1. Safety LaRon Landry, who missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, remains uncertain for Week 2. Landry has yet to practice in full since training camp opened on July 28. He’s injured his hamstring twice while running.
“I hope he’s ready to go,” coach Mike Shanahan said.
Also, linebacker Brian Orakpo sprained his right ankle Sunday, but he was able to return to the game. Shanahan said he hopes Orakpo will play Sunday. Orakpo did not seem worried after the game, but it’s always different once the adrenaline leaves.
2. The Redskins did not want the day off, not that they were going to have a choice. But in their minds, it was their decision – and that means a lot.
Shanahan said during his press conference that he wasn’t going to give them a Victory Monday day off. But that became a non-issue when the players told him they wanted to work Monday.
“There’s a difference when the players elect to come in vs. the coach making you come in,” linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. “You want to win and be perfect vs. doing enough to win a game that week.
“[And] early in the season you want to be on point and put money in the bank so maybe later in the year you can take a day off.”
It wasn’t just London Fletcher who suggested they come to work. To tight end Chris Cooley, that speaks to the leadership they have in the locker room.
“It’s not one or two guys,” Cooley said. “There aren’t 50 guys looking to London for leadership. There’s a bunch of guys willing to step up. There’s a great camaraderie in this locker room right now.”
3. Gotta say, still don’t know what this team will do. I thought seven wins before the season, but it’s rare to hear the words coming out of this locker room. Many players talk about a buzz and about a belief they have in themselves and each other. How much will that compensate for a lack of talent in some areas? That’s a big question.
Cooley said this team reminds him of the 2005 team; Fletcher said it’s the best team he’s played on in Washington. Receiver Santana Moss agreed with Cooley.
“I felt that the whole camp,” Moss said. “The team seemed like we had a different energy, our whole aura.”
4. The players weren’t surprised at all that they beat the Giants, despite losing nine of the previous 10 games. But there were a few who said they probably would have lost that game last season.
“But knowing this team this year and having a lot of new guys, and some guys that they brought in expect to win and fight through that,” Alexander said. “We did that as far as getting hit in the mouth early and giving up big plays. In the second half we shut them down pretty well.”
5. Fullback/tight end Mike Sellers was a healthy inactive and it could be difficult to get him on the field unless there’s an injury. The 36-year-old Sellers is a fourth tight end and backup fullback. But Shanahan said Sellers won’t always be inactive.
“He’ll play a lot for us,” Shanahan said. “He’s exactly the type of guy you want on your team.”
6. LB Ryan Kerrigan avoided a cut block not only on his nine-yard interception return for a touchdown, but also on the next play from scrimmage.
“It’s pure reaction,” Kerrigan said. “You’re looking at your blocker and if he goes low on you, you have to get your hands on him.”
7. Of Tim Hightower’s 50 carries with the Redskins, including 25 in the preseason, 29 have gone for two yards or less. Of his 25 runs Sunday, 15 went for two yards or less. The key is that the Redskins stay committed; he’s been good at snapping off long runs – when he gets the blocking. That wasn’t the case Sunday.
8. Quarterback Rex Grossman has thrown for more than 300 yards in three of his first four games as a starter in Washington. He had one such game in the seven seasons before he came to Washington. Grossman’s passer ratings in those four starts is 87.6; his career rating is 72.1.
9. Once more, there’s a confidence. Here’s Hightower on facing his former team, Arizona, Sunday. “I want to win this game,” Hightower said. “We’re going to win this game. This one means a lot to me.”
10. Darrel Young faced Hightower three times when both were in college, at Villanova and Richmond, respectively.
“It was a stalemate,” Young said. “He’s a big boy. He runs hard and keeps his legs going.”
What Young likes is Hightower’s approach. He’s always talking to Young or his line or the coaches.
“He meets with everyone,” Young said. “He likes the feedback. He likes to know, now how good he’s doing but what can he do to make himself better. That’s as humble as you can get.”
11. Ok, a little technical talk. But the problem safety Reed Doughty had on the 68-yard pass to Hakeem Nicks was not keeping his eyes on the receiver until he committed to his break. Instead, Nicks took two steps inside on a dig route and Doughty then turned his eyes to the quarterback. At that point, Nicks flew downfield.
12. Doughty also missed a tackle on Ahmad Bradshaw’s four-yard touchdown run. The Giants helped set up that play by running a lot of smoke routes. Doughty anticipated another one; instead the ball was handed off and he was too wide. Doughty is not athletic enough to recover from those kinds of mistakes.
13. Click here to submit questions for Redskins mailbag, whether the questions are for me or a player. I’ll post the answers Friday.
