1. Running back Ryan Torain returned to practice and is expected to play vs. Tampa Bay on Thursday. But he’ll have to do a lot in his one preseason game to regain the starting job he had at the end of last season.
Coach Mike Shanahan would not declare Tim Hightower his opening day starter. But he said, “He’s done a good job. I won’t say he’s our starter, but if you’re betting in Vegas, you’d probably bet in that direction.”
Torain underwent surgery on a fractured left hand Aug. 4.
2. Safety LaRon Landry (hamstring) and wide receiver Brandon Banks (knee) did not practice. Banks is expected to practice Sunday, but Landry’s return remains uncertain.
They’d like him to play in the preseason, especially after missing the final seven games in 2010 with a ruptured Achilles.
“Does he have to? No,” Shanahan said. “But it sure would help.”
3. Safety Kareem Moore might miss the first six weeks of the season because of a bad knee that has sidelined him all of training camp. Moore underwent knee surgery in December and is still not 100 percent. He’s currently on the physically unable to perform list. Shanahan said Moore might open the season on the PUP list; if so, he would be ineligible to play for the first six games.
4. Defensive end Adam Carriker returned to practice after missing the last two preseason games because of blisters.
“It was terrible, to be honest,” Carriker said of the blisters. “It’s terrible, but they were a lot more than [blisters]. It gave me a chance to rest, if there’s a positive.”
5. Doug Worthington went from being cut by Tampa Bay earlier this month to potential roster spot winner in Washington. It helps that Jarvis Jenkins was injured; it also helps that he’s in a 3-4.
“That’s what I was built for,” Worthington said. “Long arms, a taller guy. The run is something I’m passionate about and I’ll get so much better when it comes to transitioning to the pass rush. The sky’s the limit.”
He said it took him a few days to adapt to the 3-4.
“I had to slow myself down a little bit and put my feet in the ground more and react more than get off the ball,” he said. “It was a little transition and it took a few days. Coach was patient with me. It came along these last few weeks.”
6. Shanahan said he’s never entered the final game of the preseason not knowing who his starting quarterback would be for the season.
“But that’s not the question,” Shanahan said. “The main thing is can guys play. We have two players who can play. Our guys have played well in crucial situations under pressure against three pretty good teams. You want to see if the players, when given the opportunity, can go out and prove to their teammates that they can play and play at a high level. They’ve done that. Everyone wants to isolate on who’s the guy. We have two guys who can play and our guys know it.”
7. Wide receiver Malcolm Kelly (foot) also missed practice and Shanahan said he’s not sure when he’ll return. Yes, Kelly is expected to be cut at some point this week. The Redskins must trim the roster to 80 by Tuesday afternoon and to 53 by Saturday afternoon.
8. Rookie guard Maurice Hurt did not practice because of a sore knee. Linebacker Edgar Jones, who suffered a concussion vs. the Colts, likely will practice Monday.
9. Rookie running back Evan Royster, who has not played the past two games, will play Thursday vs. Tampa Bay.
10. Tale of the Tape: Redskins offense.
11. The Redskins moved up their practice by approximately three hours Saturday to avoid the bad weather from Hurricane Irene. They also had removed five of the eight uprights on the goal posts before practice.
