Redskins way too much for rebuilding 49ers 52-17

By John Onan  |   Sunday, October 23, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

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After five close games to begin the year, the Washington Redskins got a bit of a breather on Sunday, as they dominated the upstart San Francisco 49ers and came away with a 52-17 blowout victory.

Led by quarterback Mark Brunnell, who tossed three touchdown passes, and running back Clinton Portis, who also found the end zone three times, this contest was basically over by halftime. Two of Brunnell's scoring throws were to tight end Mark Sellers, as the veteran ended the afternoon 13-of-20 with 252 yards through the air. Portis rushed 19 times for 101 on the day, while also did two cartwheels after his second jaunt to the end zone.

The game also marked the return of linebacker LaVar Arrington, who had landed in head coach Joe Gibbs doghouse for his lack of effort in practice. He made a profound statement in his return, with a team-high nine tackles. The defense as a whole also sent a statement to San Francisco rookie quarterback Alex Smith, letting him know he's got a long way to go to be a star in the league.

Smith, who is receiving on the job training, had another tough afternoon in only his second career start. He threw for only 92 yards on 8-of-16 passing, while being sacked three times and intercepted once. The lone highlight of the day for the 49ers was a long scoring run by the "other" former Miami Hurricane tailback in this game.

Frank Gore exploded through the Redskins defense for a 72-yard score late in the fourth quarter, after the game had long since been decided. He may have earned a few more carries after that performance, as he finished 89 yards on nine attempts for the San Francisco 49ers, who have lost five straight after defeating the St. Louis Rams in the season opener. The Washington Redskins improved to 4-2 on the year.
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