Conflicting tales result in chaos for Redskins
The drama surrounding Albert Haynesworth didn’t end once he started to practice. In many ways, it had only just begun. And then came the latest twist: One side said Haynesworth had rhabdomyolysis; the other claimed no knowledge of such an affliction.
After NFL.com cited a league source who said Haynesworth had been diagnosed with the illness, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan told a website he wasn’t “aware of that.”
Shanahan, who was off-limits to the local media Sunday, also told AOL Fanhouse that “one thing for sure that is clear to me is that Albert has gotten away in the past with playing without practicing. That will not happen under this regime. If he’s going to play, he’s going to practice, and that is the same with every player here. The days of him playing without practicing are over. And that, to me, says it all.”
Shanahan is determined to prod Haynesworth into playing at a certain effort level, which the new staff does not think he played with last season.
Haynesworth did play in Saturday’s 23-3 preseason loss to Baltimore after not practicing for an entire session since Monday. He did participate in a walkthrough Friday morning and was cleared to play. He played in the third quarter and for the start of the fourth, which he viewed as a slap in the face.
“I’m a ninth-year pro,” Haynesworth said after the game. “I don’t think I should have been out there in the third quarter. But for having ‘headaches’ again, that was what they wanted to do.”
Haynesworth, who only practiced five times in training camp, said he felt he was being made an example of because he missed the offseason workouts. He said the team wanted to make him look bad.
“Next year I’m not coming either,” he said.
Teammates said they were confident it wouldn’t become an issue in the locker room.
“I don’t understand a lot of it,” one defensive player said. “I just know that I come to work and do what I’m told. … I don’t think it can be a distraction if you don’t allow it to be.”
Haynesworth’s teammates and other coaches also said they weren’t aware the nose tackle had such an ailment.
“I’ve never even heard of it,” one defensive player said.
Another league source said even though Haynesworth himself might not have used this term — leading to some of the confusion by the Redskins — others close to him could have. What is known, the source said, is that Haynesworth missed practices last week because of dizziness, nausea, vomiting and swelling. Shanahan changed the reason for Haynesworth’s absence three times.
According to a definition on the National Institutes of Health’s website, rhabdomyolysis is “the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents [myoglobin] into the bloodstream. Some of these are harmful to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage.”
Dr. Lynne Yao, chairman-elect of the National Kidney Foundation’s board of directors, said the condition is not commonly found in “well-conditioned athletes.” However, she said sometimes it could be misdiagnosed as dehydration. If it’s a mild case, hydration is the cure. Approximately 30 percent of people who get rhabdomyolysis can develop kidney failure.
It typically does not reoccur unless there’s an underlying muscle disease or sickle cell problem. Yao said extreme weather combined with intense exertion could trigger the symptoms.
“Many of the people who develop rhabdo have mild symptoms, get hydrated and recover,” she said.
What we learned
Andre Carter is still not playing with any explosiveness at linebacker » Carter clearly is still adjusting to the position, but at end he had a good first step and could stay low off the ball. At linebacker, he stays at the same pad level when he rushes and generates less power than he did at end. Contrast that with Brian Orakpo, who stays lower and explodes into blockers. Orakpo did not get a sack the other night, but he was effective rushing the passer in part because of how much spring he plays with on the rush.
The Redskins seemed to run some sets that begged Baltimore to blitz the middle » They would put the running back as a wing, leaving the quarterback by himself. The second string did this a couple times, and each time the Ravens blitzed the middle. Each blocker was occupied, allowing the linebacker to break through cleanly.
It’s hard to blame Larry Johnson for all that went wrong with him Saturday » He didn’t always have holes to run through. But he also did not help himself by getting more yards than was available. Also, his pass protection was less than desirable. On one blitz, he was supposed to go out on a screen pass, but he hesitated because two rushers were coming his way. So in the end, he didn’t get out on the route, nor did he slow the rush. Protection by the backs will be an issue unless Clinton Portis is in the game.
