Woody:REDSKINS NOTES

[TK]

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REDSKINS NOTES

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Friday, November 21, 2003

THE PLAY'S THE THING: To the surprise of probably no one, coach Steve Spurrier will take a larger role in the playcalling this week. Spurrier relinquished those duties to offensive coordinator Hue Jackson two weeks ago. The result, whether coincidental or not, was a victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Jackson called the plays last week against Carolina. The result was less favorable. The Redskins lost 20-17.

Spurrier has called plays his entire coaching career, and obviously was uncomfortable giving someone else that responsibility.

"I just need to be more involved," Spurrier said. "I sat back and watched, and Hue's done an excellent job. But I need to talk to the quarterback. You can talk to him between plays and so forth."

Spurrier said Jackson still would be involved with calling the plays. The difference now is that Spurrier will be sending in the play over the helmet headset.

"I'll use the machine," Spurrier said. "That way I'll have a little conversation with the quarterback. I can coach him between plays. I'm just trying to get back involved with coaching the quarterbacks."

Spurrier was asked if this change would have been made had the Redskins defeated Carolina.

"I don't have the answer to all that," he said.

THE RESEMBLANCE IS STRIKING: Backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck might get to play this week because of the foot problem starting quarterback Patrick Ramsey is experiencing.

Hasselbeck has an older brother, Matt, who is the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. In an interview this week, a television reporter made the mistake every reporter covering the team hopes not to make. He started his question by looking at Tim Hasselbeck and saying, "Matt . . . "

Tim Hasselbeck quickly said, "Matt?"

Hasselbeck should be used to that. There aren't a lot of brother combinations playing quarterback in the NFL.

Before the Redskins-Seahawks game, Matt Hasselbeck said that even though he is four years older than Tim, sometimes it seemed to him that Tim was the older brother.

"I guess I've had an older feel about me because he's always calling me and asking me about how I thought things went for him," Tim said. "And as soon as I came in here, everybody started asking me who was older. I was kind of offended by that because I'm hanging on to a little more hair than he has. But not a whole lot."

Matt is almost bald. Tim is in the midstages of male pattern baldness.

RAMSEY UPDATE: Ramsey did not practice again yesterday, and he planned to stay late to "try a bunch of things" to get his ailing foot well enough to play this week.

Ramsey has been bothered by a flare-up of an old fracture in his right foot, an injury that needs rest and might require offseason surgery. He was given a cortisone shot Monday and has been wearing a protective boot.

"I feel better today than I did yesterday, and I'm going to stay here all evening," Ramsey said. "We're going to try a bunch of things to see if we can make it feel better."

Spurrier did not say when he will make a decision.

Ramsey indicated that today's practice would be the most telling.

"I'd really like to practice [today] if I'm going to be able to play on Sunday," he said.

RESPONSIBILITY TAKEN: Jeremiah Trotter was at fault when Carolina running back Stephen Davis slipped out of the backfield, caught a short pass and turned it into a 25-yard gain on a fourth-and-one play Sunday. That kept alive the Panthers' game-winning drive.

And while Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington no longer talks to the press, Trotter did not shy away from taking the blame for his error, even days after it had happened.

"I messed up," Trotter said. "I blew the coverage. I'm a man. I'll say it. I don't need anybody going to the paper and saying, 'Trotter messed up.' I'll say it myself. I have to live with it. It's been eating me up. It disappoints me so bad that I let the whole team down.

"In that coverage, you're allowed a little bit of freedom. On that call, I should stay on my man. I did it one other time in the first half, and I got to the quarterback and put pressure on him. They were just waiting on me the second time."

Trotter is not alone in making a costly mistake. As a group, the linebackers have not had a good season.

Earlier this year, Arrington made a similar play in overtime against the Giants and the man he was supposed to cover caught a pass that set up the game-winning field goal.

"It has happened at crucial times," Spurrier said. "I don't exactly have the answer. I hope we can get it straightened out real soon."

THE EYE IN THE SKY DOES NOT LIE: NFL Director of Officiating Mike Pereira, speaking earlier this week on the NFL Network's NFL Total Access, said the call on the winning touchdown run by Davis was correct. Davis was stopped short of the goal line, but extended his arms in an effort to break the plane of the goal line.

Pereira did say that if Davis had been ruled down without scoring a touchdown, he did not think the play would have been overturned because indisputable visual evidence was lacking. - Paul Woody

[bubba9497]

oops

[bubba9497]

I was kind of offended by that because I'm hanging on to a little more hair than he has. But not a whole lot."

I like this guy more each week.

[bulldog]

"It has happened at crucial times," Spurrier said. "I don't exactly have the answer. I hope we can get it straightened out real soon."

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I have the answer. Redskins linebackers are lone rangers and don't easily fit into the team concept. These guys would rather take a 50% chance of making a highlight reel play than staying at home and playing together with the other 8 guys on the field.

No way an experienced defensive coach like Parcells or even Marty would allow these guys to basically do as they please.

Club Med in the Middle Atlantic, USA, otherwise known as Redskins Park