This was supposed to be an improvement in Washington after the disastrous Jim Zorn Era. Shanahan, as many remember was the coach who came into Denver in the mid to late 1990′s and brought with him two championship rings with the help of hall of fame quarterback John Elway.

After Elway headed for retirement it was a long road of quarterbacks who didn’t love up on teams that couldn’t stay afloat. The Broncos were often unsuccessful in winning football games, especially in the playoffs. It wasn’t until Jay Cutler arrived in Denver did they have any hope. Cutler was never able to help Shanahan keep his job. After the 2008 season, Shanahan was given the boot by ownership after he failed to fire the defensive coordinator even though the team had posted one of the worst defenses in recent years.

It appears that Shanny has brought the same level of stubbornness and arrogance with him to Washington. His refusal to let Haynesworth adapt to the scheme or to include him as a bigger part of the defense was a major reason why Haynesworth has remained angry about his role on the defense. Also, the curious treatment of Donovan McNabb makes a lot of Redskin fans scratch their heads. He benched his quarterback during a crucial moment in a game and it led to the teams loss. These are not the actions of a successful head coach in the NFL.

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The problem with Prince Albert goes back to when he first signed with the Redskins. He was a highly coveted free agent and Dan Snyder, the Redskins spend free, win now owner offered him more than 100 million dollars to come play in Washington. Haynesworth allegedly agreed only under the condition that the defensive scheme never change to a 3-4. Haynesworth was a defensive tackle and playing in the 4-3 is where he was most impactful. Again, allegedly Synder was accepting of these terms.

Fast forward to the hiring of two time Super Bowl Champion Mike Shanahan. He came in and decided that he was going to install a new defensive system which was based in the 3-4(three down lineman, 4 standing linebackers). Haynesworth refused to show up to camp and subsequently drew the ire of fans, media, and teammates. Haynesworth eventually began to play, but it wasn’t until he was ready and somewhat accepting of the scheme.

Well it appears as if Albert is no longer happy with what is going on in Washington. His behavior has gotten him suspended for the remainder of the season. It’s a shame that a player with the talent of Haynesworth can’t find a way to want to play football for the Redskins.

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This Sunday, The Redskins will play one of their biggest rivals, the Giants. The Redskins are anxious and so are the fans. They have a new attitude and fans are showing their love and spirit for the team more than ever. Private number plates are an awesome example and most of them don’t hesitate to show how the team truly feels about their three rivals whom they get to place twice each year: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

For Sunday’s game, a list of injuries so far:

Thursday, Dec. 17

Washington Redskins

Stephon Heyer, OT – No Practice (Knee)

DeAngelo Hall, CB – Limited Practice (Knee)

Albert Haynesworth, DT – Limited Practice (Ankle)

Mike Sellers, FB – Limited Practice (Thigh)

Kareem Moore, S – Limited Practice (Ankle)

Cornelius Griffin, DT – Limited Practice (Shoulder)

Graham Gano, K – Full Practice (Right Foot)

New York Giants

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB – No Practice (Ankle/Foot)

Mario Manningham, WR – No Practice (Illness)

Kareem McKenzie, OT – No Practice (Knee)

Corey Webster, CB – No Practice (Knee)

Eli Manning, QB – Full Practice (Foot)

Standings so far:

NFC EAST
Team W L T Pct. PF PA
Philadelphia Eagles 9 4 0 .692 372 273
Dallas Cowboys 8 5 0 .667 296 233
New York Giants 7 6 0 .538 341 330
REDSKINS 4 9 0 .308 234 251
Redskins may be down but change is in the future!

The Arizona Cardinals have re-signed linebacker Clark Haggans to a three year deal. The 10 year veteran played in 11 games last season before being placed on injured reserve with a foot injury.

The Washington Redskins signed defensive lineman Renaldo Wynn, who formerly played for the team from 2002 through 2005. Wynn was a backup on the Giants last season and played for the Saints in 2007.

The Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed cornerback Fernando Bryant and offensive lineman Trai Essex to one and two year deals respectively.

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The two charges, reckless driving and driving with an expired registration carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail, however it is extremely unlikely Haynesworth does any jail time.

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The Redskins landed the big fish in this year’s free agency pond signing DT Albert Haynesworth to a seven year, $100 million dollar deal with $41 guaranteed. Many are speculating that this deal will not last past year four, but regardless the move instantly makes the Redskins defensive line one of the best in the NFC.

Next came the re-signing of Deangelo Hall to a six year $55 million deal. Hall signed with the Redskins midway through last season after being cut by the Raiders. The Redskins may live to regret this signing.

Lastly, the Skins signed offensive Guard Derrick Dockery, who was recently released by the Bills, to a five year $26 million deal. Dockery, who left the Redskins two years ago to sign with Buffalo, returns to his former team and should fit right in with Joe Bugel’s system that hasn’t changed much since he left.

Technorati Tags: Albert Haynesworth, Deangelo Hall, Derrick Dockery