***OFFICIAL*** Washington Redskins 2011 Off-Season Thread (2 Viewers)

[Sebowski]

I agree that it's immensely satisfying to see the team competing hard and well. We haven't seen that in so many years here, and it bodes well for the rest of this season and for the future. There is no down side to it. The players believe they can win and they put forth the effort to do so, and it's great fun to watch even when they're overmatched as they were yesterday.

:( 8 of our loses last year were by one 8pts or less. We have been in almost every game for a very long time. Whether it was under Zorn or Gibbs. We just never finished. Not much has changed there.

 

[Nightly Mistake]

I agree that it's immensely satisfying to see the team competing hard and well. We haven't seen that in so many years here, and it bodes well for the rest of this season and for the future. There is no down side to it. The players believe they can win and they put forth the effort to do so, and it's great fun to watch even when they're overmatched as they were yesterday.

8 of our loses last year were by one 8pts or less. We have been in almost every game for a very long time. Whether it was under Zorn or Gibbs. We just never finished. Not much has changed there.

You've got to be kidding me. Only watching the games tells you how different this team is from last year. Last year's stats were overly flattering. This year the stats are IMHO very much a reflection of what the team has been doing.

 

[Sidewinder16]

8 of our loses last year were by one 8pts or less. We have been in almost every game for a very long time. Whether it was under Zorn or Gibbs. We just never finished. Not much has changed there.

Disagree.Last year the 'Skins were 2-8 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games were a combined 74-86.

This year the 'Skins are 3-2 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games are a combined 16-13.

Even if that means nothing (and it very well might), I'm not sure how anyone can have watched last year's games and this year's games and claim "not much has changed there". Last year's team couldn't* finish games. This year's team has shown that they can.

*There were some quotes today with players talking about how last year's team would have essentially given up in the 2nd half. This year's team fights until the end.

 

[Sebowski]

8 of our loses last year were by one 8pts or less. We have been in almost every game for a very long time. Whether it was under Zorn or Gibbs. We just never finished. Not much has changed there.

Disagree.Last year the 'Skins were 2-8 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games were a combined 74-86.

This year the 'Skins are 3-2 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games are a combined 16-13.

Even if that means nothing (and it very well might), I'm not sure how anyone can have watched last year's games and this year's games and claim "not much has changed there". Last year's team couldn't* finish games. This year's team has shown that they can.

*There were some quotes today with players talking about how last year's team would have essentially given up in the 2nd half. This year's team fights until the end.

My stronger emphasis was on the fact that games are still coming down to our last possesion. Ot has been that way for years. I throw in the jab out of anger. The team is doing better than I expected. It just sucks to see the game given away like it was last night with 3 dropped INTs and by playing poor scheme on defense (1 down lineman? really?) without arguably our most talented player in Haynesworth. A player who knows the Colts better than anyone who cashes Snyder's checks and was itching to play. To defend my jab a little though, we didn't finish the Houston game and we didn't finish last night either. Those ends felt like the last 5-10 years all over again.

 

[Nightly Mistake]

8 of our loses last year were by one 8pts or less. We have been in almost every game for a very long time. Whether it was under Zorn or Gibbs. We just never finished. Not much has changed there.

Disagree.Last year the 'Skins were 2-8 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games were a combined 74-86.

This year the 'Skins are 3-2 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games are a combined 16-13.

Even if that means nothing (and it very well might), I'm not sure how anyone can have watched last year's games and this year's games and claim "not much has changed there". Last year's team couldn't* finish games. This year's team has shown that they can.

*There were some quotes today with players talking about how last year's team would have essentially given up in the 2nd half. This year's team fights until the end.

My stronger emphasis was on the fact that games are still coming down to our last possesion. Ot has been that way for years. I throw in the jab out of anger. The team is doing better than I expected. It just sucks to see the game given away like it was last night with 3 dropped INTs and by playing poor scheme on defense (1 down lineman? really?) without arguably our most talented player in Haynesworth. A player who knows the Colts better than anyone who cashes Snyder's checks and was itching to play. To defend my jab a little though, we didn't finish the Houston game and we didn't finish last night either. Those ends felt like the last 5-10 years all over again.

I agree with the Houston game. Last night however you saw a master at work in Peyton Manning. Yes, it was still close at the end but to attribute last night's result to "not finishing" is silly.

 

[Sebowski]

8 of our loses last year were by one 8pts or less. We have been in almost every game for a very long time. Whether it was under Zorn or Gibbs. We just never finished. Not much has changed there.

Disagree.Last year the 'Skins were 2-8 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games were a combined 74-86.

This year the 'Skins are 3-2 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games are a combined 16-13.

Even if that means nothing (and it very well might), I'm not sure how anyone can have watched last year's games and this year's games and claim "not much has changed there". Last year's team couldn't* finish games. This year's team has shown that they can.

*There were some quotes today with players talking about how last year's team would have essentially given up in the 2nd half. This year's team fights until the end.

My stronger emphasis was on the fact that games are still coming down to our last possesion. Ot has been that way for years. I throw in the jab out of anger. The team is doing better than I expected. It just sucks to see the game given away like it was last night with 3 dropped INTs and by playing poor scheme on defense (1 down lineman? really?) without arguably our most talented player in Haynesworth. A player who knows the Colts better than anyone who cashes Snyder's checks and was itching to play. To defend my jab a little though, we didn't finish the Houston game and we didn't finish last night either. Those ends felt like the last 5-10 years all over again.

I agree with the Houston game. Last night however you saw a master at work in Peyton Manning. Yes, it was still close at the end but to attribute last night's result to "not finishing" is silly.

We didn't finish the last drive. Peyton wasn't n the field for that. The game was there for the taking by out offense, and we didn't get it done.

 

[TobiasFunke]

8 of our loses last year were by one 8pts or less. We have been in almost every game for a very long time. Whether it was under Zorn or Gibbs. We just never finished. Not much has changed there.

Disagree.Last year the 'Skins were 2-8 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games were a combined 74-86.

This year the 'Skins are 3-2 in games decided by 8 points or less and their opponents in those games are a combined 16-13.

Even if that means nothing (and it very well might), I'm not sure how anyone can have watched last year's games and this year's games and claim "not much has changed there". Last year's team couldn't* finish games. This year's team has shown that they can.

*There were some quotes today with players talking about how last year's team would have essentially given up in the 2nd half. This year's team fights until the end.

My stronger emphasis was on the fact that games are still coming down to our last possesion. Ot has been that way for years. I throw in the jab out of anger. The team is doing better than I expected. It just sucks to see the game given away like it was last night with 3 dropped INTs and by playing poor scheme on defense (1 down lineman? really?) without arguably our most talented player in Haynesworth. A player who knows the Colts better than anyone who cashes Snyder's checks and was itching to play. To defend my jab a little though, we didn't finish the Houston game and we didn't finish last night either. Those ends felt like the last 5-10 years all over again.

I agree with the Houston game. Last night however you saw a master at work in Peyton Manning. Yes, it was still close at the end but to attribute last night's result to "not finishing" is silly.

We didn't finish the last drive. Peyton wasn't n the field for that. The game was there for the taking by out offense, and we didn't get it done.

The Colts offense didn't "finish the last drive" either. Would you criticize the Colts' offense last night?It happens to the best of teams and the best of offenses. You simply can't score on the final drive of every game. It's totally unrealistic to expect it. Our offense put up 24 points last night against a decent defense. They "got it done" in pretty much every sense of the word. Peyton was simply incredibly sharp last night. It happens. Frankly, I'm as happy with the team as I've ever been following a loss. I'd be surprised if we're not at least 4-4 or maybe even 5-3 heading into the bye week after a brutal opening six games on the schedule; never would have thought that was a possibility six weeks ago.

And the offense did finish the Houston game. They killed the clock in the 4th and gave us a chance to make a two-possession game with like 5 minutes left with a chip-shot field goal. Special teams let us down in that one.

 

[fatness]

They held the Colts to 27 points in a game that I thought Manning was absolutely spectacular. I am still not convinced, but maybe they can be a decent defense with all the yards allowed.

They allowed 170 yards rushing to the Colts, who are not a good rushing team. They're going to have real trouble with teams like the Giants, whose lines usually overwhelm the Redskins' lines. The defense is a problem. If they keep giving up the amounts of yardage they're giving up, they're going to give up increasing numbers of points over the course of the year. It's pretty sad how people are regarding losses to good teams as a victory of sorts (while not mentioning the Rams loss at all). There is nothing magically good about 8-8. Nothing. It only represents a return to adequacy from years of being substandard. This franchise has been substandard for so long that apparently fans are beat down enough that 8-8 seems great. It's not. This team was on the field with 2 1/2 minutes left, with the ball, and with a chance to win the game. Not a chance to lose to a good opponent. A chance to win the game. And they could not do it. It was right there in front of them, and they didn't win it. To me that is something to be upset about, not a victory-of-sorts. I realize that 8-8 would represent significant progress from the past, and I do hope they achieve that progress. I'm rooting like hell for them. But 8-8 is not somewhere great to be. If it feels great, all that means is you really stunk before you achieved it, not that you're good. I want a good team here, double-digit wins year after year, a team that's respected and sometimes feared. 8-8 may be a step on the way to that, or it may be to many fans a comfortable and OK place to be. But not to me.

 

[Marvelous]

They held the Colts to 27 points in a game that I thought Manning was absolutely spectacular. I am still not convinced, but maybe they can be a decent defense with all the yards allowed.

They allowed 170 yards rushing to the Colts, who are not a good rushing team. They're going to have real trouble with teams like the Giants, whose lines usually overwhelm the Redskins' lines. The defense is a problem. If they keep giving up the amounts of yardage they're giving up, they're going to give up increasing numbers of points over the course of the year. It's pretty sad how people are regarding losses to good teams as a victory of sorts (while not mentioning the Rams loss at all). There is nothing magically good about 8-8. Nothing. It only represents a return to adequacy from years of being substandard. This franchise has been substandard for so long that apparently fans are beat down enough that 8-8 seems great. It's not. This team was on the field with 2 1/2 minutes left, with the ball, and with a chance to win the game. Not a chance to lose to a good opponent. A chance to win the game. And they could not do it. It was right there in front of them, and they didn't win it. To me that is something to be upset about, not a victory-of-sorts. I realize that 8-8 would represent significant progress from the past, and I do hope they achieve that progress. I'm rooting like hell for them. But 8-8 is not somewhere great to be. If it feels great, all that means is you really stunk before you achieved it, not that you're good. I want a good team here, double-digit wins year after year, a team that's respected and sometimes feared. 8-8 may be a step on the way to that, or it may be to many fans a comfortable and OK place to be. But not to me.

8-8 is a major improvement on last year. And like I said, this really is a rebuilding year. The OL, WR, and DL are all substandard and the backups are even worse. So a .500 record will be a major accomplishment. I think a lot of this is just feeling good about the team you root for. If the team appears to be heading in the right direction, we have a reason to feel good about it. If the team looks like it is heading down the drain like last year, we feel pretty dismal about the team.

 

[thayman]

They held the Colts to 27 points in a game that I thought Manning was absolutely spectacular. I am still not convinced, but maybe they can be a decent defense with all the yards allowed.

They allowed 170 yards rushing to the Colts, who are not a good rushing team. They're going to have real trouble with teams like the Giants, whose lines usually overwhelm the Redskins' lines. The defense is a problem. If they keep giving up the amounts of yardage they're giving up, they're going to give up increasing numbers of points over the course of the year. It's pretty sad how people are regarding losses to good teams as a victory of sorts (while not mentioning the Rams loss at all). There is nothing magically good about 8-8. Nothing. It only represents a return to adequacy from years of being substandard. This franchise has been substandard for so long that apparently fans are beat down enough that 8-8 seems great. It's not. This team was on the field with 2 1/2 minutes left, with the ball, and with a chance to win the game. Not a chance to lose to a good opponent. A chance to win the game. And they could not do it. It was right there in front of them, and they didn't win it. To me that is something to be upset about, not a victory-of-sorts. I realize that 8-8 would represent significant progress from the past, and I do hope they achieve that progress. I'm rooting like hell for them. But 8-8 is not somewhere great to be. If it feels great, all that means is you really stunk before you achieved it, not that you're good. I want a good team here, double-digit wins year after year, a team that's respected and sometimes feared. 8-8 may be a step on the way to that, or it may be to many fans a comfortable and OK place to be. But not to me.

This year is rebuilding. An 8-8 rebuilding year coming off a 4-12 year and on our way to 12-4 next year!

 

[Sidewinder16]

But 8-8 is not somewhere great to be. If it feels great, all that means is you really stunk before you achieved it, not that you're good.

Where have you been the past decade?

 

[Nightly Mistake]

But 8-8 is not somewhere great to be. If it feels great, all that means is you really stunk before you achieved it, not that you're good.

Where have you been the past decade?

fatness, please reread what you wrote and then tell me whether we're off base.

 

[fatness]

But 8-8 is not somewhere great to be. If it feels great, all that means is you really stunk before you achieved it, not that you're good.

Where have you been the past decade?

OK, this question is going over my head. I don't know what you're asking?What burned me up yesterday was listening to Kevin Sheehan, Andy Polin, Steve Czaban, Kevin Sheehan, Kevin Sheehan, Kevin Sheehan, and Kevin Sheehan (did I mention Kevin Sheehan?) going on and on about how this loss really meant something positive, how the Redskins were "in every game this year til the end" (as though the Rams game never happened), and how happy they were about it all.

I agree, steps have been taken towards getting to where the Skins need to be, but it's not nearly time to be happy yet. Having a game right in front of you for winning, and not doing it, is no reason for happiness. It's progress, but it's not happy time yet, and the feeling I get is that those announcers and some fans will settle for years of 8-8 and being "a play or two here or there" away from actually, you know, being a good team. I want the Redskins to be a good team, not just a team that has stopped sucking.

edited to add: At one point they did have Doc Walker on the phone yesterday morning and he was irate about the loss. Sheehan didn't understand that, but I do.

 

[DCThunder]

So will Fat Albert be a Redskin at 5:00 pm tonight?

 

[fatness]

I think he will. And I think he'll be increasingly productive through the rest of the season.

I can dream.

 

[Marvelous]

So will Fat Albert be a Redskin at 5:00 pm tonight?

I am ready to make this bold prediction: This time next year, Haynesworth will still be Redskin. I don't think he is going anywhere.Fatness and I are having the same dream.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Having a game right in front of you for winning, and not doing it, is no reason for happiness. It's progress, but it's not happy time yet, and the feeling I get is that those announcers and some fans will settle for years of 8-8 and being "a play or two here or there" away from actually, you know, being a good team. I want the Redskins to be a good team, not just a team that has stopped sucking.

I guess the bolded part is where the disconnect is occurring. I don't know anyone that wants, or believes the future holds, years of 8-8. But I haven't been listening lately to Sheehan, et al, so I don't know what they're spouting.If you still believe this (and it sounds like you do):

Wait until the trading, cutting, drafting, and signing is done between now and the start of next season, see the team improvements coming along, and then take a look at how bad the team still is. This will take years to fix, IF done right.

Then the game this past week holds a lot of positive things, from a "grand scheme"/"this will take years to fix" perspective. I think that's all most of us are saying.

 

[fatness]

I guess I'm only moderately happy at avoiding sucking. Yeah, it's progress, and yeah I still think it'll take years if done right to become a recurringly-good team. It seems like a long cross-country trip, the trip to being a good team, and I feel like we left MD, left VA, and are into WVA now which is too early to be real happy yet.

And I'll differ with you about people being happy about a regular 8-8-or-so team. I think plenty of people will, just by thinking we're a fix or 2 away while we're mediocre. Time will tell I guess.

I'm glad to see the running game start to work, although it seemed to come at the price of taking shots down the field. But if the Skins can run every week from here on out that's a big step.

 

[fatness]

So will Fat Albert be a Redskin at 5:00 pm tonight?

I am ready to make this bold prediction: This time next year, Haynesworth will still be Redskin. I don't think he is going anywhere.Fatness and I are having the same dream.

Wait til you get to the part where all the strippers walk in.

 

[fatness]

The Redskins have been holding out for a second-round pick, according to sources, but the price could be dropping, sources say, with the deadline now just hours away.

Haynesworth was miffed about being inactive again on Sunday and was prepared to play after missing Week 5 to be with his family following his brother's death. Haynesworth is not going to be in Washington long-term at this point regardless.

Jason LaCanfora

 

[fatness]

CP gracious with Torain and attention he's receiving: "He deserves that."

John Keim, about Portis.

 

[fatness]

Brandon Banks blocked the FG

Cooley hopes to play Sunday and talked about his concussion on the radio today.

"It kind of messed up my peripheral vision, just kind of made me slow, & made me a grouch."

 

[dgreen]

Brandon Banks blocked the FG

Brandon Banks = WeaponI will actually be shocked if does NOT return a kick or punt for a TD this year.

 

[Marvelous]

Brandon Banks blocked the FG

Brandon Banks = WeaponI will actually be shocked if does NOT return a kick or punt for a TD this year.

On one kickoff return, I think after the Colt scored their 2nd TD, he had some amazing moves. I thought he made 3 tacklers miss. He ended up with a 44 yard return.

 

[dgreen]

Brandon Banks blocked the FG

Brandon Banks = WeaponI will actually be shocked if does NOT return a kick or punt for a TD this year.

On one kickoff return, I think after the Colt scored their 2nd TD, he had some amazing moves. I thought he made 3 tacklers miss. He ended up with a 44 yard return.

He reminds me of Dante Hall. He can make those "joystick" moves.Another comparison: Watching Torain the other night reminded me of George Rogers.

 

[Sidewinder16]

The Redskins have been holding out for a second-round pick, according to sources, but the price could be dropping, sources say, with the deadline now just hours away.

Haynesworth was miffed about being inactive again on Sunday and was prepared to play after missing Week 5 to be with his family following his brother's death. Haynesworth is not going to be in Washington long-term at this point regardless.

Jason LaCanfora

Trade deadline has now come and gone. Haynesworth is still a Redskin.

 

[Sidewinder16]

O'Halloran's "Playing time vs. the Colts". 'Skins were in their dime defense for 62 out of 68 snaps.

 

[Nightly Mistake]

Brandon Banks blocked the FG

Brandon Banks = WeaponI will actually be shocked if does NOT return a kick or punt for a TD this year.

On one kickoff return, I think after the Colt scored their 2nd TD, he had some amazing moves. I thought he made 3 tacklers miss. He ended up with a 44 yard return.

He reminds me of Dante Hall. He can make those "joystick" moves.Another comparison: Watching Torain the other night reminded me of George Rogers.

on both counts.

 

[dgreen]

In three games, Brandon Banks has 155 punt return yards. In 16 games last season, the Redskins totaled 152 punt return yards.

 

[Nightly Mistake]

In three games, Brandon Banks has 155 punt return yards. In 16 games last season, the Redskins totaled 152 punt return yards.

It's a shame we used up all of those in only three games. I guess it's -3 from here on out.

 

[buster c]

Brandon Banks blocked the FG

Brandon Banks = WeaponI will actually be shocked if does NOT return a kick or punt for a TD this year.

On one kickoff return, I think after the Colt scored their 2nd TD, he had some amazing moves. I thought he made 3 tacklers miss. He ended up with a 44 yard return.

He reminds me of Dante Hall. He can make those "joystick" moves.Another comparison: Watching Torain the other night reminded me of George Rogers.

on both counts.

the George Rogers comparison is a good one. I had been likening him to ol' 48, Stephen Davis. as for Banks - anyone see him put the ball on the turf after one of his returns? It's questionable whether that would have been ruled a fumble, but a bit disconcerting to see - esp since IIRC it wasn;t the result of him getting jacked up

 

[fatness]

Coming off perhaps the best performance of his young career, left tackle Trent Williams has no time to catch his breath. Last weekend was Dwight Freeney. This weekend is Julius Peppers. "I looked at the schedule before the season. I kind of seen it coming," said Williams, who also has faced Mario Williams, Clay Matthews and DeMarcus Ware. "I expected it."

In last week's Colts game, Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb was sacked three times, but not once by Freeney. In fact, Freeney didn't even register a tackle on the day, and the Redskins' offensive line helped Ryan Torain rush for 100 yards. Williams said Freeney is the best pass-rusher he's faced thus far. "He had everything you need to be an effective pass rusher. He had speed, probably one of the strongest ends I've seen thus far," Williams said. "Everybody knows about his patented spin moves."

Williams had little time to celebrate his personal performance. "As soon as I was done with Dwight, my mind was on Peppers all night," Williams said. "It don't get no harder than this."

I really like Trent Williams by the way. For a rookie he's already a good veteran.

 

[fatness]

Add Dallas Clark to the "injured by Redskins" list.

link

And Joseph Addai.

 

[fatness]

Portis didn't practice. Sellers and Cooley were limited. McIntosh and all others practiced fully.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan expects defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth to be active Sunday at Chicago after missing the last two games. In a conference call with Chicago-area reporters before practice Wednesday, Shanahan said: “I wouldn’t say anybody is definitely active. But we plan on him being active.”

Haynesworth, who participated in the full practice, could play a big role in the Redskins’ defensive game plan. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been sacked a league-high 27 times this season.

LinkSupposedly the Bears have the worst offensive line in the league.

 

[fatness]

4. Just how close were the Redskins to obtaining Jay Cutler a couple years ago? Maybe five minutes. I remember getting a call from a source who said the Redskins were out of the deal. But he said to hold off because things could change. Sure enough, 15 minutes later this source called back to say it was a “done deal”. The Redskins had Cutler and it would be announced soon.

5. Of course, a couple hours passed and Cutler ended up in Chicago. The source said the turning point came when Denver knew it could get Kyle Orton instead of Jason Campbell.

6. Would you rather have Donovan McNabb or Jay Cutler? McNabb is a good quarterback with strong credentials. But if the Redskins had traded for Cutler, they likely would have made a move to sign Shanahan shortly thereafter. And that combination was a strong one in Denver. Then again, among the names rumored in the deal: Cooley and Landry. So I’ll ask another one: would you rather have Cutler without those two players or McNabb with them?

John Keim

 

[Nightly Mistake]

5. Of course, a couple hours passed and Cutler ended up in Chicago. The source said the turning point came when Denver knew it could get Kyle Orton instead of Jason Campbell.

Oof.

 

[buster c]

contentious exchange

Cornerback DeAngelo Hall and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett got into a contentious exchange Tuesday over pass coverage instructions, a development Coach Mike Shanahan followed by meeting privately with Hall and singling Hall out at a team meeting Wednesday morning, according to three Redskins employees familiar with the events.

Redskins spokesman Tony Wyllie declined to comment on the events.

Hall and Haslett had words Tuesday after reviewing film of Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Colts.

After the game, Hall acknowledged that he blew the coverage on a 57-yard Colts touchdown pass in the first quarter. That play, however, was not what prompted the brief argument between coach and player, said two of the three employees.

But the outburst is not Hall's first this year. Frustrated by late defensive breakdowns during the Redskins' Week 2 overtime loss to the Houston Texans, Hall said he planned to shadow each opponent's top receiver regardless of which side of the field the receiver was on. He said at the time that Haslett's opinion on the subject was not of great importance to him.

"It don't matter what he say," Hall said on Sept. 20. "This my team. This my defense. So I'm [going to] follow the receivers around. That's what I'm [going to do]. If we got to do that to win games, that's what we do."

 

[fatness]

I guess it's a matter of what you quote from the article and what you leave out.

Redskins coaches disagree on defensive coverages; Medical staff mis-diagnoses Hall's injury

The argument centered on Hall's feeling that he was receiving mixed signals on how to play a certain pass coverage, according to two of those three employees. But Hall and Haslett have a good relationship and there should be no lingering animosity as a result, the employees said.

Rather, there was some confusion about Haslett's instructions for the cornerbacks to play a certain coverage that would be best in certain situations. Defensive backs coach Bob Slowik explained the coverage to Hall and cornerback Carlos Rogers one way, but Haslett, the two employees said, contradicted Slowik's explanation, saying he wanted Hall to play deeper in the coverage. The result was that Hall expressed his frustration about the conflicting information before leaving the complex.

Hall apparently has been playing through the pain of a back injury for weeks, though the problem was listed on the team's injury report only before the Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles and this week for the Bears game. Hall participated fully in practice Wednesday, according to the report.

Apparently, Hall has received conflicting diagnoses about the source of his pain, the three team employees said. A team physician initially diagnosed the problem as something the team employees declined to reveal. But Hall sought a second opinion because of the lingering pain, and another doctor called into question the accuracy of the first diagnosis.

Same article buster linked.

 

[fatness]

Jim Haslett, DeAngelo Hall: 'Heated exchange' never took place

Haslett said that the two did have a discussion about coverage schemes, but that there was nothing contentious about it, and that their tone was no different than in past discussions. They also said that Shanahan didn’t even know about the alleged exchange until word came out in the press today.

“First of all, if you’re in that defensive back room, there’s a discussion every day on how you play coverages, how you want technique played, and DeAngelo and I had about a 20 minute discussion about how things were to be played,” Haslett said. “It was nothing different than what we have every day. It just happened the defensive linemen were in there.

 

[Sabertooth]

Sorry to hear you guys have Slowik. He's terrible.

In other news, what is the story with Portis? Talk about the forgotten man. What are the chances he comes back and takes that job back over. Remember Torain was a PS guy, it isn't like they have a ton invested in him.

 

[southeastjerome]

In three games, Brandon Banks has 155 punt return yards. In 16 games last season, the Redskins totaled 152 punt return yards.

That's amazing. I still can't believe the Steelers are using ARE to return punts.

 

[southeastjerome]

6. Would you rather have Donovan McNabb or Jay Cutler? McNabb is a good quarterback with strong credentials. But if the Redskins had traded for Cutler, they likely would have made a move to sign Shanahan shortly thereafter. And that combination was a strong one in Denver. Then again, among the names rumored in the deal: Cooley and Landry. So I’ll ask another one: would you rather have Cutler without those two players or McNabb with them?

John Keim

I think I'd rather McNabb. But with a chance to grab Nate Allen in the 2nd round after giving up Landry, that would be tempting. Allen looks like he's going to be a pretty good player.

 

[Brunell4MVP]

Look for a breakout game from McNabb. Yeah, he's inconsistent. But 2-3 times a year he has an incredible stat day. I think we're looking at 400 and 3 TDs this week. I just think the matchups in this game really favor the Skins...on both sides of the ball. Mr negative (me) is projecting a >20 point Skins blowout of CHI this week.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Sorry to hear you guys have Slowik. He's terrible. In other news, what is the story with Portis? Talk about the forgotten man. What are the chances he comes back and takes that job back over. Remember Torain was a PS guy, it isn't like they have a ton invested in him.

Good question. Is there any talk of him going to IR?

 

[Sidewinder16]

Sorry to hear you guys have Slowik. He's terrible. In other news, what is the story with Portis? Talk about the forgotten man. What are the chances he comes back and takes that job back over. Remember Torain was a PS guy, it isn't like they have a ton invested in him.

Good question. Is there any talk of him going to IR?

Not yet. When it happened (nearly 2 weeks ago) it was called a 4-6 week injury. I imagine there won't be any real chatter about it for another 2 weeks, or so, when there's a better feel for how he's progressing. All we know right now is that he's not practicing.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Look for a breakout game from McNabb. Yeah, he's inconsistent. But 2-3 times a year he has an incredible stat day. I think we're looking at 400 and 3 TDs this week. I just think the matchups in this game really favor the Skins...on both sides of the ball. Mr negative (me) is projecting a >20 point Skins blowout of CHI this week.

I've had a really good feeling about this game most of the week (which should probably be a big red flag). I really don't like the Bears this year, and like you, I think the 'Skins can handle them fairly easily. I believe the Bears are favored by about 3 points. If I were a betting man I think I'd be all over that. (so I can remind myself on Sunday night why I'm not a betting man)

 

[fatness]

The Bears are very weak up front, partly because of injuries and also because of youth. They’ve started eight different players along the line already this season. But they will start this five for the second straight game. That will help, however, they have ex-Redskin Edwin Williams at RG and rookie J’Marcus Webb at RT. They haven’t exactly seen a whole lot. LT Frank Omiyale has had his problems, too. C Olin Kreutz has been a good player for a long time.

John Keim

How dangerous is the passing game? It’s an effective one because of quarterback Jay Cutler. But offensive coordinator Mike Martz is doing his best to get him killed. He calls for a lot of deep passes and the result is that he averages a hefty 8.52 yards per attempt. And he has speed to throw to with receiver Johnny Knox (18 catches, 21.8 yards per reception). Devin Hester has speed, but most of his catches came on short routes as they try to almost create a punt return situation for him. But Cutler will hang onto the ball to let plays develop. Playing behind a bad line, this is a dangerous strategy. However, he has taken care of the ball with only three picks after 26 a year ago.

5. How good is Matt Forte? He’s a good multi-purpose back who can hurt the Redskins if they’re not careful.

 

[Groucho Glasses]

5. Of course, a couple hours passed and Cutler ended up in Chicago. The source said the turning point came when Denver knew it could get Kyle Orton instead of Jason Campbell.

Oof.

This guy knows things. Shall we continue?

 

[Sebowski]

This game is all about our secondary. We should be able to create pressure by rushing rushing 4 if it is the right 4 (AH, Orakpo, Carter....). The secondary needs to keep their coverages and catch the ball when it hits them in the hands.

I am really looking forward to this game. I think it will tell a lot. I'm pissed I have to work, but I just found out it is on TV here (HUGE surprise). So I hope to catch most of it.

Key #2: Trent Williams containing Julius Peppers. It is amazing the guys Trent has had to block so far. He will need to be at his best tomorrow. I'd feel much better about it if Portis was back there knocking people's blocks off.

 

[fatness]

Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett confirmed that defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth will be active against the Bears. “He had a good workout Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday,” Shanahan said. “He had good conditioning, worked extra and obviously he’s had a good couple of days here.”

Said Haslett: “He’s done a good job in practice. Hopefully he can pick up where he left off in Philadelphia. If we can try to expand his role here and we’ll see where he’s at.”

*Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan on running back Keiland Williams’ extensive fourth-quarter playing time last week: “Keiland’s solid – a good pass protector. That’s really why he was on the field a lot when we were down a couple scores in the fourth quarter and we were in more three-receiver sets throwing the ball.”

O'Halloran on Thursday