USAToday: Inside Slant
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:27 am
Cornelius Griffin isn't the dominant force he was in his first year in Washington, 2004. However, Griffin and the Redskins believe that he can be if he can be fully healthy again in 2007 even though he has hit the big 3-0.
"Thirty's just a number," Griffin said. "I don't think age matters. There are a lot of lineman over 30 playing well."
The only difference is that I have more wisdom than I used to."
Probably, but Griffin doesn't have the same burst he had in 2004 when he had a team-high six sacks and 70 tackles including a league-leading 15 behind the line a game.
"We still see flashes of the old Griff, but he'll tell you he's not as strong as he was," said defensive end Phillip Daniels. "When Griff came here, it didn't matter who was blocking him, he was running through people. When he came off a block, his first three steps towards the quarterback were explosive. Sometimes injuries take time to heal."
Griffin has had more than his share of injuries. He missed a game in 2004 with a right hip flexor and essentially four more in 2005 with a left hip flexor, as his stats were virtually cut in half.
The University of Alabama product also tore the MCL in his right knee in last January's playoff loss in Seattle and had his left shoulder repaired during the offseason, seriously reducing his time in the weight room heading into 2006. And Griffin was sidelined for two games this October with yet another hip flexor.
"I wasn't as strong this year because I wasn't able to work out in the offseason after having my shoulder done and tearing my MCL," said Griffin, whose tackles are up but sacks are down this year. "I played at 305 (pounds) in '04. I'm 295 now and it shows. The shoulder still bothers me. I'm not as strong as I was, that's obvious. But I still expected to have a lot better year. This year is just going to make me work harder next year. There's no doubt in my mind that I can come back next year and play the way I did in '04."
Assistant head coach Gregg Williams believes that, too.
"Cornelius is one of our inspirational leaders, one of our athletic playmakers," Williams said. "I see him being a force for several more years."
The stats prove Griffin's worth to the Redskins. They allowed an average of just 87 rushing yards with Griffin on the field in 2004 and 2005, 106 when he wasn't there. This year, those numbers are 126 with Griffin in the lineup, 152 without him.
More important is this: the Redskins are a respectable 20-22 with Griffin during his three seasons, 1-6 without him.
SERIES HISTORY: Giants lead 81-61-4. The teams split the series the past three years. New York dominated on Oct. 8 at Giants Stadium, winning 19-3. The longtime division rivals met for the 1986 NFC Championship with New York winning 17-0, but their most famous game came the previous year at RFK Stadium when Giants Hall of Fame LB Lawrence Taylor ended the career of Redskins QB Joe Theismann with a leg-breaking tackle. Jay Schroeder came off the bench to rally Washington to a 23-21 victory.
NOTES, QUOTES
—The Redskins hoped they the 49ers' trash would be their gold when they acquired cornerback Mike Rumph from San Francisco for bust receiver Taylor Jacobs in August.
That didn't happen. Rumph struggled as the third corner in the first five games while Shawn Springs was recuperating from pelvic surgery. Rumph only played in one of the next 10 games, against Atlanta when Springs was sidelined with a hamstring injury, and was cut on Wednesday even with Springs going on injured reserve with a fractured right shoulder.
Washington promoted corner John Eubanks, an undrafted rookie from Southern Mississippi, from the practice squad and signed former Atlanta corner Leigh Torrence. Signed by Green Bay as an undrafted rookie out of Stanford in 2005, Torrence caught on with Atlanta and got into 10 games that season before being waived this summer.
—Joe Gibbs talked about special teams standouts during his Hall of Fame induction in 1996. And the coach is raving about his current special teams units. In the last three games, new kicker Shaun Suisham has made 8-of-9 field goal attempts and punter Derrick Frost has averaged 46.1 yards. Washington is one of just four teams to rank in the top 10 covering punts and kickoffs and Rock Cartwright needs just 73 yards to pass Brian Mitchell's franchise record of 1,478 kickoff return yards.
"We haven't had a special teams group play any better than this," Gibbs said. "We couldn't have had a much better game (than they did in St. Louis). We had 37 snaps on teams with no penalties. We had seven kicks inside the 20. Thirteen guys made tackles. Derrick is doing a great job. Shaun is kicking well. Vernon (Fox) not only blocked the punt, but he was in on seven straight tackles."
—Although Springs will be 32 next year, missed seven games with injuries and has a $7.35 million salary cap number for 2007, Gibbs wants him to return, perhaps at strong safety.
"Shawn has meant a lot to us," Gibbs said. "Certainly, he is someone that has a future with us. We think he can play a number of spots for us back there besides corner."
BY THE NUMBERS: 579 Yards the Redskins gave up in last Sunday's overtime loss at St. Louis. It was their most allowed since they surrendered 615 (second in team history) in an overtime loss to Arizona on Nov. 10, 1996.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's been a tough year for Michigan football. There's some mourning going on in Ann Arbor. He was a great representative for America and the university." — Redskins OT Jon Jansen on the death of former President Gerald Ford, a fellow ex-Wolverines offensive lineman, which followed the loss last month of legendary coach Bo Schembechler.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Redskins signed offensive tackle Calvin Armstrong and receiver Ryan Hoag to fill the practice squad vacancies caused by the promotions of Eubanks and of running back Nehemiah Broughton, who moved up last Saturday when linebacker Marcus Washington went on injured reserve.
PLAYER NOTES
—LB Khary Campbell missed practice with the hamstring he strained in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's loss at St. Louis. Campbell, Washington's leading special teams tackler, is questionable for Saturday's season finale with the New York Giants.
—S Troy Vincent missed practice with an illness. He's probable for Saturday.
—S Vernon Fox practiced after injuring a finger against the Rams.
—FB Mike Sellers practiced after bruising a shoulder against the Rams.
—OT Jon Jansen, who has been battling a torn calf, was on the field three days before the game for the first time in a month.
GAME PLAN: The Redskins are just 2-3 since coach Joe Gibbs announced they were going back to the basics: running the ball and stopping the run. The sub-.500 record since isn't the fault of the running game which has been superb with 173 yards per game and 4.8 per carry. So look for more of the same on Saturday, plenty of 1,000-yard runner Ladell Betts with a little T.J. Duckett and Mike Sellers in short-yardage and goal-line situations. After struggling for weeks in the red zone, Washington was 4-for-4 last Sunday in St. Louis with Betts scoring twice, Duckett once and QB Jason Campbell hitting TE Chrisey for the other TD. Campbell will also take some deep shots against the vulnerable Giants secondary.
The Giants have lost six of their past seven games, winning the only game in which they topped 22 points. However, the Redskins are coming off a torching (37 points, 579 yards) by the Rams, who had been struggling themselves, and will play without top LB Marcus Washington and No. 1 CB Shawn Springs. RDE Andre Carter, who has three sacks in the past four games, has been surging and could have more success against aging Giants LT Bob Whitfield, who's playing for the injured Luke Petigout. Washington had been playing better in recent weeks on defense until collapsing in the second half last Sunday, but is still just 390 yards shy of the team record for yardage allowed in a season.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Redskins CB Carlos Rogers vs. Giants WR Plaxico Burress. Rogers has suffered through a serious sophomore slump this season, especially when veteran No. 1 CB Shawn Springs has been hurt. With Springs out, Burress, who had seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown in the first game at Giants Stadium, could have a huge game.
—Redskins RB Ladell Betts vs. Giants MLB Will Antonio Pierce. After gaining just 18 yards on seven carries in his first game after starter Clinton Portis was lost for the season, Betts has averaged 136 yards per game and 5.0 per carry the past five weeks. Ex-Redskin Pierce is easily the Giants' top tackler with 150.
—Redskins MLB Lemar Marshall vs. Giants RB Tiki Barber. Barber has run wild against Washington the last two years with 409 yards on 63 carries in three games. Barber, who grew up a Redskins fan in Roanoke, Va. would love to go out with a bang against Washington. With top LB Marcus Washington sidelined, Marshall needs to step up and control Barber.
INJURY IMPACT: With Springs out, Kenny Wright, who has struggled this season as a fill-in starter, gets the nod again while special-teamer Ade Jimoh becomes the third corner.
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I seem to remember a post when he first retired that said he was retiring so he could come back and play for the Redskins. 
