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‘Skins scoop: Bill Callahan makes changes to practice routine in his first week as Redskins interim head coach

Posted at 7:15 PM, Oct 09, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-09 19:15:45-04

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – Since taking over as interim head coach after the firing of Jay Gruden, Bill Callahan is making changes to the Washington Redskins’ (0-5) practices.

“We came out, we stretched a little bit differently, the dynamic stretches and the static stretches, and just really just try to focus on the team,” Callahan said. “Try to bring the captains to the forefront. The captains were upfront today, leading the stretch.

“I always think that’s a positive when your leadership is up there on a daily basis, and players can emulate that they know who they are, we can potentially draw more from them. I think it was a good start in that respect.”

Related: ‘Skins scoop: Team president Bruce Allen defends Redskins’ culture after the team fires head coach Jay Gruden

Callahan’s putting a large emphasis on fundamentals, something he thinks will prevent the team from continuing to be lackluster in the second half of games. That change includes increasing the amount of conditioning done during practices, and the addition of a developmental period at the end of practice that allows players to break off into position groups and focus on a specific part of their skill set.

“I think that’s the name of the game. If you’re not good in your fundamentals, you’re not going to have them later in the game,” Callahan said. “That mental toughness about fundamentals is important, and if you don’t practice them every day– it’s just like a golfer when he’s on the tour. If he’s not on the driving range hitting balls, he’s not going to get better.”

Related: Redskins quarterback Case Keenum will reportedly start Sunday’s game against the Dolphins

Washington’s first test with Callahan at the helm comes this Sunday when the team travels to Miami to face the Dolphins (0-4).