Mike Shanahan likes vanilla.
The Washington Redskins coach doesn’t figure to make a splashy debut Friday vs. the Buffalo Bills. The starters probably will play a quarter or so, though Shanahan wouldn’t confirm anything. How much of the offensive gameplan will be on display during the preseason also is a mystery.
The scores are irrelevant. What matters over the next four games is the tackling, the offensive line, Donovan McNabb, Albert Haynesworth and the new 3-4 defense.
“It’s always exciting,” Shanahan said of his return after a one-season exile from the NFL.
Well, that’s one way to describe the preseason.
The Redskins — or what’s left of them from last season’s 4-12 debacle — are ready to try something new after battling amongst themselves in Ashburn for the past 15 days. Indeed, this will be the first live tackling for the defense, which is a little scary.
The offensive line certainly will be the central focus. Last year’s woeful unit has three new starters, including first-round left tackle Trent Williams. Can it protect quarterback Donovan McNabb and open running lanes with a new blocking scheme?
“I just want to see where we’re at as an offense,” center Casey Rabach said. “Face another defense. You can’t cheap-shot your own guys [in practice.]”
McNabb won’t be under siege from the home crowd for once. In his 12th preseason, there will be few new experiences aside from a friendlier bunch of fans — ironically at a FedEx Field that once was hostile to the former Philadelphia quarterback.
“The crowd cheers. The crowd boos,” McNabb said. “There probably won’t be as many boos here [compared with Philadelphia.]”
Give them time, Donovan. Eagles fans never appreciated McNabb even though he led them to five NFC Championship games. Maybe that’s because he lost four of those appearances. If McNabb repeats his erratic throws of practice against Buffalo, it won’t take Washington fans long to make the quarterback feel like he’s back in Philadelphia.
Haynesworth figures to receive his share of boos when he enters with the second unit. The nose tackle missed the first eight days of training camp — after skipping offseason workouts — before he finally passed the team’s conditioning test. Redskins fans have a long vengeful streak, and Haynesworth figures to be their new target.
Finally, how does the switch to the 3-4 defense work? Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett might flash a little more of the regular-season schemes than the offense, saying opponents usually know what to expect anyway.
Well, that would be one group that at least knows what might happen Friday. Everyone else remains unsure.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
