The unknown defensive end rushed past him — twice — leaving the sturdy veteran muttering to himself, flinging his helmet hard to the ground and in a surly mood. He capped his day by exchanging swings with a rookie.
A tough camp was getting tougher for Jon Jansen.
The whispers began: What’s wrong with the right tackle?
By the afternoon, he provided an answer. Jansen responded to one of his tougher days of camp by having two of his best practices. The news got even better Wednesday when the old splint he used to protect his once-broken right thumb was replaced by a less cumbersome one, allowing him more flexibility and full use of his fingers. He’ll wear the device all season.
“It’s a huge difference,” Jansen said. “I want so much to play a healthy year. If I had more patience, it wouldn’t get this frustrating. But I don’t have that patience.
“I’m trying to get my rhythm back from last year and it’s coming.”
The Redskins and Jansen say they weren’t concerned about the eight-year vet’s camp struggles. They blame the protective device — which locked his hand in an upright position — for some problems. Jansen had to dip to gain leverage, which led toa sore elbow and shoulder. It also left him off-balance, making him easier to beat.
“And some of it was bad technique,” Jansen said.
Jansen, who missed the organized team activity sessions in May, said he’s shaking the rust. His position coach agrees.
“He was his old self [Tuesday afternoon],” said Joe Bugel, the Redskins’ assistant head coach/offense. “He’s alright. He’s a wood-chopper. I like people like that on the line; he’s easy to coach.”
Jansen played all of 2005 with thumb problems and a protective device. He missed the ’04 season with a torn Achilles’ tendon. And he needed two surgeries on his right thumb this offseason (the first one did not correct the problem).
“It’s really frustrating because it’s been a year and I didn’t think I’d have to wear anything,” Jansen said. “It was disappointing to go through the same things, to block a guy and he slips off because you can’t get a hold of him, or not to finish him off like I did the first seven years. … It wasn’t my brand of football.
“I may be doing it better than 30 other guys, but it’s not the way I wanted. Now I have that opportunity.”
