That second half Sunday, when the Redskins gashed Johnson's defense for 131 of their 203 rushing yards, while forging a 23-17 victory? It was the most disturbing, disappointing half of football the Eagles' defense has played this season, the kind of thing that can't happen again Sunday, when the Birds visit San Francisco.

"We didn't set the edge," the defensive coordinator said yesterday. "Between our ends and our outside 'backers, we didn't set the edge, and we didn't tackle well. That's the first time, you'd say, all year that we didn't tackle well, and I thought they dominated at the line of scrimmage in the second half."

The 49ers have a fine, versatile running back, Frank Gore, but they don't have Washington's offensive line; their rushing game ranks 18th in the NFL, whereas the Redskins are fifth.

"No, I don't worry about it [happening again]," Johnson said. "I think we had a bad second half, and I think they'll respond. We'll see how they respond. No, I'm not that concerned about it. I just want to make sure that we play hard every week."

Johnson seemed to say that when you play a good team, like the Cowboys, whose air attack burned the Eagles, or the Redskins, you have to come to grips with the fact that you won't shut the opposition out; you have to be resilient when something bad happens, instead of getting frustrated and compounding the problem.

"They're going to make some plays, but you have to rebound a little bit," Johnson said. "Hopefully, you make more plays. And I always tell them that we have to come up with some key plays. We didn't come up with some key stops last Sunday, especially in that second half, when we had them third and long."

In fact, the Redskins converted three third-and-9 situations in the second half, amid a streak of converting 10 of a possible 15 third downs.

"We keep emphasizing that and we keep talking about it," Johnson said. "We're capable of making better plays in there, and we just didn't play well in the second half. I can rationalize a lot of things, but we didn't play well in the second half."

Defensive tackle Mike Patterson blamed "a lot of mental errors, just people not on the same page."

Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley said the Birds hadn't seen much of the kind of "stretch" running the Redskins did, some of it setting up inside runs.

"It takes away some of the speed of the defense. We just have to be patient, and 'gap-sound,' '' Bradley said. "A lot of teams before were more aggressive at us, they were outside quick, or they were running up the middle. That kind of patient running game [where Clinton Portis would wait and play off his blocking], we hadn't really seen that before. You have to have a back with good patience, and an o-line that can sustain blocks [to do that]. Whevever you decide to go, they try to make you wrong . . . We've done a good job of addressing that issue, we've gone through those plays, and we'll be OK when we seem 'em again."

Johnson's d-line rotation will shift a little this week. Victor Abiamiri, who came into training camp as the starting defensive end opposite Trent Cole, then had wrist surgery July 29, is ready to play, though he hasn't really been hit in more than 2 months. Abiamiri, like Darren Howard, can move inside, and Johnson said he would do that this week, to help make up for the loss of Dan Klecko, who apparently is a full-time fullback again for the time being. (Tony Hunt was shifted to running back, with the Eagles expected to play without Brian Westbrook and his fractured ribs.)

Johnson said that Abiamiri will work into the rotation, but that rookie Trevor Laws also will see an increased workload, in support of starting d-tackles Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley.

"I think my technique's getting a lot better, I'm playing real 'gap-sound'; the plays are coming," said Laws, drafted in the second round, from Notre Dame. "It's just a matter of getting used to this defense, these techniques. It's a lot different than I played in college. I'm getting there."

Laws, who roomed with Abiamiri at Notre Dame, said he wants to show Johnson there is no drop-off from the starters to him.

Abiamiri said he isn't worried about not being in game shape. He's just glad he's finally gotten to the point at which he will play; earlier in his rehab, had the Eagles badly needed a roster spot, a year on IR for Abiamiri was an option.

"It's awesome to get back out there . . . I've been doing a lot of running. Football's kind of a different kind of conditioning. I think the coaches will work me in slowly, let me get a little taste of it, then work me in some more, over time," said last year's second-rounder. "I'm cool with [playing tackle]. It's a way to get on the field."

Abiamiri carries a fairly prominent, T-shaped surgical scar on the back of his wrist.

"In the cast, it feels strong, it feels solid," he said. *