Crushing loss puts urgency on Skins' last preseason game

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

If a graceless humbling cleanses the soul, the Washington Redskins were rendered spotless, then hermetically sealed Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium.

The Carolina Panthers' ravaging of the Redskins, up and down, helmet to cleat, was beyond anything imagined or expected. Worse, the 47-3 debacle came 12 days before the Redskins launch the NFL season before 80,000 friendly New York Giants fans - and whatever brave Washington fans dare to make the trip.

They should be very afraid. They'll have to be fearless

after a monstrosity that could be dismissed as just an off night near the end of the tedious preseason - except to do that would be whistling into a tempest.

The fourth of five Redskins practice games proved powerful enough to gather up every happy moment from coach Jim Zorn's first competitive month and crush them like animal crackers.

For sure, the Redskins were not in Canton anymore last weekend.

In Ohio on Aug. 3, they beat a vague approximation of the mighty Indianapolis Colts 30-16. That preceded three-point wins against Buffalo and the New York Jets that cranked up the feel-good machine on the Zorn era.

Toggle that switch to "idle" for now.

Ideally, the Carolina game was supposed to be a final, fairly complete dress rehearsal. The first offensive and defensive units would play at least one half - respectably, it is always assumed.

The Redskins would then dial it back for Thursday's preseason finale at FedEx Field against Jacksonville, tapering in the name of injury avoidance and to enter the Meadowlands fresh.

That script's been rushed back to re write. The Panthers' beatdown was so ridiculous that Thursday now packs for the Redskins an urgency it has no business packing.

With their momentum obliterated, the Redskins, on short rest, almost certainly need to send their starters - minus injured tackle Jon Jansen (ankle) and defensive end Jason Taylor (knee) - back out for a longer, riskier stretch than preferable. It's crucial that they somehow regain a measure of cohesion and confidence they never even hinted at Saturday.

"We worked incredibly hard to get as far as we've come before this game," Zorn said in the immediate aftermath. "Then, to have this lack of production in all phases, is not something we wanted.

"I guess we have to learn some things from this, but it's not a thing I'm very happy about."

Yes, the preseason is the preseason. Careful about letting looks deceive you and all that. The trouble, though, for the Redskins is this was a genuine level playing field for one half, a 30-minute test between Washington's best players and Carolina's best players.

Carolina's best comically ruled, in varsity against JV fashion, dominating one-on-one match-ups all over the field. The Redskins' Derrick Frost punted very well. End of Washington highlights.

The drubbing's signature sequence came late in the first quarter, when Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers treated the pass protection of left tackle Chris Samuels like a trifling nuisance.

Peppers came flying off the edge, knocked Samuels off-balance and into the back of quarterback Jason Campbell, who intended to throw a deep ball but instead lost the first of his team's three fumbles.

After a scramble, Peppers also recovered the ball, thus recording the impressive statistical trifecta of a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

That set up a field goal and only teased at the lead pipe that was around the corner. It bashed the Redskins in the form of a 31-point second quarter that included touchdown runs of 50 yards by No. 1 draft pick Jonathan Stewart and 60 yards by DeAngelo Williams, as well as a 24-yard TD pass from Jake Delhomme to Dante Rosario.

The rout is "a concern," Samuels said, "but we aren't going to go in a panic state of mind now."

One could suggest there's no time like the present.

Tom Robinson, (757) 446-2518, tom.robinson@pilotonline.com