Cornerback now regrets expletive-filled tirade ASHBURN — He would love to have the play back; he also would like to have some words back as well. Two days after voicing his displeasure with a failed blitz on third-and-21, Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall said he should have watched his words.
“I might have been a little overzealous,” he said. “I was pretty frustrated.”
In the locker room after the Redskins’ 18-16 loss to Dallas on Monday, Hall dropped one expletive after another in describing the play. He said because the Redskins had run that same blitz a few times, “sooner or later somebody’s gonna [bleeping] figure it out. You don’t have to be a [bleeping] rocket scientist to figure it out after a while.”
– John Keim
| Notes |
| » Defensive end Stephen Bowen said neither he nor his linemates were shouting out Dallas’ snap counts, causing center Phil Costa to snap the ball too soon. Costa made five errant snaps in the game and afterward accused the Redskins of calling out the snap counts. “Just be a man and tell the truth,” Bowen said. “If that was the case, how come no other linemen jumped? It makes no sense because he’s lying. Everyone respects a man who tells the truth.” Bowen said one official asked a couple of the Redskins’ defensive linemen during the game if they were giving fake snap counts. They obviously denied doing so. And coach Mike Shanahan said centers now wear a microphone, so that can be verified. “You’ll find out if one of our players did say a snap count, and they didn’t do it,” Shanahan said. |
| » Receiver Anthony Armstrong (hamstring) and fullback Darrel Young (hamstring) both were limited in practice Wednesday. Armstrong was hurt during the 18-16 loss to Dallas. Young did not play Monday. |
Hall spoke with coach Mike Shan?ahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett about the play Tuesday. They also watched film of the eight-man blitz.
“A lot of people speak freely,” Shanahan said. “Sometimes it’s the right thing, and sometimes they come up to you and say, ‘I apologize for what I said. I didn’t mean it. I’m a member of this team, and no matter what gets called I’ll perform it to the best of my ability.’?”
Hall altered his stance after watching the film again, placing more blame on himself for the play, which resulted in a 30-yard completion to Dez Bryant.
“There were a couple mistakes a couple guys made on that particular play,” Hall said. “If we had a chance to do it all over again, I guarantee we would hit him. Some guys who were supposed to keep rushing pulled off. I took my eyes off coverage to see what was going on. Dez got behind me, great throw, great catch.
“After talking to [Haslett], I definitely understood where he was coming from. He didn’t feel we were getting there with four or five guys and not hitting [Tony] Romo like we wanted to. He wanted to get the ball out of his hand as quick as possible. … You know, if I’m on Madden I would have did the same thing.”
But Hall also said, “That’s probably not the call a lot of players would want to see played, but if it’s called you have to play it.”
He also said his comments went against the culture they’re trying to establish in Washington — and one the Redskins said was changed with the loss of players such as Clinton Portis and Albert Haynesworth. Hall is a captain, too.
“D-Hall is D-Hall. He says what he says,” Redskins tight end Chris Cooley said. “For the most part we take D-Hall as a leader. He says what he wants to say. … It doesn’t hurt my feelings.”
Said Redskins safety Oshiomogho Atogwe: “He plays this game with a passion, and he plays this game with heart. When you catch an individual like that after he suffered a tough loss, sometimes things come out that you wouldn’t want to come out. … We all have moments of weakness.”
