The Detroit Lions were interested in free agent safety LaRon Landry, but will have to search elsewhere for help in its secondary.

Landry has signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets for $4 million, according to The Jets Stream writer Manesh Mehta. The Lions previously expressed their interest Landry, but the Jets won his services for 2012.

Detroit has also expressed interest in Washington Redskins free agent safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, who will visit the Lions’ facility this week. If Detroit is interested in improving its secondary, the Lions might make a strong run and Atogwe this week.

Atogwe played in 13 games (eight starts) for Washington last season. He had 60 tackles and three interceptions. Atogwe has 99 career starts since 2005, 373 tackles and 25 interceptions.

Landry, 27, spent five NFL seasons with the Redskins before today’s signing. The hard-hitting safety played in only 17 games the past two seasons due to a nagging Achilles tendon injury. He is currently rehabbing a season-ending Achilles injury that has not needed surgery.

Overall, Landry has 291 tackles and four interceptions in his career.

Detroit recently hosted cornerback Jacob Lacey, but he left Allen Park without a contract.

The agency filed a $258,017 tax lien on Moss in Broward County Circuit Court in November, according to The Detroit News’ Robert Snell.

The lien, which has been posted online, says Moss and others owe back taxes from 2006.

Moss, an 11-year veteran, has spent seven seasons in Washington. He spent the first four seasons of his career in New York after being drafted by the Jets in 2001.

Moss and the Redskins were not immediately available for comment.

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(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington’s London Fletcher says it’s not difficult to name the best quarterback he’s ever faced: Tom Brady.

The Redskins linebacker is speaking from experience. He has never missed a game in 14 NFL seasons, has started two Super Bowls and played in two Pro Bowls. He has dueled top quarterbacks from Dan Marino to Aaron Rodgers.

“Tom Brady is better than all those guys,” Fletcher said of the New England Patriots’ three-time Super Bowl winner and two-time NFL MVP who visits FedEx Field for just the second time on Sunday. “Look at what he has done: three rings, all those wins. It doesn’t matter who his weapons are, he just keeps rolling.”

Redskins receiver Donte Stallworth was one of those weapons during New England’s perfect 16-0 regular season in 2007.

“It was always easy with him controlling everything,” Stallworth said. “He’s always the first one there early in the morning and he’s usually one of the last guys to leave. He’s very smart back there, very calm in the pocket. He makes a lot of plays.”

Fletcher and Stallworth weren’t the only Redskins with high praise for Brady.

Redskins nose tackle Barry Cofield started on the only team to beat Brady and the Patriots in a Super Bowl, the 2007 New York Giants, but he, too, raved about the man.

“You gotta hit him, you gotta harass him, you gotta bat balls, hopefully get an interception or two, maybe strip the ball,” Cofield said. “He’s a very tough guy. I’ve seen him take a lot of shots and he would pick himself up the next play and make a great throw on the very next play. The only way you can hurt Tom Brady is win.”

Fletcher has only beaten Brady twice in 13 meetings. Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and defensive end Stephen Bowen have yet to do so.

“The key is not letting him sit in the pocket,” said Bowen, part of a pass rush that’s tied for third in the league in sacks per attempt. “If he’s able to do that, he’s going to be able to tear us apart.”

Brady did that when he last faced the Redskins in 2007, directing a 52-7 dismantling of a defense that wound up ranked eighth and that led Washington to the playoffs.

“If he’s not the greatest, he’s gotta be in the top three,” Haslett said. “He’s poised, big, got an unbelievable arm, makes all the throws, can move enough to stay alive in the pocket, (his) leadership, understanding of the offense is outstanding. And he does it day-in and day-out.”

Redskins defensive end Adam Carriker said he’s looking forward to the challenge of facing one of the game’s best quarterbacks for the first time.

Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo is taking a more cautious approach to facing Brady.

“He’s a very smart quarterback,” Orakpo said. “All of a sudden, he’s calling out audibles. He’s great in preparation, great at attacking defenses. We have to be good with our pressure. We have to be tight in our coverages. Regardless if someone’s on a receiver, he’s throwing as if (the defender’s) not even there.”

Notes: Bowen is the Redskins’ winner of the Ed Block Courage Award. Bowen’s son Skyler died in July, 10 days after he and twin brother Stephen III were born four months premature. Last Sunday, less than nine hours before kickoff against the New York Jets, Bowen’s mother-in-law, Muriel Johnson, died at 59 of muscular dystrophy. Bowen, who had torn his left PCL the previous Sunday at Seattle, started as always, although he didn’t add to his career-high 4.5 sacks. . Strong safety LaRon Landry remained sidelined Thursday with the groin he injured at Seattle and is unlikely to play against New England. Newly signed defensive lineman Chris Baker also missed a second straight day with an injured quadriceps.

Williams and Davis were among 11 NFL players who failed drug tests at the start of training camp, immediately after the NFL lockout was lifted. But as part of the settlement between the NFL and the players’ union, those players received no punishment under a 30-day grace period granted players. During the four-month league shutdown, players were neither tested nor counseled about drug use.

Davis and Williams both failed an additional test during the season for recreational drugs, believed to be marijuana, according to people familiar with their cases. Under the settlement between the NFL and the union, the third positive test is being treated as a second offense, which carries a four-game suspension.

Both players allegedly failed tests for marijuana use some time earlier in their careers.

News of the suspension first broke Sunday, shortly before the Redskins’ 34-19 loss to the New York Jets at FedEx Field.

Davis, whose contract expires at the end of this season, was working with an attorney before the NFL issued its statement Tuesday afternoon to determine whether he could challenge the penalty. But he seemed to have little recourse. Because the suspension is part of a deal between the league and the union, he would have to challenge both if he went to court.

Davis’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has not responded to requests for comment.

Williams, according to one person who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, accepted the suspension after he and his representatives concluded they had no other choice except to fight both the NFL and the union. The Williams camp, the person said, was disappointed with the deal struck by the union, believing the final outcome should have been more lenient because of the circumstances of the lockout.

The Redskins confirmed the suspensions Tuesday afternoon, after the NFL issued its statement. Under league policy, neither player will be allowed to visit the team’s Redskins Park facility or take part in any team-related activities until the suspension is lifted immediately following the regular season. They also will be removed from the team’s 53-man roster.

Davis has career highs this season in catches (59) and yards (796). He is in the final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to be a restricted free agent after this season. He was supposed to make $600,000 this year but will likely lose $141,176 by missing the final four games.

Williams, the fourth pick in the 2010 NFL draft, was set to earn $7.852 million in the second year of his rookie contract. He stands to lose nearly $1.85 million.

Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan declined Monday to discuss the matter until he was notified by the league. Williams and Davis were at Redskins park Monday and participated normally in team activities, he said. Players had the day off Tuesday.

“Number one, there’s a strict, confidential protocol between the NFL and the players association, and I have not talked or spoken with the NFL thus far,” Shanahan said Monday. “Until I do, there’s not really anything I can say at this point. . . . I don’t want to go through those scenarios — hypothetical situations — until I know for sure what the NFL and the players association has agreed to.”

Staff writers Rick Maese and Barry Svrluga contributed to this report.

The Washington Redskins’ defense has ranked among the NFL’s leaders in sacks this season, but came away from the 34-19 loss to the New York Jets without a single one.

It marked the first time all season that the Redskins – who had averaged three sacks a game — have not recorded at least one sack.

New York quarterback Mark Sanchez struggled with his accuracy on Sunday, completing only 19 of 32 attempts for 165 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn’t because of the pressure the Redskins applied.

In fact, Washington recorded only one hit on Sanchez, which was credited to defensive end Stephen Bowen. (Kevin Barnes appeared to have a sack on Sanchez, but the officials blew the whistle a split-second earlier to stop the play for a false start).

“That’s one of the big reasons why we lost, especially on defense,” said rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who leads the Redskins’ with 6.5 sacks. “We weren’t able to get any pressure. We got close a couple of times, but we weren’t able to finish the deal. That’s disappointing. They did get rid of the ball quickly sometimes, but still we’ve got to get there as pass-rushers.”

Kerrigan came close to sacking Sanchez, but missed narrowly. At one point in the third quarter, with the Jets backed up to their own 5-yard line, Kerrigan came around behind Sanchez, who had the ball cocked back to throw. Kerrigan reached out to either strip the ball or grab the quarterback. But Sanchez slipped further forward in the pocket and completed a 6-yard pass.

“I thought I had him for sure, and he just kind of wiggled away there. That’s a play I’ve got to make,” Kerrigan said. “I think he was just getting it out quickly and we weren’t getting there as rushers. We weren’t seeing anything that we hadn’t seen on film. … We looked at the numbers coming in and thought we matched up very well. Unfortunately, we didn’t take advantage.”

More Redskins football:

Barnes upset over penalty

Fletcher leads NFL in tackles

Redskins’ biggest 2011 moments

The Washington Redskins returned to their losing ways on Sunday against the New York Jets, falling by a final score of 34-19.

The loss is Washington’s seventh in eight games, bringing their overall season record to a dismal 4-8. 

Another week, another demoralizing game for the Redskins, who are welcoming Tom Brady and the New England Patriots next week in an attempt to salvage a .500 season.

Despite the fact that the Jets came into this game off a victory against the Bills, by no means did they look strong. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter when the Redskins collapsed, adding another lowlight to an already dismal year.  

Washington Redskins punter Sav Rocca was hopeful that the second-quarter injury that he suffered isn’t too serious, although it hampered his efforts during the second half.

Rocca injured his left ankle midway through the second quarter, when New York Jets linebacker Garrett McIntyre ran into him shortly after Rocca got off a 37-yard punt.

Rocca walked with a noticeable limp the rest of the game and he struggled to get as firm a plant with his left foot.

“I think it’s just a bit of a slight strain of the ankle. We haven’t assessed it just yet,” said Rocca, who this season has averaged 44.5 yards per punt. “I was restricted a little bit [in the second half]. I couldn’t get all of my power into the ball. Every time I planted, it was sore.”

In a colossal fourth-quarter collapse, the Washington Redskins
gave up three touchdowns in just more than three minutes Sunday to fall, 34-19, to the New York Jets
at FedEx Field.

A week after snapping a six-game losing streak with an impressive fourth-quarter comeback against the Seattle Seahawks, the Redskins couldn’t maintain their offensive rhythm and finish strong against the Jets.

The Redskins teased the mostly burgundy-clad crowd of 74,121 by opening the game with an authoritative drive and held the lead until late in the fourth quarter.

But by the second Jets touchdown of the fourth quarter, Redskins fans started heading for the exits. As New York running back Shonn Greene ripped off a 25-yard touchdown run with 1 minute 47 seconds left, a couple of thousand Jets fans, who outlasted their Redskins counterparts, let out a Jets chant that rocked the stadium.

“It’s frustrating. You come out in the second half and I think we had three series of three-and-outs,” Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said after the game. “On offense, we had a chance to get the momentum of the game and we didn’t. . . . They got the touchdown but we were still in the football game. I’m just disappointed the way we finished.”

As if suffering their eighth loss of the season wasn’t enough for the Redskins, reports surfaced shortly before kickoff that starting tight end Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams face suspensions for the remainder of the season for failing drug tests.

Shanahan said after the game that he hadn’t yet received word on the suspensions and would comment at a later time. But the team kept the locker room closed long enough for Davis and Williams — who both played against New York — to gather their belongings and leave before reporters were permitted to conduct interviews.

The suspensions are yet another stroke of misfortune for a team already short-handed with seven players on injured reserve. With its remaining schedule, Washington, which has had just two winning seasons in the last 12 years, appears headed toward its third consecutive losing campaign.

As he has for much of this season, Davis provided one of the few bright spots for Washington’s offense against the Jets. He recorded six catches for 99 yards and fell just 53 yards shy of setting the team’s single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end (849 yards).

The Redskins also leaned heavily upon rookie Roy Helu. The rookie running back rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, and had four catches for 42 yards.

In addition to their strong defensive effort, the Redskins stayed in front of the Jets by virtue of three field goals from Graham Gano, who would add a fourth late in the game. Washington led 16-13 with 7:52 left to play after Gano drilled a 46-yard field goal.

But the Redskins’ fortunes changed on the kickoff that followed. Gano — known for his strong leg on kickoffs — was instructed to send a shorter, high-arching kick the Jets’ way in hopes that an upback would bobble the ball and fumble or be stopped for a short gain deep in New York territory. But Gano didn’t get a clean hit on the ball and the kick traveled only to the Jets 20-yard line.

In Week 13 of the 2011-12 NFL season, the Washington Redskins are coming off a comeback victory against the Seattle Seahawks. That win moved the Redskins to 4-7, but more importantly, it snapped a six-game losing streak for the Skins.

The Redskins are playing not for their playoff hopes, but for respect and pride. They are a young team that is coming together and trying to prove that they should be part of the foundation that Coach Mike Shanahan is building in D.C.

The Redskins want to prove that moving forward to 2012, they will be a better team. They need to show their fans that they will be more competitive. The Detroit Lions finished their season strong last year with a four-game winning streak, and that confidence helped them to put together a solid season this year.

While Redskins fans want to look forward to the draft and play for the highest draft pick, these players will not give up this season. A characteristic of Redskin teams has been their fight. The Redskins are playing to win against the New York Jets, and will not be satisfied with a loss.

As the game reaches halftime, both teams are still very much in the game. In such a close game, every mistake becomes magnified. It is key for each team to limit mistakes and attempt to force the other team into them.

Here are the five adjustments the Washington Redskins must make to win the game.

1. Give the Ball to Roy Helu

The Redskins have had great success running the ball with Roy Helu. He has been gashing the Jets defense for over 50 yards and a TD.

Keep on giving him the ball! Helu is the most explosive player on offense. It is foolish not to give him as many touches as possible.

2. No Turnovers Rex!

Against the stellar cornerbacks of the New York Jets, it is important to take what they give you. Rex Grossman cannot give the Jets extra possessions by turning the ball over.

Grossman already got one interception wiped away thanks to an illegal contact penalty, but he cannot count on being bailed out every time.

Grossman has been terrible with ball protection in the second half this season.  Since reclaiming the starting job, Grossman has thrown three interceptions in the six-second half quarters.

It’s no coincidence that Grossman didn’t throw an interception in the fourth quarter  late in the game versus the Seahawks, and the Redskins won.

3. Pressure Mark Sanchez

The Redskins defense must get more pressure on Mark Sanchez. He has had all day to throw in the pocket, and is slinging lasers across the football field.

Unleash Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo! They need to be blitzing more in order to rattle Sanchez and force him into incompletions and mistakes.

If the Redskins do not get more pressure, Mark Sanchez will continue his great accuracy and pick apart the defense.

4. Get the Defense off the Field

The defense has been unable to get off the field. The Jets have been having sustained drives which tire the defense out.

The Jets have been running the Redskins ragged. The Redskins need to force the Jets to give up the ball and not allow them to get first down after first down.

5. Keep Controlling the Ball

The Redskins need to continue their “ground and pound” game. That can’t happen unless they run the ball with Helu, and the Redskins defense steps up and gets off the field.

Ball control is a key component of the Redskins philosophy. They need to chew up clock with the ground game and limit the Jets’ opportunities to score.

The Washington Redskins will play host the New York Jets, looking to put together a two-game win streak for the first time since the second week of the season.

Washington enters the game with an 8-1 advantage over the Jets in the nine times the two franchises have met.

Some fast facts for today’s game:

Wide receiver Santana Moss needs one touchdown catch to record his 35th as a member of the Redskins, which would tie him with Ricky Sanders for seventh on the franchise’s all-time list.

Moss needs 20 receiving yards to tie Bobby Mitchell for fourth on the all-time list with 6,492.

Moss has 622 receptions, which ranks 10th among active players. He is tied for ninth among active players with 54 touchdown receptions during his 11-year career.

Roy Helu has a chance to become the first Redskins rookie running back to post back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since Reggie Brooks did it in Weeks 10 and 11 in 1993.

Helu enters this game with 38 receptions, which leads all NFL rookie running backs this season.

With a 300-yard passing game today, Rex Grossman has a chance to post back-to-back games of at least 300 yards for the first time in his career.

Linebacker Brian Orakpo, who enters the game with six sacks, has a chance to record a sack in back-to-back games for the first time since Weeks 6 and 7 of the 2010 season.

Rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan enters the game ranked second in the NFL with four forced fumbles. The four forced fumbles already are a Redskins’ rookie record. With a fifth forced fumble, Kerrigan would tie Ken Harvey (1995) and Bruce Smith (2000) for second-most in a single season in team history.

Tight end Fred Davis enters the game boasting a career-high single-season receiving yards total (697), which ranks fourth among NFL tight ends this season.

Punter Sav Rocca has 21 punts inside the 20 yard line, third most in the NFL.

Receiver Anthony Armstrong, who last week had a 50-yard touchdown catch, needs 32 receiving yards to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for his career.

One more win and the Washington Redskins are probably out of next year’s top 10 draft picks. Obtaining quarterback Andrew Luck was never possible, but taking Matt Barkley or Landry Jones would also become increasingly improbable if the Redskins draft after the opening eight selections.

Without a chance at a top passer, the Redskins may take the best player available like they did with linebacker Ryan Kerrigan last spring. There’s nothing wrong with adding good players like Kerrigan, but the Redskins really need a passer to build around over the next few years.

If Grossman finishes well, Shanahan might wait a round or two for a quarterback to develop or simply wait one more year.

And come October 2012 when Grossman slumps, everyone will wonder how the Redskins kept themselves in such a mess.

Yikes.

Certainly the Redskins could use their top pick for a right tackle, receiver, cornerback or even safety if they don’t re-signing LaRon Landry. If Washington gets someone as good as Kerrigan, that’s a real plus.

But Washington can’t seriously rebuild without obtaining a franchise passer. Maybe it’s Barkley or Jones; maybe they’re busts like Heath Shuler. They are no guarantees, but the Redskins haven’t possessed a long-term passer since Mark Rypien departed in 1994. The revolving door behind center continues to lead to mediocre teams.

While some debate whether Mark Sanchez is a franchise quarterback, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan rightly says a long-term passer is everything.

“I think it’s huge,” said Ryan, whose Jets play the Redskins on Sunday at FedEx Field. “It’s a quarterback-driven league. Generally, if you hit on that position, you’re going to be set for 10 years. That’s where I think we are. “

Shanahan always believes he can create greatness among passers. Certainly he has a solid history with John Elway, Jay Cutler and even Jake Plummer. Grossman is Shanahan’s guy.

“I think [Grossman's] even more confident now,” Shanahan said. “You can see just by playing [and] kind of just by getting in the flow of the football season. You know you don’t have OTAs and you come in and Rex wasn’t able to go in the first week and I think you just become more comfortable with yourself, more comfortable with defenses [and] more comfortable just playing in game situations.”

Grossman will be a free agent and a big finish might bring an outside offer that would force Washington into drafting a quarterback. For now, Grossman’s simply getting through each game.

“Each week in itself is so important to me, personally, throughout my whole career,” he said. “Every week is an audition. Even if you did have a huge contract, things happen fast in this league. You could be the greatest player in the world for three weeks and you have a couple bad games and you’re the worst and vice versa. I try to concentrate on each week as being the only week I’m concerned about.”

Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email rsnider@washingtonexaminer.com.

Roy Helu’s individual brilliance on his 28-yard touchdown run in last Sunday’s victory served as the exclamation point on the his breakout game. The Washington Redskins‘ rookie running back hurdled a cornerback, bulldozed a safety and then raced to the end zone for a fourth-quarter touchdown that will be replayed for years to come.

Even Helu had to see it for himself.

“That was cool. That was fun,” he said Wednesday. “I did watch it again, I admit that. I didn’t have much to do the last couple of days, so I watched it.”

Helu’s teammates won’t hold that against him. His 108 yards sparked a toothless running attack that had deteriorated in recent weeks into one of the NFL’s worst. And with quarterback Rex Grossman coming off two improved performances, the Redskins‘ offense finally has some positive momentum entering Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.

“We’re just getting in that rhythm again,” tight end Fred Davis said. “Having Helu out there running like he did last week, it definitely helps out a lot. He takes off the pass rush and sometimes the play action can get started back up again. It helps out in a lot of ways.”

The Redskins‘ offense has scored at least 23 points in consecutive games for the first time since Mike Shanahan became coach. They averaged a season-high 6.4 yards per play against Seattle last week. Balance was key. They ran 29 times and passed 35, the narrowest split of the season.

Play action, a staple of coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s offense, was particularly effective. Grossman completed 6-of-7 play-action passes on the opening touchdown drive, including the touchdown itself.

That, in turn, opened the game for Helu by keeping the linebackers and safeties from selling out against the run.

“Any time you can do a few things to counteract them that looks like run, where you can attack certain holes and soften some people up to get people not just teeing off in one aspect of the game — I think it helps out all the spots,” Kyle Shanahan said. “Not just the run game, but the pass rush and it keeps those safeties back, makes guys think twice before they shoot their guns.”

For as spectacular as Helu’s touchdown run was, his emergence began during the first two drives on runs you won’t see on the highlights. In a span of five carries, he gained 33 yards — 20 of them after contact.

He is a determined runner with sufficient quickness to prevent tacklers from always getting a clean shot.

“The biggest key in NFL backs, which you can see with Roy on Sunday, was when you get hit for nothing on 1 yard — do you fall forward for 3 yards or do you fall back for 0 yards?” Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s really been finishing runs well the last couple of weeks.”

That is one reason Mike Shanahan endorsed him this week as the starter. Now that he knows his assignments better, both on run plays and in pass protection, he could have the final five games to prove he’s talented enough to be a long-term contributor.

The Redskins have won all three games in which they’ve rushed for more than 100 yards, so Helu’s success likely will mirror the team’s.

Grossman, meanwhile, is confident after posting passer ratings of 95.5 and 96.6 in consecutive weeks. He threw three interceptions in that span but also four touchdowns, including the 50-yard game-winner last week.

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Washington Redskins starting linebacker London Fletcher, defensive end Stephen Bowen, starting fullback Darrel Young and backup receiver Terrence Austin all are questionable for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, according to the team’s injury report.

Fletcher is nursing a sprained ankle, while Bowen has a torn PCL, Young a concussion and Austin a strained hamstring.

Young passed all of the baseline tests to return from a concussion and took some reps in practice Friday. Coach Mike Shanahan said he would be evaluated in Saturday’s practice and then a determination would be made on whether he will play Sunday.

Starting strong safety LaRon Landry has been ruled out with a groin injury.

Probable for Sunday’s game are right tackle Jammal Brown (hip), receiver Jabar Gaffney (foot), safety DeJon Gomes (knee), quarterback Rex Grossman (left shoulder), guard Maurice Hurt (knee), linebacker Brian Orakpo (ankle), receiver Niles Paul (toe) and receiver Donte Stallworth (foot).

For the Jets, offensive lineman Mike DeVito (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. The team listed all of the following players as probable: running backs Shonn Green (rib) and LaDainian Tomlinson (knee), defensive lineman Marcus Dixon (shoulder), receiver Jeremy Kerley (knee), linebacker Calvin pace (groin), defensive back Brodney Pool (knee) and offensive linemen Nick Mangold (ankle) and Matt Slauson (knee).

The Washington Redskins announced Friday that in accordance with a new NFL policy, they will begin using hand-held metal detector wands to search fans entering FedEx Field, beginning Sunday against the New York Jets.

It is expected to take slightly longer to enter the stadium because of the searches and fans are encouraged to arrive earlier.

“The enhanced security system is part of the continued and comprehensive effort to ensure safety for all fans at FedExField,” Redskins Senior Vice President Tony Wyllie said in a statement. “Using metal-detecting wands is less invasive and fans won’t have to unzip or remove clothes in colder weather.”

Fans will be required to remove their keys, change, cell phones and other metal objects from their pockets before they are screened by security workers with metal detection wands.