Rookie keeping role after strong game vs. Seahawks
ASHBURN — It didn’t take long for Mike Shanahan to make the proclamation. First he talked about Roy Helu’s 28-yard touchdown run, calling it the difference in the game. He moved to his pass protection skills, saying they were solid.
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Then he moved to the obvious.
“He’s our starter for sure,” Shanahan said.
| Notes |
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| Coach Mike Shanahan blamed errors in technique for the blocked field goal and extra point Sunday. The Redskins have had five field goals and one extra point blocked this season. Part of the problem has been injuries forcing changes in protection. Kedric Golston and Trent Williams typically are on the line, but the former is done for the season, and the latter is dealing with a knee injury. Williams was on the bench for the first block. Regardless, “that many mistakes are inexcusable,” Shanahan said. Shanahan also said kicker Graham Gano wasn’t to blame on either of the attempts and reiterated his stance on him. “Hopefully he takes advantage of the opportunities presented to him in the future,” Shanahan said. “If not, he won’t be with us. I’m hoping he does take advantage because he does it consistently in practice.” |
| » Fullback Darrel Young, who suffered a concussion Sunday vs. Seattle, will be re-evaluated later in the week. His status for Sunday’s game vs. the New York Jets remains uncertain. – John Keim |
As has been the case all season, though, those kind of words haven’t always had a lasting effect thanks to injuries or poor performances. But for now, Helu has earned the right for at least another start. That’s what 108 yards rushing and another 54 receiving can do for a guy. Helu certainly helped ignite the Redskins in their 23-17 win over Seattle.
“He got tough yards,” Shanahan said. “He broke tackles. He made some people miss. You could see elusiveness, some power. You saw some speed. That’s what you’re looking for in a running back. He played with a lot of confidence.”
With Tim Hightower already sidelined and Ryan Torain not producing, there wasn’t much choice but to turn to Helu. Shanahan also said Helu was finally ready for more responsibility, having given him a dose of different situations leading up to Sunday.
“You throw a lot at a younger player, especially with no [organized team activities], and you put a lot of pressure on him, especially in our scheme,” Shanahan said.
Ten of his 23 carries went for 4 yards or more against a defense that entered the game ranked third in the NFL. That enabled the Redskins to run a heavy dose of play-action passes — though, in truth, they started the game with three consecutive play-action throws before they even started to run.
All of it added up to a second straight game with more than 300 yards of total offense, the first time they have done that in back-to-back games since Weeks 1 and 2. They finished Sunday with 416 yards, their second-highest total of the season.
“I was disappointed early that we didn’t have more points with that production,” Shanahan said. “When you do move like we did, you feel better about everything. Everyone’s more positive. To move the ball like we did gives a big boost to our offensive players.”
Meanwhile, Shanahan said he likes his players’ passion but that there’s a “fine line” they must walk when they do as much talking as they did with Seattle on Sunday.
“I know it’s a very emotional game,” he said. “But you have to keep your cool.”
Even Shanahan said the six-game losing streak that ended Sunday was tough to deal with. But he said this team has handled the situation better than some other teams he has been involved with in the past.
“When you’re around a team that’s giving you everything they’ve got, you feel good,” he said. “That’s why I feel good about the character of this team. They deserved to win. Hopefully we can keep it going.”
