As expected Albert Haynesworth started at defensive tackle for the Redskins Sunday night in their loss to Dallas.
After the 17-0 defeat, Haynesworth spoke to the media for the first time since leaving practice Friday and then lambasting defensive coordinator Greg Blache in a published report.
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Haynesworth denied he regretted signing with the Redskins for $41 million guaranteed.
“I’m not sorry that I came here,” he said. “It was between here and Tampa so you tell me.”
The Redskins are 4-11 and Tampa Bay is 3-12 after road wins at Seattle and New Orleans.
At any rate, here are some highlights (as transcribed by colleague David Elfin):
* On popping off this week …
“Just frustration,” he said. “I’m a competitor. I want to win – whatever I do, I want to win. In the off-season as far as boats, I have to have the fastest boat. I have to have the fastest car, which has gotten me into trouble a few times. This is my livelihood. I definitely hate to lose.”
* On talking to Blache:
“I talked to Blache and we’re all great,” he said. “Everything’s fine. We’re grown men. We can disagree. We don’t hate each other. We’re still the same.”
* On new GM Bruce Allen evaulting the Redskins:
“If he really watched the film and really watches some of the guys play hard, we got a great nucleus around here,” Haynesworth said. “We just have to get the key components to make it right. I don’t think he’s thinking that we have to just blow up this team and start from ground zero. We do have a lot of great players around here.”
The overall take on the Haynesworth Saga the past three days: Was he wrong to show up late on Christmas Day? Yes. And he should have been punished more severely in the form of not starting. But was he wrong to question his use within Blache’s scheme? No. Fitting Haynesworth into the Redskins’ defense is like a square peg in a round hole – somebody needs to adjust.
Haynesworth’s arrival has helped Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo but whoever coordinates this defense next year has to take advantage of Haynesworth’s skill set.
And for his part, the Big Fella should show up better conditioned next August and be ready to play more in the preseason so the month of September isn’t his training camp. He’s been a dominant player for stretches this year, but even he knows that the price tag requires more production.
– Ryan O’Halloran
