Albert Haynesworth and Mike Shanahan: An unlikely win-win situation?

Last night on the NFL show on Showtime, Mike Lombardi was saying that the Redskins were lucky to have scored the TD by DeAngelo Hall, instead of getting flagged for a personal foul on Haynesworth's downhill block.

Redskins Insider - Shanahan says he would defend Haynesworth block to NFL (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/albert-haynesworth/shanahan-said-he-would-defend.html#more)

That was so great when he took the guard to the QB!!

I love how people will try to spin this as a negative.

So pessimistic sometimes.

Warren Sapp could have theoretically been the greatest 3-4 RE ever if we just looked at him physically. Didn't happen because his mindset was up-the-field kill the QB. You also try to spin him as a lazy bitch when he sounded rather humble about the comments.


Simply because he has a huge contract does not in any way, shape, or form equate him to being a superhuman.


I don't have to paint, he's doing a fine job painting a hideous self-portrait. Being a nose tackle doesn't mean you can't rush the QB. Look at Jay Ratliff of the Cowboys or any decent nose tackle in the league...they are getting after the QB as much as a 4/3 tackle.

It's real clear to me that that SOB doesn't want to try and with his loser talk of "I can't" or "I can only play nickel" he pretty much said as much. The mark of a great player is the ability to adapt and they don't have the words "I can't" in their vocabulary. Again, fck him...I hope he chokes on a hot dog.

I don't have to paint, he's doing a fine job painting a hideous self-portrait. Being a nose tackle doesn't mean you can't rush the QB. Look at Jay Ratliff of the Cowboys or any decent nose tackle in the league...they are getting after the QB as much as a 4/3 tackle.

It's real clear to me that that SOB doesn't want to try and with his loser talk of "I can't" or "I can only play nickel" he pretty much said as much. The mark of a great player is the ability to adapt and they don't have the words "I can't" in their vocabulary. Again, fck him...I hope he chokes on a hot dog.

Wade runs a scheme that lets his guys shoot gaps. Haslett does not. The D-linemen hold the OL at bay for the LBs by playing two-gap responsibilities. This has been covered here in the past. It's also why I have my crazy sig.

And a link for good measure:
Guide to N.F.L. Defenses, Part 4: The 3-4 Front - NYTimes.com (http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/guide-to-n-f-l-defenses-part-4-the-3-4-front/)

There are other guys who have the physical skillset to be something better than they actually are. Those guys aren't. Andre Carter has the athleticism to be a 3-4 OLB, but he doesn't have the full set of instincts. Dhall could be another shutdown corner, but he's not.

It's real clear to me that that SOB doesn't want to try and with his loser talk of "I can't" or "I can only play nickel" he pretty much said as much. The mark of a great player is the ability to adapt and they don't have the words "I can't" in their vocabulary. Again, fck him...I hope he chokes on a hot dog.

As shown in the link, even Sapp had trouble adjusting to not NT, RE. NT is even more demanding the RE. So it seems that Haynesworth is not the only one suffering from such a inability to be beastly when taken out of the 3-4.

I don't have to paint, he's doing a fine job painting a hideous self-portrait. Being a nose tackle doesn't mean you can't rush the QB. Look at Jay Ratliff of the Cowboys or any decent nose tackle in the league...they are getting after the QB as much as a 4/3 tackle.

It's real clear to me that that SOB doesn't want to try and with his loser talk of "I can't" or "I can only play nickel" he pretty much said as much. The mark of a great player is the ability to adapt and they don't have the words "I can't" in their vocabulary. Again, fck him...I hope he chokes on a hot dog.

A true nose tackle's job is not to get to the QB, their job is to plug the line and let everyone else get to the QB. Wade Phillip's style is a bit different, but obviously Haslett wasn't planning in running that here. If you look at true 3-4 NTs like Casey Hampton and Vince Wilfork, they average about a sack a year.

The way Haynesworth carried himself through the offseason is inexcusable. However, if you can put that aside, anyone with some football knowledge should realize that this guy is designed to be a pass rushing defensive tackle.

Personally, I want the team to continue to use him as a pass rusher. The team is paying way too much money for him to be in a position where he doesn't fit. And by looking at this...

5QUKOPAAO2k

It seems that Haslett is doing a good job at using him.

RI:

Posted at 9:19 PM ET, 10/28/2010

Albert Haynesworth fined $7,500 for hit vs. Bears, report says

The NFL has fined Albert Haynesworth $7,500 for a hit the Redskins defensive lineman delivered during DeAngelo Hall's 92-yard interception return last Sunday at Chicago, according to an ESPN report.

Haynesworth was penalized by the league office Thursday for unnecessary roughness on a block of Bears offensive lineman J'Marcus Webb, which occured about 11 yards behind Hall as the cornerback streaked down the sideline.

Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said he hadn't seen a review of the hit from the television broadcast, but he commended Haynesworth for his effort on the play.

"If a guy's 25 yards back, and a guy kills somebody, they say, 'Hey, that's a cheap shot,' " Shanahan said Thursday. "If he's got a chance to catch him -- if he's within 10 yards, maybe it's 12 yards --, they determine if he had a legitimate chance to make a play."

Haynesworth's block did not draw a flag on the play. However, Webb was not happy with the hit because his reaction on the field drew an 15-yard personal foul.

Shanahan said he might discuss the hit with league office.

One thing left out/overlooked in the whole AH/Shanahan dramedy.

Anyone, anywhere, see Snyder's name mentioned as trying to influence the outcome?

Anyone believe, prior to this year and w/ the exception of Gibbs' tenure, that Snyder would have been a non-factor in the resolution of the issue?

he has a really good new pr guy this year, and he is making strides but one season doesn't make a decade dissapear overnight, hopefully we are on the right track now, we as a fan base deserve it, although we bitch and moan about every detail we still show up every sunday

it's nice to hear some good news about albert though, after watching him carry that lineman into cutler you could finally see what he is capable of. i really hope he pulls his s together and finsihes the season strong and finds his place on this team.

I don't have to paint, he's doing a fine job painting a hideous self-portrait. Being a nose tackle doesn't mean you can't rush the QB. Look at Jay Ratliff of the Cowboys or any decent nose tackle in the league...they are getting after the QB as much as a 4/3 tackle.

It's real clear to me that that SOB doesn't want to try and with his loser talk of "I can't" or "I can only play nickel" he pretty much said as much. The mark of a great player is the ability to adapt and they don't have the words "I can't" in their vocabulary. Again, fck him...I hope he chokes on a hot dog.

Word to this. Truly great players learn how to adjust and still be among the best. Ray Lewis switched from the 4-3 to the 3-4 and remained arguably the best LB in the league. I'm sure Dlineman have switched between the schemes and been dominant both ways. Kris Jenkins, apart from his proneness to injury, is an example, tho maybe not the best you could find out there.

AH is an underachiever. I agree w/ those who say he's gone after this season.