chance to win." -- Ladell Betts

Lasting Impressions:

The Redskins are 4-7, and even the most optimistic among us won't dare mention the "P" word...although, given the state of things in the lackluster NFC, anything is possible. This win was a building block in restoring the personality and focus that Joe Gibbs wants from his teams. Gibbs's "P" word is "principles," and the team took a first step in re-establishing his goal.