Skins.com:Hasselbeck to Start Giants Game

[TK]

http://redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12355

Hasselbeck to Start Giants Game

12/05/2003

By Gary Fitzgerald

Redskins.com

Patrick Ramsey sat out practice for the second day in a row on Friday and head coach Steve Spurrier said Tim Hasselbeck will start at quarterback in this Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

“Patrick’s [sore right foot] is still bothering him,” Spurrier said. “So Tim is set to go and Gibran Hamdan will be the backup. That’s how we’re going into the ballgame.”

Ramsey remains officially listed as doubtful for the game. In last Sunday’s game against New Orleans, he was made the Redskins’ emergency quarterback and would have been available to play had Hasselbeck and Hamdan been injured.

Ramsey said Friday that team doctors will reevaluate his foot early next week. He is still hopeful of playing again this season.

“I’d like to,” he said. “At this point, I really have to rely on what the doctors say. We’ll look at it on Monday and make another evaluation at that point.”

But Ramsey acknowledges that his foot may not be healthy enough to withstand the pressure of a game, as well as an intense pass rush. He is considering having off-season surgery on the foot, which has a bone bruise that is thought to be the result of an old injury.

“I’m not going to be able to play without it bothering me,” he said. “When I went out to practice on Wednesday, I didn’t think it was affecting my ability to throw as much as I expected it to. When I slipped, it was sore again. And that was just from a slip—when you get banged around by pass rushers, it’s a whole different story.”

Hasselbeck started last week’s 24-20 loss to New Orleans and completed 22-of-42 passes for 231 yards. He spread the ball around to nine different receivers, led by Laveranues Coles who had six catches for 88 yards.

Hasselbeck said it has not been difficult this week without knowing for certain whether he would play.

“The last few years, I’ve been a backup quarterback, so I’m familiar with the process,” he said. “The important thing is that I’m getting a lot of reps. If Patrick had not been hurt going into the Miami game, I would have been thrown into that game with almost no reps at all in practice. It would have been a tougher task. So from that standpoint, it helps that I’m getting the reps now.”

Said Spurrier: “Overall, Tim has played very well for a quarterback that has only played two games in his NFL career. He’s throwing nicely out in practice and the players have a lot of confidence in him.”

Spurrier added that, with frigid weather conditions predicted for Sunday at Giants Stadium, Hasselbeck may have an edge because he played collegiate football at Boston College and is accustomed to playing in cold weather.

On the O-Line

Chris Samuels did not practice Friday and remains listed as doubtful for the Giants game. Brandon Winey, who earned praise last Sunday for his performance against the Saints, will start in Samuels’ for the second game in a row, Spurrier said.

Larry Moore is expected to suit up for the Giants game after missing the last five games with a sprained foot. He will serve as a backup at center and both guard positions. Lennie Friedman will start at center. Complete Injury Report.

Extra Points

Spurrier said he was proud that Sylvester Croom became the first African-American head coach in the Southeastern Conference when Mississippi State hired him last week. Of course, Spurrier was head coach at the SEC’s University of Florida for 12 seasons. "I think there needs to be more African-American head coaches in college and the NFL," Spurrier said. "With the success Marvin Lewis is having, hopefully Sylvester will also have success.”

About four inches of snow fell on the Ashburn, Va., area on Thursday night, but the Redskins were still able to practice outdoors on their artificial turf field. Another snowstorm is predicted for Friday evening.