Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Have the Redskins hit rock bottom?

The first step to solving a problem is realizing that you have one. Maybe the Redskins players have come to that realization.

After the Eagles game, the players were apologetic. They truly felt bad that they had laid such an ugly egg on national TV and in front of a large crowd at FedEx Field that was looking for a reason to be enthusiastic. And while they didn’t necessarily think that the beatdown was a fluke, they didn’t think that is was much of anything to be worried about in the long term. The team had the memory of having beaten the Eagles in Philadelphia earlier in the season and the strong temptation was to think that it was just an off night, that they got punched early and often and couldn’t recover. In their minds, it wasn’t that there was a great talent disparity between the two teams; it was just an off night. Then they gutted out a win in Tennessee despite a mind-boggling run of injuries being suffered both before and during the game. A week later the Vikings won after a Brandon Banks punt return for a touchdown was called back by a penalty for an illegal block that didn’t have any effect on the play. That gave them a crutch. It was a game that the “could” have one, maybe even on that they “should” have won. There were no such illusions after the Giants game.

There also are some thoughts about Albert-Shanahan in the article:

I don’t quite know how to react when people blame Mike Shanahan for the Albert Haynesworth mess. Since when is establishing rules, norms, and procedures, the kind that any organization needs to be effective, being on a power trip or being a control freak? Not that Shanahan has handled things flawlessly. But blaming him for the fact that Haynesworth’s relationship with the organization is now irreversibly in shambles would be like blaming the cop for a burglary because he arrested the guy who broke into the house.

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Mike Shanahan press conference recap 12.06.10

Here is a recap of Mike Shanahan's Monday press conference: He will sit down and talk to DT Albert Haynesworth at some time over the next couple of days. Shanahan does not want to answer questions about his situation until then, including a report that they were considering releasing Haynesworth. Albert was present at a team meeting on Monday. Shanahan said that he has been through similar situations before in his career. He will give a "more thorough" recap of the Haynesworth situation on Wednesday. "What I do with our football team will stay within our football team." Shanahan doesn't know exactly what Haynesworth's illness was last week. "He was sick." SS LaRon Landry, who has been out with an injured Achilles tendon, "will give it a shot this week" and hopefully "can help us" this weekend. Shanahan spoke with former Redskins receiver Devin Thomas after the game, and had nothing but good things to say about him. Thomas stayed late after the game to talk to Shanahan, said he was very proud of Thomas. RB Ryan Torain, who has been out with a hamstring injury, should practice with no restrictions this week. There were 14 missed tackles against the Giants. Shanahan said that the defense did a lot of good things in the second half against the Giants. Asked about benching CB Phillip Buchanon in favor of Kevin Barnes, he said, "We took Phillip out, to get Barnes in -- to get a little bit bigger of a guy" to help with tackling. Said that he was "very proud" of how the offensive line played, despite four sacks suffered by Donovan McNabb. On if Trent Williams, who missed all of the second half against the Giants with a shoulder injury, will be able to play: "I think he'll be able to go. Your guess is as good as mine."

Troubles with Albert

Update 12:29 PM: Tweet from Chris Russell, ESPN 980--Hearing that Albert Haynesworth showed up late to #Redskins Park on Friday AM. Maybe more to the 'illness' but still trying to dig that up In addition to reporting that Albert Haynesworth will be inactive for the Giants game, Kelli Johnson is reporting that: --Shanahan does not think that Albert practiced well on Thursday in addition to missing practice on Friday due to illness. --Haynesworth and Jim Haslett had a heated conversation outside of the Redskins locker room after they arrived at the stadium. I have been warning people that whenever things seem to be well in the Albert-Redskins relationship, it's not smooth sailing, just the calm before the storm. Is Mike Shanahan "picking on" Haynesworth? We don't know. If others on the team can behave in the same way and face no consequences, then the answer is yes. If Haynesworth is being handled in the same way as any other teammate would, the answer is no. I'll crank up the chat early to talk about this, drop by CSNwashington.com. Or you can use this direct link to the chat.

CSN: Haynesworth inactive

Just in via Twitter from Kelli Johnson of Comcast SportsNet Washington:

Just confirmed that Shanahan has deactivated Albert Haynesworth for today's game because he was sick on Friday and didn't Practice. Wow.

Update 11:28: Giants inactives: S. Smith, Blackmon, Shaun O'Hara, David Diehl, Shawn Andrews, Duke Calhoun, Hakeem Nicks, Linval Joseph. Update 11:30: Redskins inactives: Rogers, Landry, Andre Brown, Torain, Dockery, Jarmon, Haynesworth. John Beck is QB3, of course.

Mike Shanahan on playing in December

Shanahan: "If they don't play hard down the stretch, they won't be with you next year."

Redskins-Giants chat and poll

A reminder that I'll be chatting with all of you about the Redskins-Giants game at CSNwashington.com starting at 12:45. If you want to join in, point your browser here. While you're here, take the poll: [polldaddy poll=4199009]

Torain travels to Meadowlands

We still don't know if Ryan Torain will play on Sunday against the Giants but we do know that he has a chance. According to ESPN 980's Chris Russell, Torain did make the trip north with the team. Presumably, his injured hamstring is doing well enough to at least have him give it a go during pregame warmups and to put him on the active roster if he can go. Torain's return could provide a boost to the Redskins' rushing game, which has suffered all year and hit rock bottom against the Vikings when Keiland Williams and James Davis combined for just nine carries.

Redskins futures watch: Championship Saturday

Future NFL stars, including some potential Redskins, will be displaying their talents today as the ACC, Big 12, and SEC hold their conference championship games and others wrap up the regular season in advance of the Sunday release of the final BCS standings. If you're going to tune in here are a few of the players to keep an eye on, prospects in positions of potential need for the Redskins. All times Eastern, check your local listings for channel information. Rutgers at West Virgnia, noon—Mountaineers running back Noel Devine is a big-play running back who has great speed and elusiveness in the open field. At 5-8, 180 he does not have prototypical size for an NFL back but he still could be a productive runner. The presence of Brandon Banks on the Redskins roster may have the Redskins looking the other way as there may only be room for one "pocket rocket" on the roster. But Devine is fun to watch anyway so he's worth a look. Auburn vs. South Carolina, SEC Championship, 4 PM—Would Mike Shanahan pull the trigger on Cam Newton if the Tigers quarterback was still available when the Redskins' first-round pick rolls around? Although Newton does have a year of eligibility left, it seems almost certain that he will come out this year. The general consensus is that the likely Heisman Trophy winner is a better prospective pro quarterback than was Tim Tebow but that Newton, if he comes out, will need a year or two on the sidelines to polish his game. That would be just enough time for Donovan McNabb to ride off into the sunset. Auburn guard Mike Berry (6-3, 320) could play himself into mid-to late-round consideration and he seems to be nimble enough to work in the zone blocking scheme. Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, ACC Championship, 8 PM—FSU guard Rodney Hudson (6-2, 284) is one of the top-rated players at his position and seems to have to tools to play in any scheme The Redskins have been scouting QB Christian Ponder, although injuries and some less-than-clutch performances late in some games have hurt his draft stock. Hokies RB Ryan Williams, a redshirt sophomore, seemed a good bet to come out after this season but a hamstring injury cost him most of five games. He still may choose to enter the draft pool and his rare combination of speed and power would make him a nice fit in the Redskins' backfield. Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, Big 12 Championship, 8 PM—Sooners RB DeMarco Murray is a tough runnier, solid pass protector, and pass catcher who should be available in the second round. Should the Redskins need a cornerback, Prince Amukamara plays for Nebraska but he is likely to be gone by the time their first-round pick comes around. Cross-posted to CSNwashington.com

Redskins-Giants in-game chat on Sunday

We'll get going at around 12:45 and go until the clock his 0:00. If you want to get an email reminder to join the chat, just hit the link below. That's also the link to the chat location when the game starts.

Redskins-Giants In-Game Live.

An early look at the Redskins 2011 draft

Is it too early to start talking about the draft? It may be, but I did anyway.

The calendar has turned to December and the 5-6 Washington Redskins’ playoff chances are slim and none, with slim possibly packing up and leaving town after Sunday’s game at the New York Giants. Regardless of the team's playoff status, there is much left to discuss about the season and its aftermath. But it also is time to start looking forward to late April, the 28^ththrough the 30^th to be specific, when the NFL draft will take place. With the college football season getting ready to wrap up and the bowls starting in about two weeks, it is time to start examining which players might be turning in their college colors to wear the burgundy and gold next fall.

Go here for the whole article.