Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Gano takes a step back in kicking battle

Special teams coach Danny Smith said last week that game performance, not practice performance, would determine the winner of the kicking battle.

That said, Graham Gano couldn’t have been heartened by his performance Monday at Redskins Park. The incumbent place kicker made only 5 of his 9 field goal attempts, missing from 32, 49, 53 and 57. 

Meantime, his challenger, Neil Rackers, was 9 for 9, easily splitting the uprights on each of them.

The two kicked from the same distances, with Gano kicking first.

In training camp practices, Gano is now unofficially 21 for 28, while Rackers is 25 for 28. Neither attempted a field goal in Thursday’s 7-6 preseason victory in Buffalo.

Chester, Williams back to partial work

By Tarik El-Bashir
CSNwashington.com

Offensive linemen Trent Williams and Chris Chester are improving, but neither practiced in team drills on Monday.

Williams, who is sidelined with a bone bruise on his left foot, said he hopes to participate fully in practice Tuesday. 

The starting left tackle also revealed he had an MRI in addition to the X-ray taken Thursday in Buffalo, where he was injured when teammate Maurice Hurt landed on him. The MRI was also negative.

“I feel a lot better,” Williams said. “If Coach lets me go, I’m going to go.”

Chester, meantime, said he hopes to practice at some point this week and suit up for Saturday’s preseason game in Chicago. The starting right guard has been sidelined since last Monday with a sprained left ankle. 

“I feel really positive about the direction I’m headed,” Chester said. “We just want to be smart about it. The most important game is [the regular season opener] in New Orleans.”

Left guard Maurice Hurt participated fully in practice after missing Saturday’s session with some swelling in his left knee.

 

Jenkins back to work after a bout with the flu

By Tarik El-Bashir
CSNwashington.com 

Redskins defensive end Jarvis Jenkins said he’ll return to practice Monday afternoon after missing Saturday’s session with an illness.

Jenkins said he felt fine upon returning Buffalo Thursday night, but felt ill after lifting weights Friday morning. By mid afternoon, he had lost his appetite, and by evening, his temperature had spiked to 103 degrees.

“I have no idea what it was,” said Jenkins, who is returning from a right knee injury that forced him to miss the entire 2011 season. “I’m fully recovered.”

Jenkins said he could have practiced Saturday but the team didn’t want to risk it, since he had not eaten or had much to drink the previous 24 hours.

Armstrong: 'I'm ready to go'

By Tarik El-Bashir
CSNwashington.com 

Wide receiver Anthony Armstrong said his right shoulder is pain-free and he’s ready to resume practicing.

When exactly that happens, though, remains to be seen since the Redskins have taken a cautious approach to Armstrong’s recovery since he suffered a second-degree sprain of his AC joint in practice 12 days ago.

“I’m ready to go, just waiting on the word from the big man,” Amstrong said Monday, referring to Coach Mike Shanahan. “Feels good, no pain, so I’m ready to go. They just have to make the call.”

Shanahan said Saturday that he’s hoping Armstrong can suit up for Saturday’s preseason game in Chicago.

“I think he’ll be able to go this weekend,” Shanahan said.

The Redskins appear to have four wide receivers – Pierre Garçon, Josh Morgan, Santana Moss and Leonard Hankerson – who are locks to make the 53-man roster. Armstrong is battling Brandon Banks, Terrence Austin, Aldrick Robinson and Dezmon Briscoe for the final two spots.

Saturday practice report: Cousins makes some plays

Here are my observations from Saturday’s Redskins practice, their first since playing their preseason opener in Buffalo.

—Trent Williams (bruised foot) and Jarvis Jenkins (flu) were not present. Morgan Trent (shoulder, knee) and Maurice Hurt (inflamed knee tendon) were riding the stationary bikes at the start of practice and observers for the rest of it.

—With previous injuries forcing other changes along the line, the first-team offensive line was, from left to right, Jordan Black, Josh LeRibeus, Will Montgomery, Adam Gettis, and Tyler Polumbus. Three of those players, Black and rookies LeRibeus and Gettis, had a combined zero games on NFL rosters in 2011.

—Alfred Morris had a good game on Thursday. Today he took a handoff, disappeared into a crowd and then popped into the open on the other side. He must have found a tunnel through there or something. He’ll probably keep the coaches awake at night trying to figure out a way to keep him on the roster.

—Dez Briscoe played on Thursday night but didn’t get targeted for a pass. But he continues to make a case for himself in practice. In a red zone drill he got to the back of a crowded end zone and caught a TD pass from Kirk Cousins. A good job by Cousins, too, who was able to find his receiver in the back of the crowd.

—Cousins had a couple more nice passes. Both of them came when he was rolling to his right. On one, he stopped and threw all the way back to the other sideline and found Samuel Kirkland free for a long touchdown pass. A while later he launched a nice pass down the right sideline and Aldrick Robinson ran under it and gathered it in for another long TD. To be sure, both plays may have been blown dead but Cousins still launched a couple of nice, long passes.

—Maybe things are beginning to click for Robinson. He caught two passes for 28 yards against the Bills. Before the bomb from Cousins he and the rookie QB connected on another, shorter pass where Robinson made a nice grab. Robinson has to make up for a slow start to camp if he wants to make this team but he still has time.

RG3 report

We’ll start out with the bad and the ugly and then move to the good. In red zone work he tried to fire a pass through a crowd of defenders to Leonard Hankerson. London Fletcher was having no part of it and he easily picked off the pass.

And he threw a sideline pass. No, not to a receiver on a sideline pattern, just to the sideline stripe. There was not a receiver or a defender anywhere near it, just the chalk.

There certainly were some good throws. He hit both Santana Moss and Leonard Hankerson right in the hands on stride and he threw some darts to Chris Cooley and Fred Davis. Davis also dropped one catchable ball.

For the day, Griffin was 6-13 with one interception

His targets:

Complete: Hankerson 2, Cooley, Davis, Moss 2
Incomplete: Paul, Moss, Davis (dropped), Hankerson 2 (1 INT), Garçon, unknown 

 

Armstrong, Chester on the mend

By Tarik El-Bashir
CSNwashington.com 

Trent Williams is far from the only Redskins’ player nursing an injury as the team gears up for Week 2 of the preseason.

Here’s the post-practice injury update from Coach Mike Shanahan:

--Wide receiver Anthony Armstrong (sprained AC joint in right shoulder) still wore a ‘no contact’ jersey in Saturday’s session. Shanahan, though, believes Armstrong could suit up in Chicago next Saturday night. “Shouldn’t keep him from playing,” Shanahan said.

--Right guard Chris Chester (sprained left ankle) is about “85 percent,” according to Shanahan. Chester, who missed Thursday’s game, suited up for practice but did not participate in team drills. “Knowing Chris, not missing a play last year, he should be ready to go in a couple of days,” Shanahan said.

--Left guard Maurice Hurt (sore left knee) did not practice Saturday. Shanahan said a tendon behind his knee is inflamed and it’s unclear whether he’ll suit up Monday. “Hopefully it won’t keep him out too much,” Shanahan said.

--Defensive end Jarvis Jenkins (flu) also missed practice. He should be ready to practice Monday, Shanahan said.

--Cornerback Morgan Trent suffered minor injuries to his shoulder and knee against the Bills and will miss a “couple of days,” according to Shanahan.

--Fullback Darrel Young (hamstring) said he’s feeling “10-times better”, but Shanahan said he won’t be rushed. “He’s probably going to take another week of rehab,” the coach said. “I’m afraid if we put him in too quickly, he’ll re-injure that hamstring. Against [Indianapolis in Week 3 of preseason], he should be ready to go.”

--And, finally, an update on defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer, who unexpectedly left training camp more than a week ago. Shanahan said Balmer was reached by a Redskins’ employee and is doing “okay.” Balmer, however, did not comment further, according to Shanahan.

The Redskins are off Sunday, then return to the field Monday morning for a walkthrough. 

 

Need to Know: Practice time changes

Here is what you need to know on this Saturday, one week before the Redskins travel to Chicago for their second preseason game:

Time changes

The Redskins announced just a few days ago that today’s “TBA” practice time was going to be 2:00. That was changed yesterday when they said that the practice has been moved up to 12:55. The session is open to fans.

Monday’s practice schedule will remain the same as it has been for most days of training camp with a closed morning walkthrough and a 3 p.m. practice open to fans. But on Tuesday, there will be a single 1 p.m. practice that is open.

And then that is it as far as practices that the fans—and the media—can see. Starting Wednesday no fans can come to Redskins Park. We will be able to observe only the first 30 minutes of practice, which consists of warmups, stretching, and some individual drills.

Tuesday is the last chance for fans to see the Redskins practice in Ashburn until 2020. A seven-year agreement to hold training camp in Richmond starts next year.

Injury watch

Trent Williams’ foot will be the focus on Saturday. It looked like guard Maurice Hurt fell onto Williams left foot while Pierre Garçon ran into the end zone for the games only touchdown. X-rays taken after the game were negative and it is not known if any further examination is scheduled.

“It’s nothing, really,” said Williams after the game. He was walking with a limp.

We will see if Williams is present for Saturday’s practice and ask Mike Shanahan for an update during his post-practice presser.

In case you missed it

We had complete coverage of what happened during Thursday’s game: RG3 instant analysis, RG3 postgame, game instant analysis, game recap. The Redskins have plenty to work on after the game but rookie cornerback Richard Crawford can be proud of his game. 

Days until: Redskins @ Bears 7; RG3 vs. Luck @ FedEx Field; final cuts 20; Redskins @ Saints 29; home opener vs. Bengals 43

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