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Redskins trainers carry Pierson Prioleau off the field following the opening kickoff after the backup safety tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Redskins backup cornerback Mike Rumph drags down Vikings wide receiver Troy Williamson following a long gain at FedEx Field.
A falling Adam Archuleta grabs the facemask of Minnesota's Chester Taylor after Taylor rumbled into the Redskins secondary. |
By ADAM HIMMELSBACH
LANDOVER, Md.--Redskins backup safety Pierson Prioleau sat on a small folding chair in the team locker room late Monday night, his right knee in a brace.
Prioleau had torn his ACL on the opening kickoff of Washington's 19-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at FedEx Field.
"This is a professional organization and we're professional athletes," said Prioleau, who will miss the remainder of the season. "When a guy goes down, somebody has to be ready to step up and take on the responsibility."
Prioleau was not just speaking about his own absence. Starting cornerback Shawn Springs has been sidelined since undergoing abdominal surgery in mid-August, forcing the Redskins to go with something of a patchwork secondary.
And with less-than-overwhelming Brad Johnson at quarterback and a group of also-rans at wide receiver, the Vikings picked that secondary apart on Monday night, shedding light on what has undoubtedly become Washington's greatest concern as this season pushes forward.
"We really wanted to show everyone what we had," said cornerback Carlos Rogers.
Instead, the unit was exposed. Johnson completed 16 of 30 passes for 223 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. The Vikings converted on 9 of 17 third-down tries.
And all these numbers could have been worse if Vikings receiver Troy Williamson had not botched a handful of catches.
"Anytime a team's not getting off the field on third down, it's giving the offense more opportunities to score," cornerback Kenny Wright said. "We just have to look at what we're doing, and I'm pretty sure everything is correctable."
Prioleau's injury set the dour tone for the night, and things never improved.
Because of Springs' injury, Wright and Mike Rumph played more than they normally would, and neither played especially well. Safety Sean Taylor met his usual quota for jaw-rattling hits, but also picked up a pair of fourth-quarter penalties. And Rogers was outrun by receivers several times, one of which resulted in a Minnesota touchdown.
"Teams come in with their game plan," Rogers said. "When Shawn was here last year, we had balls going at us until we stopped teams and made plays on the passes they were trying. That's the only way we're going to stop them from coming at us this year."
Johnson pressured the Redskins' defensive backs on the game's first drive. On a third down from the 48-yard line, Williamson beat Rumph down the right sideline for a 46-yard gain, setting up the Vikings' first touchdown.
The Redskins led 13-9 at halftime. On Minnesota's first drive of the third quarter, the Redskins appeared to force the Vikings to punt after three plays. But Wright was whistled for defensive holding on third down, and the drive continued.
Six plays later, wideout Marcus Robinson got past Rogers, and Rogers had his back turned as Johnson lofted a 20-yard touchdown over his shoulder.
"I just sat on the route," Rogers said, "and [Robinson] kept going."
Early in the fourth quarter, Taylor was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he hit Robinson after an incomplete pass. Though the infraction was debatable, given Taylor's recent transgressions, those calls could go against him all season. This slip-up did not hurt Washington, as Minnesota ultimately punted.
But on what proved to be the Vikings' game-winning drive, Williamson snagged a 13-yard catch on a third-and-9 from the Redskins' 48-yard line. Taylor then added 15 yards to the play, as he twisted Williamson's facemask, resulting in a personal foul.
Things will get no easier for the Redskins' secondary this weekend, as Washington visits Terrell Owens and the Dallas Cowboys. Springs indicated yesterday that he will probably miss Sunday's game, and Prioleau is out for the season, so it could be a patchwork unit once again.
Redskins sign tight endThe Redskins yesterday signed tight end Todd Yoder to the active roster.
The seven-year veteran spent the 2005 season on injured reserve for the Jacksonville Jaguars with a knee injury. Yoder is expected to play on special teams. Also, running back Nehemiah Broughton was released yesterday.
To reach ADAM HIMMELSBACH:
Email: ahimmelsbach@freelancestar.com
