»  Offensive tackle Mike Williams (ankle) has a chance to play vs. New England, Zorn said. Williams hurt his ankle in practice last week. Running back Anthony Alridge (foot) remains day to day.

»  Zorn on the first-quarter unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on DeAngelo Hall, in which he hit a Pittsburgh receiver after an incompletion: “The guy had to throw it. DeAngelo leaned into him. He pulled off of him; he didn’t just wallop him. That’s something we have to learn. The officials have to take care of the safety of the player on the late hits, especially when the ball is uncatchable. He probably just crossed the line too much. It’s unfortunate.” Officials have designated plays such as this one as a point of emphasis this season.

»  Malcolm Kelly started opposite Santana Moss at receiver for one reason it appears: to run the post play on the first play from scrimmage. Zorn did not say that Kelly had somehow moved ahead of Devin Thomas on the depth chart for the No. 2 spot. Antwaan Randle El remains the slot receiver.

Player of Note » Dominique Dorsey, RB

Dorsey can’t say he didn’t have his chances. He ran the ball 11 times for 39 yards Saturday night and returned two punts for 24 yards. However, he showed his good and bad on a one 12-yard return. He dropped the ball, but also showed a burst up the right side. Which one matters more? First job: secure the ball.

Quarterback watch » Colt Brennan

Is last year’s summer sensation about to lose his spot as the No. 3 quarterback? It’s hard to imagine, despite what Chase Daniel showed Saturday night. But Brennan can’t assume that he’ll make the roster, either. He has not exactly had a great summer. He entered camp thinking he could get the No. 2 job, but there’s no way that will happen. Brennan made a bad decision on his interception Saturday, throwing into heavy coverage after staring down the receiver. Before then, he had a good drive going.

What we learned

»  Devin Thomas needed to compete harder for the ball that resulted in a Todd Collins interception. Thomas, with the defensive back a yard away, failed to adequately come back to the ball, allowing the interception. Collins did not exactly show a shotgun arm, but he has to be able to trust that the receiver will fight for the ball.

»  The Redskins will be creative with how they use Brian Orakpo and Albert Haynesworth. One play, Orakpo lined up at defensive tackle with Haynesworth on the outside. The rookie also ran two stunts and another time they showed blitz behind him, forcing the tight end and back to pick it up – and creating a lane for Orakpo. Andre Carter benefited, too. On the first play, he tipped a pass because he beat his man one-on-one.

»  The running game can still be good, provided the offensive line stays healthy. It makes a huge difference with a healthy Randy Thomas at right guard. The first group did a solid job on the ground against a top defense. The reason the Redskins did not score was not because of the line; Ladell Betts got stoned by former Redskin Ryan Clark and, a play later, Mike Sellers missed his block on a linebacker.

»  Despite the pressure applied by the front line, the Redskins’ first defense has yet to create a turnover. Could it have something to do with how deep the safeties play? Possibly. The late Sean Taylor used to play that deep, but his instincts for the ball were superior to LaRon Landry’s.