Mike Shanahan’s Washington Redskins jumped on the opportunity to bury the Buffalo Bills last night, thrashing the Bills 42-17 during their first NFL pre-season game.

So the Shanahan era is kicked off and to no surprise, the offense came out looking powerful and balanced, loaded with weapons.

In all honesty, the Redskins’ second team offense looked like it could have whipped the Bills first team defense and Sexy Rexy Chapman is back in a big way, throwing for 140 yards and two touchdowns on a 11-of-16 night.

Donovan McNabb threw three times to TE Chris Cooley, handed off to Clinton Portis who ran for 22 yards on six carries and scampered to a first down to show off his aging but nimble 33 year- old legs. Overall, he threw a touchdown and ended up 5-8 for 58 yards.

The offensive line provided the Redskins QB’s with enough time to work and it certainly helped that McNabb and Chapman are experienced at getting rid of the ball to their check-down receivers. Thanks to the draft picks of Trent Williams and Jamaal Brown, Shanahan looks to have the right guys up front to run his zone blocking scheme

Even the sideline has a new look with Keenan McCardell as the wide receiver coach and Jim Haslett directing the defense as coordinator. It was Haslett who was credited for cajoling Albert Haynesworth into giving nose tackle a try.

Haynesworth played second team nose tackle and lived to speak about it after the game. For a guy who resisted change and was made to look ridiculous in the process, it looks like he’s decided to get with the program.

“I know I’m a good player and eventually I’ll be with the first team” – Albert Haynesworth.

While Haynesworth was in the lineup, he helped cause a couple of false starts by the Bills’ offense while taking up the space a nose tackle should. The guy’s huge and can keep a couple of O line members occupied at the same time.

Even special teams for the Redskins seemed on top of its game. Brandon Banks, an undrafted rookie from Kansas State returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

The Redskins next opponent is the Baltimore Ravens for a game on Saturday August 21.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

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