Redskins Insider

Coach Jim Zorn praised cornerback Carlos Rogers for responding well in practice this week after having been benched early in the Week 10 victory over the Denver Broncos, but Zorn would not commit to Rogers starting opposite top cornerback DeAngelo Hall on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at the new Cowboys Stadium.

"He could" start, Zorn said. "But right now, we've got a little mix going and we like what we're seeing out there. I like what I'm seeing in Carlos and how he's responding to the situation.

"Sometimes it happens where you've just got to bide your time and wait for your next opportunity. I know with Carlos it'll come. And I think he knows it'll come as well."

Secondary coach Jerry Gray has been similarly impressed with Rogers's approach this week.

"He's responded great. He understands what he has to do and it's nothing new," Gray said. "The thing that he has to do is show who you really are, stop going through the little phase that he'd been going through of giving up double moves. Traditionally, he hasn't given up double moves. And what I saw on film is exactly what I've talked about, taking a little peek back at the quarterback, losing sight of the wide receiver. When you do that, any corner can get beat and you can look at all of the top guys.

"To me, I expect for Carlos to bounce back, be the physical guy that he is, and go out there and cover wide receivers. Last year, when we lost Shawn Springs, we put him on T.O. [Terrell Owens], and he knocked three or four balls down during that game. He's capable of doing that. It's just going through your progression, keep your eyes on the wide receiver and then you'll make a play. Don't try to make a play that's not there."

Benched after briefly starting at right guard earlier in the season, second-year guard Chad Rinehart remained focused and continued to work hard, and offensive line coach Joe Bugel noticed.

Bugel convinced Coach Jim Zorn that Rinehart should be given another opportunity to work with the first team, and the former third-round draft pick responded well during the Week 10 victory over the Denver Broncos at FedEx Field. Rinehart is scheduled to make his first career start (fourth overall) Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at the new Cowboys Stadium, and he has earned it, Bugel said.

"I felt during that time where he wasn't a starter, watching him on the scout team servicing the defense, he was doing a heck of a job," Bugel said. "He was staying extra practice, getting in some work, and it came to the time where the kid deserved a chance. You know what I mean?

"He was, I think, a third-round draft pick for us. It's his second year. He's come alive. He kept on growing. He didn't go in a corner and pout or suck his thumb when he got benched. He just worked harder. It's paying dividends for us right now."

Rinehart has fully recovered from a shoulder injury that slowed him for a few weeks, Bugel said, and "he's a high-character guy. You can coach him real hard. You can push a guy and push a guy, and sometimes a guy will just suck his thumb. This guy got better and better."

Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (ankle) will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys at the new Cowboys Stadium, Coach Jim Zorn said today after practice at Redskins Park.

"Albert was on the treadmill today working," Zorn said. "It'll be a game-time decision whether he can go or not. I'm going to lean more toward having him up [active], seeing what he can do.

"I'm an optimistic person and I'm definitely going to wish that for myself with Albert because we'd love to have him on the field. But it will be a game-time situation."

The Redskins sent running back Clinton Portis to Pittsburgh today for a consultation with another specialist to gauge his recovery from a concussion suffered Nov. 8 in Atlanta.
Portis has not practiced this week and will miss his second straight game Sunday.

"Each day Clinton has done a great job in communciating how he's felt, and that's what it's going to take," Coach Jim Zorn said today. "And also, we communicate, we continually send him to send [team physician Anthony Casolero] and now we're going to send him to Pittsburgh to see a specialist there. So we're going to make sure that we take care of all those details."

The Redskins aren't certain when Portis will be ready to return. Their priority, Zorn says, is Portis' health and well-being.

"We're for Clinton getting well, and I think he is too," Zorn said. "It just takes a continual communication. And I want to be involved with those conversations. Not so much to see, 'How fast can we get him back,' but just to make sure the young man is improving and getting better as we go along." 

The Philadelphia Eagles have similarly sent their running back Brian Westbrook, who suffered two concussions in the past four weeks, to visit with specialists in Pittsburgh. Westbook was to consult with neuropsychologist Dr. Mark R. Lovell. Following that visit Westbrook and Lovell were to consult with neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Maroon. Lovell has been consulting with the Eagles' medical staff on Westbrook's recovery from the first concussion, suffered Oct. 26 against the Redskins.

Portis is expected to see the same specialists who treated Westbrook earlier this week at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, home of the respected Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

Zorn said today that Redskins team officials have been following Westbrook's progress, but it hasn't necessarily changed the way they've approached Portis' injury.

"We talk about it, 'Hey let's make sure we're right on this.' But it's not something that we were afraid of or we had to do anything different," Zorn said.  

Also, following Friday's practice, Zorn said that fullback Eddie Williams suffered an ankle injury on the second-to-last play of practice and had to carted off the field. Zorn wasn't sure the severity of the injury but said Williams would undergo X-rays.

The Redskins gave up 40- and 75-yard touchdown passes in the first quarter of their Week 10 victory over the Denver Broncos. Obviously, the defense must do a better job Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at the new Cowboys Stadium.

"Well the big plays come from [Dallas quarterback] Tony Romo," secondary coach Jerry Gray said. "He scrambles a lot, and does a lot of things to get guys open, and receivers are always working down the field. You see Miles Austin, all of the sudden he comes up with a 200-yard game because he works after the catch. It's not just, 'I'm going to beat you.' He actually works to get open, and he does a great job. That's really what you want to do when you've got a wide receiver like that."

The Redskins' defense ranks No. 1 against the pass, giving up an average of 162.7 yards and is fifth overall (288.3). Cornerback DeAngelo Hall is among the league leaders with four interceptions, but the Redskins have just five as a team. The Cowboys' offense ranks fourth in the league.

"Those guys are good, and that's why they're ranked No. 4 in the NFL," Gray said. "They can run the football. They're one of the top of the league in rushing, and they're one of the top of the league in passing. What we have to do is make sure that we're doing our best job, especially in the run game.

"They're real physical when you've got 24 [Marion Barber] in the game. They can run outside when you bring 28 [Felix Jones] in the game. They can hit you in so many different ways that you've got to make sure that you're solid all the way across the board."

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has taken a lot of heat for his poor performance late in the season and during the playoffs. But Romo sure knows how to extend plays, Coach Jim Zorn said.

"It is just awful to have to cover longer than you really want to," Zorn said. "We've got to try to get to him and make him be concerned about" the pass rush.

The Redskins (3-6) are last in the NFC East and the Cowboys (6-3) are atop the division. For the Redskins to pull closer to the Cowboys, they must corral Romo in the pocket and end passing plays quickly.

"When he extends, when he moves around, when he flinches the ball, it causes the secondary, the linebackers, to hesitate, to go, to move," Zorn said. "And then if he can pull it down and have time to hit somebody else, it is very hard.

"It is the most difficult thing in football because you got the coverage, and if you throw on rhythm, you think you can handle it. When that rhythm's broke and you have to cover long through the coverage that you had, it's hard. It's what makes those quarterbacks very difficult to defend and he's been good at it for a few years."

An end has a new beginning

Speaking of the pass rush, a big factor in the Redskins' success Sunday will be Brian Orakpo, the defensive end/linebacker/rookie of the year candidate whom Rick Maese writes about today. The Cowboys' third-year tackle, Doug Free, will be making his first start Sunday and figures to see a lot of the number 98.

If he can take advantage of a young tackle, Orakpo might not be far away from double-digit sack numbers. In the past 15 years, only 12 rookies have managed such a feat -- players like Peter Boulware, Jevon Kearse, Dwight Freeney and Terrell Suggs. Nine of the 12 have gone on to play in at least three Pro Bowls.

Whether at linebacker or defensive end, Orakpo might find himself mentioned alongside the league's top pass rushers more frequently. He enters the Dallas game ranked 10th in the league in sacks, tied with accomplished pass rushers Julius Peppers and DeMarcus Ware and well ahead of others, such as Suggs, Jason Taylor, Shawne Merriman, Justin Tuck, John Abraham and Osi Umenyiora.

"That's crazy, because these are guys that I'm telling you, we all looked up to these guys when I was in college," Orakpo said. "The things they've done -- for me to be ahead of them at this point, man, it's a good thing."

From the Bog ... and a chat

Dallas week is made for happy memories, like the time Dexter Manley made Danny White cry. Dan Steinberg has the deets. ... Join Jason Reid for a chat at 11 a.m. today.

The view from Dallas

Speaking of Free, the Cowboys have been forced to make adjustments because of injuries, too. Alan Ball will get his first start at free safety in place of Ken Hamilin. ... Guess who'd like to see Felix Jones get more carries? Jerry Jones, that's who.

Watching the former coaches

With former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan reportedly under consideration to run the Buffalo Bills' football operation, another of the Super Bowl-winning coaches expected to be on Daniel Snyder's list to lead the Redskins might have other plans.

Former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden recently reached a multiyear agreement with ESPN. Mike Holmgren, who most recently coached the Seattle Seahawks, was very critical of the Redskins for their treatment of Zorn, his former quarterbacks coach, and is expected to be a candidate for other openings. And Bill Cowher, who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl championship, has often been mentioned in connection with the Carolina Panthers.

Of course, with the amount of money Snyder could offer a high-profile candidate, anything could happen. And there's also still the possibility Snyder might lure back former coach Joe Gibbs to take a high-ranking position with the team, but not as coach. It's all very interesting and means the offseason is going to be just as busy as the season. But then, you knew that.

Running back Clinton Portis (concussion) was officially ruled out of Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, but he might accompany the team on the trip, Coach Jim Zorn said today after practice.

"Clinton is going to continue to be monitored, he's going to continue to be checked, but we're not going to play him this week," Zorn said.

Portis suffered a concussion early in a 31-17 loss in Week 9 to the Atlanta Falcons and sat out Washington's 27-17 victory in Week 10 over the Denver Broncos. Portis's vision "is just a little bit blurry," Zorn said. "It's just foggy enough for me to not trust. I want to see him practice.

After word emerged about the locker-room altercation earlier this season between running back Clinton Portis and fullback Mike Sellers, some Redskins fans criticized Sellers's blocking on Internet message boards and sports-talk radio shows.

During a 16-13 victory in Week 4 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Portis went to coaches in an effort to have Sellers demoted for what Portis deemed to be poor blocking. Apparently in siding with Portis, fans criticized Sellers for the team's unproductive running game to start the season, believing Portis would have been more effective if Sellers had blocked better.

But many in the organization told me Sellers's blocking was not what had derailed the running game. Portis was not in top form to start the season and his lackadaisical attitude toward practice did not help.

After watching Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright gain chunks of yards since Portis has been sidelined with a concussion, I wondered whether Sellers - who was selected to his first Pro Bowl last season - felt somewhat vindicated. During a lengthy interview, Sellers never mentioned Portis's name or the incident but nonetheless made his feelings clear.

"Well, a lot of those runs came to my side," Sellers said. "I'm at the tight end spot, so I don't feel I fell off just because of what certain people have said. I feel great. I don't feel I fell off at all. I just think due to certain circumstances frustrations come out and people want to point the finger. Obviously, as you see this last game, we looked good."

With Betts starting for the first time this season during the 27-17 victory in Week 10 over the Denver Broncos, the Redskins' offense produced season-highs with 388 total net yards and 174 yards rushing. Betts had 114 yards - the team's highest single-game total - and scored his second rushing touchdown in as many games to move into the team lead in that category.

"I don't care what the public says, but when you're attacked certain people of ... it's a little different," Sellers said. "I let my actions speak for itself. They can watch the film.

"If they still feel that way, then that's the way they're going to feel. But I know I how I feel and I know what I can do. And Ladell and Rock and all the linemen know what I can do and what I've been doing. So just keep rolling."

Sellers is not perfect and he acknowledged he has made mistakes in trying to execute his assignments this season just like other players.

"When you have one bad play or two bad plays, they're magnified, because you're always remembered for the bad things, never the great things," he said. "My things I've done great-wise far outnumber the bad things.

"It [the criticism] wasn't justified. Like I said, that's people speaking out of frustration, or persons speaking out of frustration, and it is what it is. I know the people who trust me. And I know the coaches trust me. I just keep doing what I'm doing."

In addition to blocking well against the Broncos, Sellers also caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from punter Hunter Smith on a faked field goal.

"He still can block, he still can play, and shoot, he's a great receiver out of backfield, so it's a plus for us to have him on the field," said quarterback Jason Campbell, among Sellers's closest friends on the team.

"He makes so many plays that people don't see, and that's those blocks down the field. Even in our passing game, he's made some big catches and runs. His athletic ability, for the size that he is, is something that you just can't teach."

Since losing Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels and starting right guard Randy Thomas for the season, the Redskins often have used two-tight-end sets in the running game, "and I think that's given him more of an opportunity to be on the field and be in a comfortable position that he's used to, instead of going into the game and coming out of the game," Campbell said. "He's more into a rhythm now. Mike is just doing a good job. He's just helping our team in a lot of ways, and we definitely need him out there."

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo often has succeeded at eluding pass rushers in the pocket. His ability to move well and give receivers more time to break free from coverage has resulted in many big plays for the Cowboys in Romo's four seasons as a starter.

"He is a tough quarterback. He has great pocket awareness," middle linebacker London Fletcher said. "He has a great ability to extend plays, to buy time. He knows how to get everything out of a play. He's good at that."

Although Romo struggled against pressure in the Cowboys' 17-7 loss in Week 10 to the Green Bay Packers, he is capable of making things happen even against an effective pass rush, players said. And the Cowboys have made players capable of helping Romo produce long gains.

Also, the Redskins gave up 40- and 75-yard touchdown passes in the first quarter of their 27-17 victory over the Denver Broncos. Washington has given up three passing plays and three running plays of at least 40 yards.

"In the course of a ballgame, because they have so many weapons at the skill positions, you have to be disciplined on what you're doing," Fletcher said. "At any point and time, the guy you're covering could be the guy that they try to get the ball to in a big-play opportunity. It's all about being disciplined in what the defense calls for.

"It's about understanding the situation and knowing that because we have given up some big plays, that's how teams are going to attack us. The league is what we call copycat. If they've [other teams] have seen something that's affected you in the past, that's what you're going to get the next week, and the next week, and the next week until you show the ability to stop it and stop it more than once."

Washington has given up too many big plays, and the entire defense must perform better on that front, Fletcher said.

"Big plays are a combination of everybody. Defense is a team sport," Fletcher said. "We all have ownership in everything that's going on out there."

Practice update

Rick Maese reports that Mike Williams is on the field, but Clinton Portis (concussion) and Albert Haynesworth (ankle) were not.

The Green Bay Packers had five sacks and pressured quarterback Tony Romo throughout their 17-7 victory last week over the Dallas Cowboys.

Redskins defensive end Andre Carter has eight sacks, rookie defensive end/strong-side linebacker Brian Orakpo has seven and Cowboys starting right tackle Marc Colombo is sidelined for the remainder of the season because of a broken left fibula. Romo has been sacked 22 times overall, third-year tackle Doug Free will make his first career start Sunday against the Redskins at Cowboys Stadium and Washington's improved pass rush has provided reason for optimism in a battle of NFC East rivals, players said.

"We feel like our pass rush has been definitely a strength for us this season, especially lately," middle linebacker London Fletcher said. "Andre and Brian have been able to create a lot of pressure on the quarterback and also been able to get some sacks. The back end, when we cover well and make the quarterback hold on to the ball, as opposed to having the opportunity to just get the ball out his hand, they're able to get there.
Obviously, that's something we want to be able to do."

Carter already has doubled his sack total from last season. Orakpo has been a force as an edge rusher while also splitting time at linebacker. Orakpo got his first NFL sack in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions.

In his last two games, Orakpo has been credited with 3.5 sacks. "Just reading my keys, studying and just basically getting after it," Orakpo said of his increased productivity recently. "Obviously, it took me a while to start getting sacks at the beginning of the season, but now once you get one they start coming in bunches, as the phrase says. I'm just trying to keep improving every week."

Orako often could face Free in one-on-one matchups Sunday. Free only has appeared in 10 games in his career - one before this season. "Oh, yeah? Wow," Orakpo said of Free's limited experience. "It's going to be fun, though.

"You got a guy that gets to come in and block us. We've been doing a good job putting pressure all year. We're going to try to continue that this week."

The Redskins, and Orakpo in particular, paid close attention to the tape of the Cowboys-Packers game. Orakpo was encouraged by the strong performance of Packers rookie strong-side linebacker Clay Matthews, who had a sack and was in the Cowboys' backfield often.

"Oh, yeah, that one particular film we watched," he said. "Green Bay gave 'em a lot of different looks. I seen another rookie of mine, Clay Matthews, really getting after it as well, and we've just got to keep 'em on their toes."