ASHBURN, Va. -- Deion Sanders, like so many of us, has a back that's just killing him. The Washington Redskins cornerback didn't practice Wednesday, this, after missing two days last week.
The Redskins have a $100 million payroll, perhaps the richest in the history of sport, but this has not immunized them against injuries. The sky, quite frankly, seems to be falling on this 4-2 team with three straight victories.
Not to worry, Deion says.
"We will survive," he said Wednesday, reprising the old Gloria Gaynor tune. "We will survive because we have depth."
Sanders, who loves the camera as much as it loves him, leans directly into the television lense and puts on his most theatrical face.
"Depth," he says, smiling, "will carry us."
Well, the Redskins hope so. Sanders most likely will play Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, but if he doesn't, future Hall of Famer Darrell Green would take his place. Not a bad trade-off. Even if Sanders plays, wide receiver James Thrash may return punts to lighten the load.
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We will survive. We will survive because we have depth. ” |
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— Deion Sanders on why injuries won't derail the Redskins |
Head coach Norv Turner rolled his eyes when the subject of injuries came up Wednesday. "We're hanging in there," he said. "We keep sending new guys in there and so far they're doing the job."
The tattered offensive line -- right tackle Jon Jansen was the only regular starter to practice Wednesday -- has received most of the attention, but there has been serious attrition at wide receiver.
The Redskins, who had already lost Michael Westbrook with a season-ending knee injury, saw Irving Fryar suffer a frightening moment in Philadelphia. On the sidelines after a helmet-to-helmet collision with Eagles safety Tim Hauck, Fryar collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.
The diagnosis was a bruised nerve in his right shoulder and Fryar, who was filling in for Westbrook, is expected to miss two or three games. That means Thrash will play with Albert Connell in the starting lineup, with Andre Reed lining up as the third receiver. Derrius Thompson, who has yet to catch a ball in the NFL, is fourth on the depth chart. Don't be surprised if defensive back Champ Bailey makes an appearance or two on offense.
It is the newest Redskin, placekicker Kris Heppner, however, who best frames the team's struggle to find an equilibrium.
|  | | Despite kicking the game-winning field goal last Sunday, Michael Husted is out of a job. |
Consult this week's NFL statistics and you will find Heppner, a first-year free agent, listed as the Seattle Seahawks' leading scorer, with 26 points. He converted six of nine field goal attempts (including a 45-yarder) and made all eight of his point-afters. Nevertheless, the Seahawks released him after four games and he found himself in a make-or-miss audition Tuesday at Redskins Park.
Job interviews are stress-fests to begin with, but imagine showing up with three other applicants and doing whatever you do under the critcal eyes of a dozen or so future bosses. There was the 23-year-old Heppner, drilling field goals with veterans Doug Pelfrey and Chris Jacke as well as Jeff Hall, the Redskins' sixth-round draft choice a year ago.
The reason they were there? Brett Conway, last year's kicker, strained his quadriceps before the Week 3 game against Dallas. The Redskins then signed veteran Michael Husted. If you only read headlines, Husted was a success. He kicked the winning 20-yard field goal in overtime to beat Tampa Bay two weeks ago and followed up with a 24-yard field goal with two seconds left to beat Philadelphia 17-14.
The problem was that he missed all four of his field goal attempts of 30 yards or more. The Redskins liked his deep kickoffs, but they feared he would cost them a game at some point. The team brought in Jaret Holmes for a workout before the Tampa game, but he signed with the Giants. They contacted Joe Nedney last week, but he signed with Carolina.
In a breezy, wind-chilled Tuesday morning session, Heppner scored more points with the Redskins than the other hopefuls.
"It was a windy day, but things went well out there," said Heppner, who hails from Montana. "There are no excuses. There could be 50 mile-an-hour winds and snow outside, you have to make your kicks. That's what you're paid to do."
While newcomers Sanders, Bruce Smith, Jeff George, Mark Carrier, LaVar Arrington and Chris Samuels have contracts totaling nine figures, Heppner -- if he lasts the entire season -- will receive these modest figures: $124,882, the prorated portion of the NFL's rookie minimum $193,000.
Heppner, thus, becomes the Redskins' third kicker in seven games. And where there are winners there are, necessarily, losers. Husted left Redskins Park with his shoes and toiletries in a bag.
"I know I'm still capable of kicking in this league," he said. "That's just life as a kicker. If it was my last kick, I'll cherish it as a game winner and know that I had eight great years in the NFL. If I'm kicking agin, I'll cherish that opportunity as well."
For Heppner, it is a chance for a fresh start. Coincidentally, his sister Tammy is already in town. She is a statistician for the Department of Defense, but she won't be the only one tracking his numbers. Heppner's Seattle experience opened his eyes.
"He demands a lot," Heppner said of Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren. "I missed a short field goal, and you're gone. It's a tough business. I'm learning it as a rookie. You have to perform, or
you're gone."
Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
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