Gibbs: Focus on Philly

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Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs yesterday attempted to keep his team and its followers focused on its biggest game in six seasons, a day after his star linebacker discussed departing the club.

"Right now, for anybody in this organization -- I would hope in the entire town -- to be focused on anything other than Philly would be ridiculous," Gibbs said. "We're getting ready to play the most important game that a lot of our players will play. ..."

Gibbs said he had not read LaVar Arrington's remarks in Wednesday's editions of The Washington Times, but he objected strongly to anything that might distract his team from Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Redskins can clinch their first playoff berth since the 1999 season with a victory.

"If we lose the game, we're not going anywhere," Gibbs said. "So my mind-set is on one thing, Philadelphia. That's the way I feel about it."

Arrington said yesterday the same was true of him, despite comments he made in The Times in which he said he expected the team to trade or cut him because of his high salary.

"I'm worried about Philadelphia, and that's the bottom line," Arrington said. "All this other stuff, people have your opinions, and I think it was obvious that opinion came through in that article. Those are my quotes, but it's the tone of the story that comes from the writer himself.

"I think it's horrible timing for a writer to write something like that, but it happens. It's not going to be a distraction. It's not causing any friction."

Arrington also said he didn't want to leave the club.

"It was taken out of context. I said I want to be a Redskin forever. I'd rather retire than play for another franchise and you leave it at that, you don't go into all these other things. This is where I want to be. ... Whether I will or not, I don't know.

"I don't want this getting misconstrued or dragged out or turned into something crazy. This isn't me trying to be a prima donna. I've handled this situation during the whole season with dignity and respect and, in my opinion, class. A lot of that stuff in that article seems contradicting, but let it be what it's going to be."