Santana Moss likes what he sees in how Kyle Shanahan used Andre Johnson

Santana Moss doesn't need to study much game film to realize how effective a wide receiver can be in Kyle Shanahan's offense. One of his good friends is Houston receiver Andre Johnson, who was a teammate of Moss' at the University of Miami.

Moss has spent a lot of time the past few years enviously watching Johnson play in a potent passing attack.

"Just watching him play, I used to make calls all the time and say, 'How are you getting this wide open?' Dre will tell you," Moss said. "I just scratch my head at night, watching highlights. Man, you know he's getting the ball. Dre told me, they were just very creative."

Johnson has posted 1,000-yard seasons in four of the past seasons. When Kyle Shanahan was the Texans' offensive coordinator in 2008 and '09, Johnson had his two best seasons, topping 1,500 yards both times. He led the league, in fact, in receiving yards last year and was part of the league's top-ranked passing offense.

Moss is counting on the Redskins using him the way Kyle Shanahan utilized Johnson.

"They know how to move you around and get you to the points, where you don't have to always worry about being on that island, being out there," Moss said. "I used to be out there sometimes and I was wondering, 'Help.' I get a cover-2 shell or something and there was no way out of it."

Moss also had a favorable review of new receivers coach Keenan McCardell. Moss and McCardell were actually teammates in Washington in 2007, McCardell's final season as a player.

"Some of the best players are the best coaches," he said. "I will watch him - watch his film - and be able to be coached by just watching his film. You don't have to say a word to me. Some of us pick up like that. He don't have to say a word to me. I can sit back, see some of the things he did as a player, and say, 'Okay, I'm gonna do this more, I'm gonna do that more.' Now you have that coach, now you have him coming in, being able to instruct you in that form and in that way."

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(washingtonpost.com)