Offensive linemen Casey Rabach and Jon Jansen sat out practice on Wednesday and are listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.
Rabach told reporters that he expects to play against the Saints despite a broken left hand. The Redskins' center snaps the ball to Jason Campbell with his right hand. Earlier this week, he underwent minor surgery to have three pins placed in his hand.
Head coach Joe Gibbs said Rabach will have the hand placed in a cast on Thursday. It's possible that Rabach could return to practice on Friday.
"He told me 'I think I'll be able to practice on Friday,' so we'll see," Gibbs said. "Basically what you do is protect it so it can't get hit and then he can snap with the other hand."
Rabach said he played with a thumb cast before, but not a cast covering his entire hand.
"You have to really focus in on technique," he said. "You can't get away with little things. It all comes down to tight hands."
If Rabach cannot play, then backup Mike Pucillo would likely get the start at center.
With the Redskins at 4-9 and out of the postseason hunt, some of Rabach's teammates have actually suggested that he not play this Sunday.
"It's kind of against my nature to kind of give up on the season, no matter where we are," Rabach said. "I want to be there for my teammates."
Meantime, Jansen has been hampered by a calf injury in recent weeks, but he has been able to suit up on Sundays and play. He also has a small fracture in his thumb.
It is the calf injury that has been most bothersome--and Jansen has said that the only thing that will heal it is off-season rest. Like Rabach, he does not want to sit out the remaining three games.
If Jansen cannot play, then the Redskins would likely turn to veteran backup Todd Wade, who signed with the team in early September. It's also possible that third-year player Jim Molinaro, the 2004 sixth-round draft choice by the Redskins, could see action.
-- TRUCKS SIGNED TO PRACTICE SQUAD
#### -- ROGERS FRUSTRATED WITH DROPS
Interceptions have been hard to come by for the Redskins' secondary--the unit has just five this season. For cornerback Carlos Rogers, it has been especially frustrating because he has dropped several potential interceptions.
Last Sunday against Philadelphia, he let a Jeff Garcia pass slip through his fingers on the first play of the game.
"It's especially frustrating because I could have been even in the Pro Bowl with six or seven interceptions," he said. "But [the drops] happened. It's happened to the best. I'm not going to worry about it, I'm just going to keep playing and eventually I'll get one."
-- FALSE RUMOR
A rumor surfaced on Tuesday night that suggested Joe Gibbs was involved in a car accident. The team issued this statement shortly thereafter: "That report is FALSE and there is absolutely no truth to it whatsoever."
Asked about the erroneous report on Wednesday, Gibbs said: "The only way I'm going to be in a car wreck is if it goes through that building [Redskins Park] on a Tuesday night, because I don't leave."
