ASHBURN, Va. – The move from the St. Louis Rams to the Washington Redskins has brought some new additions to Canadian Oshiomogho Atogwe’s Incredible Hulk collection.

Along with the 12 or so green Hulk figurines that take up much of the shelf space in Atogwe’s locker, there’s also a drawing made by Atogwe’s wife, Jill. It depicts the veteran safety from Windsor, Ont., as the notorious comic book and movie character fending off symbols of all three of the Redskins’ NFC East rivals — pushing over a cowboy dressed in blue, stomping on a giant with “NY” dog tags and clutching an eagle in his left hand.

There’s also an unusual red version of the Hulk sitting in the next locker over, the one that belongs to fellow safety LaRon Landry.

“That’s him,” said Atogwe, nodding toward Landry. “The Red Hulk’s craaazy. Craaaaaaaaazy.”

Atogwe and Landry are the backside of the Redskins secondary, the ying-and-yang duo meant to improve a defence that ranked 31st last year. The pairing got off to a slow start because of injuries to both during training camp, and Sunday’s game at St. Louis — when Atogwe returns to the city where he played for six seasons — will mark just their second game together.

“They’re two different-type guys,” defensive co-ordinator Jim Haslett said. “One’s kind of high-strung. One’s level-headed, relaxed.

“But they work together well. They talk. They sit together in meetings, They talk through plays. I think it’s a good mixture.”

In case there’s any doubt, Atogwe is the level-headed half, acquired as a free agent in a five-year, US$26-million deal signed just before the NFL lockout began in March. Sitting at his locker, he’s as calm as the mild-mannered Dr. David Banner, the scientist who transforms into the Hulk.

“I guess that’s why I was attracted to it,” Atogwe said. “There’s two sides to the Hulk.

“Every football player has two sides to him — the way you are on the field, the way you are off the field. You ain’t the same guy.”

Landry, of course, is the exception.

“This guy,” said Atogwe, again looking at Landry, “is crazy all the time.”

Atogwe became a fan of the Hulk as a youngster, and his comic books collection runs into the thousands. He’ll happily give you a quick review of the recent Hulk movies, but he dropped a 1980s TV reference by saying: “When you think of the Hulk, you think of Lou Ferrigno.”

For most of his time in St. Louis, Atogwe was a bright spot on a bad team. He was the Rams’ MVP in 2009 and considered a solid locker-room leader. Before he left, he gave out parting gifts derived from comic books — cornerback Justin King got the Nightcrawler, cornerback Bradley Fletcher received the Juggernaut.

“O.J. put everything into comic books,” said King, using the nickname Atogwe prefers to be used only by his friends. “He was fun that way.”

Atogwe said he’s looking forward to Sunday’s game, but that there’s no bad blood with his old team. It wouldn’t be his style to say so anyway.

“He’s very smart,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “He likes to play and he’s very accountable.

“He’s a team leader both on and off the football field. You like people that prepare themselves every week and he’s one of those guys.”

NOTES — Three players were limited in practice Thursday, and each has a hamstring injury: WR Anthony Armstrong, S DeJon Gomes and FB Darrel Young. … Rookie LB Ryan Kerrigan was selected as the NFL defensive rookie of the month for September. The first-round pick’s highlight was the interception he returned for the go-ahead touchdown in Week 1 against the New York Giants.

There’s also an unusual red version of the Hulk sitting in the next locker over, the one that belongs to fellow safety LaRon Landry.

“That’s him,” said Atogwe, nodding toward Landry. “The Red Hulk’s craaazy. Craaaaaaaaazy.”

Atogwe and Landry are the backside of the Redskins secondary, the ying-and-yang duo meant to improve a defense that ranked 31st last year. The pairing got off to a slow start because of injuries to both during training camp, and Sunday’s game at St. Louis — when Atogwe returns to the city where he played for six seasons — will mark just their second game together.

“They’re two different-type guys,” defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said. “One’s kind of high-strung. One’s level-headed, relaxed. But they work together well. They talk. They sit together in meetings, They talk through plays. I think it’s a good mixture.”

In case there’s any doubt, Atogwe is the level-headed half, acquired as a free agent in a five-year, $26 million deal signed just before the NFL lockout began in March. Sitting at his locker, he’s as calm as the mild-mannered Dr. David Banner, the scientist who transforms into the Hulk.

“I guess that’s why I was attracted to it,” Atogwe said. “There’s two sides to the Hulk. Every football player has two sides to him — the way you are on the field, the way you are off the field. You ain’t the same guy.”

Landry, of course, being the exception.

“This guy,” said Atogwe, again looking at Landry, “is crazy all the time.”

Atogwe became a fan of the Hulk as a youngster, and his comic books collection runs into the thousands. He’ll happily give you a quick review of the recent Hulk movies, but he dropped a 1980s TV reference by saying: “When you think of the Hulk, you think of Lou Ferrigno.”

For most of his time in St. Louis, Atogwe was a bright spot on a bad team. He was the Rams’ MVP in 2009 and considered a solid locker-room leader. Before he left, he gave out parting gifts derived from comic books — cornerback Justin King got the Nightcrawler, cornerback Bradley Fletcher received the Juggernaut.

“O.J. put everything into comic books,” said King, using the nickname Atogwe prefers to be used only by his friends. “He was fun that way.”

Atogwe said he’s looking forward to Sunday’s game, but that there’s no bad blood with his old team. It wouldn’t be his style to say so anyway.

“He’s very smart,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “He likes to play and he’s very accountable. He’s a team leader both on and off the football field. You like people that prepare themselves every week and he’s one of those guys.”

Notes: Three players were limited in practice Thursday, and each has a hamstring injury: WR Anthony Armstrong, S DeJon Gomes and FB Darrel Young. … Rookie LB Ryan Kerrigan was selected as the NFL defensive rookie of the month for September. The first-round pick’s highlight was the interception he returned for the go-ahead touchdown in Week 1 against the New York Giants.

___

AP Sports Writer R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis contributed to this report.

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP)—The move from the St. Louis Rams to the Washington
Redskins has brought some new additions to Oshiomogho Atogwe’s(notes) Incredible Hulk
collection.

Along with the dozen or so green Hulk figurines that take up much of the
shelf space in Atogwe’s locker, there’s also a drawing made by Atogwe’s wife,
Jill. It depicts the veteran safety as the notorious comic book and movie
character fending off symbols of all three of the Redskins’ NFC East rivals—
pushing over a cowboy dressed in blue, stomping on a giant with “NY” dog tags
and clutching an eagle in his left hand.

There’s also an unusual red version of the Hulk sitting in the next locker
over, the one that belongs to fellow safety LaRon Landry(notes).

“That’s him,” said Atogwe, nodding toward Landry. “The Red Hulk’s
craaazy. Craaaaaaaaazy.”

Atogwe and Landry are the backside of the Redskins secondary, the
ying-and-yang duo meant to improve a defense that ranked 31st last year. The
pairing got off to a slow start because of injuries to both during training
camp, and Sunday’s game at St. Louis—when Atogwe returns to the city where he
played for six seasons—will mark just their second game together.

“They’re two different-type guys,” defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said.
“One’s kind of high-strung. One’s level-headed, relaxed. But they work together
well. They talk. They sit together in meetings, They talk through plays. I think
it’s a good mixture.”

In case there’s any doubt, Atogwe is the level-headed half, acquired as a
free agent in a five-year, $26 million deal signed just before the NFL lockout
began in March. Sitting at his locker, he’s as calm as the mild-mannered Dr.
David Banner, the scientist who transforms into the Hulk.

“I guess that’s why I was attracted to it,” Atogwe said. “There’s two
sides to the Hulk. Every football player has two sides to him—the way you are
on the field, the way you are off the field. You ain’t the same guy.”

Landry, of course, being the exception.

“This guy,” said Atogwe, again looking at Landry, “is crazy all the
time.”

Atogwe became a fan of the Hulk as a youngster, and his comic books
collection runs into the thousands. He’ll happily give you a quick review of the
recent Hulk movies, but he dropped a 1980s TV reference by saying: “When you
think of the Hulk, you think of Lou Ferrigno.”

For most of his time in St. Louis, Atogwe was a bright spot on a bad team.
He was the Rams’ MVP in 2009 and considered a solid locker-room leader. Before
he left, he gave out parting gifts derived from comic books—cornerback Justin
King(notes) got the Nightcrawler, cornerback Bradley Fletcher(notes) received the Juggernaut.

“O.J. put everything into comic books,” said King, using the nickname
Atogwe prefers to be used only by his friends. “He was fun that way.”

Atogwe said he’s looking forward to Sunday’s game, but that there’s no bad
blood with his old team. It wouldn’t be his style to say so anyway.

“He’s very smart,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “He likes to play and he’s
very accountable. He’s a team leader both on and off the football field. You
like people that prepare themselves every week and he’s one of those guys.”

Notes: Three players were limited in practice Thursday, and each has a
hamstring injury: WR Anthony Armstrong(notes), S DeJon Gomes(notes) and FB Darrel Young(notes). …
Rookie LB Ryan Kerrigan(notes) was selected as the NFL defensive rookie of the month
for September. The first-round pick’s highlight was the interception he returned
for the go-ahead touchdown in Week 1 against the New York Giants.

AP Sports Writer R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis contributed to this report.

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

A review of the best and worst performances by the Washington Redskins‘ defense and some observations after rewatching the TV broadcast of their 18-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

GAME BALLS

CB Josh Wilson:Wilson finally showed why the Redskins were compelled to sign him to a three-year, $13.5 million free-agent contract. He was exceptional in coverage and was credited with four pass breakups. He attributed the breakout game to his expanded knowledge of the defense. He said this was the first game in which he was capable of making some of the defensive calls. Wilson also was more confident challenging routes in front of the safety tandem of LaRon Landry and Oshiomogho Atogwe, he said.

He broke up two passes intended for TE Jason Witten. On the first, he read that Dallas QB Tony Romo was throwing short to his side, so he came off his receiver, who was running deep, and drove on the route in the flat. Wilson in the second half also broke up a low fade intended for TE Martellus Bennett in the end zone. The next step for Wilson is turning some of those pass breakups into interceptions, but this was a big step forward.

DE Stephen Bowen: Against his former team, Bowen stood out on a defensive line that played well as a whole. When the starting inside linebackers are Washington’s two leading tacklers, as they were Monday night, it’s an indication the entire line did its job of keeping offensive linemen off them.

Bowen consistently anchored at the line of scrimmage and even penetrated the backfield on a few runs. He ignited the Redskins‘ goal-line stand in the fourth quarter by getting off the ball lower than LG Bill Nagy on first down from the 2-yard line. He pushed Nagy into the backfield and stopped a draw for a 3-yard loss. On Dallas’ next series, he got to LT Doug Free’s play-side shoulder on a run to the right, chased the play from behind and limited RB Tashard Choice to 1 yard. On the down side, Bowen didn’t consistently generate significant pressure when he rushed the passer during nickel situations.

SS LaRon Landry: Landry positively impacted several plays, which is typical for him. But considering he hadn’t fully participated in a practice since November, his game was extremely impressive. His wipeout hit of WR Laurent Robinson in the first half will be on his retirement highlight reel. Landry has elite closing speed, and his read of the play’s direction was spot on. He also deserves credit for making a legal hit. He led with his shoulder, driving it into Robinson’s chest. There was no chance for a personal foul.

Landry gave the Redskins‘ offense a golden scoring opportunity by forcing a fumble in the first quarter. His speed and power made the play. He rallied to the ball out of his blitz and, after CB Kevin Barnes missed tackling WR Kevin Ogletree, jarred the ball loose with a strong form tackle.

Landry did OK helping to cover TE Jason Witten, although he did surrender an 18-yard gain to Witten on an intermediate in route. Landry’s conditioning was a negative in the second half, and he had to receive intravenous fluids at one point, but that will improve as he returns to football shape.

NT Chris Neild: More props here to the defensive line. Neild didn’t dramtically change the game, but he played his role very well. His tireless effort is undeniable. One first-quarter play stood out. Dallas ran a screen pass to TE Martellus Bennett on the left. Cowboys C Phil Costa blocked Neild to the ground 4 yards in the backfield, but Neild got up and sprinted 10 yards back into the play and made the tackle. Later, on first-and-10 early in the third quarter, Neild stood up LG Bill Nagy at the line of scrimmage, and RB DeMarco Murray ran directly into Nagy’s back. The result: no gain. Neild continues to improve his technique and leverage, and that is allowing NT Barry Cofield to sit out some first- and second-down snaps and stay fresh for nickel situations.

GASSERS

CB DeAngelo Hall: For the second straight week, one gigantic negative play taints what otherwise was a good game by Hall. Redskins coaches put him in a challenging position by isolating him on WR Dez Bryant on third-and-21 late in the game, and the Pro Bowler did not make the necessary play. Hall on Wednesday admitted that he misplayed the improvised route that Bryant ran after Dallas picked up the Redskins‘ eight-man blitz and QB Tony Romo waived Bryant downfield. Hall turned the wrong way to the sideline, and Bryant worked to the open middle of the field. If the Redskins had gotten off the field there, they would have won the game.

OBSERVATIONS

Speaking of the eight-man front/Cover Zero defense, I wrote about that for Wednesday’s paper. Click here for that breakdown.

Story Continues →

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© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

DeJon Gomes (24) celebrates after the defense stopped Tampa Bay.
(John McDonnell – THE WASHINGTON POST)
The Washington Redskins will be thin at the safety position on Sunday with LaRon Landry still sidelined with a strained hamstring and Kareem Moore on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Usual backup Reed Doughty will start at strong safety in place of Landry, and offseason addition Oshiomogho Atogwe plans on playing although he is listed as “questionable” with a hamstring injury on the team’s injury report.

If one of those veterans goes down or needs a breather, rookie safety DeJon Gomes will be ready to take the field and help his team in whatever way possible.

Drafted in the fifth round out of Nebraska, Gomes is coming off of a strong preseason that saw him post a team-high 14 tackles and a sack. And so, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Hayward, Calif., native and his coaches have confidence that he can get the job done if needs be.

“He’s looked pretty good. We feel good about him,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “He can play both the strong safety and the free safety position. He has a lot of speed and upside. He’s still a rookie, but I think he’s handling everything and he’s very sharp.”

Gomes, meanwhile, isn’t getting overly excited about his NFL debut. He’s eager to play, but he has managed to remain focused on preparing for his assignments rather than focus on the magnitude of possibly playing in the regular season opener.

“My mindset is the same as any other guys in my situation,” Gomes said. “In football, you’re one or two plays away from getting on the field, so you’ve got to prepare like you’re going to be starting and if something does happen, God forbid, then you go out there and do what you’ve done all week in practice. … I know the system pretty well, but there are still things to iron out. [safeties] coach [Steve] Jackson and the other coaches have been teaching me a lot, so it’s been a good experience.”

Mike Shanahan handed down his long-awaited quarterback decision this week and, by the width of a chinstrap, Whatshisname (Rex Grossman) won out over That Other Fella (John Beck).

This might be the single biggest cause for alarm in Shanahan’s second year as the Washington Redskins‘ overlord: He’s still getting the QB situation sorted out. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but is the 2012 starter even on the roster, or are Grossman and Beck merely passers pro tempore (as they say in the halls of Congress)?

After all, last anyone checked, quarterback was the most important position on the field — exponentially more important than most others (which will remain nameless because, well, we don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, especially the long snapper’s). Yet the Redskins might be spending less on QBs than any team in the NFL. They’re certainly spending less than any team in their division. Combined, Grossman and Beck reportedly will make a little over $2 million this season, about 2 percent of the cap. When was the last time a club won much of anything by devoting 2 percent of its cap to the most important position in the game?

Shanahan will be left open to all kinds of uncomfortable questions if Grossman and Beck fail to measure up, the first one being: Uh, Mike, don’t you tend to get what you pay for in this league? But again, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because we still have a season to play — beginning in three days against the New York Giants — and it’s always possible Shanny’s bargain-basement approach will prove a master stroke. There’s a first time for everything.

We all know Shanahan’s track record with Steve Young and John Elway — and even Brian Griese, Jake Plummer and Jay Cutler. He’s a coach who gets the most out of his quarterbacks, provided they’re willing to give themselves over to his system. Donovan McNabb wasn’t last year, and that’s why he’s in Minnesota. But Grossman and Beck seem much more pliable, perhaps because they’ve hit the Big Three-O and may be out of options. If it doesn’t work out here for them, it may never work out.

But as a wise man once said: You can’t put in what God left out. Shanahan may be a schematic Einstein — and his son, Kyle, the Stephen Hawking of play callers — but every quarterback has his ceiling. Griese, Plummer and Cutler may have put up some nice numbers in Denver, but what, ultimately, did it amount to? One playoff victory in his last decade? Heck, even the Redskins have had one playoff victory in the last decade.

No, it’s all a bit puzzling. Shanahan is saying, “Trust me,” but fans are much more inclined to trust their own eyes. And what they’ve seen in Grossman over the years is a thoroughly ordinary quarterback whose highs don’t nearly compensate for his lows. As for Beck, the pro football world is just getting to know him; he’s been in mothballs the past three seasons. He moves well and conducts himself like the Eagle Scout he is, but there isn’t much else that stands out about him.

Don’t get me wrong, it would be a great story if either quarterback was the long-term solution in Washington. Grossman, remember, started in the Super Bowl for the Chicago Bears at the age of 26 — before getting lost in the NFL wilderness. Beck, on the other hand, has been a virtual invisible man since breaking into the league with Miami in 2007. So you have the redemption angle going for Rex, the late-bloomer angle going for John, all sorts of angles in play.

Doug Williams was a redemption story, once upon a time — and Joe Theismann was the classic late bloomer. In other words, it’s happened in Redskinsland before. But do Grossman and Beck really have that potential? Or is Rex just another nothing-special quarterback off the Steve Spurrier assembly line – and John just an alluringly athletic mediocrity better suited to backup duty?

What Shanahan seems to be forgetting is that Redskins Nation has waited an eternity for a franchise quarterback, one capable of being a fixture for five or 10 years and bringing some much-needed stability to the organization. The last one was Mark Rypien in the ‘90s, or maybe Theismann in the ‘80s, depending on how you define these things. For too long, the most important position on the field has been a merry-go-round — from Heath Shuler to Patrick Ramsey to Jason Campbell (and all the QBs in between).

There’s a craving for a quarterback in Washington, the kind who can cover up a club’s deficiencies and be the rising tide that lifts all teammates. It takes a real leap of faith, though, to believe that Grossman or Beck can be that QB. Which means there’s a good chance that, 16 games from now, we’ll be back in the same place, wondering once again who the Redskins‘ quarterback of the future is.

© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Film study has been a “little weird” this week for Washington Redskins’ nose tackle Barry Cofield.

For the first time in his six-year career, Cofield is studying the guys in blue. In July, after five straight seasons with the New York Giants – they selected him in the fourth round of the 2006 draft – Cofield left the Giants to sign a six-year, $36 million with the Washington Redskins.

Cofield has shifted from defensive tackle in the Giants’ 4-3 defense to nose tackle in Washington’s defense, and on Sunday, Cofield’s first game in a Redskins uniform will be played against his former team.

“I’m excited. Like I said, I definitely am looking forward to it,” said Cofield, who last season recorded 54 tackles and four sacks for the Giants. “Coming into a new defense, I had a lot to learn and had to put my excitement on hold. But now we’re officially starting, I’m focused, the whole team is focused and we’re looking forward to starting a new era of Redskins’ football.”

Cofield’s last game as a Giant was a 17-14 victory over the Redskins at FedEx Field when he recorded four tackles. At the time, he didn’t have any idea that his 2011 season would start on the same field, but on the opposite sideline.

“I didn’t know. I knew I had done the right things on the field to have opportunities to play everywhere,” Cofield said. “I thought there’d be some offers, and the Redskins came with a great one. I love the scheme we have, I love the team and I’m excited about 2011.”

The Redskins targeted Cofield to play nose tackle, which defensive coordinator Jim Haslett calls the most important position in his 3-4 system.

Cofield hasn’t played nose tackle on a full-time basis since college, and with the Giants, he lined up over center only a handful of times. But Cofield’s former coach expects him to have as much impact for the Redskins as he did for the Giants.

“He can play in any system,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said in a conference call Wednesday afternoon. “It’s always a blow when you have a player of that quality that you can’t keep in your program. Barry was a very outstanding player for us for a lot of years. Very smart, very efficient, very strong. Did everything you asked him to do. He was a great anticipator, so it’s always a blow if you lose a player of that quality, but it is what it is.”

Cofield has a degree of familiarity with the Giants’ offense from having gone up against it in practice everyday, but he has noticed that New York has made some modifications. So he has studied for the Giants just like he would any other opponent. Cofield does plan to use his knowledge of his former fellow defensive lineman to help Washington’s offensive players.

“Every weakness that they have I’m going to share with my new teammates,” Cofield said with a smile. He said, however, that he remains close to his former teammates off the field, but that those friendships will be set aside for a couple of hours on Sunday.

“I don’t expect too much interaction pregame,” Cofield said. “After the game I’ll hug everybody. Everybody on the roster gets a hug. But leading up to the game and the 60 minutes during the game, I don’t expect much interaction. It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be physical, a game in front of our home fans, and it’s going to be a fight until the clock strikes zero.”

Washington Redskins running back Ryan Torain(notes) hasn’t been able to practice for two weeks due to a broken left hand.

A team source tells the Washington Post that the 25-year-old has been “cleared by doctors to resume football related activities and will begin taking handoffs.”

However, it still isn’t totally clear when Torain, who rushed for 742 yards and four touchdowns last year, will take the field for some actual action in a preseason game, the paper reports.

Don’t forget to follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: Washington Post

Related: Washington Redskins

WASHINGTON (AP)—The Washington Redskins haven’t piled up so many yards in
a preseason game since the great Steve Spurrier debut in Japan.

And everyone knows how that turned out.

Still, a good start is better than a poor one, and coach Mike Shanahan and
the Redskins definitely deserve a trending arrow that points upward after Friday
night’s 16-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

No turnovers. No sacks allowed. No new injuries. Only three penalties. A 3-4
defense that actually suits the players on the field. An offensive line that
looks more comfortable in the zone blocking scheme. Promising first steps by Rex
Grossman(notes) and Tim Hightower(notes) in their respective bids for starting spots.

But, for a good reality check, all one has to do is remember Spurrier’s
first time out, when the Redskins outgained the San Francisco 49ers 479-186 in
the 2002 American Bowl in Japan, a game that turned out to be the high point in
the ol’ ball coach’s otherwise calamitous two years in Washington.

The yardage numbers from Friday are eerily similar: 452-186. Another thing
the two games have in common: The Redskins used their starters considerably more
than the other team.

Shanahan had most of his first-teamers playing the entire first half, while
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had his backups on the field before the first quarter
was over. Santana Moss(notes) caught more passes (seven) than he did in last year’s
four preseason games combined (six).

So there’s no need to celebrate. September is miles away.

“I think we did some good things,” said nose tackle Barry Cofield(notes), the new
anchor of the defensive line. “We’ve still got a long way to go. There was some
miscommunication out there—that’s how they got the runs they got. There’s
obviously some work to do, but for the first time out and all the circumstances
that surrounded this, I think we did pretty well.”

Grossman helped his cause by completing 19 of 26 passes for 207 yards and a
touchdown while his competition, John Beck(notes), sat out with a groin injury.
Hightower also benefited from an absent rival, carrying 10 times for 44 yards
while Ryan Torain(notes) recovers from a broken hand.

Brandon Banks(notes) showed he can still be an explosive kick returner despite his
recent knee problems. Graham Gano(notes) made all three of his field goal attempts to
take a huge lead over Shayne Graham(notes), who missed twice.

Third downs again plagued the offense, despite the yardage total. The
Redskins ranked next-to-last in third-down conversions last year and were only 5
for 14 against the Steelers. Of course, every preseason stat is skewed because
so many backups are playing and the final score doesn’t matter.

“Still like to get in the end zone a few more times,” Shanahan said. “But
overall, pleased with the effort.”

The worst Redskins news of the night had nothing to do with the game.
Shanahan announced that tight end Chris Cooley(notes) could be sidelined at least
another two weeks with a sore left knee. Cooley had surgery on the knee during
the offseason.

“He’s had it drained a few times, and that’s not good,” Shanahan said.

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Still, a good start is better than a poor one, and coach Mike Shanahan and the Redskins definitely deserve a trending arrow that points upward after Friday night’s 16-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

No turnovers. No sacks allowed. No new injuries. Only three penalties. A 3-4 defense that actually suits the players on the field. An offensive line that looks more comfortable in the zone blocking scheme. Promising first steps by Rex Grossman and Tim Hightower in their respective bids for starting spots.

But, for a good reality check, all one has to do is remember Spurrier’s first time out, when the Redskins outgained the San Francisco 49ers 479-186 in the 2002 American Bowl in Japan, a game that turned out to be the high point in the ol’ ball coach’s otherwise calamitous two years in Washington.

The yardage numbers from Friday are eerily similar: 452-186. Another thing the two games have in common: The Redskins used their starters considerably more than the other team.

Shanahan had most of his first-teamers playing the entire first half, while Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had his backups on the field before the first quarter was over. Santana Moss caught more passes (seven) than he did in last year’s four preseason games combined (six).

So there’s no need to celebrate. September is miles away.

“I think we did some good things,” said nose tackle Barry Cofield, the new anchor of the defensive line. “We’ve still got a long way to go. There was some miscommunication out there — that’s how they got the runs they got. There’s obviously some work to do, but for the first time out and all the circumstances that surrounded this, I think we did pretty well.”

Grossman helped his cause by completing 19 of 26 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown while his competition, John Beck, sat out with a groin injury. Hightower also benefited from an absent rival, carrying 10 times for 44 yards while Ryan Torain recovers from a broken hand.

Brandon Banks showed he can still be an explosive kick returner despite his recent knee problems. Graham Gano made all three of his field goal attempts to take a huge lead over Shayne Graham, who missed twice.

Third downs again plagued the offense, despite the yardage total. The Redskins ranked next-to-last in third-down conversions last year and were only 5 for 14 against the Steelers. Of course, every preseason stat is skewed because so many backups are playing and the final score doesn’t matter.

“Still like to get in the end zone a few more times,” Shanahan said. “But overall, pleased with the effort.”

The worst Redskins news of the night had nothing to do with the game. Shanahan announced that tight end Chris Cooley could be sidelined at least another two weeks with a sore left knee. Cooley had surgery on the knee during the offseason.

“He’s had it drained a few times, and that’s not good,” Shanahan said.

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

LANDOVER, Md. — As John Beck nursed his strained groin on the sideline, Rex Grossman jogged to the end zone for his first in-game audition for the Washington Redskins‘ starting quarterback job. A punt from the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ Daniel Sepulveda had pinned the first-string offense at its own 1-yard line and a collective groan seemed to emerge from the 68,320 fans at FedEx Field.

Unfazed, Grossman took the first snap, faked a handoff and connected with Santana Moss on a skinny post. The Redskins marched all the way to the Pittsburgh 13, where Shayne Graham missed his first field goal attempt with the team. While the drive failed to put Washington on the board, it did give Grossman an impressive first jab in his fight for the starting job.

“I felt about as comfortable as I’ve ever felt in this offense tonight,” he said. “Everything kind of slowed down for me a little bit and for whatever reason, it just felt really comfortable for me.”

Grossman, new running back Tim Hightower and the first-team defense all played deep into the first half Friday night as the Redskins upended the defending AFC Champion Steelers 16-7 in the preseason opener. Santana Moss caught Washington’s lone touchdown pass in the first half while Graham Gano added a trio of field goals. The Redskins notched 452 total yards, their most in the preseason since Aug. 3, 2002 against San Francisco.

Offensive numbers aside, head coach Mike Shanahan was most pleased with his team’s effort on defense and all-around focus on the field. Washington held Pittsburgh to just 186 total yards and committed only three penalties.

“There’s got to be a great concentration level to eliminate those penalties and I thought we had that,” he said. “To eliminate those types of mistakes, a lot of people have to be thinking the same thing … hopefully we keep on doing that.”

With Beck out, Grossman and Kellen Clemens split repetitions under center. Grossman played the entire half and finished 19 of 26 for 207 yards and one touchdown, while Clemens completed 9 of his 17 passes for 105 yards. John Beck did not play but will almost certainly play next Friday against Indianapolis.

“Could he have played? Yeah, but it would’ve been a risk,” Shanahan said. “The groin was so tight, we felt like if he would go full speed he would pull it. [But] if it was a regular season game, would we have taken the chance? I’m not sure.”

While many of Pittsburgh’s starters were pulled after the first series, Grossman comfortably picked apart the defense and received praise from teammates after the game for his poise in the pocket. Nine of his passes were directed toward Moss, who caught seven of them for 64 yards — including the touchdown.

“He’s, in my opinion, a quarterback’s best friend. He understands where the holes are in the defense and he broke some routes off hot knowing that protection was bad,” Grossman said.

Hightower also meshed well with his new team after joining the Redskins less than two weeks ago. The former Arizona Cardinal averaged 7.0 yards per carry in Washington’s first possession and finished with 44 yards on 10 carries in the game. Most importantly, he felt like he “[got] into a pretty good rhythm” and fit in with team’s one-cut running scheme.

“Well normally with running backs you can’t evaluate them until you put them in a game situation,” Shanahan explained. “I felt very good about Hightower when we traded for him; he didn’t disappoint me today.”

“I love it man, I love this system,” Hightower echoed. “I feel like I’m right where I need to be.”

The new-look Redskins defense also played well, though most of their action came against the Steelers‘ backups. Stephen Bowen had a sack in his first game as a Redskin, while Ryan Kerrigan and Barry Cofield combined for a nice stop on a 3rd-and-1 in the second quarter. They did, however, surrender a sloppy 22-yard touchdown run by backup running back Isaac Redman. Redman broke one tackle and spun around another to get to the outside and tie the game.

Washington’s special teams unit was iffy, providing both highlights and lowlights in the game. Graham hurt his chances at the kicking job by shanking a 29-yard attempt wide left after the first drive and then another 45-yarder later in the game. Gano, meanwhile, converted all three of his field goal attempts from 32, 34 and 45 yards.

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ASHBURN,Va – In the final practice before Friday’s preseason opener against the Steelers, the Redskins ran a relatively light practice, with the team not wearing pads and going over situational drills. 

Here are some tidbits from Wednesday morning’s practice.

• Mike Shahanan was quite vocal today in practice. About twenty minutes into team drills, he saw something he didn’t like and called a huddle for the entire team. He apparently didn’t like the pace at which the team was performing at on both sides of the ball, and had to give a bit of a pep talk. In the later portion of practice, when the offense was working on the four minute offense, Tim Hightower chose to stay in bounds and fight for extra yards rather than go out of bounds to preserve clock time. Shanahan again stopped the drill, talking to the team about the importance of getting out of bounds in those situations. 

• After practice, Shanahan explained the need to stress getting out of bounds: “Sometimes in a four-minute offense you have people standing in bounds. We had to use the [play] clock all the way down to the last seconds…Just different situations that occur in games that you want to refocus your team on.” 

• Niles Paul might have a lesser draft pedigree than Leonard Hankerson, but he is making the most of his opportunities. From what I’ve seen, Paul has made nearly every catch thrown his way, and is really making his case for being on this roster come Week 1. He has made the tough catches look routine, in addition to making the routine catches look, well, routine. Hankerson on the other hand? Another drop today. Just saying.

• It’s always entertaining watching special teams drills off to the side in the early going of practice. One of the prime reasons is because special teams coach Danny Smith is one of the more entertaining people you’ll ever see. Smith was getting to know his new punter, Sav Rocca during the jugs drills. He was asking him plenty of questions regarding his upbringing in Australia, with Rocca filling him and the rest of the specialists in on how he grew up. Smith later went on to bring a young fan onto the field to help with the jugs machine, with longsnapper Nick Sundberg cheering him on as he pumped footballs to Rocca and Gano/Graham. A nice gesture, in my eyes.

• What was the fallout of Rex Grossman’s comments about the team’s chances this year? There was none, to be honest. The team is lockstep with his beliefs, and that shouldn’t be surprising. What are they supposed to say? That they’re going to stink? Of course not. There are a number of players on the team that are about as confident as Grossman about their chances. It would have been a bigger story if they had said they thought they were going to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. 

• There were a number of players who cramped up during practice, most notably Jarvis Jenkins and Josh Wilson. Both of them were looked at and stretched out by a trainer, but they eventually came back onto the field. Just a part of camp.

Read More: Ryan Kerrigan (LB – WAS), Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins received some good news and bad news on the injury front for Monday’s practice at training camp. First, the good news: rookie Ryan Kerrigan finally got on the field. The Redskins’ linebacker had not practiced since suffering a hyperextended knee injury on July 29, but was finally on the field on Monday.

Via Ryan O’Halloran of CSN Washington:

Rookie outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan practiced fully Monday morning for the first time since hyper-extending his knee on July 29.

Wearing a bulky brace, Kerrigan participated in 11-on-11 drills with the first-team defense.

“I’m sure he’s not 100 percent but it was nice to see him back in the swing of things,” coach Mike Shanahan said.

The bad news, though, is that free safety O.J. Atogwe missed practice with a hamstring injury. It may not be that serious, but it’s yet another nagging injury to add to the ever-growing list.

For more on Washington Redskins training camp, visit that StoryStream. For more on the Redskins, visit Hogs Haven.

ASHBURN,Va – This morning Redskins Park was not only the site of a training camp practice, it was also the home of the team’s annual ‘Fan Appreciation Day’, as thousands of fans made their way to the team’s training facility. Fans were treated to the team’s band and cheerleading squad before the players came onto the field. 

As for the actual practice, it was the first one this training camp that the players were in full shoulder pads rather than shells. That in addition to the fan presence this morning led to a more lively practice that featured as much intensity and physical play as there’s been all camp so far. 

John Beck tweaked his groin when running out of bounds. He said afterward that it wasn’t too serious and he expects to get back on the field next practice. 

Here are a couple quick hits from today’s practice: 

Leonard Hankerson has another solid day: I thought Leonard Hankerson had an underrated but solid day today. Not only in 11-on-11 drills did he perform, but also during the one-on-one drills between receivers and defensive backs. It was really fun watching all the matchups between he and DeAngelo Hall, as they found themselves going up against each other on a number of plays. Hankerson was able to create separation in one-on-one drills against Hall, who attempted to jam Hankerson at the line several times but was unable to do so successfully (without illegally grabbing him). When Hall was in off coverage, Hankerson ran precise routes a few times in front of Hall and was able to go up and make some solid 10 to 15 yard catches. None of them were flashy catches, but they are the type of catches that a good possession receiver, something the team hasn’t had in a number of years, is able to do to keep drives alive.

Offensive line depth taking shape: With Jamaal Brown not at practice because he was attending a funeral and with Clint Oldenburg suffering from an illness, newly signed Sean Locklear wound up taking first team reps today. Locklear is an interesting signing, as he is a former starter for the Seahawks and brings plenty of experience to the backup tackle spot. Last summer he was coached by Alex Gibbs, Mike Shanahan’s old offensive line coach, so he should be plenty comfotable with the zone blocking scheme. Shanahan spoke about the Locklear signing after practice today.

“He’s played tackle in a number of different systems, both in the zone system and the power system,” Shanahan said.”[He's a ] good athlete. Glad to have him on our football team.”

Ryan Kerrigan changes number, still didn’t practice: Ryan Kerrigan came out this mornign sporting Vonnie Holliday’s old number of 91. Unfortunately for Kerrigan, it didn’t change his luck ii relation to his knee injury. The Redskins top draft pick was unable to participate again in team drills in practice, and has now been limited in seven straight practices. With the Redskins rookies already being behind the eight ball due to the lockout, it especially hurts Kerrigan, an expected Week 1 starter, trying to get as many reps as possible to get comfortable with the system. After practice he didn’t seem to be all that concerned about how long he’d be out for.

“It’s something that’s going to take a little bit of time and hopefully it can get through it quick,” Kerrigan said. When asked if he would be available to play in next week’s preseason opener against the Steelers, he simply said “I hope so”. 

Shanahan also wasn’t very worried about Kerrigan’s availability for the game.

“I’m not worried about that but hopefully he will be able to make it,’ Shanahan said. “We’ll see how the knee is on Monday, [and] see if he practices on Monday”