ASHBURN, Va. -- One could form the nucleus of a pretty good team with the load of talent unable to practice for the Washington Redskins on Thursday.
Feeling the pain
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The Redskins are nursing a number of injuries as five key starters missed practice Thursday. Take a look at their season stats:
Clinton Portis, RB
Carries: 136
Rushing yards: 643
Touchdowns: 6
Chris Samuels, OT
Age: 31
Games: 6
Starts: 6
Jason Taylor, DE
Tackles: 11
Sacks: 1
Passes defensed: 4
Chris Horton, S
Tackles: 28
Interceptions: 3
Passes defensed: 3
Clinton Portis, Jason Taylor, Chris Samuels, Carlos Rogers, Fred Smoot and Chris Horton were all sidelined, and Shawn Springs had to leave early. Most are expected to play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
"We had a lot of guys watching today," coach Jim Zorn said. "It's a real concern. I worry about it."
Portis, the league's leading rusher, missed a second straight day with a hip flexor and will probably sit out Friday's session as well.
"It was pretty bad with his hip flexor," Zorn said. "That's all that is the problem. I expect him to practice on Saturday and I expect him to go on Sunday."
Taylor, the league's career sacks leader among active players, said he had "a little tweak" in his calf during Wednesday's practice. Taylor had surgery last month to drain blood from the leg.
"We're just trying to get the swelling out of it," Zorn said, "but I fully expect him to go."
Five-time Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels and standout rookie safety Horton are both nursing ankle injuries.
"Chris Samuels, we just rested his ankle again. Horton is the exact same thing," Zorn said. "I expect both those guys to play."
The biggest concern is at cornerback. Zorn thinks Rogers (calf) will play, but Springs tweaked a calf muscle near the end of practice and Smoot is "the most doubtful guy" because of a groin injury, the coach said. The secondary is already thin because of safety Reed Doughty's season-ending back injury.
On the positive front, tackle Stephon Heyer (sprained shoulder) was in pads again and is "starting to come around," according to Zorn, but the coach said Jon Jansen will remain the starting right tackle this week.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
