6BLACK E6 DAILY 07-30-07 MD SU E6 BLACK

E6 Monday, July 30, 2007 S x The Washington Post Professional Football

MIKE WISE Season Turned On First Play For Prioleau, Redskins irst game. First play of the season. Opening kickoff. Pierson Prioleau had made the same F cut a million times in his career, but this time when he tried to avoid the player sent to block him his foot lodged in the ground. His knee locked up. He went down in agony. Season’s done. First game. First play. “Well, it definitely wasn’t a good omen,” he said, half smiling, sitting outside the Redskins’ locker room last night as he fingered the three-inch scar on his right knee. It’s true that losing Clinton Portis to injury in the preseason was an awful harbinger of things to come. But Prioleau’s torn ACL on “Monday Night Football” against Minnesota might be an even larger window into what misfortune awaited the Redskins last season. Unbeknownst to fans and the media, Prioleau was supposed to start at safety that night instead of Adam Archuleta, the $30 million bust who had already fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. Prioleau wasn’t Marcus Washington or Sean Taylor going down. He would probably not have had 10 interceptions and made up for the deficiencies of the team’s cornerbacks getting beat deep. But Prioleau is smart and extremely versatile at the position. The changes would have been subtle. Taylor might have been in the right spot more often. Maybe the 29-year-old veteran would have brought cohesion to the defense that did not materialize. Maybe he would have taken Archuleta’s job and after a week of controversy, that debacle goes away much quicker. “It was unfortunate how the Adam Archuleta situation played out,” Prioleau said. “But I had control of my own destiny at that time. I could go in there, play well and maybe start the next game. Sometimes, you think, ‘Man, I missed out on a big opportunity that night.’ But I’m a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason. Maybe this is my time.” Prioleau, whom teammates and coaches refer to as “P-Low,” is the guy supposedly keeping LaRon Landry’s seat warm until the sixth pick in the draft PHOTOS BY JOHN MCDONNELL — THE WASHINGTON POST comes to terms with the team and shows his mettle as Associated head coach-offense Al Saunders instructs quarterback Jason Campbell. “Last year, we weren’t able to get into a rhythm,” said wide receiver Antwaan Randle El. a strong safety. (Beautiful, no? They pluck a guy to take the job of perhaps the best comeback story on the team.) Prioleau would like both he and Landry to see significant playing time, but added, “What he can expect from me is my full support in his development.” Saunders Vows Offense Will Be Better Prioleau — pronounced “Pray-low” — can be an idealist like that, because there’s nothing else to be REDSKINS, From E1 the football. The more dynamic Portis when you’re laying on the field almost 11 months ago, averages 4.7 yards per carry for his ca- wondering if your NFL shelf-life has just expired. rible” for Gibbs that the master plan reer. Portis chafed both that Saunders He had not had such a catastrophic injury before. of adding one of the most successful did not use him as an inside runner as Prioleau played 14 or more games a season in six of his offensive minds to a playoff team re- he did Betts and that he was not the first seven years. Dating from grade school, his worst sulted in more questions than an- receiving threat he considered him- injury before his knee blew out was a pulled swers. self to be in the past. hamstring. The Redskins’ offense, one that But in a year where he was not com- “Initially I had thoughts about career and all that,” ranked 20th in points, 21st in passing pletely healthy for a single game, Por- he said. But Prioleau went to see famed knee surgeon yards per game and 17th in pass plays tis started only six games but scored James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Rather than use a over 20 yards, will be better, Saunders seven touchdowns and averaged 10 bone graft from an organ donor, which some older said, because the sharp learning curve yards per reception, the highest aver- athletes prefer, Andrews took part of the patella of last season is minimized after a year age since his rookie season, when he tendon from Prioleau’s left knee and used it to of working in the system. averaged 11 yards per catch. His 74- reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in his right “Overall, there will be more oppor- yard catch-and-run against Houston knee. Then came months of rehab for the player who tunities for everybody,” Randle El last Sept. 24 was the longest reception became more of an offseason fixture in Ashburn than said. “Last year, we weren’t able to get of his career. Jason Campbell. into a rhythm.” It is here, the Redskins’ actual pro- It began with elementary stretches and leg lifts on a Also, Saunders is comforted by his- duction rather than the feel of how the training table with director of rehabilitation, Larry tory. In his second year in Kansas City team is performing, where Saunders Hess. He gradually moved from the table to the in 2002, the Chiefs led the league in sees the greatest disconnect and his machines. Machines to the treadmill. Treadmill to the scoring. They did so again in 2003, greatest challenge. If he is not always field, where his agility began to slowly return. and in 2004 and 2005, Saunders’s of- comfortable, he understands that he is “I don’t want to say older players flinch, but they’re fense was ranked best in total offense. changing an offensive culture as much more aware of the consequences of injuries than young As he was on Saturday when he as accruing yards after the catch. kids are,” said Bubba Tyer, the team’s head trainer. made his first address of training “After the third game, we were the “He just went through an awful injury on the opening camp, Saunders will be unfailingly po- third-most productive offense in the kickoff of the first game and he had some doubts. But lite, bullish on the talent he has before , but we lost they went away quick.” him and clearly committed to the of- two . . . we continued to get better in a “Biologically it’s proven age has a little to do with fensive philosophy he has cultivated lot of phases of the game. The thing is, the healing process,” Prioleau said. “Young guys heal over 30 years, but he won’t reveal the as a football team, we didn’t win,” faster. But I knew if I worked hard I’d seen other guys wounds he suffered last season. Saunders said. “And when you make a come back from the injury that are older than I am. I Last year, he dealt with emotional change halfway through as we did, it know that hard work would be rewarded.” objections individually and analyti- changes a lot of your approaches. I During his rehab, he was told about the Virginia cally. In his second year, Saunders is know what we can do. I know what Tech shootings and looked on in stunned disbelief very much the same: unwavering in this offense is capable of.” from the training-room table as the story unfolded on his belief that the Redskins’ offense If Saunders is confident of his run- television. Long before the tragedy, Prioleau, who will be an electric one. ning game, he has also placed great starred for the Hokies, would test the patience of his When he is told that it seemed the Saunders, Campbell and quarterbacks coach Bill Lazar will have the luxury of having faith in Chris Cooley, whom teammates on Saturdays by wearing Hokie signature power running game of the two backs — Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts — who have rushed for a 1,000 yards. he compared Saturday to Chiefs tight paraphernalia and talking up each Tech game until his Redskins had been lost under him, end Tony Gonzalez. While quarter- throat went dry. Saunders counters not with emotion, ductive running game in the history of their 4.5 yards per carry average was back Jason Campbell learns, the ad- “When the tragedy happened, although everybody I but with statistical evidence to the this organization,” Saunders said. third — behind New York and Phila- vantage of a big target in the middle of knew was safe, I felt that I lost brothers and sisters and contrary. Results that can be qualified “We’ve had some great teams since delphia — in their four-team division. the field is clear, but last season Wash- family members,” he said. “When I started watching it, on paper are what he knows. 1934 and only one has ever managed Only Dallas, at 4.1 yards per rush, was ington didn’t have a wide receiver tall- I thought, ‘This is just TV,’ ” he said. “But then I Saunders said that this season’s to average more than 4.5 yards per worse than the Redskins in the NFC er than six feet catch a pass. started recognizing places and thought, ‘This is ground attack — because he now has carry.” East, proof, some would say, of the “Chris has an ability to carry the home.’ ” in Portis and Ladell Betts two backs Saunders was close, but the 2006 cultural difference between running football up the field and an excellent Shaken, Prioleau went back to his physical therapy who have rushed for a 1,000 yards in a Redskins had the third-best per aver- the football in the backbreaking NFC ability to run routes,” Saunders said. that day and continued the process of rehabilitating season — will be even more potent. age in team history, surpassed by the East and the rest of the league. “He is a much better route runner his knee. “Offensively, we did some things 1970 team (4.6 per rush) and the 1959 In many ways, Saunders has cor- than he was at this time last year. I ex- He knows it will take much longer than a year for really well last year. We ran the foot- team (4.7 per rush). Overall, the Red- ralled many of the pieces he has pect Chris Cooley to be one of the the pain to subside enough where he feels like he used ball as well as anybody in the National skins were eighth in that category. craved. As in Kansas City with Priest dominant forces in what we do offen- to. But Prioleau made it back to the field for training Football League. We averaged 4.5 But while last year’s Redskins rush- Holmes and Larry Johnson, the Red- sively because of what he has demon- camp, a suddenly healthy symbol from a lost season. yards per carry, which is the most pro- ing offense was statistically good, skins have two runners who can move strated on the field.”

Training Camp Tracker By Steve Yanda

COUNTDOWN SUMMER STORY LINES | BULKING UP AT DT FRESH FACE INJURY REPORT QUOTABLE TO KICKOFF You might think that, at 6 foot Omar Stoutmire watched OG Randy Thomas (knee) sat “Oh, I like the rain. 4 and 267 pounds, leverage the Redskins, his former out. Team officials said 41 would not be much of an issue team, struggle from afar Thomas received a cortisone We’ll soak the balls Days until the for Kedric Golston. But as the last season. A member of shot after practice Friday sometimes even when Redskins host the second-year defensive tackle the in and should return at some it’s not raining. I just Dolphins on discovered last season, those 2006, Stoutmire started at point this week. Will Sunday, Sept. 9 measurements are not enough safety in nine of the 13 games in which he played Whitticker had been don’t like the lightning at FedEx Field. when pitted against and had 56 tackles and two interceptions. The practicing in Thomas’s portion.” 300-plus-pound offensive Kedric Golston vs. Joe Salave’a vs. Anthony Montgomery Saints went 13-3, advanced to the NFC starting spot, but Jason TODAY’S linemen. In an effort to improve championship game and were the darlings of the Fabini worked with the first — Coach Joe Gibbs SCHEDULE the force of his push, Golston gained 25 pounds the form of Joe Salave’a and Anthony NFL. While his experience in New Orleans was great team offense yesterday. . . . in the offseason and is listed at 292. He Montgomery. Salave’a started five games in ’06 and all, Stoutmire could not help but notice the TE Tyler Ecker (strained When: Two cautions, though, that bulk alone will get a and made 26 tackles; Montgomery made one misfortunes of the Redskins, the team for which he groin) sat out. . . . LB Dallas practices, both defensive lineman nowhere. “I really worked on start and had 11 tackles. While he still weighs played in 2005. The 10-year veteran re-signed with Sartz left practice briefly closed to the my pad level and pass rush so I won’t have to less than Salave’a (317) and Montgomery Washington in March and has noticed a different with an unspecified injury public. struggle as much this year,” said Golston, who (305), Golston said he understands his spot on message from the same messengers. “It feels like I and received treatment in Where: Redskins was a sixth-round draft pick out of Georgia in the team and his prominence in the sport still never left because the coaching staff is the same,” the medical tent before NEXT UP Park, Ashburn. 2006. “In this league, it’s not all about strength; are developing. “I don’t look at it like I’m a said Stoutmire, who played mostly as a reserve returning. He did not Updates: it’s about leverage and hands.” Though he starter,” he said. “I know I still have a long way safety and special teams player in ’05. “But it was a participate in drills the rest Scrimmage vs. Baltimore 703-726-7411. started 12 games in 2006 and recorded 59 to go in this league.” down year here last year, so there’s definitely a of practice. According to Ravens

tackles, Golston faces opposition for the starting sense of urgency in the locker room.” team officials, Sartz is fine. Noon Saturday, M&T Bank

defensive tackle spot next to Cornelius Griffin in Stadium 6BLACK E6