After months spent dispelling any semblance of suspense from their draft plans, the Washington Redskins finally selected Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick in this year’s draft. Three rounds later, the Redskins put some suspense back in their offseason by drafting yet another quarterback in Kirk Cousins.

Experts bemoan the potential for quarterback controversy, but closer inspection reveals forward thinking.

It is difficult to argue in favor of the move to draft Cousins given the needs along the offensive line and in the defensive secondary. However, the Redskins didn’t draft Cousins for the simple luxury of having two rookie quarterbacks.

The Redskins drafted Cousins to push Griffin and show enough to catch the eyes of needy teams around the league.

One of the most talked about free agent moves, aside from the courting of Peyton Manning, was the fate of former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn. Flynn’s NFL film reel consists of 82 completions, nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

He earned a three-year, $26 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks based on the potential he showed in a six touchdown performance in the final game of the 2011-2012 regular season against the Detroit Lions.

It may be argued that Flynn’s big performance was a fluke and that the Lions didn’t really have much to play for at that point in the season. That might explain a great performance, but not the exceptional performance he turned in, even against the 11th worst pass defense in the NFL.

Flynn isn’t the only backup that has earned a big deal based on his relief performances. Kevin Kolb received similar attention during the 2011 offseason.

Kolb appeared in 19 games with seven starts for the Philadelphia Eagles, producing 2,082 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Teams were apparently willing to forgive his inconsistency, evidenced by the offseason interest showed by Cleveland, Denver and Arizona.

The Cardinals ultimately gave up cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie a second round pick to acquire Kolb from Philadelphia.

Cousins, like Kolb and Flynn, will be viewed as a potential future starter in the NFL and the Redskins are looking to cash in on that potential.

The ESPN analysis crew, Trent Dilfer in particular, made a big deal about the creating of unnecessary quarterback controversy with the pick. It may have been a questionable pick from a need standpoint, but it doesn’t take anything away from what the Redskins drafted Griffin to do for the franchise.

Mike Shanahan has a reputation for developing quarterbacks and perhaps Cousins is a pet project of his.

Worst-case scenario. Griffin struggles mightily or sustains an injury that puts Cousins in position to start ahead of fan favorite Rex Grossman. Cousins may struggle himself, but it would be expected from a fourth-rounder and teams would forgive him, especially considering the unpolished nature of the offense heading into the season.

Best-case scenario, Cousins has a good preseason showing and gets the chance to show his mettle in mop-up duty during the regular season.

In the event of the latter, the Redskins have the makings of serious trade bait in a league that is perpetually desperate for franchise quarterbacks. In the event of the former, the Redskins have a project passer with enough skill to hold the fort until the next franchise passer comes along.

Washington can’t afford to miss the mark with Griffin, but Cousins gives them a temporary safety net should the unthinkable become a harsh reality.

Drafting Cousins, however questionable it may be in the face of so many other needs, is not a move that undermines Griffin as the future of the franchise. The Redskins gave up a lot for Griffin, and Cousins gives them a prospect that they can mold and potentially trade in an effort to recover picks in future drafts.

The Redskins are thinking long-term with their selection of both Griffin and Cousins, but the end-game with Cousins is recouping losses, not leading the team.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rex Grossman is returning to the Washington Redskins for a one-year deal, fully expecting to spend the season helping groom Robert Griffin III.

Grossman told ESPN 980 on Saturday that he’s fully aware the Redskins are going to draft a quarterback – probably Heisman Trophy winner Griffin – with the No. 2 overall pick next month. But Grossman said he wants to remain a part of the team and play a part in its turnaround after another last-place season.

Grossman won the starting job out of training camp last year, was benched for John Beck after five games, then later regained the No. 1 spot. He threw 16 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions and had a 72.4 rating as the Redskins finished 5-11.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

By
Nancy Kercheval
-

Sun Mar 18 04:00:01 GMT 2012

Quarterback Rex Grossman agreed to
a one-year contract with the Washington Redskins, who are
expected to take Baylor University’s quarterback Robert Griffin III as the second pick in the National Football League draft.

Grossman, 31, a nine-year veteran, said the prospect of
Griffin starting the season as quarterback didn’t discourage him
from agreeing to terms.

“I’m a firm believer in seeing things through, and I
wanted to be a part of this team in any way possible regardless
of what my role is, and help it get back on track,” Grossman
told the Washington Post.

Last season, he passed for 3,151 yards, 16 touchdowns and
20 interceptions in 13 games. The Redskins ended the season with
a 5-11 record.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Grossman earned
$810,000 last season, the Post said.

The Redskins completed a trade to move up to second pick
from sixth in the draft. The Indianapolis Colts are expected to
take Stanford University quarterback Andrew Luck as the first
selection, leaving Heisman Trophy winner Griffin.

“They’re definitely taking a quarterback with the second
pick of the draft,” Grossman said. “It’ll probably be RGIII,
unless for some unexpected reason the Colts take him. But
whether it’s RGIII or Luck, either way, I know that quarterback
is going to be the franchise quarterback at some point.”

To contact the reporter on this story:
Nancy Kercheval in Washington at
nkercheval@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

WASHINGTON (AP) Rex Grossman is returning to the Washington Redskins for a one-year deal, fully expecting to spend the season helping groom Robert Griffin III.

Grossman told ESPN 980 on Saturday that he’s fully aware the Redskins are going to draft a quarterback – probably Heisman Trophy winner Griffin – with the No. 2 overall pick next month. But Grossman said he wants to remain a part of the team and play a part in its turnaround after another last-place season.

Grossman won the starting job out of training camp last year, was benched for John Beck after five games, then later regained the No. 1 spot. He threw 16 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions and had a 72.4 rating as the Redskins finished 5-11.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Redskins’ record is a matter of perspective.

Steve Spurrier infamously proclaimed 5-11 was “not very good” after his 2003 season with Washington. He quit the next day, done with the NFL after two years and a 12-20 record.

Mike Shanahan’s spin couldn’t be more different.

“Even though the record may not show it,” Shanahan said Monday, “we’re a much better football team than we were a year ago.”

The Redskins regressed from 6-10 to 5-11 this year, so Shanahan’s mark in two seasons in Washington stands at 11-21. He’s never had a worse full-season record as a head coach, and Washington has now finished in last place in the NFC East for four years running.

“Thank God I haven’t been through any like this before — I might not be in this profession very long,” Shanahan said. “But it’s something that really drives you and motivates you. It’s something that I look forward to doing, putting a great football team together and doing it the right way, and sometimes it takes a little bit longer than sometimes expected.”

Shanahan cited the team’s improved depth as evidence that he has the Redskins pointed in the right direction. Even so, there are significant upgrades needed at receiver, in the secondary, along the offensive line and in a special teams unit that had five blocked field goals this year — the most allowed by a team in the NFL in eight years.

But it all starts and ends with the quarterback, and Shanahan needs to find one.

After failing to make it work with Donovan McNabb last year, Shanahan made the bold statement that he was staking his reputation this season on Rex Grossman and John Beck. Grossman ended up committing 25 turnovers in 13 games, and Beck lasted for all of three winless starts.

“I don’t care what anybody says, I know what I can do and I know what I’m capable of — and I know that I will achieve it,” Beck said Monday before stuffing his belongings into a large clear plastic bag at his locker. “I thought it was going to happen this year. It didn’t. But it’s going to happen. I’m not going to let it not happen.”

Grossman’s self-confidence was just as strong. While Beck is under contract for next season, Grossman is a free agent — but it’s possible he could be brought back to mentor a quarterback taken in the first round of the draft.

“There’s a lot of things that I can do to improve,” Grossman said. “But definitely there was a lot of good, and we’ll see how they evaluate it.”

Shanahan has already starting looking for someone else. For weeks now, he has been spending about a half-hour in the mornings looking at video of the top college prospects. The Redskins hold the No. 6 overall pick in the April draft.

“Everybody’s looking for a franchise quarterback,” offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “You want one of those guys that there’s no question about. There’s probably only about five or six of them in the league. Then there’s a lot of guys who can play and there’s some guys who need to be replaced. You’re always trying to find that one and (we’re) still working to do it.”

The Redskins’ noteworthy free agents include linebacker London Fletcher, safety LaRon Landry, tight end Fred Davis, defensive end Adam Carriker and running back Tim Hightower. Shanahan said Fletcher is a priority to re-sign, while Landry’s value is subject to his return from a left Achilles injury and Davis has just completed a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drugs policy. Davis was one of three Redskins players suspended this season, the latest black eye for the franchise.

But the Redskins, being the Redskins, couldn’t wrap up the season without one final bit of consternation. Shanahan, as is his usual routine, gave his parting words to the players in the locker room Sunday after the final game. On Monday, with the coach not even in the room, the players heard from Navy SEALs and a marine as part of a program mandated by the NFL.

While many players said they found the presentation inspiring and that it helped them put football in perspective, backup offensive lineman Sean Locklear tweeted that it was the “Worst exit meeting ever!” because no coaches or front office people spoke. He later went back on Twitter to apologize.

“I talked to Sean after the game and, obviously, he must not have liked my speech,” Shanahan said with more than a touch of sarcasm. “Obviously he must have been disappointed in it. I’ve only been doing it that way for a number of years, and he must be used to a different way. So I apologize, Sean, it’ll never happen again — at least not with me.”

——

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

Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan issued a public challenge Monday to left tackle Trent Williams, saying the 2010 first-round draft pick needs to continue his on-field development and demonstrate improved commitment and maturity following his drug-related suspension. The coach also said he sees a change in tight end and /free-agent-to-be Fred Davis, who also ended the season on a four-game suspension for failing multiple drug tests.

A dejected Trent Williams after the Redskins lost to to the Dallas Cowboys 18-16 on Sept. 26 in Arlington. (Toni L. Sandys/Washington Post)Williams was the first draft pick of Shanahan’s tenure as head coach of the Redskins. Washington selected him fourth overall out of Oklahoma, and Williams this season was picked as one of the team’s offensive captains.

Shanahan said that Williams showed improvement both in his play and his work ethic this season. But the failed drug tests put a dark cloud over any positives Williams produced this year.

“He’s got to be smart enough to understand that if you disappoint your football team like you did, you’d better come back with a passion and the drive to do what we need him to do, especially being the fourth pick of the draft,” Shanahan said. “We know the talent he has, we know he’s a likeable guy. I was pleased with his work ethic coming into his second year, how he was playing, but he’s got to prove that he can do it on a day-to-day basis and set the standard for our football team and our organization.”

Davis, meanwhile, is eligible for free agency after playing the final season of the contract he signed as a second-round draft pick in 2008. Davis had a breakout year this season, recording 59 receptions for 796 yards in 12 starts – all career highs. He also had three touchdown catches.

He and Williams were among 11 NFL players who failed drug tests for recreational marijuana use following the end of the league’s lockout. Only Williams and Davis continued to fail drug tests over the course of the season.

Davis likely has hurt his chances of earning a lucrative, long-term deal. One more failed drug test would result in a one-year suspension for him. (The same goes for Williams, but he is under contract for next year).

But Shanahan said that he isn’t judging Davis more harshly because of the suspension.

“Fred made a mistake. We sat down and talked about his mistake. I do feel very good about Fred as a person,” the coach said. “I like the way he worked, I like his attitude. I like his development over the last year-and-a-half since I’ve been here. I think he’s had a complete change in the way he handles himself off the field, to preparing himself to be a consummate pro, to working out, and hopefully the mistake won’t happen that he made this year.”

ASHBURN, Va. (AP)—The Washington Redskins’ record is a matter of
perspective.

Steve Spurrier infamously proclaimed 5-11 was “not very good” after his
2003 season with Washington. He quit the next day, done with the NFL after two
years and a 12-20 record.

Mike Shanahan’s spin couldn’t be more different.

“Even though the record may not show it,” Shanahan said Monday, “we’re a
much better football team than we were a year ago.”

The Redskins regressed from 6-10 to 5-11 this year, so Shanahan’s mark in
two seasons in Washington stands at 11-21. He’s never had a worse full-season
record as a head coach, and Washington has now finished in last place in the NFC
East for four years running.

“Thank God I haven’t been through any like this before—I might not be in
this profession very long,” Shanahan said. “But it’s something that really
drives you and motivates you. It’s something that I look forward to doing,
putting a great football team together and doing it the right way, and sometimes
it takes a little bit longer than sometimes expected.”

Shanahan cited the team’s improved depth as evidence that he has the
Redskins pointed in the right direction. Even so, there are significant upgrades
needed at receiver, in the secondary, along the offensive line and in a special
teams unit that had five blocked field goals this year—the most allowed by a
team in the NFL in eight years.

But it all starts and ends with the quarterback, and Shanahan needs to find
one.

After failing to make it work with Donovan McNabb last year, Shanahan made
the bold statement that he was staking his reputation this season on Rex
Grossman and John Beck. Grossman ended up committing 25 turnovers in 13 games,
and Beck lasted for all of three winless starts.

“I don’t care what anybody says, I know what I can do and I know what I’m
capable of—and I know that I will achieve it,” Beck said Monday before
stuffing his belongings into a large clear plastic bag at his locker. “I
thought it was going to happen this year. It didn’t. But it’s going to happen.
I’m not going to let it not happen.”

Grossman’s self-confidence was just as strong. While Beck is under contract
for next season, Grossman is a free agent—but it’s possible he could be
brought back to mentor a quarterback taken in the first round of the draft.

“There’s a lot of things that I can do to improve,” Grossman said. “But
definitely there was a lot of good, and we’ll see how they evaluate it.”

Shanahan has already starting looking for someone else. For weeks now, he
has been spending about a half-hour in the mornings looking at video of the top
college prospects. The Redskins hold the No. 6 overall pick in the April draft.

“Everybody’s looking for a franchise quarterback,” offensive coordinator
Kyle Shanahan said. “You want one of those guys that there’s no question about.
There’s probably only about five or six of them in the league. Then there’s a
lot of guys who can play and there’s some guys who need to be replaced. You’re
always trying to find that one and (we’re) still working to do it.”

The Redskins’ noteworthy free agents include linebacker London Fletcher,
safety LaRon Landry, tight end Fred Davis, defensive end Adam Carriker and
running back Tim Hightower. Shanahan said Fletcher is a priority to re-sign,
while Landry’s value is subject to his return from a left Achilles injury and
Davis has just completed a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drugs
policy. Davis was one of three Redskins players suspended this season, the
latest black eye for the franchise.

But the Redskins, being the Redskins, couldn’t wrap up the season without
one final bit of consternation. Shanahan, as is his usual routine, gave his
parting words to the players in the locker room Sunday after the final game. On
Monday, with the coach not even in the room, the players heard from Navy SEALs
and a marine as part of a program mandated by the NFL.

While many players said they found the presentation inspiring and that it
helped them put football in perspective, backup offensive lineman Sean Locklear
tweeted that it was the “Worst exit meeting ever!” because no coaches or front
office people spoke. He later went back on Twitter to apologize.

“I talked to Sean after the game and, obviously, he must not have liked my
speech,” Shanahan said with more than a touch of sarcasm. “Obviously he must
have been disappointed in it. I’ve only been doing it that way for a number of
years, and he must be used to a different way. So I apologize, Sean, it’ll never
happen again—at least not with me.”

———

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

Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher officially made four tackles in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, giving him 166 on the season, which remains a league high.

The second-most prolific tackler this season, Minnesota’s Chad Greenway, finished the year with 152 tackles.

Fletcher’s critics say part of the reason why he has such a high tackle total is because Washington’s offense is so poor, and thus, he is on the field more.

Fletcher disagreed with that notion saying he would still find a way to make plenty of tackles even if Washington’s defense was on the field less.

“I’m going to make plays regardless of whether I’m on the field a lot or not,” the 36-year-old Fletcher said. “If you look back, we were the fourth-ranked defense, up there leading the league in tackles or close to it. I’ve been on defenses ranked second in the league, making lots of tackles then. Playmakers make plays, regardless of how much they’re on the field.”

Fletcher let out a smile following his response.

As the 14th-year veteran enters the offseason, his contract with the Redskins is set to expire. He has previously maintained, however, that he wants to return to Washington, and Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett have both said re-signing Fletcher ranks as the highest priority for the defense.

Fletcher on Sunday said his future was the furthest thing from his mind, however.

“I’m still frustrated, thinking about losing 11 ballgames. When you don’t win, it frustrates you. That’s the only thing you can think about. Losing. You replay the game over and over in your head at night. I ask myself what could I have done more to help this team win games. That’s really where I’m at.”

The Philadelphia Eagles have nothing at stake against the Washington Redskins on Jan. 1. Eagles fans like myself can only root for a .500 record that is completely misleading to how 2011 really went – and a loss doesn’t seem likely to get Andy Reid fired anyway. The Redskins have nothing to play for either, since they are 5-10 and stuck in last place yet again.

This makes the Eagles-Redskins battle completely meaningless as a whole. What’s more, it is even more embarrassing since it is one of the few Week 17 games that have absolutely no stakes at all.

There are only two other games that will not make any impact on the playoff picture or on the top of the NFL draft order. The 7-8 Chicago Bears visit the 3-12 Minnesota Vikings, after the Bears got knocked out of the playoff race and the Vikings knocked themselves out of the race for Andrew Luck. Meanwhile, the 7-8 Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals do battle with only an 8-8 record on the line for the winner.

Every other game means something in some way for some team – and even the Indianapolis Colts-Jacksonville Jaguars battle is huge since it will settle the No. 1 draft pick one way or the other. The other finales will determine postseason berths and playoff seeding for one or both teams in action. But the Eagles and Redskins are completely free of such worries, however.

Washington is used to just playing out the last game of the season with nothing to shoot for, but it is a different story for Philadelphia. It is either resting for the postseason, trying to secure a better seed or seeking to clinch a spot in the playoffs by now. Instead, the Eagles are only attempting to reach .500 and not have any injuries that will impact the start of 2012.

Considering the rest of the high impact action in Week 17, there is no reason to tune into the Eagles-Redskins game over all the others, unless one is a fan of these teams. Unfortunately, myself and others are stuck with the Eagles and will have to yawn through the finale. In between, we will either be infuriated that Philadelphia couldn’t win four straight earlier in the season, or be mad at only the third losing season in the Reid era.

There is a slim chance that this finale could be historic as the last game in Philadelphia for Reid and DeSean Jackson, but we won’t know that for sure for weeks or months. For the moment, this is the most boring and meaningless Week 17 Eagles game in a long time, and perhaps the most boring Week 17 battle in the NFL as a whole.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

Other stories by this contributor

Shanahan, Reid likely to survive disappointing 2011

Smith latest Dallas legend to question Cowboys

Cowboys, Giants to reverse momentum yet again?

2011 Jets collapse nearly as bad as 2008

Rumors of Spagnuolo’s return to Eagles more of the same

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said that although the season has yet to come to an end, he already has begun evaluating the top college quarterbacks.

Shanahan said he makes a habit of evaluating college quarterback play at the start of each day, watching tapes given to him by the team’s pro and college scouts.

“I’ve already looked at 10 or 15 of them,” Shanahan said Friday afternoon. “I’ll take half-hour a day, early in the morning. The tapes are made up. I’ll look at maybe 75, 80 plays of just a guy throwing the football in game situations and so that’s most of the passes, or at least the good passes during the season, just so I get a feel for the guy.”

Shanahan said he “usually” starts breaking down quarterback midway through the season. Midway through the season was the same time that the coach benched John Beck after three games and went back to Rex Grossman.

“You’ve got names, but some times you can’t relate to how a guy’s playing because you hear a lot about it on TV, but a lot of it’s hype and not evaluation,” Shanahan said. “So, you like to go back and kind of put the play with the name.”

Shanahan didn’t share any insight on what he thinks of the upcoming quarterback draft class.

As he enters the final game of his second NFL season, Washington Redskins return specialist Brandon Banks says he’s feeling a bit of desperation.

During the preseason, he quashed any doubts that a balky knee would prevent him from again becoming a threat for the Redskins when he returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown, and also averaged 30.4 yards a kick return, with a long of 55 yards.

But Banks has yet to take a punt or kick back to the house during the regular season. He’s come close a couple of times save for a nullifying penalty, narrowly missed cutback or a hair-line slight step out of bounds. But Banks wants to finally get the job done.

“I don’t want to say I’m desperate, but hey, it is what it is. I want to go out and at least have a touchdown that counted this season, so I’m going to try hard,” the 5-foot-7, 155-pound Banks says, grinning and shaking his head.

Special teams coach Danny Smith calls Banks “a weapon, and a lot of people in this league are fearful of him.” Smith further gushes: “I love the guy. He’s a big play-maker. … I love his competitiveness and I see him improving.”

Banks — who leads the NFL with both kickoff return attempts and kick return yardage, and ranks 11th in punt return yardage — doesn’t quite give himself as glowing a review, however.

“Personally, I’d probably give myself a C-plus,” he said. “I could’ve done better in some areas, and could’ve scored a couple times with some better cuts. And then me, going through my injury, and just getting better every week. I’d still say a C-plus.”

If he doesn’t record a touchdown this weekend, Banks says he will count playing a full season as his top individual accomplishment of the season. Because of his diminutive stature, Banks has always faced questions about his durability, and those doubts were further magnified as his surgically repaired left knee continued to swell up on him during the preseason.

But Banks has played in every game, and his knee has gotten stronger as the season has progressed.

“That’s my main positive,” Banks said. “I had a lot of bumps and bruises and my knee bothered me a lot, but I played every game and finished every game.”

The Washington Redskins need to make a committed effort to hiring Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator.

Yesterday, NFL.com reported that current St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo is readying to be relieved of his duties with the NFC West cellar-dwellers.

The report stated that Spagnuolo could be fired after the conclusion of the 2011 regular season if the Rams decide to make a serious move for former Tennessee Titans head man Jeff Fisher.

The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants are already listed as the front runners for Spagnuolo’s services as defensive coordinator.

Spagnuolo has prominent ties to both teams. He served as secondary coach for the Eagles, while being mentored by the late great Jim Johnson.

He took what he learned from Johnson with him to the Giants, where he was appointed defensive coordinator in 2007.

Spagnuolo turned a languishing Big Blue defense into a sack-happy unit that propelled the Giants all the way to Super Bowl triumph.

But it is the Redskins who should make the biggest push for Spagnuolo. Despite its talent level, Washington’s defense has let the team down in critical moments this season.

The most recent collapse came at home against the lowly Minnesota Vikings. One criticism of Jim Haslett’s defense is that the unit simply fails to make enough big plays.

The Redskins’ turnover return is again paltry, and Haslett’s blitz packages are badly designed and poorly timed.

Spagnuolo is a master of the fire-zone blitz concepts that the Redskins are desperate to emulate. His blitzes are cleverly crafted and wide ranging.

Although he has been a 4-3 coach throughout his career, Spagnuolo would have no problem transferring his fire-zone packages to the Redskins’ 3-4 front.

He would have plenty of the right kind of talent to work with in Washington. Spagnuolo’s imaginative play-calling would better utilise the pass-rushing skills of Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan.

The duo would be moved around more, positioned to attack different gaps and rush from multiple angles.

Current nose tackle Barry Cofield worked with Spagnuolo in New York. He knows the system well and played his best football for Spagnuolo.

Spagnuolo’s schemes require an extension of the coach on the field. Usually this role is given to the middle linebacker.

Spagnuolo would inherit a natural quarterback for the defense in the form of superb veteran London Fletcher.

The 14-year pro’s intelligence and instincts would make him the perfect choice to call and audible Spagnuolo’s multiple schemes on the field.

Spagnuolo is also a tough, hard-nosed coach who may do a better job of keeping some of the bigger personalities on the Redskins defense in line.

His reputation as the architect of the New England Patriots’ defeat in Super Bowl XLII commands respect, and his varied and daring system is known to be a favorite among defensive players.

As a team, the Redskins need more big plays. The defense has performed well this season but is still nowhere near the dominant unit it could be.

Spagnuolo has the knowledge and ideas to give the Redskins the kind of aggressive, turnover-binging defense they had hope for when they made the switch to 3-4.

Although we’re all aware that injuries are a part of the game and that all teams are forced to adjust, even a Cowboys fan would have a little bit of sympathy for the Redskins and the way the injury bug attacked the team this season. 

I’m not trying to sound like a crybaby with it or anything, but it seemed like one injury after another for the Redskins this season—all at key positions. 

Running back Tim Hightower blows out his knee, safety LaRon Landry hasn’t been right since last season, left guard Kory Lichtensteiger blows out his knee, tight end Chris Cooley drops to IR, wide receiver Anthony Armstrong is set back early, rookie Jarvis Jenkins blows out a knee, rookie wideout Leonard Hankerson begins to shine and he hits IR, safety O.J. Atogwe gets a rough start while recovering and the list goes on. It almost didn’t seem fair. 

The only good news that can come from such injuries is the fact that all of these guys had time to heal over the course of the season (if they went down early) and the upcoming offseason to heal and prepare for next season. 

Again, I’m not blaming a 5-11 or 6-10 record on injuries alone. But I’m also not denying that it makes a season exponentially harder. And to add fuel to the fire, dummies like Trent Williams and Fred Davis don’t help the situation by earning suspensions for a quarter of the season. 

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was asked about his team’s miscues Saturday.

“Which plays are you referring to?” Shanahan asked.

The inquiring reporter named a few plays, and Shanahan added a couple more.

It was that type of day for the Redskins, who lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 33-26. Washington committed eight penalties for 64 yards, lost a fumble and threw an interception – the mistakes often coming at the most inopportune times.

Washington (5-10) has lost six straight at home, its longest such skid since 1994.

Tied at 10 at halftime, the Redskins appeared to catch a break on the first two plays of the third quarter, when running back Adrian Peterson and quarterback Christian Ponder suffered game-ending injuries for the Vikings (3-12).

Peterson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after taking a direct hit from Redskins safety DeJon Gomes on a 3-yard gain. An MRI showed the ACL tear after the team returned to Minnesota.

On the next play, Ponder was sacked by Adam Carriker and London Fletcher. Ponder remained in the game for one more play – a third-down incomplete pass – before heading to the locker room.

The Redskins allowed Minnesota’s backup backfield of running back Toby Gerhart and quarterback Joe Webb to lead the Vikings to 23 second-half points.

Washington struggled to slow Webb, who completed 4 of 5 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 34 yards and a touchdown on five carries.

“When they bring in a weapon like that – not a secret weapon, we’d seen him on tape and we had a feeling – but it’s hard to prepare fully on a short week for two quarterbacks,” linebacker Perry Riley said.

Could the Redskins change their defense against the dual-threat quarterback?

“You can’t change it,” Riley said. “It’s hard to change it midstream like that.”

Gerhart had 109 yards on 11 carries, but his Redskins counterpart, Evan Royster, outran him. Royster had 132 yards on 19 carries after running for just 83 yards on 17 carries entering the game.

The sixth-round pick from Penn State joined injured Roy Helu to give the Redskins two rookies who have rushed for 100 yards in a game in a season – a first in franchise history.

Royster, who began the season on the practice squad, was asked whether he ever was discouraged.

“Absolutely,” Royster said. “I never thought that I’d start a game this year, to be honest. But that’s not to say I wasn’t prepared to.”

Rex Grossman completed 26 of 41 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns, and the Redskins gained 397 yards offense. But either their drives stalled – Graham Gano made four field goals – or Grossman turned the ball over. Grossman, who entered the day tied with San Diego’s Philip Rivers with 22 turnovers, lost a fumble and threw an interception.

Grossman was asked to explain his interception, a fourth-quarter pass that sailed over Santana Moss’ head and into the hands of Vikings safety Mistral Raymond.

“It was high,” Grossman said. Then, he paused at the podium.

“I can elaborate, but it’s pretty simple.”

The Vikings kept alive their hopes to not finish with the worst record in team history. A win next week against Chicago would put them ahead of the dubious 1984 Minnesota team that went 3-13.

The Vikings hadn’t lost seven in a row in the same season since their expansion year of 1961.

Webb’s 8-yard pass to Percy Harvin broke a 23-23 tie early in the fourth quarter, and rookie Mistral Raymond’s first career interception set up Ryan Longwell’s 23-yard field goal. That gave the Vikings a 10-point lead with 4:05 to play. Minnesota had gone nine games without a pick before Raymond’s big play.

The Redskins pulled within a touchdown on Graham Gano’s 47-yard field goal with 1:25 remaining. They got the ball back after a punt, but Grossman’s final long fling to the end zone fell incomplete.

Grossman completed 26 of 41 passes for 284 yards with two touchdowns. He also had two more giveaways – a lost fumble and the interception – to put his total at 24 for the season. He was already tied for the most in the NFL entering the game.

Peterson had 12 carries for 38 yards when he left. He also had a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Ponder was 8 for 13 for 68 yards.

The Vikings were also short-handed along the offensive line, with guard Steve Hutchinson inactive with a concussion, and guard Anthony Herrera sidelined in the first half with a lower back injury. Rookie Brandon Fusco, playing his second NFL game, entered at right guard and committed a personal foul with a late shove in the final minute of the first half.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)