The play haunted him this offseason, knowing what it meant. For the Redskins, it would have meant seven points in a road playoff game, and a 10-point cushion. For Carlos Rogers, it would have meant a quicker ascent to elite status.
Instead, Rogers dropped the certain interception. Seattle drove downfield for a go-ahead touchdown and the Redskins eventually lost the playoff game, 20-10.
That’s why Rogers pointed to the play as the only one that sticks out from his rookie season.
“It would have changed the game around,” he said. “I thought about it a lot.”
The play motivated him this offseason. It bothered him as well.
“It let me know the plays you have to make to get to the next level,” he said. “Those are the plays that All-Pro guys make to stand out. No doubt I have to get my hands on it.”
Maybe that’s what will happen this season, his second in the NFL. Rogers enters as the full-time starter opposite Shawn Springs. And he does so coming off a strong rookie year, in which he established himself as a physical presence. Like any rookie corner, he also had his share of breakdowns.
He also was slowed by injuries, the first a sprained ankle that limited him early in training camp.
A biceps injury late in the season caused him to miss four games. Overall, Rogers played in 12 games and started five.
So far this training camp, Rogers has missed three days of practice due to back spasms.
But the positives overrode the negatives, leaving the Redskins pleased with their first pick in the 2005 draft. He finished with 40 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
“He has great technique, great footwork and great explosion,” said Jerry Gray, Washington’s new secondary/cornerbacks coach. “He can go up the field and make a play on the ball. Now it’s just putting it together [mentally].”
Gray has constantly reminded Rogers he can’t cover every route, relying on help. That way, Rogers can take away one route and a safety or linebacker can remove another.
“As a rookie, I’m scrambling to learn the defense and trying to learn what to do,” Rogers said. “That made it tough on me. My knowledge of what I have to do myself makes it easier to study opponents.”
And that could lead to more big plays.
“He has the athletic ability,” said Gray, a four-time Pro Bowler in his playing days with the Los Angeles Rams. “Now, what separates you from the next guy?”
Rogers already knows the answer.
