"As far as Albert Haynesworth is concerned, he wasn't really in Washington the past two seasons. He wasn't disgruntled on the sidelines in burgundy and gold, fighting an ill-fitting system and causing trouble.

Though he accepts the mistakes he made during his disastrous tenure with the Redskins, the new Patriots [team stats] defensive tackle has found a new way to view his career detour.

He was sleeping.

"I think it's time for the sleeping giant to awake," Haynesworth said yesterday. "Play football again.""