1. Running back Ryan Torain said he was able to run full speed in practice Monday, though coach Mike Shanahan said it was too early to tell how Torain or fellow injured running back Clinton Portis (groin) was doing. Torain tweaked his hamstring in the Oct. 31 loss to Detroit, but said he “felt great out there” in practice Monday.
“I was out there running plays,” he said.
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If Torain or Portis can’t play, the Redskins likely would promote running back James Davis off the practice squad. Davis turned down a chance to sign with Carolina to remain in Washington.
2. Safety Chris Horton was placed on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain in the Oct. 31 loss to Detroit. Horton, the fourth safety, injured his ankle on special teams. High ankle sprains are tricky and often take six to eight weeks of recovery time.
The Redskins promoted rookie Anderson Russell off the practice squad to take Horton’s place. Russell, an undrafted free agent, has been on the practice squad all season.
Washington also signed receiver Taurus Johnson and safety Sha’reff Rashad to the practice squad.
3. Coach Mike Shanahan said the surgery performed on KR/PR Brandon Banks (knee) usually requires two to three weeks of recovery time, which would put his status for the Tennessee game in doubt. Banks underwent surgery during the bye week.
Phillip Buchanon will replace him on punt returns; Chad Simpson and Byron Westbrook will replace him on kickoff returns.
Do we need to say that losing Banks will hurt the return game? Didn’t think so. But it will.
4. Now, to the favorite topic at Redskins Park: Donovan McNabb and The Decision.
Yes, it was good for the players to get away for a little bit, if only to escape the whole McNabb saga. Not that everyone was able to do that. “Everywhere I was, that’s all I saw was stuff about Donovan,” corner DeAngelo Hall said. “So I don’t think the bye week gave it a chance to go anywhere except sit there and fester, so it’s still there.”
5. I’m guessing Shanahan longs for the days of answering questions about Albert Haynesworth and the conditioning test. During his 11-minute presser today most of the questions centered around the McNabb benching and the aftermath, mainly because a new round of reports were broadcast on various national networks suggesting deeper issues. Again.
“We went down that road enough and if I keep going down it, it will swerve in a little different direction and we’ve taken it a different way,” Shanahan said. “But it’s a tough decision. It’s not always popular, but it’s one I felt was right. As I shared with the team, sometimes you don’t always make the right decision, but you make a decision based on your gut feeling … and you go with it.
“It’s the nature of the beast. Anytime you make a decision like that, obviously there’s going to be a lot of controversy.”
6. An ESPN report suggested that the Redskins have had to cut down the playbook a decent amount to accommodate McNabb. Backup QB Rex Grossman, who played for Kyle Shanahan in Houston last year, said that’s not the case.
“I don’t think it’s true,” Grossman said. “We had 120 plays going into a game last year and we have 100-some this year. I don’t think we have any less plays because of Donovan at all.”
7. Shanahan did say McNabb’s tempo has improved over the past month.
8. Also, McNabb’s hamstrings are still bothering him, Shanahan said, but they are feeling better than a week ago. He was able to participate in the six 100-yard runs after practice.
9. After doing some self-scouting, Shanahan decided the offense needs to improve in every area. Meanwhile, he also said the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
10. Hall’s six interceptions have tied his career best, but he enters the second half of the season with a chance to do something no Redskins player has done since 1964: intercept more than nine passes. The last Redskin to record double figures in interceptions was Paul Krause in 1964. But there have been three times where a Redskin has finished with nine interceptions, the last coming in 1987 when Barry Wilburn grabbed that many. Regardless, Hall’s next interception will tie him for the most by a Redskin in the past 20 years.
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