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Nick Novak will begin his second go-round with the Redskins today when he takes the field with Washington to face Tennessee.
Vince Young |
Yes, the Tennessee Titans nearly toppled the Indianapolis Colts last weekend.
Yes, they have some talented young players.
But last week the Washington Redskins spoke of the Titans as if they were actually titans, not a winless football team.
"They can go for it on fourth down, onside kick at any time and do anything else," Redskins running back Clinton Portis said. "When you're preparing for a team like this, how do you prepare? They can have trick plays or blitz you all game. What do they have to lose? You just have to be careful."
The Redskins need to be careful, if only because a misstep at FedEx Field this afternoon would drop their record to 2-4, with the unbeaten Colts looming next weekend.
Washington's success today will hinge on its ability to fluster the Titans' dynamic rookie quarterback, Vince Young.
Young led the University of Texas to the national championship when it knocked off the favored USC Trojans last season. He has started the last two games for Tennessee, completing 24 of 50 passes for 218 yards, with a touchdown and three interceptions.
"Guys have had respect for me since I got here," Young said. "They liked how grounded I was and have respect for me. Now I'm playing more and talking more and just trying to do anything to help us win."
Young's job could become a bit more difficult if Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs makes his first appearance of the season.
Springs underwent abdominal surgery in August, and when he tried to return in September, he aggravated his groin.
Springs is listed as questionable on the injury report. With Springs out, opposing offenses have taken their shots at the Redskins' inadequate secondary. Washington has already allowed 21 catches of 20 yards or more.
"We miss Shawn, but I don't think that's any excuse for anything that's happened to our defense," Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. "We'd love to have him and we're hoping he gets back here pretty quick. Certainly, it would be a lift for us."
Nick Novak is expected to handle both place-kicking and kickoff duties for the Redskins this afternoon. Novak was signed Tuesday when John Hall was placed on injured reserve because of injuries to his groin and quadriceps.
The turf of FedEx Field will be familiar to Novak. The former University of Maryland standout had a brief stint with the Redskins last season, when Hall was injured. His brightest moment came when he booted a game-winning 39-yard field goal to give the Redskins a 20-17 overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks, who reached the Super Bowl.
Novak went 5-for-7 on field goal tries for the Redskins last season before Hall regained his job.
Novak had a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals last December as a replacement for the injured kicker Neil Rackers. He was invited to Cardinals training camp this season, but did not make the final roster.
Now the young kicker has another chance.
"I've been training every day for this," Novak said. "This is what I've been working for, and hopefully I'll be back for a while."
The Redskins would like to keep Novak busy on extra points, because that would mean they're scoring touchdowns. Washington's offense sputtered in its 19-3 loss to the New York Giants last Sunday.
The Titans would seem to be an elixir, as they are giving up an average of 374.8 yards per game, the third-worst mark in the league.
To reach ADAM HIMMELSBACH:
Email: ahimmelsbach@freelancestar.com
TITANS (0-5) Today, 1 p.m. |
