They’re getting the gang back together.
Washington quarterback Jason Campbell will start tonight at Jacksonville. Clinton Portis may take a few snaps. Chris Samuels will at least warmup in readying for the season opener. Shawn Springs is good to go. Marcus Washington is healing quickly, too.
The Redskins end the preseason tonight by rebooting the lineups. One last test drive, if ever so short, before the real games begin. After a lot of fretting over injuries in recent weeks, the Redskins are coming together nicely while even adding new pieces in the final days.
Funny how injuries heal once twice daily practices end and temperatures cool.
A training camp that nearly threatened to undermine yet another season with injuries and suspect play is being wiped clean. Hope is renewed thanks to modern medicine. Now a throwaway game provides a reason to watch several positions.
The Redskins get their first look at left guard Pete Kendall only days since joining the team. Once Pro Bowler Samuels stands aside him against Miami on Sept. 9, Campbell may no longer fear invaders rushing from his blind side. Like the one that nearly snapped his leg before Campbell became the most resilient local resident since Hillary.
Portis’ return would be a welcome sight. He’s the real wild card for this season, even more than Campbell. Tendinitis has pestered Portis since the spring and it’s probably much worse than the Redskins admit. Seriously, you believe coach Joe Gibbs gave Portis the summer off to avoid repeating last year’s preseason injury? Sure, and the Nationals will have plenty of parking at their new stadium, too.
Portis is the team’s gamebreaker. Ladell Betts is a nice runner, but the preseason showed he doesn’t create long gains. Portis is the one who slips downfield. The knee could be a problem all season, however, because tendinitis doesn’t just go away. Don’t be surprised if he practices lightly all season and saves it for game days. Worked for Riggo years ago when he even spent midweek in the hospital for a bad back and played on Sundays.
The Redskins secondary is worth noting, too. Springs didn’t play last week over conflicting reports over his health. Springs says he was fine. Does that mean the Redskins are thinking of starting Fred Smoot over Springs? By cutting Lemar Marshall and Joe Salave’a recently, defensive boss Gregg Williams is showing no fear of change. The Redskins need three corners, but tonight may tip the pecking order.
Meanwhile, wouldn’t it be nice to see fourth-stringer Jordan Palmer play once before the sixth-rounder is cut?
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
