Larry Johnson
- RB
- ,
- 46
- 230 lbs
- 6' 1"
- 4
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Clinton Portis, the Redskins' top running back, saw limited action in Friday's 16-11 win over New York and returns to Washington with an ankle sprain. It's indicative of an offensive unit that has hobbled its way through the preseason schedule, revealing as many problems as it has strengths.
By the end of Friday's win, Portis limped along the sideline, a bum right ankle slowing his gait. Donovan McNabb's ankle kept him out of the game altogether. He wore street clothes and a protective sleeve on the lower half of his left leg.
We are unsure of the severity, although it sounds likely that Portis will be fine for week 1. We don't think Portis will be able to handle a full workload in Washington, but the opportunity is certainly there with Larry Johnson and Willie Parker both looking poor.
Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets' offense started slow and sputtered often.
Again.
Washington's Albert Haynesworth hasn't been happy with his situation, either. But it appeared the big defensive lineman was calling a bit of a truce with coach Mike Shanahan after the Redskins' 16-11 victory over Jets in a snoozer Friday night.
"I'm going over for dinner to his house, probably tonight," Haynesworth said. "We'll sit, have a cigar and talk. What I said last week is behind me. I don't even remember what I said."
Haynesworth, who missed numerous practices because of a failed conditioning test, a sore knee and then an illness, said Shanahan underplayed his medical condition.
Reports said Haynesworth was suffering from a muscle condition called rhabdomyolysis, but Shanahan told AOL Fanhouse last Sunday he was "not aware of that." Shanahan had given various reasons for Haynesworth's inability to practice, eventually attributing it to a headache.
Haynesworth complained about being out with the backups in the third quarter of Washington's 23-3 loss to Baltimore last week. He was on the field with the starters late in the opening quarter of this one.
"That's what they wanted to do this week, so I practiced a lot at end to get a feel for it," said Haynesworth, who entered the game with about 2 minutes left in the first quarter and finished with one tackle. "I still got a lot of work to do."
So do the Jets, whose late touchdown was only their second in three preseason games.
Far from the explosive offense many of the Jets predict they'll be, New York struggled until Sanchez connected with Dustin Keller for a 10-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Larry Johnson, competing with Clinton Portis and Willie Parker for a spot in the backfield for the Redskins (2-1), caught a screen pass from Richard Bartel and rumbled 15 yards for the winning score with 2:13 left.
Looking to rebound from a poor performance against Carolina last weekend, the Jets (1-2) were hurt by four turnovers and missed opportunities.
Sanchez finished 13 of 21 for 139 yards and an interception in just over three quarters for the Jets.
Rex Grossman started for the injured Donovan McNabb for Washington, and went 8 of 16 for 111 yards. Without McNabb, who missed the game with a sprained left ankle, the Redskins' first-team offense couldn't do much against the Jets' starters on defense, but Washington still led in the fourth quarter.
After Graham Gano's third field goal of the game gave Washington a 9-5 lead with 6:46 left in the third quarter, Sanchez and the offense were given one more chance to get something going.
This time, they delivered. Finally.
Sanchez completed three third-down passes - a situation the Jets were only 1 of 7 until that point. On third-and-9 from the 20, running back LaDanian Tomlinson caught a 9-yard pass for a first down to end the third quarter.
After Shonn Greene's 1-yard run, Sanchez found tight end Dustin Keller over the middle, and Keller stretched the ball over the goal line to give New York the 11-9 lead with 14:18 left - but Nick Folk clunked the extra point attempt off the left upright.
Sanchez got the Jets down to the Redskins 13 midway through the second quarter, but made a bad throw intended for Keller that was intercepted by DeAngelo Hall.
Washington took advantage, converting the turnover into points with Gano's 42-yard field goal with 5:10 left that made it 6-3.
Right after the 2-minute warning, Grossman couldn't handle a shotgun snap that tipped off his hands and bounced into the end zone. The Redskins quarterback kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety - making it a 6-5.
Jets LB Calvin Pace suffered a foot injury and Ryan said he will likely miss a few weeks. Larry Johnson had 42 yards on nine carries, while Willie Parker got the start and had eight rushes for 16 yards.
Determined to prove he is still among the NFL's elite, running back Clinton Portis has displayed a renewed commitment to the team since Coach Mike Shanahan arrived in Ashburn. Portis's teammates have noticed.
"He's a totally different player as far as practicing and preparing for practice," outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. "I think a lot of that has to do with bringing in guys like Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, who can perform as well.
Be advised.....you have been warned. There are plenty are articles each season on a player being "reborn." In most cases, they end producing the same end result.
Nothing livens up a preseason game like a fake punt, especially if it works.
Baltimore Ravens third-year safety Haruki Nakamura took a direct snap on fourth-and-6 and juked his way 51 yards - all the way to the 1 - in the second quarter to set up the only touchdown scored by either first-team offense in Saturday night's 23-3 win over the Washington Redskins.
The bit of trickery added entertainment value to a typical August game that lacked polish and gave both coaches plenty to work on before the regular season starts in three weeks.
The Redskins had two starters leave the game with knee problems. Fullback Mike Sellers hurt his left knee while blocking on a running play, and free safety Kareem Moore sprained his right knee trying to catch up to Nakamura on the fake punt play.
Moore's injury appears to be the most severe, and he'll have an MRI on Sunday. Sellers also said his knee was sore, but that he would be "all right."
Meanwhile, Donovan McNabb emerged from the locker room after halftime with a large wrap around his lower left leg and ankle. By then, he was already finished for the night.
McNabb said he was "just a little sore" and that he expected to play next week against the New York Jets .
Left tackle Trent Williams, the No. 4 overall draft pick, left with a bruised elbow but said he was fine.
McNabb had an erratic night for the Redskins (1-1), completing 11 of 26 passes for 206 yards and a bad-decision interception thrown deep into double coverage. He frequently threw behind receivers and was often pressured and hit by a blitzing Ravens defense.
Larry Johnson got the start at running back and showed nothing to indicate he has any chance of overtaking Clinton Portis for the job. Johnson gained only 4 yards on eight carries, missed a blitz pickup that resulted in an intentional grounding call on McNabb, bobbled a pass at least a half-dozen times before dropping it, and lost the ball after tripping over his own man on a running play - it wasn't called a fumble because he was ruled down by contact.
The Ravens' first-team defense was solid for the most part, except when it allowed three big third-down conversions on the game's opening drive. Cornerback Fabian Washington, playing his first game since tearing a ligament in his left knee last season, ended the drive by breaking up a pass at the goal line, forcing the Redskins to settle for a field goal.
Joe Flacco went 9 for 16 passes for 72 yards for the Ravens (2-0).
Ray Rice ran for 17 yards, but dropped the ball on two of his three carries - one of the fumbles was technically credited to Flacco, and the Ravens recovered both.
Two other promising drives were stopped by mistakes: a false start on left tackle Michael Oher, and a fumble by Donte' Stallworth.
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