LaVar Arrington still has some work to do if he wants to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Phillip Daniels has done everything he can to play against his old team, and it’s still not enough.
The Washington Redskins are facing the possibility of being without both key defensive players for the fourth straight week. Daniels (pulled groin) has been declared out for Sunday, while Arrington (sprained knee) remains questionable.
Arrington, who has not played since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Sept.21 to repair a torn meniscus, participated in some individual practice drills yesterday for the first time. His status won’t be known for sure until later in the week, but the Pro Bowl linebacker continues to believe he can make it back.
“I don’t know yet, but I feel great,” Arrington said. “I’m getting back in the groove.”
The Redskins might be better served keeping Arrington on the sideline so he can have two more weeks to recover, considering Washington has a bye following Sunday’s game in Chicago.
But coach Joe Gibbs, though still uncertain whether Arrington can make it back this week, said he will welcome any player back as soon as he’s ready.
“Obviously, if the guy can play and he’s 100 percent, he’s going to play,” Gibbs said. “[Arrington] really wants to play, and I appreciate that. Anybody that can play, we’re going to play. We need help. We need healthy people to get out there and go. At the same time, we’ll find out as the week goes how he feels.”
No such luck for Daniels, who had been aiming to return from his groin injury in time to face the Bears but will be held out for the fourth straight week.
“This is a game I circled a long time ago. I wanted to be able to go back there, beat them at their home,” said Daniels, who spent the last four seasons in Chicago. “But I realized the best way for me to help this team right now is to get healthy. That’s more important than playing in this game.”
Sweet home Chicago
Sunday’s game also represents a homecoming for Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache, who held the same title with the Bears the last five seasons before losing his job when coach Dick Jauron was fired.
Blache, who coaches Washington’s defensive line, was a favorite of Chicago’s players. Though he was reportedly given assurances by Bears general manager Jerry Angelo that he would be considered for the coaching job, Blache never got a formal interview. New coach Lovie Smith elected not to retain Blache , so the veteran assistant signed on with Gibbs and assistant head coach for defense Gregg Williams.
Blache insists he wasn’t hurt by the treatment he got from the Bears.
“Hurt? No,” he said. “Had I done more, better, different [as Chicago’s defensive coordinator], then I’d have a reason to be hurt. Whenever things go wrong, I start by looking in the mirror. They made a decision they felt like they needed to do. That’s in the past, and I don’t live in the past. I live in the present and look forward to the future.”
Betts atones for block
Running back Ladell Betts blames himself for allowing Ravens safety Ed Reed’s sack-and-fumble-recovery touchdown in last week’s loss. Reed blitzed around the right edge and blew past Betts en route to a clean shot on Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell. Reed’s subsequent touchdown turned the tide in Baltimore’s 17-10 victory.
“I was just too far inside, basically,” Betts said. “He rushed me around the edge. It’s just a bad play, really.”
The Redskins have been using Betts as a third-down specialist in place of starting tailback Clinton Portis, but the experiment hasn’t produced stellar results. Betts has rushed 11 times for 33 yards and caught two passes for 9 yards — proof that it’s tough to thrive when you get such sporadic playing time.
“It’s difficult because you don’t really have a feel for the game,” he said. “But that’s part of the job. You just have to deal with it.”
Extra points
A host of players sat out practice yesterday to recuperate from injuries. Linebacker Mike Barrow (knee) remains doubtful to make his season debut. Defensive end Ron Warner (ankle) and nose tackle Joe Salave’a (calf) are questionable. Tackle Kenyatta Jones (ankle) and cornerback Shawn Springs (ankle) are probable. So are safety Andre Lott (hamstring) and tackle Ray Brown (hamstring), who practiced. …
The Redskins signed defensive back Pat Dennis to fill the roster spot vacated when safety Matt Bowen was placed on injured reserve. Bowen suffered a season-ending ACL tear Sunday night against Baltimore.
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