Two fights, two interceptions and two touchdowns provided the most telling moments of Washington Redskins training camp.
A drill that lasted nearly 20 plays Monday between the starting offense and defense on the 5-yard line provided rare insight into the Redskins as they prepare for Friday’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FedEx Field.
The shoulder pads popped along both lines. The defense was ahead of the offense in the early days of camp but not this time.
“Those [defensive] guys don’t like it when you get physical with them,” center Will Montgomery said. “The more we see each other the more we get sick of each other.”
Oh, linebacker London Fletcher was certainly sick of Montgomery and showed it with a couple blows to the face mask. But that was nothing compared to the haymakers linebacker Rocky McIntosh cranked toward Montgomery, who responded in kind before their teammates ended it.
So much for a group hug.
Montgomery delivered a devilish grin when he was asked about the fights. He joked that McIntosh was just upset Montgomery’s Virginia Tech mates had beaten the linebacker’s Miami team 10 straight times.
“We’re just having fun out here. The fans are getting a good show,” Montgomery said. “The intensity cranked up a little bit.”
Trent Williams certainly could empathize with Montgomery. The left tackle drew linebacker Brian Orakpo regularly. Orakpo threw a spin move that left Williams dizzy and the linebacker on quarterback Rex Grossman. Williams slapped the ground in anger. The next snap, Williams stalemated Orakpo.
But the best hit came from receiver Donte Stallworth, who blindsided and knocked down safety Anderson Russell with a shot at the goal line. Injured safety LaRon Landry, watching from a few feet away, started pacing like he wanted a piece of that action. Good thing for Stallworth that Landry’s on the physically-unable-to-perform list, or payback might have been delivered.
Grossman took nearly all of the snaps. Coach Mike Shanahan kept John Beck to the side because of a slightly strained groin. Shanahan didn’t want to risk Beck in the live drill, which was a smart move considering the intensity.
Grossman struggled early with two interceptions, including an ugly one at the line by blitzing safety DeJon Gomes. But the possible starter also found Mike Sellers and Anthony Armstrong in the back of the end zone for touchdowns. Rookie receiver Leonard Hankerson dropped another scoring pass.
“When you’re on a 5-yard line, the whole field is condensed into 15 yards, and everything moves faster,” Grossman said. “Everybody’s hitting a little bit. The intensity ramped up a little bit.”
And then it was on to special teams drills. A few minutes of a 2?-hour practice had just shown Shanahan the Redskins will be scrappy this season if nothing else.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
