Redskins notebook 8/28/10

Published August 29, 2010 4:00am ET



Redskins notes

WHAT WE LEARNED» Albert Haynesworth commands attention. Good to be reminded of that fact. His second rush showed how much respect he garners. Haynesworth started at the nose and stunted to the right side. As he went this way, three New York Jets blockers — three! — went with him. That left Vonnie Holliday free coming up the middle for a pressure. Seriously, three Jets were staring right at Haynesworth. Unreal. » Neither Willie Parker nor Larry Johnson had terrific numbers, but both had to make a lot out of nothing. Too often, Parker’s first cut was several yards deep in the backfield — that happened more than once. Both backs had a couple runs in which they misjudged their ability to hit the outside quickly. Had they cut inside as the blocks suggested they should, they would have done better. » Anthony Armstrong isn’t much of a blocker. He did make three tackles on special teams, and that’s good for him going forward. But he did not sustain blocks on runs his way, and one time his failure to land a crackback made it appear that Jammal Brown had been pushed back. Instead, Brown was thrown off by the linebacker appearing when he should have been blocked. It prevented Brown from getting his man and blew up the play.

» Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth was again in a chatty mood after the game. This time, though, he didn’t say anything inflammatory. Haynesworth said he and coach Mike Shanahan talked after his outburst following the Baltimore game in which he said he was being made to look bad.

Haynesworth said he and Shan­ahan now are on the proverbial same page. “I think we are,” Haynesworth said. “I’m getting adjusted to the defense. I’m gonna play hard, and I’m going to play my best. … It’s behind me. I don’t even remember what I said last week.” And he joked about how tight he now was with Shanahan. “I’m going over to dinner at his house probably tonight, and we’re gonna have a cigar and talk,” he said after the game. But Haynesworth admitted he’s still adjusting to the 3-4 defense after spending his first eight seasons in a 4-3. Haynesworth played more at right end. “In the 3-4 you’ve really got to hold your gap,” he said. “[In the] 4-3, the linebackers can cover you. … I still had that 4-3 mindset, trying to make plays. I can definitely improve a whole lot, but I didn’t play horrible.”

» Receiver Devin Thomas didn’t play, though he was told the night before the game that he probably wouldn’t get any snaps from scrimmage, and he did play on special teams. Guard/center Edwin Williams and receiver Shay Hodge also did not play. Williams had received a lot of action in the first two games.

Follow me on Twitter @John_Keim