1. Safety LaRon Landry is a longshot to play Sunday because of his Achilles injury, coach Mike Shanahan said. Landry already has missed the past two games as doctors feared a rupture was possible. Reed Doughty will once again start in his place.
2. It’s hard to imagine Landry returning, though that’s just a gut feeling and not based on anything someone is saying. If the Redskins lose they won’t be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but it would make it darn near impossible. Maybe that’s when you make a move with Landry? If this season is lost, don’t do anything that could jeopardize 2011.
3. The shame of it is, Landry was having a terrific season, the kind everyone had anticipated. Through eight games he was a lot of fun to watch, but the injury impacted his play.
4. Running back Ryan Torain (hamstring) and corner Carlos Rogers (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday while linebacker Rocky McIntosh missed for personal reasons. Shanahan said there’s still a chance Torain and Rogers could play Sunday at the New York Giants.
5. KR/PR Brandon Banks (knee), defensive end Kedric Golston (elbow/groin), guard Artis Hicks (thigh), receiver Santana Moss (knee) and linebacker Brian Orakpo (ankle) were limited.
6. Heavy rains forced the Redskins to practice at a local indoor facility. No, no the Dulles Airport hangar, but rather at basketball courts. Made for better footing, Shanahan said.
7. Having that workout indoors on a Wednesday probably doesn’t hurt too much. The big lifting day is Thursday and Shanahan likes to ease up on players anyway. If they lose Sunday, it won’t be because they didn’t practice outdoors.
8. Shanahan said he did not have an update on Clinton Portis, who had surgery on his lower abdomen on Tuesday. Portis is on injured reserve. Safety Anderson Russell had his ACL repaired and also had a microfracture. His rehabilitation will take at least eight months.
9. Hard to imagine Shanahan not having an update on Portis, but already having one on Russell? Makes you wonder.
10. The injury list for New York: tackle Shawn Andrews (back), corner Will Blackmon (chest), receiver Hakeem Nicks (lower leg), center Shaun O’Hara (foot) and receiver Steve Smith (pectoral) did not practice Wednesday. Tackle David Diehl (hip/hamstring), corner Aaron Ross (back) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) were limited.
11. Running back James Davis said the last time he felt like he got into a rhythm carrying the ball was during the preseason with Cleveland. Translation: it didn’t happen last week. But he said he didn’t feel rusty carrying the ball.
“Not really,” he said. “I got a feel all week for the offensive line. I just think you can get better in that situation.”
However, he knows the coaches want to see him get into that rhythm. “It’s important and that’s probably something the coaches want to see improvement in that area, how can I get in that rhythm?”
12. It was obvious that Davis had no rhythm carrying the ball. Part of that was Minnesota’s front; and part of that was indecisive runs even when there were cutback lanes. Maybe a week, and more carries, is all that’s needed. Sort of hard to judge him based on Sunday’s performance.
13. Donovan McNabb says he likes playing at this time of the year and his numbers back that up. He’s 22-9 in regular season games in December and January. His career passer rating before this season was 86.5; after November, it’s 88.9. Not a huge difference, but it is better. Of course, he also played with better teams in Philadelphia than the one he’s with now. The problem here is that unless the running game gets going, it’ll be hard to sustain offensive success. Too much of what they do is predicated on the threat of the run. Minnesota, for example, could keep its backside ends and linebackers home and defeat the bootleg because it didn’t have to sell out on play fakes the other way.
14. More numbers: McNabb has won four straight over the New York Giants. And for his career vs. New York, he’s tossed 25 touchdowns to only six interceptions. “He’s done very well against us,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters in a conference call. “Thank you for bringing that up. He’s a competitor. He has a tremendous arm.”
15. The Redskins signed running back Shawnbrey McNeal and receiver Maurice Price to the practice squad. McNeal ran for 1,188 yards and 12 touchdowns for Southern Methodist last season. Price, who played for Florida in the UFL, was cut by Baltimore in June. He’s also been on practice squads in Kansas City, New England and San Francisco.
Follow me on Twitter @John_Keim
Submit questions for Redskins Mailbag.
