Redskins coaches haven't told Shuan Suisham this, but during training camp they have tried to occasionally rattle him as he lines up for field goal attempts.
Maybe they'll shout out something. Maybe they'll send a blitzer to try to get in his face.
What coaches have found out is this: nothing gets to Suisham.
And that's one reason the Redskins remain committed to Suisham as their place kicker this season.
"The one thing I am looking for in a kicker is confidence," Jim Zorn said. "I don't want to see a guy with a worried look on his face, because then I worry. I want t o see a guy who comes in and gets a good rhythm. Shaun is able to do that."
After Suisham missed a 39-yard field goal in the Hall of Fame Game against Indianapolis on Aug. 3, Zorn was asked if he considered bringing in competition at kicker.
Zorn said no.
And Suisham responded by making a 46-yard field goal in last Saturday's 17-14 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills at FedExField.
"He has a consistent leg," Zorn said. "He is a decent kickoff guy. He gets us down inside the 5-yard line, with some good height on the ball.
"If you have a good kicker and we get in field goal range, you can go about your business because you just expect it. That's how I'm approaching it."
Part of the reason that there's no competition at kicker is that NFL teams are limited to 80 roster spots during training camp. The Redskins decided to use a roster spot on a position player instead of bringing in another kicker.
This Saturday, Suisham makes his return to the Meadowlands in a preseason contest against the New York Jets.
That's where Suisham connected on a career-high five field goals in a 23-20 overtime win on Nov. 4. His 48-yarder beat the Jets.
"I've kicked well there," Suisham said. "But I just view it as any field. There are goal posts at the end of the field and I need to kick the ball through. It's that simple."
And that's just how Zorn wants it.
-- TAYLOR HAS FOOT INJURY
Jason Taylor has developed plantar fasciitis, or soreness of tissues in the foot.
Taylor was held out of practice on Tuesday afternoon, but he was back on Wednesday morning working with the first-team defense.
"I've been a football player for 12 years now, and you live with pain every day of your life," Taylor said. "It's just another thing. It's not that big of a deal."
Said Jim Zorn: "Sometimes that injury is severe, but with Jason it's something that has been normal. He has had this problem in training camp before, with two practices a day. He works very hard.
"It's just a matter of calming it down. It's an up-and-down [injury]."
Taylor isn't sure if he will play in Saturday's preseason game at the Meadowlands against the New York Jets.
"Last week [against the Bills], I played two series, and when it was time to come out, I went up to Coach [Blache] and told him I wanted to play more," Taylor said. "Getting ready to play a preseason game is tough, but once you get out there, you want to play."
-- ZORN ON MEIDT
When Jim Zorn signed on as head coach of the Redskins last February, one of his first hires was Chris Meidt.
Meidt was a successful head coach at St. Olaf's in Minnesota, where he had lived all of his life, before coming to Washington.
Zorn and Meidt first got to know each other when Zorn was a quarterbacks coach at the University of Minnesota from 1995-96. At the time, Meidt was offensive coordinator at Bethel University.
"Chris is a relentless worker and every place he has gone he has been a winning coach," Zorn said. "He has been invaluable here--not only on the field, but off the field.
"I truly believe we would not have been able to have the practices we have had or the amount of information disseminated to our players if it wasn't for him.
"He has so many skills--and we are enjoying the bounty of his ability."
