1. Running back Tim Hightower said he’s going to play Sunday despite an ailing left shoulder. He said the shoulder is “definitely better.” Coach Mike Shanahan said, “his shoulder is a little sore, but I don’t think it will keep him from going.”
Shanahan was not as sure about receiver Anthony Armstrong, who missed the past game and a half because of a hamstring injury. But, Shanahan said, “I feel like there’s a good chance” Armstrong will play vs. Philadelphia.
Fullback Darrel Young also practiced Monday and looked good according to Shanahan.
2. Maybe one of the best things that happened last season was the Redskins getting smoked by 31 points to the Eagles. It could help them this season.
“You can’t forget that game,” tight end Fred Davis said. “It was a catastrophe. We got destroyed that game. It definitely gets you ready to want to go out there this year.”
Linebacker Brian Orakpo agreed.
“We know they’re going to be motivated, we know what type of team they are,” he said. “We won’t take anything for granted. We remember the Monday night game from last year. They’ve got the same weapons.”
3. The Redskins clearly look a lot better now than they did even a week ago, coming off a lackluster win over St. Louis. It’s amazing what losses by the Eagles and Giants can do for a team. It’s not like the win over the Rams is somehow more impressive in retrospect; but it’s now clear the NFC East lacks a dominant team.
Much can still change. Games against Buffalo, Carolina and San Francisco will be tougher than anyone imagined at season’s start. Same with the trip to Seattle. So it’s too early to start dreaming big. But every NFC East team has major flaws; the other offenses in the division are more explosive than Washington’s. However, the Redskins’ defense is playing the best in the division.
“It was going to be important anyway,” Redskins guard Kory Lichtensteiger said, “now it’s really opened our eyes to the fact that this is real and it’s a real possibility for us to make some noise this year.”
4. Leave it to Hightower to keep perspective on the start.
“We’re 3-1; that’s a good place to be,” Hightower said. “That’s not a final destination. It’s a good start. This will be a huge game for us, coming off a bye week. Some teams pick up momentum; some teams drop off. We can’t afford to have any dropoff. We have to keep improving on what we’ve done.”
5. Receivers coach Keenan McCardell was not at practice Monday. Coach Mike Shanahan said he had some business to take care of, but he is expected back Wednesday.
6. Mike Shanahan and late Raiders owner Al Davis had a contentious relationship, to say the least. Read this story about the time Shanahan reportedly told his quarterback to throw at Davis, his former boss, in pregame. Yes, it stems from the money Shanahan said Davis owed him.
But Shanahan had an appreciation for Davis’ football acumen in light of the longtime owner’s death Saturday.
“I never met a guy that had more passion and worked harder than Al Davis,” Shanahan said. “He was just relentless in his approach to the game. He had a great understanding from X’s and O’s and knowing personnel. I wasn’t with him long – a year and four games – but I learned a lot from him.”
Shanahan said he would talk to Davis often about defensive football. The owner would discuss technique in the bump-and-run coverage.
“He would go through the defense and talk about seven-man fronts and eight-man fronts,” he said. “He would talk about offense and he took a lot of pride knowing football and obviously much pride in being the owner and GM.”
7. Corner DeAngelo Hall played for Davis, until the owner cut him midway through his first season in Oakland. Hall said they parted on good terms.
“I sat down and talked to him about it and felt we had a good conversation,” Hall said. “I wasn’t going to redo my contract at that point. He sat me down and told me what he was thinking of doing, gave me a heads up on the direction they were going in.”
Incidentally, Hall said it was amazing how Davis could “shout out my stats from high school and stats from other guys from my area. He was just amazing.”
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