Players decide to work rather than take day off ASHBURN — The story goes that Mike Shanahan told the players they had Monday off, only to have team leaders — notably London Fletcher — tell him thanks but no thanks. They wanted to work. And the legend started to grow: the Redskins, a team of hungry players devoted to winning.
Well, it’s not completely true. It’s also not completely false. And to the players, the point remains the same. This is a different season, regardless of outside perception. After a season-opening 28-14 win over the Giants, the Redskins’ confidence is starting to get rewarded.
Yes, 15 games remain. Yes, the Redskins have won their opener seven times since 2000, yet have posted winning records only twice in that time. But the players say this year is different and Sunday’s win showed the difference.
| Notes |
| » 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 July 28. He has 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. |
| » |
| 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.” |
| » Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan avoided a cut block not only on his 9-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.” |
“Since I’ve been here, this is the best team I’ve been on,” Fletcher said. “It’s not just because we beat the Giants. It’s a feeling I felt in training camp.”
That’s why Fletcher said he didn’t want a day off Monday, as is customary around the league — though not always early in the season. Before Shanahan could say they should report, Fletcher told the coach in the postgame locker room that they didn’t need a day off. Tight end Chris Cooley said Fletcher wasn’t the only one saying they didn’t want the day off, which to him speaks to the bigger picture about leadership.
“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.”
Of course, Fletcher wanted to remind everyone the Redskins are only 1-0, the same as last year en route to a 6-10 season. They still have issues, such as offensive line depth, that could become important later in the season. The running game hasn’t been consistent — it has been big plays or short gains — since training camp opened.
“It’s still a lot of work to be done,” receiver Santana Moss said.
But Cooley said nobody wants to diffuse any sort of excitement building in the locker room.
“I don’t think anyone needs to pump the brakes,” Cooley said. “Everyone needs to continue to build on the excitement and continue to build on the confidence. Obviously we’re not going to go into a game and overlook an opponent. We need to go into games and say, ‘We’re going to win this game,’ not ‘We can play with these guys.’?”
That’s what running back Tim Hightower said about his former team, Arizona, on Monday.
“I want to win this game,” Hightower said. “We’re going to win this game. This one means a lot to me.”
Players say that sort of attitude helped prevent a negative swing in the fourth quarter when the Giants returned a Rex Grossman fumble to the Washington 27-yard line. But instead of disaster, it turned into a blocked field goal attempt.
“Last year, that turnover would easily have turned into a touchdown,” Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. “The mindset is different.”
