Depth at end decreases after Jenkins’ ACL tear ASHBURN — It’s tough to find defensive linemen with size who can run. That’s why the Redskins felt good about landing Jarvis Jenkins in the draft. And it’s why they felt even better after watching him this summer.
It’s also why they feel rather lousy now with Jenkins sidelined for the season. He tore the ACL in his right knee in Thursday’s 34-31 loss at Baltimore and will undergo surgery next week.
“It’s always hard to lose one of those big guys because you can’t find them on the street,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “They’re hard to find. We have depth at that position, but obviously you cannot replace a player like that.”
– John Keim
| Tale of the tape |
| » There’s a reason John Beck‘s second deep ball — to tight end Fred Davis — didn’t work against the Ravens on Thursday. Davis appeared to tip off his route with his stance. He went in motion from right to left, but when he lined up in the slot, he was slanted a little to the left. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a player line up the way he did. Sure enough, he wasn’t open on the play. |
| » How important is downfield blocking? Wide receiver Terrence Austin made a key block on Tim Hightower‘s touchdown run. It wasn’t a big block, but he came from the left side and — after a pit stop on another defender — ran to the safety. All Austin did was knock the safety a couple yards back. That, in turn, forced the safety to take a longer angle to the ball. And Hightower barely got inside the pylon. Had Austin not blocked him, Hightower doesn’t score. |
| » One thing about Hightower in protection, and this happened twice Thursday: He sometimes hits his own blocker when he goes to help out. The first time, Terrell Suggs beat right tackle Jammal Brown on a play; Hightower came over to help but hit Brown, allowing Suggs to get inside. Fortunately for the Redskins, Suggs did no damage. Hightower is a good pass protector, but the times he was beaten in one-on-one situations in practice stemmed from being so aggressive. But he also is quick to reach blitzers on the opposite side. |
| » Nose tackle Barry Cofield did not have his best game of the preseason. He got moved back more than in the first two games, but one thing about Cofield is that he’s quick enough to sometimes recover and get back into the play. But linebacker Brian Orakpo played an all-around game; he got off blocks to make a tackle, he pressured quarterback Joe Flacco and he later sacked him. |
| Notes |
| » Running back Ryan Torain returned to practice and is expected to play vs. Tampa Bay on Thursday. But he will 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. |
| » 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. The Redskins would 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.” |
| » Wide receiver Malcolm Kelly (foot) also missed practice, and Shanahan said he’s not sure when he’ll return. |
The Redskins have to try, however. Though Jenkins, a second-round pick, was only a rookie, he was the top backup at end with the talent to start eventually. There’s no one else on the roster who can match that description.
But the Redskins do have two veterans in Kedric Golston, who started 13 games at right end in 2010, and Darrion Scott, who has started 28 games but none since 2006. Doug Worthington has played well at times this summer.
“I’m just sad to see Jarvis go down,” Golston said. “He was having a good camp. We hate to see him go because he was a guy who was going to contribute a lot to this team, but we’ll be fine.
“We got in a situation last year where a lot of guys were banged up. That happens in a long season, and we got real thin toward the end of the year. This year we have guys that are experienced, and [we’ll be] able to keep guys fresher later in the year and in games.”
This is a big opportunity for Worthington, a seventh-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2010. He spent most of last season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad. The Redskins signed him earlier this summer after the Bucs cut him in camp. Worthington said he feels more at home in a 3-4 defense than the Bucs’ 4-3.
“That’s what I was built for,” he said. “Long arms, a taller guy. The run is something I’m passionate about, and I can get so much better when it comes to the pass rush. The sky’s the limit.
“When Jenkins got hurt, it was unfortunate. … You have to keep your mind straight, but at the end of the day it does help guys like myself.”
Still, there was disappointment over Jenkins.
“It’s always tough,” Shanahan said. “You have a hard time even focusing on the game when something like that occurs. He’s going to be an excellent player. He’s everything you look for in a person and everything you look for in a player.”
Starting right end Stephen Bowen said he was impressed with how fast Jenkins had picked up the scheme.
“He was very mature,” Bowen said. “You forget he was even a rookie. It’s a big loss for us.”
Said defensive end Adam Carriker: “Obviously the guy can play; he’s big and he’s fast. But it’s the way he played the game. He was so enthusiastic and happy. You could just see it.”
