ap:Facing Davis Becomes Redskins' Obsession

[TK]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37057-2003Nov13.html

washingtonpost.com

Facing Davis Becomes Redskins' Obsession

By Joseph White

Associated Press

Thursday, November 13, 2003; 5:06 PM

Poor Fred Smoot. Already playing with a broken sternum inside his lean 174-pound body, he now has to figure out how he's going to tackle old pal Stephen Davis.

"I wish didn't have this little fracture in the middle of my chest when I'm going up against a 240-pound running back," the Washington Redskins cornerback said. "It takes more than one person to get him down. You've got to gang-tackle him for four quarters."

One topic has dominated all others among the Redskins this week. While Davis might have circled Sunday's Washington-Carolina game on his calendar, his ex-teammates have also been thinking about it all season long.

The player who once inspired the Redskins to wear "Believe in Stephen" T-shirts has led the Panthers to a 7-2 record. The prospect of playing against him feels nothing short of weird.

"You don't like it," cornerback Champ Bailey said. "You hate to let one of your leaders go, but it's just the name of the game."

Davis was Washington's No. 3 all-time rusher when he was released in March. He was due to count $11.4 million against the salary cap this season, but that was the convenient excuse for coach Steve Spurrier to rid himself of a power running back who didn't fit his pass-oriented system. The Redskins didn't even try to renegotiate the contract.

"Toward the middle of the season, I didn't get as many carries," Davis said. "Coach Spurrier came to me and said he was going to let the young guys play. I wish I would have got a better opportunity, and I didn't."

Davis has been a perfect fit for the run-based Panthers, and he's happy to be living not far from his South Carolina roots. His 992 yards rushing are more than the Redskins' team total of 930 and three times leading rusher Trung Canidate's 329.

Davis has been as politically correct as possible this week, saying that he is trying to approach the game like any other and that he holds no grudges. The Redskins know better, and Davis betrayed his own feelings back in August, when he had a successful first quarter in an exhibition game between the two teams.

"Did I make a statement? Yeah," Davis said after the game. "And I'll make a bigger statement in the regular season."

That's more like it.

"I know he's going to be real pumped up," Smoot said. "Anytime a person gets to play their old team, regardless of how the separation happened, they're going to come out with a lot of emotion. We've need to go kill his emotion early in the first half."

Asked if he thought Davis would be fired up, Bailey said simply: "Yeah. Wouldn't you?"

But Davis figures that cuts both ways.

"They're going to be motivated — because it's me," Davis said.

Davis missed last week's game against Tampa Bay with a sprained ankle, but the Redskins aren't reading much into that.

"Stephen had a week off," linebacker Jeremiah Trotter said. "I really don't think he was hurt. I think he was just resting up for us. It's going to be a dogfight."

If nothing else, the reminiscences of Davis this week have pushed aside everything else. Questions about the relationship between Spurrier and owner Dan Snyder, Spurrier's decision to hand over the play-calling and even Bruce Smith's pursuit of the sack record are all playing second banana to dealing with Davis.

And for good reason. The Redskins rank 26th against the run.

Asked if he can be tackled by Smoot, Davis chuckled and said, "Anything's possible."

Bailey, meanwhile, has his own strategy.

"Move to the side, jump on his back," Bailey said. "Nah. I'm going to hit him. I don't care what it takes, I'm going to get him down one way or another. I won't be one of his victims, you'd better believe that."

Notes: Bailey, whose contract expires at the end of the season, was asked whether a team that let Davis get away could also let Bailey go. "I wouldn't be surprised," Bailey said. "Let's put it like that." ... KR Chad Morton practiced Thursday on his injured ankle. He felt sore toward the end, but he said he thinks he'll be able to play Sunday. ... Spurrier said the team is trying to get a specially designed helmet for FB Bryan Johnson, who has been suffering "slight concussions" in recent games. The helmet, similar to one worn by LB Kevin Mitchell, has extra protection against head injuries. ... Practice was cut short by a half-hour or so because of strong, bone-chilling winds. "That was in the top three coldest practice days I've ever been involved in," Spurrier said.

© 2003 The Associated Press

[ljer]

Alot of talk about SD being jacked for this one.

Well I hope our "D" has something to prove as well.