After playing less than half the season opener, Shawn Springs wondered if he’d found his new role. Instead, come Monday, the Redskins hope he’ll be back to his old one.
Secondary coach Jerry Gray said there’s a chance Springs will start Monday against Philadelphia.
“Hopefully Monday he’ll be out there with the starting unit,” Gray said.
There’s still concern over his health, after he wrapped his hamstring before a practice six days before the opener. Springs said he did so after lifting weights, saying it’s what “veterans do.”
Gray said Springs looked good in practice Thursday, but they want to see how he looks, and feels, as the week progresses.
“I’m preparing like I’ll be the starter,” Springs said.
Springs played 23 of Miami’s 60 snaps Sunday as Fred Smoot and Carlos Rogers manned the corners. Springs usually came in as the nickel corner, though he opened at least two series in the base defense. Philadelphia employs enough three-receiver sets that regardless of which corners start, all will play.
Springs spoke with coach Joe Gibbs about the matter and said, “We’re on the same page. … If the coaches feel it’s best for me to be out there to win, I’ll go out and play my hardest.”
The Redskins’ corners were criticized for allowing too much cushion in the opener. They allowed three pass plays of at least 20 yards, but nothing more than 30. Part of it stemmed from the Redskins playing a lot of cover 3, where both corners had deep thirds. Miami quarterback Trent Green averaged a paltry 5.8 yards per attempt.
Rogers was flagged for a questionable 20-yard pass interference call.
“The uneducated football watchers who do that really make me mad,” Smoot said. “If my defensive coordinator calls cover 3, I have to play cover 3. I can’t play the hitch.”
Gray said, “You don’t want to give up big chunks. Last year we gave up big chunks. People say Fred gave up hitches, but guess what? None of those hitches went for a touchdown. We have to make a team bleed and most quarterbacks aren’t patient enough.”
Expect a similar strategy this week.
“We know what Donovan likes to do against us — take shots,” Rogers said. “There will be five or six times where they’ll try and take us deep. We just have to try to contain them.”
