Betts, Rinehart placed on injured reserve list
ASHBURN – It’s hard to tell which day hurts more when it comes to the Redskins: Sundays, when they lose games; or Mondays, when they lose players.
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And thus it happened again. A one-point defeat Sunday and three more players to injured reserve Monday. Running back Ladell Betts and right guard Chad Rinehart were placed on IR, along with rookie fullback Eddie Williams, who was hurt in practice Friday. They now have six players on injured reserve, including five players who started at least one game.
LSU assistant Larry Porter, according to reports, had been considered the frontrunner for the position. He’s a former running back at Memphis and twice has been named Rival.com recruiter of the year.
Gray has coached in college just one year — 1995 at Southern Methodist University. The son of Redskins part owner Fred Smith, FedEx Founder and CEO, will challenge for the starting quarterback’s job at Memphis next fall.» Redskins safety LaRon Landry has one word to describe Dallas receiver Roy Williams on Sunday: scared.
“Yeah, I know he was,” Landry said. “Tell him I’m saying that … He was scared. I told him he was scared. … There were certain pass concepts they had and routes he ran, you could tell he didn’t want any part of it.”
To which Williams said nothing, according to Landry. When Landry was reminded that Dallas plays here Dec. 27, the third-year safety said: “I don’t care. What’s that gonna do?”» RB Rock Cartwright said his father, Calvin, is expected to be released from a Houston-area hospital by Tuesday. His father, who is 52 and suffers from Type 1 diabetes, suffered a mini-stroke. He woke up with double vision last week. Cartwright visited his father Friday before joining the team in Dallas.
“I talked to him after the game,” Cartwright said. “He was in good spirits … . My dad is a strong man.”— John Keim
Running back Clinton Portis, who missed his second straight game with a concussion, might not even return in time for the Dec. 6 game vs. New Orleans. If that game already is in doubt, then there’s a chance Portis might not return at all.
Topping it off was more rough news: Tight end Chris Cooley, who broke his ankle in the Oct. 26 loss to Philadelphia, will have to be in his walking boot for the next 10 days. The Redskins (3-7) had hoped he could return as early as Sunday vs. Philadelphia. But now Cooley’s timetable for a return is uncertain.
“That’s not good news for me,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said.
Even corner DeAngelo Hall sprained his knee in Sunday’s 7-6 loss at Dallas and might not play vs. Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Betts will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL on his left knee.
Rock Cartwright will replace Betts as the starter with Quinton Ganther as the primary backup. The Redskins also signed running back Marcus Mason, whom they have cut three times already this season, and guard Paul Fanaika, a seventh-round pick in April who had been with Philadelphia’s practice squad.
“It’s been brutal,” Cartwright said.
“It’s like, ‘Who’s next?'” tight end Fred Davis said. “Everybody is getting hurt. That’s football … But this many people in one week and the next week after that? It’s a lot.”
DeMatha alum Edwin Williams likely will start at right guard in place of Rinehart. Williams would become the 10th offensive lineman to start a game for Washington. Regardless, Sunday’s game at Philadelphia will mark the sixth starting offensive line combination.
“We’ve had more than our fair share,” linebacker London Fletcher said. “But nobody is going to feel sorry for us … They’re not going to cancel the season.”
The line already is minus left tackle Chris Samuels and right guard Randy Thomas.
“It’s sickening the amount of injuries that have happened,” center Casey Rabach said.
At least defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth might return vs. the Eagles after missing Sunday’s game because of a sprained ankle.
About the only thing it’s done is prevent the defense from getting upset with the offense for not scoring more — like Sunday. Under Zorn, the Redskins are 4-3 in games in which the defense has held teams to 14 points or less. But they’re now down to backups — and except for Davis, those starting in those spots Sunday weren’t even the primary backups at season’s start.
“The depth on the line has declined,” end Andre Carter said. “They’re hurting a little bit, just injuries week in and week out.”
