By Ryan O’Halloran
CSNwashington.com
Four notes/opinions from the Redskins’ first day of Week 1.
1st Down
Don’t discount how big of a deal not getting to practice on an actual football field is for the Redskins. Coach Mike Shanahan, naturally, downplayed it, saying they “got a lot done,” but kickers can’t kick, punters can’t punt, receivers can’t receive, etc. in a health club gymnasium.
Shanahan wouldn’t elaborate on why there was such a long delay but the lack of an indoor practice facility falls squarely on Joe Gibbs, who steadfastly refused to explore a bubble-type set up.
2nd Down
It’s all but official – when he starts at inside linebacker Sunday, London Fletcher (pictured) will join Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber as the current leaders in most consecutive games played (209).
Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning (neck) will see his streak of 208 consecutive starts/games end.
Fletcher will move into second place with his 168th consecutive start; Barber will be the new leader with his 184th straight start.
3rd Down
Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan will make his regular season debut and will start against the Giants.
“I just hope I can generate more of a pass rush consistently throughout the game,” he said of his expectations.
But where to watch Kerrigan is in coverage, where he is still learning the nuances.
“It’s starting to feel natural, definitely,” he said. “It’s just one of those things I have to keep getting reps at and continue doing. … Certainly [he expects to be challenged]. They know I’m a rookie and have never played linebacker in a real NFL game before. I expect teams to come at me but I have to strong and be ready for it.”
4th Down
Second-year offensive lineman Erik Cook said today he is seeing practice reps at center, left guard and right guard. The Redskins surprisingly did not keep a true guard on the 53-man roster. Cook laughed when told he was listed as a second-team player three times on the depth chart.
“I was kind of surprised, kind of wasn’t because I knew my role and was more than ready to step up,” he said. “I played guard in college [at New Mexico] for a couple of games but the majority of my career was either at center or tackle.”
If Kory Lichtensteiger or Chris Chester get hurt, Cook will be inserted at center and Will Montgomery would shift to guard.
Contact O’Halloran at rohalloran@comcastsportsnet.com
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