Washington gears into preseason mode against Bills
Last preseason, the Bills made headlines after signing controversial receiver Terrell Owens, and a circus of media covered their preseason opener. This year, things are a little different. The media frenzy will be the same, but with Owens’ departure from “North America’s team” the focus turns to Washington, who made a huge splash during the offseason by signing long-time Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb to their roster.
Vengeance is a powerful motivator, and McNabb will have that going for him throughout the entire preseason and regular season. He knows that all eyes will be on him and he is going to want to prove not only to the Eagles, but to the rest of the league that he is still an elite quarterback. Add to that the Redskins’ struggle for a playoff berth and you might just have a ravenous team on your hands. A team that truly believes they have a legitimate shot at a championship run, despite having some handicaps, and despite having gone 4-12 last season.
“Yeah, both of us [Shanahan and QB Donovan McNabb] are here to win a Super Bowl,” said Shanahan. “If you’re not in it to win a Super Bowl, then you need to find something else to do. I’m not ever going to comment on how things were done here before, but we had a philosophy that worked in Denver, and that’s what we’re going to follow.”
Shanahan won’t have a problem converting players to follow and believe in his philosophy, having won back-to-back Super Bowls with Denver-- except for maybe one player. Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth has not been happy with the defensive schemes in place and he has not been quiet about it. But Haynesworth is biting his tongue for now and will play in Friday’s preseason opener.
While Washigton is set at the quarterback position, Buffalo is still searching for their signal caller. Trent Edwards, who lost his starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick in November, leads the pack.
Both Edwards and Fitzpatrick will continue to push themselves and fight for the starting gig, while Brian Brohm will likely end up third on the depth chart.
One player who is expected to contribute on special teams and in the running game immediately is rookie C.J. Spiller. His arrival has caused quite a stir in the Bills camp and he has been practicing with the first team since his arrival.
"Anything I can do to help this team win, I'm willing to do it," Spiller said after a practice. "Anytime a running back can do more, he becomes more dangerous against teams, and that's going to help this offence."
Look for him along with fellow running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch to battle another three-headed monster in Washington. The Redskins will likely start Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker will later transition into the rotation as the game progresses. No word yet on how much time each RB will be on the field on Friday.
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