Virginian-Pilot: Ramsey plans on practicing, hopes to start against Giants

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Ramsey plans on practicing, hopes to start against Giants

By JIM DUCIBELLA, The Virginian-Pilot

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=63033&ran=75015

Having missed most of the last two games, quarterback Patrick Ramsey hopes to return to the lineup Sunday when the Washington Redskins play the New York Giants.

Ramsey, who had been playing with a bone bruise on his right foot, was knocked from the game against Miami on Nov. 23 and was inactive for the Redskins’ 24-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Ramsey, who walked around Redskin Park last week in a combination soft cast and plastic boot, told coach Steve Spurrier on Monday that he plans to practice late this week. He has not practiced almost all of the last two weeks, with recently signed Tim Hasselbeck taking the work.

“He wants to play,” Spurrier said. “He wants to help us win a ball game. Sitting and watching made him a little antsy to go play. He said he’s going to do whatever is possible to have the foot ready to go play this week. The doctors say he can’t hurt his foot any more. If that’s the case and he’s ready to play, then we’ll play him.

“We need to go win a game and get out of the dumps a little bit if we can.”

In his first NFL start, Hasselbeck completed 22 of 42 passes for 231 yards. But he threw an interception at the Saints’ 27, lost a fumble at the Saints’ 43 and didn’t have a touchdown throw.

Although he has been with the team only since early November, Hasselbeck refused to use that as an excuse for his mistakes.

“I think that’s one of the things I need to get better at,” Hasselbeck said of protecting the ball.

“When you’re out of the game and then you come back in, for the ball security thing, there’s nothing you can really do to prepare yourself other than just cover the ball as best you can. That’s something I have to get better at as I play.”

If nothing else, Spurrier said, Hasselbeck has shown enough in the last two weeks for the Redskins to believe that, at worst, he can be an effective backup.

“He has the potential to be a good, solid player,” Spurrier said. “I really believe that.”

In addition to throwing for 231 yards, the Redskins rushed for 161. Trung Canidate used a 38-yard scamper as foundation for a 115-yard rushing performance, the first 100-yard game for a Washington back this season.

Canidate averaged 7.2 yards per carry, and Redskins rushers averaged 6.2 yards. Meanwhile, Hasselbeck averaged just 5.5 yards per pass attempt. Yet, even with a lead in the fourth quarter, Washington passed 13 times and ran twice to finish the game with 16 more throws than rushes.

The players weren’t aware of that ratio right after the game, but were upset at the lack of balance nonetheless.

“You earn the right to do things in this league,” offensive tackle Jon Jansen said. “You earn the right to run the ball. And then you’re not allowed to. It’s frustrating.”

Monday, Spurrier said that he “shoots” for balance.

“We don’t always get it,” he said, “but that’s what we’d like to have. We ran well at times. We didn’t run well all the time, or else we never would have thrown the ball. We made some yards here and there, but we didn’t finish many drives. One touchdown’s all the offense got. Overall, it wasn’t enough to win the game.”

When the issue was pursued again later, Spurrier became sarcastic. “When you run and don’t go very far, you wish you’d passed,” he said. “When you pass and don’t go anywhere, you should have run. Hindsight is 20-20 on that.”

Spurrier again admonished reporters that “you saw the game,” normally coach-speak for saying the players didn’t carry out the game plan.

Meanwhile, Jansen, defensive end Regan Upshaw and safety Ifeanyi Ohalete were among the players who declined to specify things they thought were wrong with the team, each of them saying, “I like my job too much.”

That’s usually a sign that they didn’t think much of some of the coaching decisions.

Asked whether the team could win next season with this coaching staff, Jansen replied, “I can’t answer that question.” NOTES: WR Rod Gardner has a bruised upper arm, but should play Sunday against the Giants. ... C Larry Moore, who has been out with a foot injury, should return to practice, though Spurrier wasn’t sure he would play because of the performance of reserve Lennie Friedman. ... OT Chris Samuels won’t practice this week, but Spurrier said there is a chance he’ll face the Giants. If not, Brandon Winey will get a second consecutive start.