Last year, as the 2008 season wound down and the Redskins seemed unable to get themselves back in the win column on a consistent basis, head coach Jim Zorn was emphatic about playing his starters to the very end. Every week, reporters (and emailers, and blog commenters) would ask about getting more playing time for the then-rookies, and every week Zorn stuck to his guns.

As Sunday's game against the Falcons approaches, it appears that this year will be different; this next game is shaping up to be a flashpoint for this year's rookie class AND the largely-underachieving crew from 2008.

In some cases, such as rookies CB Kevin Barnes, LB Robert Henson, and FB Eddie Williams, this is because of injury, not by design. With H.B. Blades and Byron Westbrook out this week following surgeries, Barnes and Henson are getting more work in practice, Zorn said yesterday.

"I know Henson and Barnes are both getting reps," he told the media after practice. "There is going to be a lot of conversation before I make the final decision on inactives this week. It will be because of Eddie [Williams] coming up, Quinton [Ganther] still developing ... Barnes, Henson, with two tight ends, less offensive linemen and more defensive linemen, I am not really sure where I am headed yet. I couldn't put it together for you but they will be under consideration for sure."

At this point, all of this year's draft picks that remain with the team are currently signed to the active roster, and they all have a chance to be active on Sunday. (And, before anyone asks, I haven't heard any news about more playing time for Marko Mitchell this week.)

But it's not just this year's rookies that find themselves at a potential crossroads; the big three from last year -- Fred Davis, Devin Thomas, and Malcolm Kelly -- also need to represent in Atlanta.

When Fred Davis made a catch during the game Monday night, I mentioned on Twitter that he "really loves to jump in the air for no discernible reason, doesn't he?" A couple of people agreed with me, and that was that. But the question sort of nagged at me: why DOES Davis seem to jump in the air every time he catches the ball, regardless of field position, down, distance, or any other details like that.

On Tuesday, I finally bit the bullet and asked him, and I've got some good news and some bad news.

Second-year tight end Fred Davis -- one of the high points of a low evening -- pretty much established his reputation with Redskins fans when he overslept his alarm clock and missed the last day of his first minicamp: nice guy, affable, but bit on the carefree side for an NFL player. And in my encounters with him, that's about how he came across.

He got a bit more serious heading into this year, but by the time the season started he still seemed -- not to go all Brett Favre on you -- like a kid out there.

In fact, I don't think I've ever seen him quite as focused as he was in the locker room after tonight's game, the best of his career. Playing in relief of Chris Cooley (out for an undetermined amount of time with this), Davis caught 8 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. So naturally his locker room demeanor was mild shellshock.

Let's be honest: last year didn't work out quite the way Fred Davis wanted, right from the start. Between the whole oversleeping-his-alarm-clock-and-missing-a-practice thing and the three-receptions-for-27-yards-in-2008 thing, this was not the mark that the 2007 Mackey Award winner was hoping or expecting to make in the NFL.

In just a few short practices this offseason, Davis appears (to me) have completely turned things around. He's looked fast and athletic in practices, and he's appeared focused while working.

I talked to Davis about minicamp and the first week of OTAs, but first I talked to head coach Jim Zorn about if he had seen the same differences in Davis that I had.

"Oh, he's very different than last year when he came in," Zorn said. "More explosive. He looked powerful, caught the ball well."