Practice update: The Redskins held a walk-through so they didn’t
practice. That means they’re also not required to give injury updates.
But fullback Mike Sellers (concussion) is expected to play Sunday.
Coach Joe Gibbs said he could have gone back into the game Sunday.
Tight end Todd Yoder (knee) is a possibility but reserve lineman Mike Pucillo (back) is highly unlikely.
Locker room topic No. 1: Who’s playing? For Dallas, that is. But the
Redskins say it doesn’t matter. One reason why is because the Redskins
have already been playing their backups – and winning. That certainly
has gotten their attention, knowing that another team’s backups,
especially one which is 13-2, could certainly do the same. "The way
our team is and how hungry we are right now, there won’t be any
overconfidence," linebacker London Fletcher said. "We’ve fought too
hard. We know Dallas would love nothing better than to knock us out of
the playoffs."
Locker room topic No. 2: Safety play. The last time Washington played
Dallas, the Redskins allowed four touchdown passes to Terrell Owens.
They struggled in the Cover 2, in the first game they played without
Sean Taylor, then out with a knee injury. Reed Doughty, making his
first start, and rookie LaRon Landry, did not have great games. But
since then they’ve been good. A large part of the reason is that Gregg
Williams has used them differently. In that game, they sat in a Cover
2, but lately they’ve used more Cover 1 with Doughty up near the line.
They can’t sit back anymore so they don’t. Williams has called great
games the past couple weeks with his schemes, allowing the safeties to
develop. And watch how Landry is used; it’s very similar to what the
Redskins did with Taylor. Landry will sometimes line up over a
receiver, slide to the slot and then drop back deep before the snap. He
can wait longer to drop than most safeties because of his speed.
Joe Gibbs says: On the magnitude of the game: "I guess because it’s
now, it’s as important as any game I’ve been a part of. I know how hard
we worked. Last year was one of the most disappointing years. A lot of
the things that happened to us this year were emotionally the hardest
things I’ve ever been through. When you put it in that context, it
becomes as big as any game I’ve been a part of."
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