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"It's one of those things I missed last year,"
said Jansen, sidelined for all of 2004 with a torn Achilles' tendon.
"It's a matchup I look forward to because he's a (six-time) Pro Bowl guy
and if I want to get to the Pro Bowl and have people talk about me the way I
hope they would, you have to beat guys like that."
Jansen and Strahan, who missed the final eight games of
2004 with a torn pectoral muscle, battled twice a year from 1999-2003. Jansen
stoned Strahan as a rookie in 1999 and again in 2000, but Strahan racked up 7
1/2 sacks against the Redskins from 2001-03.
Not only does Strahan rank fourth in the NFC with 5 1/2
sacks through six games, but Jansen will be at a disadvantage because of the
cast on the right thumb he broke in the Sept. 11 season opener.
"If anything, Mike's probably a little bit better
now because it looks like he's dropped some weight and is in tremendous
shape," Jansen said. "I think he really tried to prove everybody
wrong who said he can't come back from his injury, or he's not going to be the
same player or he's getting old (33). He's still the same explosive player.
He's still great at getting sacks and disrupting offenses."
Despite playing with one or two broken thumbs (the cast
on the left one he broke on Sept. 5 came off two games ago), Jansen has also
returned to the reliable, near-Pro Bowl form he maintained while never even
missing a practice during his first six seasons.
Player
Notes
--LG Derrick Dockery missed practice after spraining a
mild ankle during Wednesday's workout. Dockery is expected to start Sunday
against the Giants.
--DT Cornelius Griffin didn't practice for a second
straight day because of a strained hip flexor. Griffin is expected to start on
Sunday.
--FS Sean Taylor didn't practice for a second straight
day because of an ailing ankle. Taylor is expected to start against the
Giants.
--K John Hall did the heavy kicking workload for the
second straight Thursday. If Hall's right leg feels fine on Friday, he'll
likely finally return to action on Sunday for the first time in seven weeks
and undrafted rookie Nick Novak will be released.
--DT Joe Salave'a practiced for a second straight day
despite painful plantar fascia and is expected to start on Sunday.
