For the first time since mid-October, Santana Moss said his hamstring injury was fully healthy. That doesn't mean the wide receiver was full-go for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons, though.
"I'm still battling to getting my legs back under me," Moss said on Monday. "I'm 100 percent when it comes to the injury, but my legs have to get back under me."
Translated, that means Moss is working to get back to full speed and into game condition. He has missed two of the Redskins' last four games due to the hamstring injury and, when he has played, his production has been off.
Even so, Moss flashed his old, familiar self against the Falcons.
During the Redskins' 24-14 loss to the Falcons, Moss leaped over safety Chris Crocker and cornerback Allen Rossum to snatch a deep pass in mid-air. Moss rolled into the end zone untouched for a 42-yard touchdown grab.
It was Moss's fourth TD catch of the season and first since Week 4 against Jacksonville.
Asked after the game how his hamstring injury felt, Moss said simply: "I feel fine."
He added: "I go to play. I don't let whatever is bothering me try to hold me down. When it comes down to it, it's all about getting your chance. That's what I'm here for. You have to go out there and play with the best of your ability."
Moss finished Sunday's game against Atlanta with seven receptions for 123 yards.
"Right now, it looks like he's back, which is a thrill for us," head coach Joe Gibbs said. "He's a playmaker. I'm hoping he will really help us down the stretch here."
Moss appeared to develop a good rapport with second-year quarterback Jason Campbell during the game.
Campbell, who made his third NFL start on Sunday, struggled at times, though. Moss is confident that Campbell will continue to improve.
"Jason is going to get better," Moss said. "Sometimes the only way you can get better is having those games like he did against the Falcons. If he goes out there and performs perfectly the rest of the season, then you'll never know what you'll have next year.
"You'll have too high expectations for him. You'll be like, 'Jason showed us this. We're looking for this.' I think it's best for him to go through this and then together we all can pretty much benefit from it. I'm pretty sure he's going to learn from them and then we can get better."
With the Redskins foundering at 4-8, the team's focus has started to shift away from making the playoffs.
Count Moss among players who will not only play for pride, but also to win the final four regular-season games.
"If you play on this team, and you're playing for the right reasons, you shouldn't have to be motivated to care right now," he said. "When you go situations like this, all you can say is, 'Times are hard and we're not where we want to be at.' But you still have a job to do and it's to go out there and win games."
