1. Today’s topic: rebuilding. It’s clear the Redskins have been rebuilding the roster since Mike Shanahan arrived; only two starters (TE Fred Davis, C Will Montgomery) on offense Sunday were here before he came to the Redskins.
Why the talk now? Because they’re now starting three rookies on offense (LG Maurice Hurt, WR Leonard Hankerson and RB Roy Helu). Of course, they’re starting because of injuries not because there was a philosophical change.
“Some young players are getting experience,” Shanahan said. “If that’s what you call rebuilding, then we’re rebuilding….The reason young guys get an opportunity is the older guys have gotten hurt. So we have young guys backing up. You really don’t have an option.”
2. Shanahan also said he questioned his son, Kyle, as to why he would come to Washington.
“I’m the one that told Kyle not to come,” Mike Shanahan said. “I said, ‘This is going to be a work in progress. You’re with an established team [in Houston]. I said we have to rebuild this team, starting on offense and he understood that. He enjoyed the challenge and that’s what we’re doing.”
3. Hard to imagine John Beck coming out of the lineup any time soon. Coach Mike Shanahan is almost treating him like a 23-year-old rookie based on the way he talks about his experience. In terms of game play, he is young. But he’s also been in NFL locker rooms, on the sidelines and in the film room for five seasons now.
Shanahan said playing time is the cure for his mistakes as well as a “good supporting cast that is well-synchronized together…. It’s a growing experience.”
Shanahan said Beck improved at getting rid of the ball, but also looked off his primary targets other times. But the number Shanahan pointed to: 1. That’s how many times he was sacked compared to 10 the previous week.
4. Beck said he remains confident in what he can do and he’s not concerned about others losing confidence in him. He’s 0-3 as a starter in Washington and 0-7 in his career. The talent around him has something to do with that mark as well. “If you’re the guy out there playing, you believe the guys believe in you,” he said. “Even if I’m not the guy playing I still believe in me. That’s the way you have to be.”
5. Shanahan usually doesn’t say a whole lot about what a player isn’t doing well. That’s why it was surprising when he said of receiver Anthony Armstrong on Monday that he wasn’t playing more because he can’t beat bump coverage. Shanahan said they have talked about this as well.
“He hasn’t been consistent off bump coverage,” he said. “For him to get more time you have to beat bump coverage. If you can’t beat bump coverage in the [NFL], then you start coaching.”
Hard to say if the Redskins have faced more press coverage than last year when Armstrong caught 44 passes and averaged 19.8 yards per catch. Regardless, this is one reason why Hankerson is playing ahead of him. Hankerson offers long-term potential and could become a playmaker. Shanahan said he will continue starting, incidentally.
6. It matters to London Fletcher that he not only wins, but does so here, especially at this stage of his career. He only has a couple more years left in the game, he wants to establish a legacy in Washington.
“I love playing in Washington,” he said. “I want to be a part of getting them back to the glory days. I want to help establish something to where when I leave this game and I’m sitting on my couch and I’m proud to say I was a Redskin because I helped established a new tradition, a new winning tradition. That’s the way I look at it. I don’t get caught up in all the other stuff.”
7. There’s no fraction between the offense and the defense based on the production of one and not the other. In truth, though, it’s not as if the defense is dominating teams; they’re just playing well enough to win games.
“Some guys are frustrated, but it’s a process,” corner DeAngelo Hall said. “[The offense] wasn’t jumping on our backs when we were 31st in the league last year, so it’s not right for us to jump down their backs now that they’re struggling. They’ve been hit with a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot of people who are playing that wasn’t slated to at the start of the season.”
Yes, that’s a theme this week. It’s a legitimate one, but it’s one that is being sounded loudly – in Sunday’s postgame session and again Monday.
Anyway, back to the D. Even Hall said though the defense is good it needs to do more.
“We need to get more turnovers,” he said. “We need to do a lot of things better to be considered great. We spent a lot of money, we brought in a lot of draft picks we had a lot of help getting this defense to be where it is.”
8. Shanahan said he did not know how severe right tackle Jammal Brown hurt his groin Sunday. His status will be updated later in the week. Receiver Niles Paul will miss a “couple week” with a turf toe, according to Shanahan. Paul played just one snap from scrimmage in Sunday’s loss to San Francisco. Meanwhile, Shanahan said he’s optimistic that running back Tashard Choice will practice this week.
9. Shanahan was not pleased with returner Brandon Banks’ decision to field a punt inside his own 5-yard line. Banks muffed the punt. “Those mistakes can’t be tolerated,” Shanahan said.
10. Then there was Trent Williams’ 15-yard personal foul that prompted Shanahan to take him out of the game temporarily.
“With Trent, I said [to him] the first mistake you made was in Philly,” Shanahan said. “It can’t happen a second time and it sure won’t be tolerated a third time. He’s too smart a guy… Hopefully next time he’ll keep his poise.”
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