An escape by the lake

CHICAGO — The pump was primed for another collapse. So what if the Chicago Bears’ offense made Marty Ball look like Air Coryell, or that Jonathan Quinn couldn’t have tossed the ball into Lake Michigan? The Washington Redskins once again had the market cornered on miscues and were hurtling down their well-worn path to disaster.

But for the first time in more than a month, defeat wasn’t to be. The defense held — and then held again. A pair of eerily familiar errors — the turnover-turned-touchdown and long punt return — this time didn’t foreshadow a loss. And after an opening six weeks that at times seemed like six years, Washington finally got off the snide.

Still, it was a win only a mother could love. Ferris Bueller probably could have picked off either of these QBs on his day off. But faithful readers can always count on the Monday Morning Quarterback for a good word. In fact, today there are two: bye week.

Q: Well, the Redskins get an “A” for agonizing. Where do they stand after their escape by the lake?

A: On the NFL power rankings, we’d move them up from “96-pound weakling” to “third-grade bully.” Heck, it’s a start. The Redskins have proved they can edge crummy teams like Tampa Bay and Chicago — and now they’ve got crummy teams in Green Bay, Detroit and Cincinnati coming up after the bye week. Who knows? Maybe they can be a game over .500 before they lose by four touchdowns to the Eagles on Nov.21.

Q: At least the run game got going. Is Clinton Portis ready to start playing like he did in Denver?

A: There seemed to be tangible moves by both Portis and coach Joe Gibbs to adapt to each other. Portis finally took a breath or two on running plays, letting holes develop in front of him. And Gibbs spread out the formation, giving Portis the room he likes to function. Of course, we’d argue that all this adjustment signals that Portis is a bad fit for Gibbs’ offense. But who are we to piddle on this parade?

Q: Mark Brunell’s favorite receiver seems to be on the sideline without a helmet. Why does he throw away every other pass?

A: Gibbs keeps talking about other players failing to execute, but we’re not sure what to believe anymore. The coach has gone overboard to defend Brunell, whose only stretch of decent play came in the last five minutes of the Dallas game. We’re not sure if Brunell’s reading the field well enough while he’s in the pocket. But we will say this: After he gets running, his options are trimmed dramatically and it’s no surprise the ball gets thrown away.

Q: Should Gibbs make a quarterback switch during the bye week?

A: In part because we know there’s no chance of that happening, we’ll say no. The team certainly has benefited from Gibbs’ calmness, and if he yanks Brunell now there’d be plenty of controversy. But at some point the team has to give Patrick Ramsey a chance to spark the passing attack. We give Brunell another three games of sub-70 passer ratings before he gets the hook.

Q: How did Washington manage to pull out the win yesterday when it choked the previous two weeks?

A: It came together pretty much like Gibbs said it would: The Redskins kept doing what they’ve been doing, and the breaks finally fell their way. Gibbs deserves a lot of credit for being resolute through the four-game losing streak. But the truth is that Washington shouldn’t be close to teams like Cleveland and Chicago — not hoping to hold on in the fourth quarter.

Q: Gregg Williams keeps getting congratulated for his “D,” but how much of the Redskins’ lofty ranking is attributable to the bad offenses they’ve played?

A: A lot. Williams’ unit has yet to face an attack that really inspires any fear. Jonathan Quinn shouldn’t be starting for Northwestern, let alone the Bears. Kyle Boller should be holding a clipboard in the CFL. Jeff Garcia, Vinny Testaverde, Kurt Warner and Brad Johnson all have seen better days. A big test comes in two weeks in Brett Favre. The Redskins, who have made do without LaVar Arrington and Phillip Daniels, need those guys back.

Q: Kimrin’s not bad, is he? We barely noticed John Hall’s absence.

A: How Swede it was for Washington to have a solid kicker like Ola Kimrin tucked in its pocket. The position was a total mess before John Hall arrived last season, as the club flubbed myriad attempts to replace injured kickers. But Kimrin has a solid leg and possibly a future in the league. He needs more work in pressure situations but was a nice find by Washington’s personnel department.

Q: Speaking of personnel, what’s the evaluation heading into the bye week?

A: Some of Washington’s pickups, like defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin and cornerback Shawn Springs, are proving smart moves. Others, like Brunell and Portis, appear likely to haunt the team. In both instances the team overpaid for players who don’t fit the scheme. Once again, Dan Snyder’s shotgun approach to personnel has yielded too many misses.

Q: The bye week must come at a good time. How will the Redskins benefit?

A: First of all, the club will get some much-needed health. It seemed like half the roster yesterday was inactive or banged up. Second, if Gibbs is smart, he’ll use the bye for a lengthy review of his offense and try to stitch together a coherent plan for the final 10 weeks. The unit remains balky and susceptible to defenses that know how to key on the run. Through six weeks, Gibbs has perhaps one game’s worth of good offense. It’s time to translate that into a 21-point afternoon.