QB- Richard Bartel

LB- Alvin Bowen

OLB- Curtis Gatewood

DT- Albert Haynesworth

RB- P.J. Hill

FS- LaRon Landry

DB- Marcus McCauley

WR- Devin Thomas

QB- Richard Bartel

TE- Chris Cooley

CB- DeAngelo Hall

DT- Albert Haynesworth

RB- Clinton Portis

G-   Paul Fanaika

LB- Robert Henson

DE- Renaldo Wynn

THN: It was written on the Washington Post’s Redskins Insider blog that Coach Blache said Albert Haynesworth isn’t the reason for your improved performance but you’ve said several times that he makes the people around him better, especially you. Why does what Blache says contradict with what you have said? http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/jason-reid/a-helping-and-from-haynesworth.html#more

AC: I couldn’t even tell you. I do know that the sacks I have is God’s gift. How I am playing is God’s gift. I have always worked hard and prepared my mind and body for the season. My faith and focus has grown from 2001 as a rookie to 2009 as a vet. Haynsworth has been a great addition but the other men on the field have done their part as well. I have worked with [Cornelius] Griffin, [Brian] Orakpo, [Kedric] Golston, when Haynsworth needed a blow. I thank all my teammates first and foremost.

THN: What, in your opinion, is it going to take to turn this ship around?

AC: Faith and believing that we can get this turned around.

THN: Is the team getting frustrated losing to division opponents (especially on national TV)?

AC: I think the team hates losing period no matter who we play. The division opponents hurt the worse because it puts you in a bind when you are trying to make a playoff run.

THN: How did you spend your bye week?

AC: I spent a lot of quality time with the family. Took my son on the merry go round and took many naps, during the day. I am well rested now.

THN: “Urgency, heart, ‘want-to,’ whatever. I don’t know. We’re lacking a lot of stuff right now. The fans are losing interest. The more games we play, the fewer fans come. It’s getting bad.” That was a quote from Albert Haynesworth by the Associated Press after the Eagles game. Is Albert correct and does he have a point? How does the team find its “want-to”?

AC: It’s about making a choice. We can choose to play hard and win or chose to be inconsistent. It’s the matter of having the want to.

THN: It seems as the defensive line improves and applies more pressure to the quarterback, the secondary gives up more big plays. Do you believe that assessment and if so, what will it take for the defense to come to a happy medium and be able to provide blanket coverage in the secondary to go along with pressuring the quarterback consistently?

AC: I feel as a defense we are getting better. There are many things we need to work on. Tackling, controlling our gaps, etc. One thing we do well is play hard, fast and together. As a defensive line we continue to communicate and focus on stopping the run and rushing the passer.

THN: Is the defense blitzing enough?

AC: Greg Blache makes the call and we go out and play. We haven’t blitzed as much I think due to the success of our four man rush.

THN: Clinton Portis only had 43 yards and was the team’s leading rusher against Philly. What is the reason for his lack of production (for his standards, at least)? Is it because of a decline on his end or the troubles with the offensive line?

AC: I really don’t know. It’s really hard to say.

THN: What do you do to handle the stress of a single loss or even a losing season? What do you do to get your mind right and do you think your teammates are taking to correct measures to appropriately handle the team’s current situation?

AC: My faith, my family and the great men and coaches that I work with gets me through the day. In life, if it’s good or bad, you always have to have a positive perspective.

Since the bye week is almost at the half-way point, I thought I’d take a look at the things that were ‘good’ for the Redskins in the first half of 2009.

1) Albert Haynesworth – check last week’s blog to see what I think about Big Al and the way he’s played so far.

2) Andre Carter – In last week’s blog about Haynesworth, I mentioned the great season that Carter is having. So far Andre has 6.5 sacks, to go along with 34 tackles. He is consistently in the backfield disrupting the passer, and he has taken advantage of the inside pressure created by Haynesworth. He has also played much better against the run, and has 3 forced fumbles. If he can continue playing at his current level, he will have a good shot at the Pro Bowl.

3) London Fletcher – Speaking of Pro Bowls, it sure would be nice to see Fletcher finally make it to one. It’s criminal that he hasn’t already, but with 71 tackles going into week eight, he led all NFL players. As usual, Fletcher is quietly putting together another great season. Well, quiet in that he’s an unassuming man, but just ask Brian Westbrook if he plays quiet. London is the leader and heart and soul of the Redskins defense, and he leads by example. Sometimes it’s hard to notice how great a player is, when he’s so consistently great, but Fletcher is that kind of player, and has been again in 2009.

4) Brian Orakpo – Can you say real deal? This kid hasn’t even cut his teeth yet, and he’s hard for anyone to handle. There are many people that feel that having him play linebacker is a mistake, but there’s no denying that when he lines up with one hand down, he has shown that he is an absolute force. He has 3.5 sacks in his rookie season, and that with very minimal snaps at end rather than linebacker. It’s hard to move Orakpo to end when Carter is also playing so well, but the Redskins have to find more ways to get Orakpo up to the line. It’s hard for a Redskin fan to be patient waiting for a young defensive end to be used, when it’s so long since we had such a promising one. If the season continues to go South, it would be nice to see Brian get a longer look at end at some point, even if it means moving Carter to the other side. Carter isn’t really an ideal left end, so maybe platooning the two of them for a game or two, would allow the Redskins to let Orakpo get into a groove. He looks so hungry out there, that it’s hard to imagine that perpetual motor not coming into full effect and fully releasing the beast.

One more worthy Orakpo note – he may not be the best linebacker in the league, and have struggled slightly in coverage, but for a rookie to walk on to a starting NFL roster at a position that he doesn’t really play, is pretty darn amazing. The kid is a phenomenal athletic talent, and while others may have played slightly better than Orakpo in 2009, no Redskin has more up-side and future.

5) Chris Cooley – You can’t talk about who’s played well without mentioning Captain Chaos. He may be out for a while with the ankle injury, but he was putting together another good season. The Redskins continually fail to utilize him enough, but when they do, CC never disappoints – he’s one of the league’s very best tight ends.

6) Mike Williams – Surprised to see an offensive lineman on the list? Well I think it bears mentioning and acknowledging that Big Mike has actually done a very decent job stepping in after injuries to first Randy Thomas, and then Chris Samuels. Originally Williams got slotted in at guard where he did better than either of the other previous attempts (Chad Rinehart and Will Montgomery), and then when Samuels went down and Stephon Heyer moved to left tackle, Williams moved to right tackle. He has been effective in pass pro, and excellent in run blocking, and shown absolutely no signs of having not played football since 2005. He is a massive man, and has worked  himself into good football shape, and I think he has done a surprisingly bang up job. Kudos to Big Mike for the amazing dedication that it took to get back on a roster, let alone to play his way on to the field and play well.

7) Shaun Suisham – What can you possibly complain about when Suisham is perfect on the season? Obviously Shaun had a bad 2008, but it’s amazing to me that people just seemed to forget that his 2007 was the second best season EVER for a Redskins kicker in terms of accuracy. He is 9-for-9 on field goals in 2009, with a season long of 47 yards; it’s hard to do better than 100%, so its pretty safe to say that the Canadian kicker is having a good season.

8) Reed Doughty – While it was disappointing for many Redskin fans to see Chris Horton relegated to back-up status, give Doughty credit for playing his way back on to the starting roster. He has been steady and effective, and has 37 tackles so far in 2009.

9) Kedric Golston – The big defensive tackle continues to improve and contribute; he’s played very well along side of Big Al. Pretty good find in the 6th round.

Give yourself a break – think about some of the good things on the 2009 Redskins roster.

I know that it became a bit of a ‘comedy routine’ for some fans early on in the season, because sometimes Big Al just needs to stop where he is and have a little rest. He has been mocked accordingly for doing so.

I know that there are a lot of people out there in Redskin-land that think that the Redskins paid too much for the big defensive tackle, especially when he doesn’t play all of the defensive snaps.

What I don’t understand though, is how people don’t see what an incredible football player he is on the snaps that he does play. What I don’t understand, is how someone points to the fact that he has one sack, and deem him ‘a waste of money’ on that stat alone.

Are you kidding me?

Are you watching the games? And if so, are you watching the middle of the defensive line?

This guy is an absolute beast out there – an uncontrollable beast, that no one opposing player seems capable of stopping. As a matter of fact, there are an awful lot of plays that not even TWO guys can stop him. He looks like a man amongst boys out there.

It isn’t a coincidence that Andre Carter is having his best season ever as a Redskin. Carter is FINALLY getting inside help to make what he does on the corner, that much more noticeable. Carter spent most of 2008 in the backfield too, but with no inside push, quarterbacks would just step up into the pocket and avoid the pressure. AC was working his proverbial tail off, for what had to feel like nothing. I can’t even remember how many times Andre beat his man clean on the edge, only to find that the QB had all the room in the world to just step up and avoid the sack.

Can’t do that with Big Al around.

Can’t do much on the ground either with Big Al around; he sucks up everything in the middle.

It wouldn’t be fair to put London Fletcher’s success on Haynesworth, because the Redskin middle linebacker is, and always has been, a tackling machine. With 71 tackles, Fletcher currently leads all NFL players, and while it isn’t because of Haynesworth, it sure isn’t hurting any having him eat up so much attention. Hopefully it will be enough of a push to wrong the right of London having never been selected for the Pro Bowl. Fletcher and Haynesworth might be the only two Redskin selections in 2009*.

People even seem to get down on Big Al for the emotion that he has shown the last two weeks. Really? It isn’t refreshing to see a Redskin player that looks pissed? I think it is; and while sound bytes can often make something worse than it was intended, everything Haynesworth has said has been about the team and not himself:

“Urgency, heart, ‘want-to,’ whatever. I don’t know. We’re lacking a lot of stuff right now. So once we get to that point — where we ‘want to’ do something — then we’ll do something. But if we just keep going our separate ways, then we’ll just keep getting slaughtered like we have.”

Well it might stink to hear it, but what about that isn’t true?

Any statements that Haynesworth has made have been careful to use the word ‘we’ and don’t sound like anything more than bridled frustration. He’s playing his butt off out there, and there are too many teammates that aren’t.

I know that it is really easy to get bogged down in the tragedy of this Redskin season – but don’t let that cheat you of one solid positive – we have arguably the best inside defensive lineman in the league. In my opinion, Haynesworth is the best defensive tackle in the burgundy and gold since Dave Butz. He’s so good that not only can he change games single-handedly, but he changes every game; because he has to be ‘accounted for’ by the opposition; they try to double him, to run away from him – anything they can do to just take Big Al out of the game.

It usually doesn’t work anyway, and Haynesworth still finds ways to be effective.

In a bye week of a really tough season for Redskin fans, why not allow yourself the luxury of knowing that we aren’t going to lose this week, and that it would be a good time to try and think about something that is going well with the Washington Redskins.

Like Albert Haynesworth.

* – Obviously Chris Cooley is a worthy recipient unless his injury affects the balloting – and Andre Carter will be a solid candidate if he keeps playing like he is.

Matt Teri had some great quotes from Jones today at the Redskins Official Blog:

“Today was a real good day,” Jones told me. “I mean, I feel good about the plays; I’m not worried about gettin’ out there and playin’, I’m just worried about getting’ out there and knowing what TO do. I’ve been starting for seven years, so playing … that’s gonna be second nature to me. But knowing what to do in new schemes, new offense, new technique … well, I got with our center, Casey Rabach, and I’m starting to feel good about that.”

“That’s the funny thing about it, because all the techniques that they’re trying to get me to do now, and everything that they have going on is what I learned in college. My offensive line coach, Dan Cozzetto, learned under the Joe Bugel offensive line system. So all this stuff, I was doing in college and doing … well, doing well enough to be drafted in the first round, you know?

“Health feels great,” he said. ” I mean, surprisingly good. Better than I’ve felt in a LONG time. I’m ready to go.”

The second quote is very interesting. It’d be a great coup for Levi Jones to come in off of the street and play well, and it would be a rare treat to see the Redskins actually catch a personnel break. As I blogged a few days ago, it won’t actually be that difficult to get better play than we’ve seen to date – so it is conceivable (to me) that Jones comes in and works his way on to the starting line-up. If he can pick up on the system quickly, and is in relatively good shape, Washington may have at least found a temporary solution to improve the line a little bit. With Chris Samuels soon to be on injured reserve – the Redskins announced today that they would probably do so during the bye week – the Redskins are desperate for offensive line help.

Now for the bad news – well actually it’s more just the ‘not so good’ news…

Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is listed as questionable for Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Big Al sat out practice all week due to a sprained ankle, reports vary today as to whether or not he practiced today, but if he did, it was in a limited capacity. He will be a game-time decision, and a massive loss if he can’t go.

Running back Clinton Portis is also listed as questionable, but will play according to Jim Zorn. Portis has problems with pretty much everything below his right knee – foot, ankle and calf issues.

DeAngelo Hall didn’t practice today either. He has a sore knee, but is expected to play on Monday as well.

THN: Haynesworth apparently left to go to the locker room with about 25 seconds left in the game but he was also the one guy to make his voice heard and try to motivate guys and get them to step their game up after the game. Is that true? If so, why did he leave so early and what did he say?

AC: I didn’t realize he left early and I don’t know why. To be brief, he spoke about having passion and continuing to be the best in this game.

THN: How frustrating is it to put the offense in so many great situations and have very few
results come from them? Have any of the defensive players talked with any of the offensive players about that in private?

AC: The offense is doing all they can. Like I have said before this is a team effort. It’s vital we have each other’s back no matter the circumstances. There has been no finger pointing, bashing, slandering, etc. We have communicated as a whole as far as what must be done. Negativity with team will only bring the team morale down. We have been optimistic and will continue to be on a high note.

THN: The defense seems to have several inspirational leaders such as London, Phillip, Griff and yourself and you guys get VERY fired up for the games. Is there anybody on the offense that plays that role because there seems to be no fire or leadership on that side of the ball. That appears to play a role in the lack of production on the field.

AC: Even though they are injured, Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels have been leaders on the offense. Randle El has been an inspiration to the younger players. The leadership is there, and we know the offense is doing their best to move the ball successfully.

THN: What performance or play stood out to you the most against Kansas City and why?

AC: That’s a tough question. I saw a lot of great plays on three sides of the ball. Fred Smoot made a crazy hit on special teams. Laron Landry had a nice open-field tackle on a receiver and Clinton making that 78-yard run. A lot of people stood out.

THN: It’s safe to say that this is the lowest point of the season. Is the team’s mentality “it can only go up from here”?

AC: We can never say that it will get any worse. If we do then we will never put up a fight. Our faith and desire to play this game is strong. We will turn it around.

THN: The defense has been able to do its job against inferior opponents. Why hasn’t the offense been able to do the same on their end? Why, with all the talent this team has, is the offense struggling the way it has been?

AC: I really don’t know. I wish I had an answer. Watching them and knowing they are trying their best is all we can ask.

THN: You’ve gotten to know the Eagles very well since you’ve played them twice a season for the last three seasons. What is one common theme or pattern you’ve noticed with them?

AC: One thing about the Eagles is they never quit. The defense is very aggressive. They have the old Gregg Williams mentality. They love to blitz at any given down. The offense can put points on with a quickness.

THN: Earlier you said you didn’t know why the fans are booing. Now do you have a better understanding?

AC: I have heard mix reviews. I just hope that we can all come together.

THN: Does the booing really affect the players? Why or why not?

AC: We have to focus on our opponents and win. The rest will take care of itself.

THN: The Eagles certainly have a better offensive line than the Kansas City Chiefs. As was stated before, you know them pretty well by now. What will it take for you and the defense to get to McNabb like you did against Cassel?

AC: Like any game it’s important to study your opponent. Know their strengths and weakness and exploit them. Communication with teammates is vital when it comes to setting up pass rush moves.

I’m sorry, Mr. Cassell.  Did I violate your personal space?

It made no difference, ultimately, in the outcome of the game, but that alleged “roughing the passer” call on Haynesworth is just further evidence that the effort by the NFL to protect a single group of players is completely out of control.  The NFL has made the determination that an all out effort to keep Quarterbacks from being touched has greater value than protecting the integrity of the game.

Two weeks ago, a similar call was made to protect Tom Brady.  I have heard that the Referee actually passed out when he realized that Brady’s aura had been ruffled. My God… it could have prevented him from correctly ordering a latte at Starbucks had it been left unaddressed.  You just don’t mess with a man’s aura.

Today, Al Haynesworth broke through the line, and got to Matt Cassell just as he released the ball. According to the league’s new rules, Haynesworth is now responsible to manage the laws of physics, and prevent gravity from assuming control. What a crock. Why do we bother to play defense anymore?

Oh, Mr.Snyder. What to do?

Everyone in Redskins Nation has an opinion. Many have several. There is a prevailing one…
Fire yourself. You are no GM. You have succeeded in bringing a franchise that was near the bottom in terms of it’s credibility the rest of the way there… to the bottom, that is.

I am embarrassed. 6 games. 6 winless teams. 2 wins (neither of them anything to brag about) 4 losses. The record is bad enough… unfortunately, 3 of our losses came at the hands of the worst teams in the league… well… except for us. Of the 6 games thus played, we should have expected difficulty in only one.

A fan revolt is in the making, you can be sure. The question is, what will you be doing about it?  Do you make the changes that you know you must make?  Or do you take some superficial, cosmetic action?  Do you blame the press?  Or do you accept accountability, admit you have made major errors, and begin the process of making corrections?  For the record?  We know that we have no vote… but if we did?  You’re fired.

Fans know the score.

The reality is, there is not likely to be much you can do at this point to salvage a respectable season. The time to do that was in the first 6 games. The Redskins now head into a buzz saw of good teams… each clearly more competitive than ours… with a patchwork Offensive Line constructed of bench players and castoffs.  Neither of our experienced quarterbacks have demonstrated any of the talents you would hope to see from a WC quarterback… though I suspect Collins can probably adapt some with time spent practicing with the first string.  Yet, your head coach announced at the post game presser, that he has made no decision to pull Campbell from the starting line-up.  In case you haven’t yet noticed, Zorn’s a nice guy, and all… but he’s clueless… remember that in last week’s presser, he noted that Special Teams played well (my recollection about Special Teams contribution was a bit different)?

In a way, the loss today may actually relieve some of the pressure that’s been on you.  Expectations are now at rock bottom… how can it get worse?  This is not the Giants of 2 years ago.  There will be no Super Bowl upset for the Redskins at the end of this season.

We, as fans, are now fully aware that a victory will be a rarity this year.  It cannot get worse. I no longer believe that it’s realistic to expect this team to compete with this year’s Eagles, Giants or Cowboys. In the past, even when fielding poor Redskins teams, those teams at least had the heart to lift themselves to do real battle against divisional rivals (B. Mitch touched on this a couple of weeks ago).  But, if you can’t compete against truly poor teams… the Lions, the Rams, the Bucs, the Panthers, the Chiefs… then you are not likely to do so against a fundamentally sound team… much less an excellent team.

This would be an excellent time, then, to bring in an NFL professional to run your team. Begin the process of constructing a front office designed to build a winner.

That would be NOW, Mr. Snyder.

Here are the article’s that the Leftovers did not make them into:

THN Weekly with Andre Carter – Week 5

THN Weekly with Andre Carter – Week 6

Leftovers – Week 5:

THN: What was said at halftime that changed the mode and momentum of the team heading into the second half and who said it? Or was it more than one person saying it?

AC: Nothing was said. We all knew what had to be done. It’s not how you start but how you finish. We played hard and won the game.

THN: What was the mood of the team heading into halftime with the boos coming down from the fans and what was the mood heading into the locker room after coming back and heading in with the win when the game was over? How differently did the team feel?

AC: We didn’t focus on the boos. We can’t control the reactions of the crowd. Of course a person from the outside looking in would say “score more points”, etc. However, when we came in at halftime, our focus was to make adjustments on offense, defense and special teams. When we heard the cheers, it was a good feeling because we won.

THN: What did you do to change your approach for a successful second half? Did you even change anything at all?

AC: A few plays but I think the main thing was looking at the man next to you and having faith we were going to win.

THN: It seemed that watching the game, at least in the first half, that Josh Johnson was performing a lot better than expected but once the game was all said and done, he only passed for 106 yards, which is great for a defense and the secondary. What was the key for the defense holding him to such a small amount of yards?

AC: Watching film we knew he was going to scramble. The important part of our gameplan was to contain him in the pocket and not allow him to gain yardage. During passing situations we put pressure on him so he couldn’t complete many passes. Everyone was in sync on Sunday.

THN: The defense didn’t allow a 100-yard rusher on Sunday. Is that always something for the team to build off of heading into the next game or does the defense look for something else to stay positive about? In the grand scheme of things, how important is it for a defense to hold a rusher to under 100-yards?

AC: It was a blessing to stop the run under 100 yards. For any defense, that’s the main goal week end and week out. As for next week, in order to stop the run within those parameters, the defense needs to be on the same page. Know the call, who your opponent is man-on-man and 11 men swarming to the ball.

THN: Despite the occasional boos, the fans were loud on defense throughout the whole game, especially in crucial situations. How much of a factor did that have on the defense’s success and do you think if this was a road game, that the crowd factor would have made a difference in the outcome?

AC: If it was a road game, I think we would play hard regardless. Playing home is great because it confuses the calls of our opponents on offense.

THN: Do you feel the boos were necessary for the fans to get a point across to the team and did that inspire the team to play harder to get them to stop? Do you think that the team felt vindicated when the cheering from the fans increased as well as the performance from the team in the second half?

AC: ‘Til this day I don’t know why the fans booed. The fans are being fans. The only thing we can control is to be victorious. When we won, the sound of cheers was amazing.

THN: Jeremy Jarmon and Brian Orakpo got in on some plays yesterday and did well. Orakpo even lined up at end on at least one play that I saw. After one quarter of the season, how do the young guys on the line look? Will fans see Orakpo lining up in a three-point stance at end more often as the season progresses?

AC: The young guys on the line look great. They have a lot to learn but we are fortunate to have Jarmon and Orakpo contributing. I think the futre of Orakpo being in a three-point stance more often will be determined by Coach Blache.

THN: How do you feel Shaun Suisham did in place of Hunter Smith after Smith got hurt? Apparently Suisham hadn’t punted since high school.

AC: I was impressed with Suisham. Hey, somebody has to do it. I don’t know anyone on the team who can punt. Oh yeah, Cooley can but we will see what happens in the future.

THN: Who impressed you the most Sunday and why?

AC: I felt that Reed (Doughty) did a great job. He has had his ups and downs on and off the field and for him to contribute the way he did was remarkable.

THN: What does it say about the team (players, coaches, etc.) that considering all of the negative publicity as of late, that the guys can stay together and focused and work successfully as a team?

AC: In life everyone is a critic. Family, friends, associates, etc. The important thing is how you handle adversity. We have 16 games to do something amazing. Time in this business is short, so let’s take advantage of it before it runs out.

THN: The next two opponents (Carolina and Kansas City) have a combined record of 0-7. The following week it’s Philadelphia at home. Do you think these next two games are a great opportunity for the team to get back on track and get rolling before the real big games start?

AC: Every week is an opportunity to win but it doesn’t mean teams are going to hand a win over to us. We have to earn each play and each game.

Leftovers – Week 6:

THN: Run me through the sacks and forced fumble. How were you able to make those plays?

AC: The sack came off of having good timing of the QB’s cadence and knocking my opponents hands down before he could hold me. I turned the corner and stripped the ball as I tackled Carolina’s QB.

THN: What will it take for you to repeat your personal performance against the Panthers this Sunday at FedEx Field?

AC: I leave it in the hands of God in regards to playing against Kansas City. I will watch plenty of film and study my opponent. Feet for an offensive lineman are important as well as hands. When analyzing games you get an idea of how he plays. He might be aggressive, strong hands, is he passive, etc. Rushing the passer is similar to a game of chess. You have to set up your opponent then when the time comes attack him when he leasts expects it.

THN: How tough is it to stay focused on your goals when there is so much talk about the team and so many rumors, such as the head coaching job being available at the end of the year for guys such as Jon Gruden or Mike Shanahan? I know you guys try to block it out and focus but you all have to know and hear what’s going on on the outside.

AC: It’s not hard to stay focus on our objective. All rumors do is develop negativity towards the team. It’s important we prepare for our opponent and continue to stay driven.

THN: Albert Haynesworth continues to get hurt and take a little bit of time to get off the field. How serious are his injuries when he does that? Has anyone talked to him about his conditioning at all? It appears he’s proving Rams center Jason Brown’s assessment of him is correct and that he gets winded and seems to takes plays off.

AC: From what I know he has a few ailments that he has been treating and staying on top of during the season. He has been putting pressure in the middle and has helped us stop the run. As far as his conditioning is concerned, he runs hard to the ball and is physical. I feel that the center is wrong with that statement. I have had more tackles because of Albert.

THN: Jason Campbell was interviewed on the radio Monday and was asked about the Portis/Sellers situation and whether “Portis’ act was wearing thin with the rest of the team” and without saying yes or calling him out or throwing him under the bus, Jason essentially said that there are things with the team that shouldn’t have been let out in the media. If you listen to the interview, he basically says yes without saying it. Has Portis’ reputation with the team changed or morphed over the years?

AC: All I can say is that Portis is Portis. He is funny, passionate and says what’s on his mind. You have to know him to understand him. I feel like his behavior isn’t affecting the team moral. He says what’s on his mind whether or not the others agree or disagree His time with the Redskins, I think, isn’t running thin.

THN: This Sunday, it’s another underperforming team, this time the Kansas City Chiefs at home. The Skins are currently undefeated at home. What will it take to keep that homefield advantage going?

AC: A lot of pride and Redskin fans. Having fun at our home turf.

THN: The Chiefs played the Cowboys pretty tough on Sunday. What makes them dangerous?

AC: I haven’t watched film on them yet but from what I heard, their passing game is a threat. If (Matt) Cassel is in the pocket long enough he can create big plays for the offense.

Rain pattered against the glass of the enormous windows, and gave the night an even more ominous feel. The only light in the office was coming from the crackling fire in the aforementioned fireplace.

Snyder sat hunched behind his desk occasionally batting the top of one of the small army of Jason Taylor bobble-heads left over from last year disastrous trade.

“You wanted to see me sir?” said Vinny Cerrato as he entered the cavernous office.

“Ah, Vinny,” replied Snyder “how are things going with the XMB-5000”

Snyder swept his hand across his desktop of Jason Taylors and Vinny couldn’t help but feel like each of those little bobble-heads was nodding at him.

“Uh, well sir, as a concept, I’d say it’s pure genius.” Vinny continued “We have designed this computer to scan all the message boards and send in the plays that the fans want to see.”

“Yes, I got that from our last meeting, how is the progress?” Snyder waved his hand across the bobble-heads again and set off another army of toys that seemed to agree with him. This made him smile. “If we can’t use this thing to replace Jim Zorn, and I mean soon, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with that closet of Albert Haynesworth bobble-heads over there. Get a bigger desk I suppose.”

“Well sir,” said Vinny, tempering his words, “It seems to be working.”

“It does?” said Snyder, brightening at the thought of good news.

“Yes sir, but we keep running into the same problem.”

“I’m sure it’s just some technical glitch, we can work that out right?” said Snyder, who seemed to be attempting to hypnotize Vinny by continually making the bobble-heads nod.

“I’m sure your right sir.”

“So, what’s the problem? Does it not understand the plays?”

“Well, no, it seems to know what the fans want alright.”

“Is it the fact that it talks like a Speak-and-Spell?”

“No,” said Vinny, starting to shake his head.

“Is Jason Campbell having trouble understanding it when it calls the play in through his helmet?” said Snyder starting to laugh, “Boy, that’d be ironic, huh? You know for Campbell’s first three years here, I couldn’t even understand him.”

“Heh, heh, well, that would be irony” said Vinny, “but that doesn’t seem to be the problem either.”

“Well what then?” said Snyder starting to grow impatient, “What else could there be? I’ve spent 2.3 billion on R&D, brought in the best scientists money can buy to design the thing, what could possibly be wrong with it.”

“Well sir, I think we under-estimated the response from our ‘fans’ sir.”

“What?” said Snyder, settling back down in his chair, “Oh, you mean they have too many good ideas that it doesn’t know which ones to pick, huh? Yeah, we do have the best fans in the league; certainly the smartest.”

“Well, there were a lot of ideas…” said Cerrato; obviously hesitating, “I’m not sure how many were good.”

“Go on…” said Snyder

“Well, when we first got it all hooked up; Jason began to complain that the computer was recommending he commit suicide.”

“Oh, that’s not good.” said Snyder.

“That’s not the worst of it.” Said Cerrato, “When we reset it and hooked it up again, it took us 20-minutes to get Jason’s hands off Coach Zorn’s neck.”

“Oh, no” said Snyder, burying his head in his hands.

“The machine kinda got away from us at that point,” Vinny continued, “and before we knew it Jason had kicked Clinton in the butt, smacked most of his offensive lineman, and I could be wrong, but I think he was on his way to your office to kill you before we were able to tackle him.”

“Thank God he’s slow” said Snyder

“Agreed,” said Cerrato “It was very ‘Manchurian Candidate’ there for a while.”

“So what do you think Vinny?”

“I’m afraid to hook the thing back up, sir.” said Cerrato, “You know how the fans feel about me.”

Snyder sighed, and with the air of resignation said “Yeah, you’re probably right. Oh well, wouldn’t be the first time I blew a bunch of money on a project that didn’t work, huh?”

No sir.” Said Vinny

“I do have a few ideas though” continued Snyder as he swept up an armful of Jason Taylor bobble-heads and carried them over to the fire. As he began chucking them in one-by-one he looked over his shoulder and asked “Is that guy Shanahan still available?”