1. RB Clinton Portis could not practice and it’s now really hard to imagine him playing vs. Philadelphia on Monday. Yes, Mike Shanahan said there’s still a chance he could play. There’s also a chance I’ll still win a Pulitzer Prize; I’m not holding my breath. Listen, maybe Portis can still recover and be fine for Monday. But if he can’t get through a full week of practice without it being sore, why put him in a game when you have seven more after that? Doesn’t seem like Shanahan’s style.
“You don’t want to over-push it,” Shanahan said. “You’re trying to get back in football shape and you feel good and it’s sore the next day. That’s exactly what happened.”
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2. Before practice, Portis said he swelling on his groin after Monday’s practice and again after Wednesday’s. He said he’s attempted to go full speed in the workouts, but said it was difficult because of “minor setbacks.”
And, he said, he isn’t yet cutting the way he wants.
“Hopefully by Monday I can,” he said. “I think I’m making progress, but I can’t sit here and tell you that it’s a definite…It’s real sore. But these are signs that they expected.”
3. Punt returner Brandon Banks (knee) will field punts Friday and Saturday to see if he can play. Banks underwent arthroscopic surgery during the bye and was originally expected to miss Monday.
Also, linebacker Brian Orakpo (back) did not practice. Safety LaRon Landry (Achilles) was limited.
4. Before we get to today’s big topic… This is one of the funniest videos I’ve seen because it looks like it could be a comedy skit, only it’s not. It’s Eagles coach Andy Reid at 13 in a punt, pass and kick competition. In fairness, Reid told us today that he was one of two 13-year-olds in the event. So clearly the kid behind him is not 13. But still; it’s funny. By the way, Reid has a terrific sense of humor. Problem is, he displays zero personality in his press conferences. Anyway, here’s the link.
5. A transcript from Ron Jaworski’s conference call, talking Donovan McNabb. As usual, Jaws was good. He’s a McNabb fan, but he said of the Redskins QB in the two-minute offense: “If you look at the history of Donovan, he’s been inconsistent in that period of time. There are times when he’s run the two-minute offense brilliantly and times when it’s been sketchy.”
6. Yes, today’s topic was the two-minute offense. Here are a couple stats: McNabb has led 23 game-winning drives in his career and has 15 fourth-quarter comebacks. His career passer rating in games within seven points is 75.8 (ranking him 34th since 1991). But he has a 38.1 passer rating in such games this season, with no touchdowns and three interceptions. That’s not necessarily all in the two-minute drill. And by Shanahan’s definition, the two-minute drill is when a team is out of time outs.
7. There’s also this: Shanahan calls the two-minute offense an extension of their third-down package. McNabb is 26th in the NFL on third downs with a 62.8 passer rating. On third-down plays where the Redskins need anywhere from three to seven yards for a first down, he has a 23.1 rating.
8. The Redskins still haven’t practiced the two-minute offense. That’s six weeks and counting. But Shanahan said he hopes they can practice it on Saturday, depending on how McNabb’s hamstrings are doing.
“I won’t take a chance of injury just to run a two-minute offense so everyone’s happy,” Shanahan said. “You have to be able to go full-speed in a two-minute situation.”
9. It’s quite obvious Monday’s game will come down to the final two minutes and McNabb will have a chance to win the game, isn’t it?
“The two-minute drill is an exciting time because no one knows what to expect,” McNabb said. “The unknown happens. I’ve been a part of it for years.”
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