FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010
KLMNO PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL NFLNOTEBOOK
Roethlisberger says hewill play despite injury
Steelers quarterback reportedly has
broken bone in foot
FROM NEWS SERVICES AND STAFF REPORTS
Pittsburgh Steelers quarter-
back Ben Roethlisberger’s right foot injury is a little more seri- ous than a sprain.He has a bro- kenboneinhis foot—specifical- lythefifthmetatarsal,according to thePittsburghPost-Gazette. Roethlisberger, who still ex-
TONI L. SANDYS/WASHINGTON POST KedricGolston and the Redskins have not benefited from the 3-4 scheme; They’re on pace for 32 sacks, down from 40 in the 4-3 a year ago. Not much rush beyond Orakpo
Despite switch to 3-4, Redskins’ sack total is off last year’s pace
BY RICK MAESE As opposing coaches game
plan for the Washington Red- skins, it doesn’t take much film study to figure outwho poses the biggest threat to their quarter- back. The imbalance of the Red- skins’ pass rush allows teams to expend most of their energy trying to contain linebacker Bri- an Orakpo, who has 81/2
sacks
through 11 games. “People are really concentrat-
ing on him,” defensive coordina- tor Jim Haslett said. “For him to have 81/2
is kind of amazing, to be
honest with you, because people are sliding to him, chipping to him. They know where he’s at.” Despite the praise coaches
heap on Orakpo, the team’s pass rush has not matched preseason expectations. With 22 sacks this season, the Redskins are tied for 18th in the league. While some teams might be content to be near the middle of the pack, the Redskins certainly figured to put more pressure on quarterbacks this season by changing their base formation and introducing a variety of new blitz packages. Asked if he’s pleased with the
Redskins’ pass rush so far, Has- lett said: “Not necessarily.” “I would like the total to be a little bitmore,” he said.
The Redskins are on pace to
finish the season with 32 sacks. Last year, playing amore conser- vative brand of defense, they totaled 40. Most of the pressure has come fromOrakpo,whose 36 quarterback hurries are more than double the number of any teammate. Haslett’s system is designed to allow multiple de- fenders to chase the quarterback, and for it to succeed, other Redskins have break to through. “I think you always have to
have two or three [pass rushers] to have a really good defense,” he said. Haslett’s best defenses, in fact,
thrived onmultiple pass rushers. In New Orleans in 2000, La’Roi Glover finished the season with 17 sacks, Joe Johnson had 12 and Darren Howard chipped in 11. Plus, Keith Mitchell had 61/2 WillieWhitehead had 51/2
and . “I don’t know if you’ll ever get
those numbers again, but that’s why you had the numbers,” Has- lett said. “Right now, we got one guy [with a large number of sacks], and then we got it a little bit scattered everywhere.” Defensive tackle Albert
Haynesworth, who’s only on the field for passing downs, is second on the team with 2 1/2
sacks.
Among the linebackers, Rocky McIntosh and Andre Carter each have two sacks, and Lorenzo Alexander and London Fletcher have 1 1/2
each. Coach Mike Shanahan spent
his year away from the NFL studying the 3-4 defense and he brought in Haslett to implement
Redskins Insider 6Excerpts from
washingtonpost.com/redskins
Shanahanwould let
Embree lead Buffs CoachMike Shanahan will
release tight ends coach Jon Embree from his contract before the end of the season to begin recruiting for theUniversity of Colorado if he accepts the school’s head coaching position, Shanahan said Thursday. Embree, in his first season
with the Redskins, has not finalized a contract to become the Buffaloes’ next head coach, a person familiar with the situation said late Thursday night.
Although Embree is in talks
with the school about accepting the position, a report of a deal being completed Thursday were “premature,” the source said. Embree is expected to sign a contract to assume control of the program at his alma mater, possibly as early as next week, but anything could happen until the process is completed. Last season, former Redskins
secondary coach Jerry Gray was reportedly hired as head coach at Memphis. But complications arose and he was not offered the job.
Embree plans to travel with
the Redskins to face theNew York Giants on Sunday atNew Meadowlands Stadium, the source said. Shanahan said he has spoken
with university officials, who asked whether the Redskins would permit Embree to take over the program before the Redskins complete their season. “I’ve always believed, and I’ve
JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST
Clinton Portis called his groin surgery “a minor tuneup.” Despite his injury history, he says he wants to run next season for the Redskins.
always had a philosophy, that if one of your assistant coaches has a chance to be a head coach, and really upgrade their job, and a lifelong dream for him, that I’d be more than happy to let him go early,” Shanahan said. Embree, who was out of
football last season, was a former standout tight end for Colorado. Beginning in 1991, he spent 10 seasons on the Buffaloes’ coaching staff.
Portis ‘fine’ after surgery While undergoing abdomen
surgery this week, running back Clinton Portis also had his severe groin tear repaired, the nine-year veteran revealed Thursday.
“It was a minor tuneup,” said
two-time Pro Bowler, who is on the season-ending injured reserve list. “I went and got tuned up. I feel like everything should be fine.” Addressing reporters for the
first time since undergoing the procedures on Tuesday, Portis explained that his abdomen and groin muscles were both fixed by WilliamMeyers, a sports hernia specialist in Philadelphia. Portis initially suffered a third-degree groin tear during a 17-12 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 4. The abdomen tear occurred
early during a 19-16 victory in overtime against the Tennessee Titans onNov. 21.
Although Portis’s last two
seasons have been cut short by injury (he was placed on injured reserve last season because of a concussion) and three of his past five, he said he wants to return next season.
Players honor Kemoeatu On the day in the summer of
2009 thatMa’ake Kemoeatu tore his Achilles’ tendon, his football career seemed tenuous at best. “It did crossmy mind,” he
said. “I was like, ‘football could be over for me’. It was eight years. It could be over. Football’s not forever. It could be over at any time.” This year, Kemoeatu’s comeback with the Redskins has consisted of playing in every game as the nose tackle in the team’s new3-4 defensive alignment. Thursday, the team announced that the former Carolina Panther was voted the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, an honor given annually to a player on each NFL team who displays courage in the face of adversity. The award is voted on by the players. “I think the most gratifying
[thing] about it is you have the support of your teammates,” Kemoeatu said. “Being it’smy first year here, of coursemy teammates have to get to know me first. I got here in April, just trying to recover from the torn Achilles’ and making a comeback, and teammates respect that.”
—Jason Reid and Barry Svrluga
it. The goals were clear: attack, cause turnovers and put more pressure on the quarterback. The team’s defensive front is sup- posed to occupy offensive line- men and create lanes for others tomake plays. Linebackers, safe- ties and corners all thought they might be blitzingmore often. Fletcher concedes he thought
he’d blitz more than he has, but McIntosh says compared with last year, linebackers are still gettingmore opportunities.With LaRon Landry hobbled by an Achilles’ tendon injury, defensive backs have rarely blitzed since early in the season. “From a game-plan stand-
point, the coaches have to put the best game plan that they feel in place to stop the offense,” Fletch- er said. “So if it’s going out and playing more coverage, we do that. If it’s bringing pressure, we do that. So you just have to adapt and adjust week to week.” Against Philadelphia, India-
napolis and Green Bay, for exam- ple, the Redskins preferred to keep their linebackers in cover- age in an effort to ensure that Michael Vick, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers didn’t have a chance carve up the secondary. This week’s game could bring
an even tougher challenge for Washington pass rushers. Though the Giants’ offensive line has been shuffled often — last week against the Jaguars the team started its fifth combina- tion of linemen this season, using only two of their Week 1 starters —it hasn’t seemed tomatter.
Giants quarterback Eli Man-
ning has been sacked the fewest times of any NFL starter (12). “He’s kind of like his brother in that he doesn’t take a sack,” Haslett said. In fact, Manning hasn’t been sacked once in the Giants’ past four games. “Their O-line works very well
together,” Alexander said. “Indi- vidually they might not be the greatest, but as far as being cohesive and knowing other guys’ strengths, they really work well together.” Another key is Manning’s
awareness in the pocket. He knows where the rushers are coming from, knows when to get rid of the ball and more often than not, figures it all out before the snap. “He’s been able to get us into a
protection any number of times, which would allow whatever pressure is coming to get picked up,” Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said. TheRedskinswill do their best
to break through this Sunday. Orakpo will be on the field for nearly every defensive down. On the other side, Alexander is the primary outside linebackerwhen the team is in its base defense. When they switch to a nickel package, Carter takes over. No matter who’s lining up on
the side oppositeOrakpo,Haslett expects the other outside line- backer to have the same play on the quarterback. In the next five games, he needs the production to be equitable as well.
maeser@washpost.com
pects to play Sunday against the BaltimoreRavens,has beenlim- ited in practiceWednesday and Thursday. Steelers spokesman DaveLockett said the fracture is not a new injury but rather an aggravation of an old injury where there is existing scar tis-
sue.Roethlisberger initially had the foot in a boot, but nowhas a special cleat that provides the same stability. “I’ll make it happen,” he said
of playing Sunday. l VIKINGS: Running back
Adrian Peterson says his sprained right ankle is feeling better, and he hopes to play againstBuffalo onSunday. Peterson did not practice
again Thursday, but the plan is forhimtoparticipateFridayand test the ankle he hurt last week atWashington. Peterson has not missed a
game since his rookie year in 2007, when a torn lateral collat- eral ligament in his right knee kept him out for two weeks. He says he’s proud of the streak, given the position he plays, but says he’ll try to be smart about how hard to push his ankle this week. Despite a down year for the
Vikings, Peterson has had his usual productive season.He has also done a better job of holding onto the football, goingwithout a fumble so far. Wide receiver Percy Harvin
alsomissed practice because he is dealing with another mi- graine headache. Interim head coach Leslie Frazier says he hopes Harvin can participate Friday. Defensive end Ray Edwards
(sprained ankle) and left guard Steve Hutchinson (broken thumb) have also been held out of practice this week. Frazier said wideout Sidney Rice (hip) was held out Thursday as a pre- caution. l JETS: Right tackle Damien
Woody expects to play in the team’s game atNewEngland on Monday night despite not prac- ticing while recovering from a sprained knee ligament. Woody sprained the medial
collateral ligament in his right knee against Houston on Nov.
21,butwas able toplay fourdays later in New York’s 26-10 win overCincinnati. Wide receiver JerrichoCotch-
erywas listed as limited in prac- ticeThursday.Hehasmissedthe Jets’ last two gameswitha slight groin tear, but expects to return against thePatriots. l RAIDERS: Signed backup
quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan and placed Bruce Gradkowski on season-ending injury reserve. The move Thursday comes a
day afterGradkowski expressed hope that he could return from his second shoulder injury be- fore the end of the season. But Coach Tom Cable says it is un- likely Gradkowski would have beenable to returnbefore then. O’Sullivan was last on San
Diego’s roster before being cut in October. Oakland plays the Chargers thisweek. This is O’Sullivan’s 11th team
since being drafted by New Or- leans in 2002. He has played in 17 career games, making eight starts for SanFrancisco in2008. l BILLS: Starting defensive
end Dwan Edwards is done for the season after being placed on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury. Edwards signedwiththeBills
this past offseason as a free agent, and had started all 11 games. He was injured in Sun- day’s 19-16 overtime loss to the PittsburghSteelers. Edwards finishes the year
tied for fourth on the teamwith 59 tackles. l LIONS: Placed kicker Jason
Hansononinjuredreserve, end- ing his season with an injured right knee. Detroit signed cornerback
TyeHill totakeHanson’s spoton the roster. Hill was among the Tennessee Titans’ final cuts this year. He started 24 games over four seasons for St. Louis and Atlanta. The Lions drafted Hanson in
1992 and he has become their all-time leading scorer with 1,890 career points.Hanson has made an NFL-record 44 field goals fromat least 50 yards. He also has lost 190 games inwhich he played, surpassing the previ- ous league record set by ex-kick- er Morten Andersen with 188 losses. l PATRIOTS: Placed right
guard Stephen Neal on injured reserve. The 10-year veteranwillmiss
the rest of the season with a shoulder injury that had side- lined him for the past three games. The Patriots did not say who would take Neal’s place on the roster for Monday night’s game against the visiting New York Jets. The team also claimed run-
ning back Thomas Clayton on waivers from the Cleveland Browns.
EZ SU
D5
JONATHAN NEWTON/WASHINGTON POST
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who suffered a sprained ankle against the Redskins, hopes to play Sunday against Buffalo.
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