The Redskins start the season out with a win like last year, but instead of drumming Arizona 31-23, this year they barely edged the Jets 16-13.

It was a game pitting four ex-Jet players against their old team and Lavernues Coles started it out right by catching five passes for 106 yards in the first half. He had no catches after that point. Patrick Ramsey started out hot as well and he ended 17 of 23 for 185 yards and one score, playing with only one interception as his only mistake.

The Redskins returned to the running game as promised, gaining 160 yards on only 34 rushes for roughly a 3:2 ratio of run to pass. Trung Canidate gained 46 yards on ten carries while Ladell Betts used 18 runs to gain 77 yards. Even Chad Morton had three carries in the rotational system used by Washington. Betts looked the best of the runners, moving tacklers backwards and gaining the extra yards while Canidate was less effective though slightly faster.

More important than running well and passing with less abandon was the fine play of the defense that limited the Jets to only 105 passing yards and Curtis Martin to only 48 yards on 15 carries.

The Redskins ended the game by having Ex-Jet John Hall kick the game winning field goal.

The Falcons left Dallas with not only a win, but the knowledge that Michael Vick alone does not determine wins or losses. Doug Johnson threw 16 of 28 for 228 yards and two touchdowns and then scored the final points in the game by sneaking in over center himself. Take that, Vick!

While Johnson was effective in replacing Vick and did score on the ground himself, he also ended up with a total of two yards lost on his five runs. Not exactly Vick quality.

The Falcons played a very controlled game with few errors and the only time their level of play was less than expected was on the 63 yard run and 49 yard pass by Dallas for touchdowns. Take those two plays away and the game was a shutout and a blowout.

Atlanta used Warrick Dunn for 13 carries for 41 yards and T.J. Duckett only five times for 21 yards. The Cowboys were able to hold Peerless Price to only two catches for 30 yards but he served to attract enough attention that six other receivers had passes. Price bemoaned the double coverage he saw in the game but that will likely be more the rule than the exception.

Brian Finneran broke his left hand in the game and will be out four to six weeks. He will be replaced by Quentin McCord as the flanker but McCord is much smaller and more used to working from the slot. Finneran's loss removes a big target over the middle for Johnson.

This week the Redskins go to Atlanta where the Falcons will present a more balanced offense than the Jets did, along with a faster defense. Look for the Redskins to attempt to establish the run - and they could get lucky on a few long plays - but overall this should be a close match favoring the home team with a better defense and a more diverse offense than New York offered last week.