ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins practice Friday and Saturday, though the latter is closed to the media. They practice at 11:25 a.m. followed by an open locker room session. Here are three areas of interest:
Robert Griffin III. It’s not because anyone thinks he’s legitimately going to play -- it’s always been a long shot, as many of us stated Sunday night. But his progress is still pivotal, even in practice. Plus, the Redskins say he’ll give a statement Friday about his situation. Why he won’t talk is beyond me; he’s a mature 24-year-old and still the future of the franchise at this position. If you don’t trust him to say the right thing here, then that’s saying a lot -- and it also speaks to how much the organization remains haunted by last season. But to have him release a statement? Seems a bit odd. If he were coming off a suspension, then I get it. I don’t get this.
Coordinators' turn to talk. Both Jim Haslett and Sean McVay will address the media Friday. For Haslett, the trick is defending an offense that is as hot as the Dallas Cowboys' -- and doing so while having to replace another starter. People can knock Brian Orakpo all they want, but he was a good all-around linebacker and he’s being replaced by a rookie in Trent Murphy, who may or may not be the future at this spot. As for McVay, I know I’ll talk to him about the red zone and, obviously Colt McCoy. The run game was an issue last week -- and the week before, etc.
For the blog Friday, my Cowboys colleague Todd Archer and I preview the game (that’ll be live at 8 a.m. ET) and we’ll both have our predictions later in the day. Archer also wrote a story on quarterback Tony Romo becoming more accurate. Archer also talked with another of our colleagues, Jean-Jacques Taylor, about the Cowboys' defense. Yes, Friday means mailbag and also Three Things that I’ve Learned about the Cowboys, based on watching film and talking to players.