The Washington Redskins have officially ruled right tackle Jammal Brown out of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, the second straight start Brown will miss because of a strained left groin.

“That groin is still quite sore,” said Redskins coach Mike Shanahan.

Fourth-year pro Tyler Polumbus will start in place of Brown for a second consecutive game.

Also ruled out for Sunday’s game is fullback Mike Sellers, who hyperextended his elbow in last week’s game.

Listed as probable on the Redskins’ Friday injury report are linebacker London Fletcher (ankle), punter Sav Rocca (ankle), defensive end Stephen Bowen (knee), free safety Reed Doughty (rib) and receiver Donte Stallworth (ankle).

The Giants have ruled out center David Bass (neck), tight end Travis Beckum (chest), linebacker Mark Herzlich (ankle), safety Derrick Martin (back) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee).

Listed as questionable for Sunday’s game on the Giants’ injury report was defensive end Justin Tuck (toe).

The Giants list running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) as probable. Linebacker Spencer Paysinger (hamstring) and safety Kenny Phillips (knee) also are expected to play.

ASHBURN, Va. – If a team is truly led by its captains, it’s not hard to see why the Washington Redskins have already clinched another losing season.

Left tackle Trent Williams missed Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the New England Patriots because he was serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The other offensive captain, receiver Santana Moss, was whistled for a crucial penalty late in the game and pulled out the tired loser’s lament: “I guess we’ve got to play against a team and the ref.”

Linebacker London Fletcher, a defensive co-captain, let the refs have it when he was called for a personal foul, although his tirade was somewhat excusable because it appeared to be a legal hit. Special teams captain Lorenzo Alexander was his usual steady self, the only one of the five captains not involved in some sort of controversy.

That leaves cornerback DeAngelo Hall, the other defensive captain, who had an especially trying day. Hall gave up on a play, standing and watching from a few yards away while Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was breaking tackles along the sideline for a 49-yard gain that set up a touchdown in the first quarter.

Then, in the third quarter, after he was called for defensive holding, Hall picked up the official’s flag and gave it a disrespectful toss — drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct call that gave New England 20 yards in penalties on one play.

“Especially when guys are in a leadership role, I think we understand that you have to keep your cool, regardless if you like a call or don’t like a call,” coach Mike Shanahan said Monday. “That’s your job — to handle yourself in a professional manner. And more importantly not put your team in a hole with a 15-yard penalty. So those are things I talk about with our football team, and if you make too many of those mistakes, eventually you’re not with us.”

The Gronkowski play was also far from exemplary. Hall said after the game he thought the tight end had stepped out of bounds, but that wasn’t the case: There was still plenty of green between the tight end and the sideline when he dragged two other Redskins pursuers past a standing-still Hall.

“That was disappointing, because one of the things DeAngelo usually does is finish,” Shanahan said. “A lot of corners don’t like to tackle. He’s one of the more physical guys in the league. I know he was embarrassed by it, as well as our whole football team.”

Monday was a quiet day at Redskins Park. The Redskins (4-9) have clinched another losing season and will have to dig deep to keep themselves motivated over the final three weeks. Neither Hall nor Moss nor Fletcher made an appearance in the locker room during the period it was open to reporters.

“I’m excited about what the defence can do,” said safety Reed Doughty, giving a blanket assessment of the state of things. “But at the end of the day, we’re judged by wins.”

Shanahan touched on the notable moments from Sunday’s game, including the offensive pass interference call that got Moss so incensed. Moss caught what appeared to be a 5-yard touchdown pass that might have sent the game to overtime with 1:09 to play, but he was called for pushing off on receiver-turned-cornerback Julian Edelman.

“I agree with the call,” Shanahan said. “You can’t extend your arms. I’m not sure how many times you’re going to call offensive pass interference, but anytime there is an extension of the arms, it’s a proper call.”

The penalty on Fletcher gets the opposite review. Shanahan on Sunday said he thought the call was “horrible,” and the coach stood by that comment Monday. Fletcher was whistled for a blow to the head to Tom Brady after the New England quarterback waited too long to start a slide after a scramble. Replays show Fletcher made a clean hit, his arm hitting Brady in the midsection — nowhere near the helmet.

Shanahan said he doesn’t expect Fletcher to the additional punishment from the league office that usually accompanies an illegal helmet hit.

“Anytime you draw a personal foul, there’s always a fine involved,” Shanahan said. “What they’ll probably do is look at that and say, ‘Hey, that’s just a mis-call.’ That’s what I would guess.”

Notes: The Redskins played again with a patchwork offensive line after RT Jammal Brown hurt his right groin during pregame warmups. Shanahan said he’s not sure when Brown will return, and that Tyler Polumbus will get another start if Brown can’t play Sunday against the New York Giants. … The coach said Willie Smith and Sean Locklear will continue to share first-team snaps at left tackle during practice, filling in for Williams. … Shanahan is still seeking clarification from the league as to whether Williams and TE Fred Davis can be at Redskins Park during their suspensions. As of now, they’re being asked to stay away. “It’s not perfectly clear right now,” the coach said. … The Redskins’ turnover margin has dropped to minus-14, last in the NFL.

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

The
New England Patriots
squandered the majority of a seemingly comfortable lead last weekend, leaving an uneasy feeling even after their fourth straight
victory.

They left no such doubts the last time they faced the
Washington Redskins
.

The nation’s capital, however, remains the only NFL city where the Patriots have never won, a distinction that will disappear
Sunday unless the Redskins can pull off the upset and avenge a historic rout four years ago.

New England (9-3) charged to a 28-point lead against winless Indianapolis last Sunday, but was outgained 266-11 and outscored
21-0 in the final quarter, securing a 31-24 victory only after pouncing on an onside kick in the final minute.

Although the Patriots are tied for the AFC’s best record, the near-meltdown reinforced concerns about a patchwork defense
that ranks last in the NFL both overall (412.1 yards allowed per game) and against the pass (310.0).

New England’s starting safeties against the Colts were
Nate Jones
, who was making his Patriots debut, and
Matthew Slater
– typically a wide receiver.

“It’s disappointing. Go back to the drawing board and try to improve,” linebacker
Jerod Mayo
said. “We just have to learn how to put two halves together next week.”

The Patriots certainly did that against Washington during their perfect regular season in 2007, opening the game with 52 straight
points before a late Redskins touchdown made it a 52-7 final.

That remains Washington’s most lopsided loss since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

Losing has become all too familiar for the Redskins in recent seasons. The Patriots have won eight division titles – they
would clinch another Sunday with a win and a
New York Jets
loss to Kansas City – since Washington last won the NFC East in 1999.

The Redskins (4-8) lost 34-19 to the Jets last weekend, falling to 0-4 in their last four home games, 0-3 against AFC foes
this season and 1-7 since their promising 3-1 start.

They got even more troubling news after the game, learning that tight end
Fred Davis
and left tackle
Trent Williams
would be suspended for four games – the rest of the regular season – by the NFL for repeated violations of the league’s substance
abuse policy.

“Am I disappointed in them? Big time, yeah,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “Because they affect not only themselves but this organization
and their teammates. That’s a bad decision, and they know they put us in a heck of a position.”

The Redskins selected Williams with the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2010, and Davis leads the team with 59 receptions and
796 receiving yards.

The Patriots have also used their tight ends as major weapons in the passing game – particularly
Rob Gronkowski
, who scored three more touchdowns last week. One went down as a rushing score because it was ruled a lateral by
Tom Brady
, leaving Gronkowski with 13 receiving TDs – tied with
Vernon Davis
(2009) and
Antonio Gates
(2004) for the single-season NFL record for tight ends.

“He is a tough kid and he knows how to run the routes,” Colts defensive back
Jerraud Powers
said of Gronkowski. “It also helps when you have one of the greatest quarterbacks.”

Brady may face a bit of a challenge against a Washington defense that has not allowed a 300-yard passer all season. The reigning
NFL MVP has averaged 303.3 passing yards during New England’s four-game winning streak, throwing 10 touchdowns and no interceptions
in that stretch.

Brady, though, struggled against Shanahan’s teams when the coach was in Denver. Including a postseason loss, he went 1-5 against
Shanahan’s Broncos, completing just 56.5 percent of his passes and posting a 78.1 passer rating.

Teammate
Andre Carter
played for Shanahan last season, his fifth year with the Redskins, but the defensive end didn’t fit in the 3-4 scheme. With
the Patriots moving largely to a 4-3 this year, the veteran has clicked, leading the team with nine sacks.

“He’s a very professional guy that’s smart, a well-conditioned athlete,” coach Bill Belichick said. “He really works hard
at football and things are really falling into place for him here.”

Two former Patriots –
Jabar Gaffney
and Donte’ Stallworth – are now wide receivers for the Redskins, but one player is notable in his absence from both rosters.
Each club has parted ways with
Albert Haynesworth
this year, with Washington trading the controversial defensive tackle to the Patriots, who waived him last month.

The Patriots, who’ve won at every other NFL franchise’s home venue, are favorites to defeat the Redskins on the road for the
first time. New England has only played two previous regular-season games at Washington, most recently losing 20-17 in 2003
– a game in which Brady threw three interceptions.

Redskins safety
LaRon Landry
will miss his second straight game Sunday because of a groin injury.

Read More: Sav Rocca (P – WAS), London Fletcher (LB – WAS), Jammal Brown (OT – WAS), Rex Grossman (QB – WAS), Stephen Bowen (DE – WAS), LaRon Landry (SS – WAS), Darrel Young (FB – WAS), Terrence Austin (WR – WAS), DeJon Gomes (DB – WAS), Maurice Hurt (G – WAS), New England Patriots, Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are preparing to face off against the New England Patriots on Sunday in Week 14 action, but it looks like they’ll be doing it without a couple of their players.

It was already announced that safety LaRon Landry would be out due to a groin injury. Now that Friday’s full practice report has been released, it appears that defensive lineman Chris Baker is also out for Sunday’s game after he was unable to participate in practice for the third straight day due to a quad injury.

Beyond those two announcements, the Redskins have been lucky on the injury front this week, as punter Sav Rocca is now being listed as probable after missing Wednesday’s practice and having a limited practice on Thursday.

The full list of probable players for Sunday’s game:

WR Terrence Austin – Hamstring
DE Stephen Bowen – Knee
T Jammal Brown – Hip
LB London Fletcher – Ankle
S DeJon Gomes – Knee
QB Rex Grossman – Left Shoulder
CB DeAngelo Hall – Back
G Maurice Hurt – Knee
P Sav Rocca – Ankle
FB Darrel Young – Head

For more on the Redskins, please visit Hogs Haven. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Boston and Pats Pulpit.

FOXBORO (CBS) – The New England Patriots take on the Redskins on Sunday, and although Washington has lost seven of their last eight, the Pats are looking at a battle in the trenches.

“This is a big ‘do your job week’ because of some of the things they do,” nose tackle Vince Wilfork said on Thursday. “They run the ball very, very well. That starts up front with the defensive line and the inside backers. We have to do a good job stopping the run; playing the run well to be successful. If not, we’ll lose this ballgame.”

Wilfork says do not look at the stats, which ranks Washington 31st in rushing with just 87.5 yards per game on the ground.

“People can say whatever they want to say about it, but trust me, this team right here can run the football,” he said. “They have some guys that can run it. I don’t care what backs they put in, I don’t care what linemen they shuffle around, they’re all physical and they all take pride in running the football.”

Read: Andre Carter Says It’s A ‘Blessing’ To Be Patriot

The Redskins have been playing musical chairs at running back, with head coach Mike Shanahan going back and forth from Roy Helu and Ryan Torain. Helu had 162 yards and a touchdown run in last Sunday’s loss to the Jets, while Torain did not see the field at all.

Helu has had back to back 20+ carry games, rushing for 100 yards and a score in each of them. It looks as though he will be Washington’s premier back on Sunday, but you just never know with Shanahan.

Stopping the Redskins rush attack will force Rex Grossman to throw the ball more. The Redskins QB will be without his Number-1 target in tight end Fred Davis, who was suspended last week for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. While Grossman has struggled this season, and even saw time on the bench, he is still brimming with confidence and not afraid to try for a big play.

“I think in his aggressiveness, there are probably some throws that he’d like to have back. I think that’s part of what makes him good is that he is aggressive,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of Grossman. “Defensively just because it looks like you have fairly good coverage on a player doesn’t mean he won’t try to stick it in there. Sometimes he makes plays and sometimes it doesn’t quite get into that spot, but he’s definitely not afraid to be aggressive and throw it in there. I think defensively you have to respect that.”

Read: Levan Reid’s Patriots Blog

Grossman, who has six picks in his last four starts, throwing more will mean good things for the secondary; even if it is the Patriots.

But to get him throwing, the Patriots need to stop the run first.

“It’s a big, big challenge for us. As a defensive player, you have to live for these games. It’s one of these games where there won’t be much trickery, you won’t do a lot of guessing. It’s just knowing what a team wants to do,” said Wilfork.

Tune in to the Patriots-Redskins game Sunday on WBZ-TV and 98.5 The Sports Hub at 4:15pm. Pregame coverage begins on WBZ-TV with Patriots Gameday at 11:30am and at 1pm on The Hub. Stay tuned after the game for all the reaction and analysis on 98.5, and over on MYTV38 with Patriots Fifth Quarter.

FOXBORO (CBS) – The New England Patriots take on the Redskins on Sunday, and although Washington has lost seven of their last eight, the Pats are looking at a battle in the trenches.

“This is a big ‘do your job week’ because of some of the things they do,” nose tackle Vince Wilfork said on Thursday. “They run the ball very, very well. That starts up front with the defensive line and the inside backers. We have to do a good job stopping the run; playing the run well to be successful. If not, we’ll lose this ballgame.”

Wilfork says do not look at the stats, which ranks Washington 31st in rushing with just 87.5 yards per game on the ground.

“People can say whatever they want to say about it, but trust me, this team right here can run the football,” he said. “They have some guys that can run it. I don’t care what backs they put in, I don’t care what linemen they shuffle around, they’re all physical and they all take pride in running the football.”

Read: Andre Carter Says It’s A ‘Blessing’ To Be Patriot

The Redskins have been playing musical chairs at running back, with head coach Mike Shanahan going back and forth from Roy Helu and Ryan Torain. Helu had 162 yards and a touchdown run in last Sunday’s loss to the Jets, while Torain did not see the field at all.

Helu has had back to back 20+ carry games, rushing for 100 yards and a score in each of them. It looks as though he will be Washington’s premier back on Sunday, but you just never know with Shanahan.

Stopping the Redskins rush attack will force Rex Grossman to throw the ball more. The Redskins QB will be without his Number-1 target in tight end Fred Davis, who was suspended last week for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. While Grossman has struggled this season, and even saw time on the bench, he is still brimming with confidence and not afraid to try for a big play.

“I think in his aggressiveness, there are probably some throws that he’d like to have back. I think that’s part of what makes him good is that he is aggressive,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of Grossman. “Defensively just because it looks like you have fairly good coverage on a player doesn’t mean he won’t try to stick it in there. Sometimes he makes plays and sometimes it doesn’t quite get into that spot, but he’s definitely not afraid to be aggressive and throw it in there. I think defensively you have to respect that.”

Read: Levan Reid’s Patriots Blog

Grossman, who has six picks in his last four starts, throwing more will mean good things for the secondary; even if it is the Patriots.

But to get him throwing, the Patriots need to stop the run first.

“It’s a big, big challenge for us. As a defensive player, you have to live for these games. It’s one of these games where there won’t be much trickery, you won’t do a lot of guessing. It’s just knowing what a team wants to do,” said Wilfork.

Tune in to the Patriots-Redskins game Sunday on WBZ-TV and 98.5 The Sports Hub at 4:15pm. Pregame coverage begins on WBZ-TV with Patriots Gameday at 11:30am and at 1pm on The Hub. Stay tuned after the game for all the reaction and analysis on 98.5, and over on MYTV38 with Patriots Fifth Quarter.

The Washington Redskins were without three defensive starters and one offensive starter in Wednesday’s practice, according to the team’s injury report.

Starting strong safety LaRon Landry (groin), linebacker London Fletcher (ankle), defensive end Stephen Bowen (left knee) and fullback Darrel Young (concussion) all sat out practice, according to the report.

Landry suffered the groin injury during Sunday’s game and played off and on down the stretch of the victory over Seattle. Initially it was believed that Landry would be fine, but Coach Mike Shanahan said the injury was too painful for Landry to practice Wednesday. Landry previously has been hampered by a strained left Achilles’ tendon. 

Young and Bowen both suffered their injuries in Sunday’s game. Fletcher has played the last five weeks despite the ankle injury. 

Limited in practice were linebacker Brian Orakpo (ankle), lineman Jammal Brown (hip) and receiver Niles Paul (toe). 

Full practice participants despite injuries were offensive lineman Maurice Hurt (knee), receiver Donte Stallworth (foot), safety DeJon Gomes (knee) and quarterback Rex Grossman (sore shoulder).

Grossman mildly injured his shoulder on a play in which a Seattle defender drove him into the ground after he had already thrown a pass. But no penalty was called. 

Shanahan said none of the players has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Jets.

Sitting out practice for the Jets was offensive lineman Mike DeVito (knee). Lineman Vlad Ducasse (knee) was limited.

Practicing despite ailments were defensive lineman Marcus Dixon (shoulder), running backs Shonn Green (rib) and LaDanian Tomlinson (knee), offensive linemen Nick Mangold (ankle) and Matt Slauson (knee), receiver Jeremy Kerley (knee) and defensive back Brodney Pool (knee).

By Mike Prada

– Senior Editor

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Nov 28, 2011 – Washington Redskins fullback Darrel Young suffered a concussion in the team’s 23-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, coach Mike Shanahan confirmed in his press conference on Monday. The Redskins’ fullback was knocked out during the first half and did not return to the game. Most suspected a concussion, and now, that has been confirmed.

Young had taken over the job this season for the first time over incumbent Mike Sellers. If Young misses any time, Sellers will likely return to his role as fullback after making the team as a fourth tight end out of training camp. The 36-year old Sellers has been with the team for good since 2004.

In addition, Shanahan said that defensive end Stephen Bowen suffered a third-degree PCL tear in Sunday’s loss, but added that he hopes Bowen will be able to play in next week’s game against the New York Jets at FedEx Field.

Read More: Stephen Bowen (DE – WAS), Darrel Young (FB – WAS), New York Jets, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks

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This Sunday, the Washington Redskins will travel to Seattle to face the struggling Seahawks.

The Redskins, who started out at a promising 3-1 start, have collapsed, losing six in a row on their way to a 3-7 record. The Seahawks have pulled off an upset or two, but are similarly struggling with a 3-7 record.

Both teams are struggling at the quarterback position, as the Redskins are forced to go with Rex Grossman for the rest of the year, while the Seahawks have Tarvaris Jackson. Both Grossman and Jackson’s careers have been disappointing and their 2011 season hasn’t been much better, despite both of them getting a second chance to start in the league.

Both the Redskins and the Seahawks are in a rebuilding mode, as the Seahawks have let go of many of their veteran players to try and start over with young talent. As for the Redskins, while they have become formidable on defense, they are in need of rebuilding a weak offense, starting with the quarterback.

Both the Redskins and Seahawks are struggling this year and are virtually eliminated from any playoff contention, but it should certainly be a interesting game to see which team can rise above their struggles of the 2011 season.

Read More: Santana Moss (WR – WAS), Trent Williams (OT – WAS), Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks

Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams is among the nine injured Redskins whom the team has listed as probable for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. Williams, who has a strained MCL in his knee, will start. He injured himself in the Redskins’ 27-24 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday while blocking on Graham Gano’s would-be game-winning field goal, which the kicker pushed wide right.

In addition, top wide receiver Santana Moss is expected to return to the lineup after missing four games due to a broken hand. Despite playing in just six games in 2011, Moss ranks No. 3 among Redskins in receiving yards (301), No. 4 in receptions (25), and No. 2 in touchdown catches (2). Tight end Fred Davis leads the team in receptions and yardage.

Moss’ fellow wide receivers aren’t quite as healthy. Washington lists Niles Paul and Donte Stallworth as questionable for Sunday’s matchup with Seattle due to turf toe and a foot injury, respectively. Paul, a rookie from Nebraska, has two catches for 25 yards this season, while Stallworth has nine receptions for 97 yards and a score.

The other hobbled Redskins who are nonetheless probable for Sunday: right tackle Jammal Brown, linebacker Keyaron Fox, safety DeJon Gomes, left guard Maurice Hurt, safety LaRon Landry, tackle Sean Locklear, and cornerback Josh Wilson.

All things considered, this week is shaping up to be Washington’s healthiest in recent memory, but we won’t know until Sunday whether that good fortune on the injury front will lead to the Redskins ending their six-game losing streak.

Washington Redskins strong safety LaRon Landry said his strained left Achilles’ tendon feels better this week after he sat out Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. He added that he looks forward to returning to the field in Seattle, if Mike Shanahan will allow him.

“I feel a lot better. Like I said before, when it started aggravating me, I knew it was something that was going to nag me for the duration of each week,” said Landry, who missed seven games last season with microtears in the same tendon. “Just pounding on it caught up to me, and it got a little sore and aggravated. Flared up and I let it wait and settle down to being manageable. At this point, the latter part of the season, I think it’s going to be a little achy. It just depends on how achy. It feels good this week. I’m looking forward to playing on Sunday. Can’t wait.”

Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush leaps just short of the end zone as LaRon Landry defends Nov. 13. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)Shanahan held Landry out of last week’s game because the fifth-year pro’s sore Achilles kept him from practicing. Landry said last Friday that he would “be pretty hurt” if he wasn’t permitted to play, because he viewed the meeting with Dallas as “a big game,” and he wanted to help his team win.

But on Monday Shanahan said that without practicing, it is difficult to play well.

“Normally, if guys can’t practice Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, the chance of them playing well on game day, at least in my experience, is slim and none,” Shanahan said. “A lot of times you’ll have guys missing Wednesday and Thursday, not a lot of times, but sometimes and, all of a sudden on Friday, they feel pretty good. Then, you have to evaluate them depending on what player it is…A lot depends on what type of experience, what type of player he is, what your gut is on how he handles situations like that. So there’s all different types of scenarios. Usually the players that play the best have at least practiced.”

Landry said Wednesday he wouldn’t “do too much politicking,” for playing time.

“I don’t really do too much talking,” Landry said. “If he feels comfortable putting me in the game plan to play on Sunday, that’s what I’m going to do. But I’m going to trust my body and communicate with them and whatever he decides, it’s on them.”

Landry has played without going through full weeks of practice previously in his career. Last season, after he first suffered the injury in Week 6 against Indianapolis, he played three more weeks despite taking only practice reps on Fridays. After Week 9, the tendon was too painful for him to walk normally, and he was shut down for the whole season.

The safety said Wednesday morning that he planned to practice Wednesday, but added that he does believe that he could remain effective on limited practice time.

“If I don’t practice no day, I’m not going to forget how to play on a Sunday,” said Landry, who this season has 44 tackles, half a sack and a forced fumble. “I don’t forget how to play football. It all depends on the coaching staff and if they want me to play.”

“I like Helu. He’s doing some great things,” Shanahan said. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on him too early. He’s not ready for that. But he’s gaining experience, and I like what I see.”

Torain has started the Redskins’ past two games and three of the four since Tim Hightower went down with a season-ending knee injury. Torain’s rushing numbers from those four games: 40 yards on 24 carries. In Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, Torain had only four yards on five carries and spent most of the second half on the sideline. Torain has totaled 71 yards in the past six games, considerably less than Helu’s 122.

Despite splitting carries and playing largely on passing downs, Helu has led the Redskins in rushing in each of the past three games. On Sunday, he had 35 yards on eight carries. He ran for 41 yards each of the previous two weeks.

Helu said Monday that coaches haven’t given him any hint about whether he might join the starting lineup soon.

“That’s something we keep in-house,” he said. “We talk amongst each other. The obvious thing is throughout the practice week, coach selects who he thinks is going to be the best person to win the game and start the game.”

While apparently that has been Torain the past couple of weeks, coaches haven’t been reluctant to turn to Helu as each game progresses. He’s the better blocker and better pass-catcher. He also may be the better runner.

Among NFL running backs with at least 50 carries this season, only seven are averaging more than Helu’s 4.9 yards per carry. Helu’s average is ahead some of the game’s top runners — Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore, Arian Foster, among them — though they are every-down backs. Maurice Jones-Drew, for example has four times the number of carries of Helu.

The Redskins’ struggles in the running game are hardly a secret. Only two running backs have rushed for touchdowns this year, fewer than on 30 other teams. Since Hightower tore his anterior cruciate ligament Oct. 23 at Carolina, coaches have regularly rotated the running backs. In Sunday’s overtime loss to Dallas, Torain started the game, but Helu and Tashard Choice also saw plenty of action. Shanahan says taking a look at each running back helps coaches determine who should receive the bulk of the carries down the stretch.

“When you start to get a feel on who steps up, then you give somebody a little bit more reps,” Shanahan said. “And that’s what we’ve done with Helu. He’s got more reps than the rest of the backs. If he keeps on proving that he’s the guy, then he’s going to get more and more.”

Though Helu had only eight carries on Sunday, he was on the field for 38 of the Redskins’ 62 offensive snaps. As the Redskins were trying to tie the game late in the fourth, Helu was the main option in the backfield. They again turned to him in the overtime period.

“I guess the biggest thing I’ve been learning is it’s better to finish the game than to start it,” Helu said.

Shanahan won’t tip his hand about which running back might start this Sunday when the Redskins travel to Seattle. But each of the past two weeks, coaches have replaced a veteran in the lineup with a younger player. Linebacker Perry Rileyreceived his first career start two weeks ago at Miami, and rookie safety DeJon Gomesmade his first career start against Dallas.

While Shanahan doesn’t want to rush Helu along, he also knows he can’t wait forever for Torain to show he deserves such a prominent role. Since rushing for 135 yards at St. Louis on Oct. 2, Torain is averaging a dismal 1.6 yards per carry.

“The way he played against the Rams, he was off the charts,” Shanahan said. “You’re looking for that to come back. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.

“That’s part of the evaluation process, especially when we’re struggling in the running game,’ he continued. “To find that spark — who’s going to be that guy who possesses that spark to help us a little bit?”

Read More: Trent Williams (OT – WAS), Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins

The injury woes for offensive lineman Trent Williams have continued. Williams, who missed three games with an ankle injury earlier in the season, may miss more time after suffering a knee injury in overtime of the Washington Redskins’ 27-24 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. After the game, coach Mike Shanahan confirmed Williams suffered an MCL injury, though he is not sure of its severity.

Williams, for his part, said he does not think the MCL is torn, though he will have an MRI on Monday. Keep in mind, though, that Tim Hightower and Leonard Hankerson both said the same thing on the Sunday before they suffered season-ending injuries. We’ll know for sure after the MRI.

For more on the Redskins, please visit Hogs Haven, SB Nation’s Redskins blog. For more on the Cowboys, please visit SB Nation Dallas and Blogging the Boys, SB Nation’s Cowboys blog. For coverage of Sunday’s Redskins/Cowboys matchup, please visit this StoryStream.

Read More: Santana Moss (WR – WAS), Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins head into Dallas this Sunday with a losing streak and a number of players limping. Washington has 12 players on its injury report for Week 11.

Wide receiver Santana Moss will be out for the game, so there’s no help for Washington’s already anemic passing attack in his case. And hard-hitting safety LaRon Landry is questionable with an Achilles injury, though he did practice on Friday.

Here’s the Redskins injury report for Week 11:

OUT: Linebacker Keyaron Fox (infection), wide receiver Santana Moss (hand), wide receiver Niles Paul (toe).

DOUBTFUL: none.

QUESTIONABLE: Offensive tackle Jammal Brown (groin), guard Maurice Hurt (knee), safety LaRon Landry (Achilles), offensive tackle Sean Locklear.

PROBABLE: Safety Oshiomogho Atogwe (toe/knee), running back Tashard Choice (hamstring), safety Reed Doughty (chest), linebacker London Fletcher (ankle), tight end Logan Paulson (shoulder).

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