With only one day away, the Redskins prepare to tackle the Jacksonville Jaguars (on their turf) this Thursday in the final game of the preseason.
Here are some interesting items you may want to know from Ashburn, as asked of head coach, Jim Zorn after yesterday's practice.
On Albert Haynesworth’s Illness (stomach virus).
“Albert is recovering, he’s getting better. We’re going to keep him back here just because he’s missed two or three days of practice and get him working out – both conditioning and strength training. He wasn’t going to play anyways so we just want to make sure that he’s feeling better. He’s still a little bit wheezy, but definitely a lot better. That’s encouraging.”
On Whether London Fletcher’s (Sprained Left) Foot Is Still a Bother.
“No, this is what he had last year at the beginning of the season. This is what he does at the beginning of the season, and the reason we have to do it now is because the doctor has to do it at a particular time.”
“We just decided today that London [Fletcher] will have some medicine put in his foot. No emergencies or anything like that.
Who's Likely Not To Play On Thursday?
“Not going to play Carlos [Rogers]. Randy [Thomas] was practicing today and I may hold him out as well, but he’s so stubborn I got to pop him in the jaw.” (Ouch. No violence coach).
“Kareem Moore is a lot better. I may hold him out. That’s going to be a game time decision for Kareem.”
“Clinton Portis." [Side bar: CP celebrated his 28th B-Day Sept 1st].
"You may not see Todd Collins. I may just go right to the young guys.”
"[London Fletcher] wasn’t going to play either, but he’ll be on the trip with us. He’s going to do everything; he’s just not going to play.”
Will Rogers be traveling with the team?
“Yes, Carlos is going to go. Everyone but Albert is going to go.”
[Side bar: What I noticed on the Redskins website under 'Injury Report'. There's nothing there!]
On What Coach Zorn Needs To See Out of Mike Williams.
“I’d like to see a whole game. I’d like to see a lot of playing, so we’re going to try to get him revved up and let him go. Now he’s still sporting his ankle a little bit, but he’s going to go.”
On Where Cutting Players Ranks On A Coach's 'Difficult Things To Do List'.
“It ranks up there with the most difficult decision that any coaching staff has to make. These players have really done all that we’ve asked them to do, and now 22 of them don’t get to accomplish their goal. I told these guys right from the start, if you put the effort into it, we have the hard decision of finding the 53, but also they’ve accomplished a lot in the meantime and it doesn’t mean that their career is over. Going from here doesn’t mean that their career is going to be over. I think if you follow some of these guys that we will end up letting go, they’ll be in other programs because they’re good athletes and we just have to find the right group. It will be hard.”
How Much Angst Is There In Making A Decision To Cut A Player (When You Don’t Know How He'll Develop). “I’ve done that at the college level; right now I think we’ve done pretty well at the pro level of making those right calls, at least in my mind, and yet it’s nerve-raking. The choice has to be made. I’m capable of making those choices, and I’m also willing to live with the responsibility of that. I think it does change these young players’ lives, but it also sends them to the next step in their lives as well. Some of them will not be good enough to make it with an NFL team, but there are other leagues and other opportunities to play. And some will go to another team to play, and some will go on with their lives work. That’s the nature of the game. It has happened to me. I’ve been in it for a long time. It’s what must be done.”
What's up with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talking to the Redskins players in person today?
“He got up and he was very relaxed in front of the group, very natural and very positive in front of the group. He didn’t try to sell them on anything, he just tried to talk to them about the whole idea of what the NFL is about and what we’re all trying to do together. They were listening. It was very quiet. Here is where he brought his legitimacy as well: he didn’t just skip out, he stayed around and talked to the players the whole time. He was out at our practice talking and communicating, so he was very approachable to the players.”
On How Much the Game Planning Changes From the 3rd Preseason Game To The 4th Preseason Game.
“I think it just revs up a little bit. I think we get more and more locked into doing the elements of practice that we’re going to do during the week. Everything leads up to the game, so you practice, you work back all the practices and all the components that make the full game plan. Those get more extensive as the preseason goes on. There’s more video to watch, there’s a little bit more game playing that can go on, and I think that’s the evolution of preseason.”
QBs Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel: Is There A Difference In the Intensity Between the Two During Practice?
“I don’t think I’ve seen anything different because they’re pretty competitive guys. I think at the quarterback position, every day you’re out there, every snap you take it’s a competitive situation because they’re being evaluated. So no, I would say nothing has changed. They’re highly motivated players.”
Is the List of Players to Cut Written in Stone? Or Will Some Players Change Zorn's Mind?
“I think there will be several. I think it’s happened in the past for a guy, and that’s why we play these games. Maybe you just get a confirmation, ‘you know what, I was right about this guy.’ Or, ‘you know what, now maybe he’ll perform at a different way in a different level, high or low,’ that will change the complexity of it as well. It will happen.”
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