By ZAC BOYER | zboyer@freelancestar.com | @ZacBoyer

LANDOVER, Md. – Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen briefly answered questions at the team’s “Harvest Feast” Thanksgiving food drive at FedEx Field on Tuesday, but mostly shied away from any talk about the team’s 3-7 start and the status of its coaches and players.

Allen

“We’re here for this event,” Allen said, referring to the team’s distribution of 3,500 turkeys and meals to families in need. “Let’s not do that.”

Allen, speaking for the first time this season, did say that he doesn’t believe the team’s struggle to stay healthy can be attributed to the five-month owners’ lockout, as tight end Chris Cooley stated last month after he was placed on injured reserve because of swelling in his knee.

Cooley, running back Tim Hightower, left guard Kory Lichtensteiger, defensive end Kedric Golston and receiver Leonard Hankerson have all sustained season-ending injuries in the past five weeks, while six others have battled groin or hamstring pulls this season.

“I think there’s injuries throughout the league, and that happens in the NFL,” Allen said. “That always happens, if there’s a lockout or not.”

The general manager, in his second year with the Redskins, maintained that the team is focused on its game Sunday at Seattle when asked about the losing streak. As for his confidence in head coach Mike Shanahan, Allen said he has seen signs the team is improving.

“He had a great team meeting yesterday with the players and they’re very focused on Seattle,” Allen said, “and if we can bring some of the good we did last week to Seattle, we can come back with a win.”

Team owner Dan Snyder was also distributing meals with Allen and Redskins players at the stadium, but aside from a brief, 45-second comment on the food drive at a press conference, he declined all other interview requests through team spokesman Tony Wyllie.