The Washington Redskins have free agent punter Ricky Schmitt in for a workout on Thursday to cover their bases.

Punter Sav Rocca has been hobbled by a sprained left ankle this week, an injury he suffered when a defender ran into him during Sunday’s game. He didn’t practice Wednesday, and Schmitt could be an insurance policy in case Rocca isn’t able to play.

The Redskins also are using Schmitt, who hails from Virginia Beach, to help their punt returners prepare for New England’s Zoltan Mesko, who , like Schmitt, is left-footed.

“The ball comes off differently, so it helps them get used to seeing it,” said Schmitt, who played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2009 and was with the San Diego Chargers this past preseason. He didn’t sound as if he expected Washington sign him.

Schmitt, who punted for Shepherd University, said that several other teams, including the Baltimore Ravens, have had him in for workouts the week before they played the Patriots.

“It helps them, and it helps me because it shows on the waiver reports that I worked out for a team. So it shows teams that I’m still out here working out,” Schmitt said. “Keeps my name out there.”

More Redskins news:

Williams, Davis apologize to teammates

Try a little randomness

Grossman aims to rebound

The Washington Redskins have free agent punter Ricky Schmitt in for a workout on Thursday to cover their bases.

Punter Sav Rocca has been hobbled by a sprained left ankle this week, an injury he suffered when a defender ran into him during Sunday’s game. He didn’t practice Wednesday, and Schmitt could be an insurance policy in case Rocca isn’t able to play.

The Redskins also are using Schmitt, who hails from Virginia Beach, to help their punt returners prepare for New England’s Zoltan Mesko, who , like Schmitt, is left-footed.

“The ball comes off differently, so it helps them get used to seeing it,” said Schmitt, who played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2009 and was with the San Diego Chargers this past preseason. He didn’t sound as if he expected Washington sign him.

Schmitt, who punted for Shepherd University, said that several other teams, including the Baltimore Ravens, have had him in for workouts the week before they played the Patriots.

“It helps them, and it helps me because it shows on the waiver reports that I worked out for a team. So it shows teams that I’m still out here working out,” Schmitt said. “Keeps my name out there.”

More Redskins news:

Williams, Davis apologize to teammates

Try a little randomness

Grossman aims to rebound

Jets (6-5) at Washington Redskins (4-7)
Week 13
Today, 1 p.m.
FedEx Field, Landover, Md.
TV: Channel 2
Radio: ESPN 1050-AM

THIS WEEK’S GAME REVOLVES AROUND …
Quarterback Mark Sanchez

Respect for the young Sanchez has been hard to find lately outside of the Jets facility. Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall called him “middle-of-the-pack.” ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck suggested Sanchez doesn’t put in the time he should. Jets fans boo him during pre-game introductions (and throughout the game as well). It has been well documented that Sanchez’s teammates have come to his defense, making sure there’s nothing wrong. Still, he has appeared visibly shaken. Heck, even Sanchez’s parents checked in. But there is one thing that can make this go away: a no-doubt shredding of the Redskins this afternoon.

So many of Sanchez’s performances come with a caveat — whether it’s a pick-six or a simple misread, the quarterback has never been thought of as a complete, confident passer in the pocket. However, this is the benefit of playing in a league where opinions change substantially from week to week. Whether or not all the interceptions and incompletions are his fault can be a moot point if he goes out today and completes 65 percent of his passes, throws a pair of touchdowns and keeps the ball out of the other team’s hands.

THE SAVVY FAN IS WATCHING …
LaDainian Tomlinson’s playing time

Now that we know Shonn Greene’s rib injury likely will linger the rest of the season, it will be interesting to see how many more carries Tomlinson gets today. The veteran running back said he has never felt this fresh down the stretch before.

PAST MEETINGS

1. Nov. 4, 2007 Redskins 23, Jets 20
2. Sept. 4, 2003 at Washington. Redskins 16, Jets 13
3. Sept. 26, 1999 Redskins 27, Jets 20
4. Sept. 29, 1996 at Washington. Redskins 31, Jets 16
5. Dec. 11, 1993 at Washington. Jets 3, Redskins 0
6. Oct. 25, 1987 at Washington. Redskins 17, Jets 16
7. Sept. 24, 1978 at Washington. Redskins 23, Jets 3
8. Dec. 5, 1976 Redskins 37, Jets 16
9. Nov. 5, 1972 Redskins 35, Jets 17

Remember when …
The Jets secured their only franchise victory over the Redskins, back in 1993? The Redskins’ QB corps was in a bit of shambles as Rich Gannon took a majority of the snaps and Mark Rypien also had eight attempts. The Jets were paced by a workmanlike performance by running back Johnny Johnson, who went for 155 yards on 32 carries. The game was decided by first-quarter field goal by Cary Blanchard.

WHAT THE REDSKINS DON’T WANT THE JETS TO KNOW

1. They’re coming after Mark Sanchez
Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan anchor a nasty Redskins defense that is tied for third in the NFL in sacks (33). Aside from the Houston Texans, they are the only team in the NFL that has four players with at least 4 1/2 sacks, a stat that illustrates the damage a Jim Haslett defense can cause. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said the Jets will be challenged to vary their fronts in order to keep the Redskins off base, though the problems caused by Washington’s 3-4 front still loom. “They’re outside, they can get as wide as they want and do things like that,” he said.

2. They finally have a running back who gives them confidence
Roy Helu posted a career-high 108 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks last week and is looking to be the first Redskins rookie running back to post back-to-back 100-yard games since Reggie Brooks in 1993. Head coach Mike Shanahan said he was waiting for Helu to catch up with his pass protections before he gave him more opportunities. Now that he understands the offense better, the speedy back out of Nebraska will get a chance to test the Jets’ flimsy perimeter run defense. “I think he can handle a bigger load now, just like he did against the Seahawks. Hopefully, he takes advantage of the opportunity,” Shanahan said. “He has a big upside. He has great speed. Any time you deal with a back with a 4.4 (40-yard dash time), you know he has the speed to make the big plays.”

3. Like the Jets, they are trying to establish an identity
Heading into the week, Mike Shanahan was experiencing some of the same problems Rex Ryan faced this season. Sometimes Washington is a passing team, sometimes it is paced by the run. But a true identity has been hard to pin down for the Redskins, who have flipped quarterbacks, shuffled through a few different running backs and watched as the wheels fell off amid a six-game losing streak that ended last Sunday. “It’s hard for me to figure out (the Jets) when I can’t figure out myself,” Shanahan said. “We’re doing a little bit of that week-by-week. Sometimes the running game is a little bit better than other weeks and sometimes the passing game is a little bit better. You want to get both going.”

POSITION BREAKDOWNS

Quarterback
Mark Sanchez coming off a career-high four touchdowns is hard to argue with, especially this late in the season.
Edge: Jets

Running back
Despite the emergence of Roy Helu, Shonn Greene is quietly on a strong stretch.
Edge: Jets

Wide receiver
Even with Santana Moss back in the Redskins fold, you have to favor the way Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes are producing.
Edge: Jets

Offensive line
The Redskins surrender more sacks and produce less on the ground.
Edge: Jets

Defensive line
Adam Carriker and Barry Cofield have proved very solid pass-rushing linemen.
Edge: Redskins

Linebackers
Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan may be the most exciting tandem age 25 or under in the NFL.
Edge: Redskins

Secondary
Will the Jets leave Darrelle Revis all alone in cover-zero? It probably doesn’t matter.
Edge: Jets

Special teams
Despite the fumbles, the Jets still have the most explosive kick-return unit in the NFL.
Edge: Jets

FOUR DOWNS WITH …
Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine

1. Mike Shanahan said he’s worried Darrelle Revis might be extra motivated because the Bills picked on him so much last week. You think that’s about right?
That’s usually what happens in practice. If you catch a ball on him in practice, I wouldn’t want to be the receiver that lines up across from him next. But he’s a competitor, and he’s a classic guy that I think is just so mentally tough that he’ll put this past week behind him. And again, we’re talking about it like it was somehow a bad week. By his ridiculously high standards I guess you could make the argument that it was, but Darrelle Revis is the least of our worries this week.

2. Do you think closing games down is a problem for this defense?
It’s something that we address in the room, and we talked about it a week ago when I stood here about the Denver game, where every once in a while you’re going to have a bad drive. You can’t make it your business to get in that awful habit of it being the last one. We need to take the field ready to go, and saying we’ve gotten multiple three-and-outs in this game, there’s no reason why this drive can’t be one of those. The Buffalo thing was a little bit different. We did keep them out of the end zone. I didn’t want to be too aggressive in that last series. They did get some shots at the end zone. I don’t really put that in the same category as the Denver one. And the first Buffalo one, we were up a ton there. I wouldn’t add that. To me, the Denver one is the one that would stick out.

3. You said that there’s sometimes a good Antonio Cromartie and sometimes a bad one. What do you make of his ups and downs?
Again, it’s hard to play opposite Darrelle, because he’s going to get a lot of work. But to me, I think that’s the thing that we’re constantly on, not just with Cro, but with all of our guys, is consistency. Now, it’s harder for him, because he’s put in a position where his mistakes are maybe more glaring than if Sione (Pouha) makes a mistake or David Harris or Bart (Scott) or even Kyle Wilson inside at times. So I think when he makes a mistake, everybody knows it, and that’s the hard part of playing corner in this league.

4. We’ve seen a lot of Aaron Maybin, is there more to come?
He’s learning more of (the defense). (Defensive assistant) Mike Smith, as I’ve mentioned before, works very closely with him, with the outside linebackers. He’s been able to take on more and more of the package. So we’re looking to increase his rep count. But we just didn’t want to go from 0 to 60 too fast with him and then all of a sudden you get to the point where he is out there too much. What he brings is just such energy, passion, a great motor.

ONE MORE THING ……

Redskins linebacker London Fletcher will start his 175th consecutive game today, further extending his league-leading streak among active linebackers. Jarrett Johnson of the Baltimore Ravens, one of Rex Ryan’s favorites, is second with 75 to date.

Conor Orr: corr@starledger.com

The Jets’ Matt Slauson watched Barry Cofield’s game against the Cowboys back in Week 11, taking note of the way the Washington Redskins defensive tackle systematically “destroyed” Dallas’ center.

Slauson saw Adam Carriker there, too. Another player who didn’t bring back fond memories.

“That guy haunted my dreams for three years,” Slauson said of his former Nebraska teammate, whom he faced in practice every day. “Carriker? You line him up at a 4-3 defensive end spot and me at the tackle, it was scary. He was a freak there.”

D’Brickashaw Ferguson saw his target on Washington’s defensive line — rush linebacker Brian Orakpo — on television commercials in which Orakpo plays Scrabble against the GEICO caveman. Orakpo substitutes his last name for the word “sack.”

“I’ve seen the GEICO commercials,” Ferguson said. “I’m very aware of Orakpo and I think he’s doing a good job as an actor, he’s got a future there. But, like I said, I respect his game.”

The daunting Washington front, it seems, has been nothing short of omnipresent for the Jets’ offensive line recently.

Despite a 4-7 record, the Redskins stand out with the league’s third-best sack total. Four players have at least 4 1/2 sacks and two — Ryan Kerrigan and Orakpo — are in the top 25. Rex Ryan called it the biggest challenge for his offensive line since a disastrous Week 4 performance against the Baltimore Ravens.

Hanging in the balance, Ryan believes, is the collective confidence of his once sure-handed offensive line. This year, amid injuries and spurts of inconsistency, the offensive line has surrendered 26 sacks (tied for 14th). But shutting down the Redskins’ defensive front Sunday at FedEx Field, Ryan says, is imperative.

“I think it’ll be huge, because that group right there is third in the league in sacks,” Ryan said. “So, I think if we can play well against them, that will bode well for us down the road.”

After the team’s loss to the Denver Broncos, with almost 10 business days before their next opponent, Ryan listed pass protection as a top priority, something he revisited schematically throughout the week.

The result, Slauson said, was an increased usage of blocking backs and tight ends as a second layer of protection between the defensive line and quarterback Mark Sanchez.

While Ferguson said it’s more game-plan specific, guard Brandon Moore said the tight ends and backs may “be keeping eyes out a little more,” quicker to offer a chip block — something he said the team has been doing well of late.

“That’s kind of helped a lot just in case something happened or someone got beat,” Slauson said. “Those guys could lend a hand.”

In preparation for this week, tight end Matt Mulligan said he watched the last four Redskins games start to finish and planned to watch at least two more last night, and he wasn’t alone.

On the practice field Friday, scout team players wore Kerrigan and Orakpo’s numbers, shifting into a bevy of different rush-first fronts and going all-out after the quarterback while Metallica blasted on the loudspeakers to simulate crowd noise.

As if they hadn’t seen their targets enough, on film, from memory and on TV commercials, it was yet another reminder of what they’re up against.

“It’s the strength of their team,” Moore said. “Across the board, they all stand out on film.”

Conor Orr: corr@starledger.com

By Mike Prada

– Senior Editor

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Nov 1, 2011 – We know one thing about the Week 9 NFL Power Rankings that are set to hit the web soon: the Washington Redskins will be taking a major tumble. After Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Redskins will certainly be in the bottom third of the NFL. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers, Washington’s opponent next week, are certainly a top-five team and may end up being as high as No. 2 on many lists.

Here are the current SB Nation D.C. NFL Power Rankings. It remains to be seen whether we are too harsh or too nice to the Redskins.

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0)

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)

3. San Francisco 49ers (6-1)

4. Detroit Lions (6-2)

5. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)

6.  Buffalo Bills (5-2)

7. New England Patriots (5-2)

8.  New York Giants (5-2)

9.  Atlanta Falcons (4-3)

10.  Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)

11.  New Orleans Saints (5-3)

12.  Houston Texans (5-3)

13.  Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)

14.  New York Jets (4-3)

15.  Kansas City Chiefs (4-3)

16. Chicago Bears (4-3)

17.  San Diego Chargers (4-3)

18.  Tennessee Titans (4-3)

19.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3)

20.  Oakland Raiders (4-3

21.  Dallas Cowboys (3-4)

22.  Cleveland Browns (3-4)

23.  Washington Redskins (3-4)

24.  Minnesota Vikings (2-6)

25.  Carolina Panthers (2-6)

26.  Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)

27.  St. Louis Rams (1-6)

28.  Seattle Seahawks (2-5)

29.  Denver Broncos (2-5)

30.  Arizona Cardinals (1-6)

31.  Miami Dolphins (0-7)

32.  Indianapolis Colts (0-8)

Read More: Washington Redskins

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