Think Mike Shanahan will try to blame Sunday’s 17-16 loss to the Bucs on Albert Haynesworth, even though the massive defensive tackle was at home suspended?

Despite getting a 173-yard rushing effort out of Ryan Torian, the Redskins found a new way to lose when a high snap slipped through the fingers of holder Hunter Smith on what should have been a game-tying extra point attempt in the final seconds of the game. Donovan McNabb had just engineered a late scoring drive that was capped on a touchdown pass to Santana Moss but due to Washington’s inability to do anything right this season, the botched extra point cost the Skins the game. Their ensuing onsides kick failed and the game was over.

This season couldn’t end fast enough for Shanahan. Everyone knew it would take a while for him to turn things around in D.C., but this season has been marred by controversy and embarrassment. No matter what side of the debate you’re on in the Haynesworth debacle, the bottom line is that Shanahan failed to perform damage control at the start of the season and now Haynesworth is at home and the Skins are still losing. He’s a lazy malcontent of a player, but Haynesworth was by far Washington’s most productive defensive lineman and Shanahan never had control of the situation. (Or maybe Haynesworth would have continued to be a pain in the ass and it wouldn’t have mattered. Whatever.)

As for the Bucs, they kept their playoff hopes very much alive and with home games coming up against the Lions and Seahawks the next two weeks, anything could happen. They certainly seem to have a better chance than the Packers, who have the same 8-5 record but have a much tougher road ahead. They’re at New England next week before hosting the Giants and Bears in the final two weeks.

Thanks to a botched extra point attempt on Sunday, the Bucs’ fairytale ride isn’t over yet.

When it comes to the ongoing battle between Albert Haynesworth and the Redskins (especially head coach Mike Shanahan), I often feel as though the team should just cut its losses and move on. After all, Haynesworth doesn’t want to play for Shanahan, he doesn’t want to play in a 3-4 and obviously he’ll continue to be a distraction until he gets out of D.C.

But after giving it more thought, I actually like how the Redskins are handling the situation. Haynesworth reportedly showed up hungover to Friday’s practice and he also missed a team meeting. He apparently told GM Bruce Allen on Monday that he’s no longer speaking to Shanahan, who issued a statement saying that Haynesworth “refused to play in our base defense or on first-down or second-down nickel situations” and “refused to follow the instructions of our coaches both during weekly practices and during actual games.”

So the Redskins suspended him the final four games of the season without pay. Haynesworth will no doubt appeal the suspension and he may win after the NFLPA makes a case that the Redskins have no basis to stop paying him. But no matter how this situation ends (his tenure in Washington is almost surely over), kudus to the Skins for not giving in to what Haynesworth ultimately wants (i.e. to be released).

Shanahan has a massive ego and he is partly to blame for the way things turned out. Could he have handled the situation better and maybe turned a negative into a positive? Yes, but that ship has sailed now. It’s time for the Skins to put up a collective front.

They’ve already paid Haynesworth $36.5 million for two seasons and he’s done very little to earn that money. So why reward him by cutting him and giving him the opportunity to play elsewhere? If the Redskins aren’t getting what they want (i.e. a productive defensive tackle who doesn’t moonlight as a pain in the ass), why should he get what he wants?

Chances are this situation won’t go down smoothly but I applaud the Redskins for digging in their heels and not releasing him. Granted, it may be a stubborn move and let’s not overlook the fact that this is all Daniel Snyder’s fault for paying this guy millions of dollars upfront when Haynesworth had a history of being a malcontent. But at this point, I like what the Skins are doing.

As expected, the NFL trade deadline passed with nary a peep from any of the 32 teams. Willis McGahee is still a Raven, Marion Barber is still a Cowboy and as far as I know, Jen is still with Brad. (Come again? What?! When? With who? Home wrecker…)

As Rotowold.com pointed out, the top NFL Insiders (Adam Schefter, Chris Mortensen, Jason LaCanfora, Anthony Stalter) were rather quiet all afternoon, which was an indication that no major deals were forthcoming by the 4:00PM ET deadline.

There was speculation by one of the beat writers at the Baltimore Sun that the Ravens might look to trade McGahee. But head coach John Harbaugh insisted that the team wasn’t actively trying to trade their running back and GM Ozzie Newsome backed up those words on Tuesday by keeping McGahee on the roster.

In other running back trade news, the Cowboys didn’t send Barber packing either. Of course, that has more to do with Barber’s salary (he’s due $3.86 million this year and $4 million in March thanks to a roster bonus, then $4.25 million 2011, $5.75 million in 2012, $6.25 million in 2013 and $7 million in 2014) and production (3.4 yards per carry so far this year) than it does Dallas’ desire to hang onto the 27-year-old back. I can’t imagine that if the ‘Boys were offered a decent draft pick that they would say, “No, please, don’t take our ineffective running back with the bloated salary.”

La Canfora said this morning that Albert Haynesworth may be moved before the trade deadline, but nothing transpired. No team was going to meet the Redskins’ asking price of either a first or second rounder for the disgruntled but talented DT.

So now the Redskins have re-entered trade talks with the Titans for Albert Haynesworth.

Fantastic. The never ending offseason death ride continues.

I wonder if Mike Shanahan has the correct business hours for FedEx, because if he wanted to get rid of Hanyesworth so bad, he could have already shipped the mammoth defensive tackle out of town by now.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen says there is no deal in place yet between the Skins and Titans, because Tennessee feels that Washington’s asking price of two draft picks is too high. Quite frankly, I don’t blame the Titans for not giving into the Redskins’ demands considering a) Haynesworth hasn’t cracked the starting lineup yet and b) Shanahan clearly wants nothing to do with him.

Why pay full price for something when the seller is willing to give the product away for less than what its worth? Washington can play hardball with Tennessee all it wants, but at the end of the day the Titans know that Shanahan doesn’t want Haynesworth on his roster, so all they have to do is show some patience and they’ll get the player they want for cheap.

The best thing for the Redskins would be to trade Haynesworth for whatever they can get, even if it doesn’t wind up being fair value in return. This was Dan Snyder’s fault for paying a player $100 million and ignoring all the signs that came with said player. If he had bothered to do his homework, he would have taken a pass just like most owners and built his team through the draft for once.

Nothing positive is going to come out of this Haynesoworth/Shanahan/Redskins fiasco, so Washington needs to cut its losses and move on.

2010 NFL Division Previews & Predictions: AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West | 2010 Question Marks Series

Much like its counterpart in the AFC, the NFC East is extremely difficult to predict this year. Three of the top four teams are legitimate playoff contenders and the Redskins have improved after going 4-12 last season.

It’s going to be a battle in this division this year, much like it is every season.

Here’s how I see things shaking out in the NFC East in 2010. Be sure to check out the link entitled “2010 Question Mark” under each team’s preview, which is a breakdown of one or two potential weaknesses that could derail that squad’s hopes this season.

1. Cowboys

What to Like: The ‘Boys already had quite the offensive core in Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Marion Barber, Jason Witten and Felix Jones. But then they had Dez Bryant fall to them in the first round last April, which gives the offense yet another playmaker that defenses have to deal with every Sunday. After finishing sixth last year in total offense and 14th in scoring, I don’t see any reason why Dallas shouldn’t light up the scoreboard again this season. Defensively, DeMarcus Ware returns as a pass-rushing terror from his outside linebacker position and the unit is littered with underrated players like Jay Ratliff and Igor Olshansky.
What Not to Like: The biggest two question marks surround the free safety and left tackle positions. Alan Ball is an intriguing prospect, but he’s only a rookie and no matter how well he plays, he’s going to make some mistakes. At left tackle, the ‘Boys dumped long-time veteran Flozell Adams and replaced him with the inexperienced Doug Free, who played well on the right side last year but he has never been counted on to protect a quarterback’s blindside. The good thing is that if Free struggles, the team added Alex Barron this offseason as insurance. The other concern when it comes to the Cowboys is that they have a habit of fading down the stretch, with last year being the exception. I put that on coaching more than anything and with Wade Phillips (good coach, but he doesn’t come without his criticisms) still roaming the sidelines in Dallas, that means a late-season free fall isn’t out of the question.
Keep Your Eye On: Dez Bryant, WR
The Cowboys’ first round pick has already turned heads this offseason (both for his play on the field and his decision not to carry Roy Williams’ shoulder pads after practice) and if he can recover from an ankle injury that has sidelined him for the preseason, he’s going to have opportunities to make plays out of the team’s three receiver set.
The Final Word: This is the most talented team in the division and they’re pretty deep at most positions. The problem is that the Cowboys usually get in their own way down the stretch and late season collapses are nothing new to this franchise. That said, they got the playoff monkey off their back last year by advancing to the second round and as long as Phillips can keep this squad motivated, the ‘Boys should win the East for the second straight year. Their offense will be tough to stop and their defense will put pressure on the quarterback. The talent is there, now let’s see if the execution follows.

Dallas Cowboys 2010 Question Mark: Free Safety

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If Daniel Snyder were looking for someone to blame for the way things have unraveled in Washington with the Albert Haynesworth situation, then all he has to do is plant himself in front of a mirror.

I get that this may be an oversimplified way of looking at the situation, but considering this could have all been avoided had Snyder not fallen victim to the same losing methods that he has embraced over the years, the situation is rather simple to grasp.

Haynesworth is who he is and the same goes for Mike Shanahan. As Shanahan has alluded to, Haynesworth is used to getting his way but that’s not going to fly with his new head coach, who has proven in his short stint with the Redskins that his players will fall in line. If you play for him, you’re going to do things his way, which includes practicing if you want to suit up on Sundays.

If Snyder wanted to avoid this situation, all he had to do was pass on cutting (figuratively, of course) Haynesworth a $100 million check last offseason. But because he had to have Haynesworth’s talent, it didn’t matter what the defensive tackle’s track record looked like.

And let’s look at that track record for a moment.

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Following the Redskins’ 23-3 loss to the Ravens on Saturday night in which he didn’t play until the third quarter, Albert Haynesworth ripped the team in 90-second post game locker room interview.

From CSN Washington:

Haynesworth said he wasn’t injured enough to be held out of practice last Wednesday and Thursday.

“I was told I had ‘headaches’ or whatever and that’s why I couldn’t go out and practice,” he said. “I think it was a little bit more than that.”

Haynesworth added: “[Headaches] was part of that but it wasn’t all of it. They left out a lot of stuff.”

Asked for specifics, he said: “You would have to ask them.”

Haynesworth said the Redskins were holding him out of practice as punishment for skipping the OTAs and mini-camps.

“I guess to make me look bad for not going to their offseason conditioning program,” he said. “Next year, I’m not coming either. I’ll be with my trainer again and come back in the same shape I’m in and feel good about myself.”

Haynesworth did not play in the first half against Baltimore and was upset he was on the field in the second half.

“I’m a ninth year pro,” he said. “I don’t think I should have been out there in the third quarter, but having ‘headaches’ again, that’s what they wanted to do.”

It sounds like both sides are playing the power-trip game right now. Mike Shanahan doesn’t want to just give Haynesworth back his starting job (which is why the DT didn’t play until the third quarter last night), while Haynesworth probably feels like he’s done enough to move forward and put the offseason mess behind him.

Either way, there’s obviously still a lot of tension between Haynesworth and Shanahan and neither of them are ready to sit down to a Sunday picnic together and share their feelings. At some point though, Shanahan is going to have to turn this into a positive situation and move forward because Haynesworth gives the team their best chance of winning. When he’s on top of his game (which includes him not being a malcontent), he’s the Skins’ best defender.

Favre has yet to tell Childress that he’s retiring
Despite reports that state he won’t return, Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress insisted on Tuesday that Brett Favre has not told him he’s retiring. Minnesota still considers the situation “fluid” and Viking players have told the media that nothing has changed in regards to Favre’s status with the team. A “family source” also tells the Biloxi Sun Herald that Brett has not decided whether to play this year. With over a month left before the season starts, it’s doubtful that Brett has made any concrete plans about whether or not to come back – even though many media outlets are reporting that he’s likely done.

Eagles’ Maclin suffers hyperextended knee injury
Second-year receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered a hyperextended left knee injury during practice today. According to some reports, he looked to be in serious pain on the field and his teammates even huddled for a prayer after practice. He’ll undergo an MRI on the knee to determine how much camp time he’ll miss. Hopefully the injury wasn’t serious and he’ll only miss a week or so.

Falcons’ Babineaux suspended one game
The Falcons won’t have their best interior pass-rusher when they take on the Steelers in Week 1, as defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux has been suspended one game for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. (The suspension stems from Babineaux’s 2009 arrest for possession of marijuana.) Kudos to GM Thomas Dimitroff for having the wherewithal to know Babineaux was likely to be suspended and to select DT Corey Peters in the third round of April’s draft. Non-kudos to Babineaux for the arrest.

Haynesworth skips conditioning test again
Another day, another skipped conditioning test for Albert Haynesworth. Mike Shanahan says that Haynesworth’s knee is still bothering him and that when he’s ready to take the test again, “he’ll take it.” Shanahan is standing firm that Haynesworth is not allowed to practice until he passes the test (which some media members have reportedly attempted and passed over the last coupe of days).

For the third straight day, Albert Haynesworth didn’t attempt Mike Shanahan’s “conditioning test” because of a sore knee.

I use quotation marks around the words “conditioning test” because Shanahan is hardly trying to determine whether or not Haynesworth is in shape. There have already been several reports that have stated he’s in the best shape of his career and as I highlighted last week, these tests are more about punishment and less about running.

But now that Haynesworth has missed almost a week’s worth of practice, is Shanahan satisfied? Does it really matter if Haynesworth passes this test or has Shanahan done enough to prove his point? Because in a couple of months, it’s not going to matter what Haynesworth said about his contract or how many sprints he ran in training camp. The only thing that will matter is whether or not he helps Shanahan and the Redskins win.

At some point, Shanahan needs to take a negative situation and turn it into a positive. No matter how big of a pain he is at times, Haynesworth gives the Redskins their best chance to win and sooner or later, both he and Shanahan will have to move forward if everyone is going to get what they want in the end.

Far be it for me to write about another man’s intentions, but it sure looks to me that Mike Shanahan’s conditioning test for Albert Haynesworth is less about cardio and more about respect.

According to several media outlets, Haynesworth has failed two conditioning tests over the past two days. He passed the first leg of Shanahan’s test (which consisted of two 300-yard shuttle runs) on Thursday, only to fail the second because he needed to take a bathroom break. (No word yet on if it was a No. 1 or a No. 2 for Haynesworth.)

When Shanahan asked Haynesworth to run a third leg of the test, the massive defensive tackle told his head coach that he has never had to run three such sprints during even his best of seasons (including the years he went to the Pro Bowl). Considering defensive linemen never have to run further than 5-10 yards on a given play, it would seem a little absurd that Shanahan would make Haynesworth run this much (especially while the DT is reportedly in great shape as it is).

But that’s not the point now is it? The point is that Haynesworth spent virtually the entire offseason complaining about this situation in Washington and Shanahan wasn’t going to allow the defender to waltz into camp on Day 1 and act like everything is just gravy. Shanahan has been around long enough to know how to handle these types of situations and he has decided to test Haynesworth’s resolve right off the bat. Again, I can’t speak for Shanahan’s intentions, but it appears as though he’s making a point that one player doesn’t come above the team. And if you want to be a part of this team, you’re going to have to bust your hump. If you don’t, well, then there’s the door.

If these are indeed Shanahan’s intentions when it comes to Haynesworth’s conditioning tests, then how could you not appreciate this if you’re a Redskins fan? Coming off of Jim Zorn, this has to be a welcoming sight in D.C.