The Washington Redskins have used various offensive formations to try to get out of a season-long passing rut, but do not expect to see quarterback Mark Brunell in the shotgun anytime soon. Coach Joe Gibbs said he is loathe to use that set, in which the quarterback is stationed far behind the center to provide a buffer from the oncoming blitzers and allow more time for a completion.
Gibbs said he believes the shotgun can lead to costly turnovers and is not comfortable with the formation. Over his coaching career fans and the media have brought up the possibility of going to the shotgun when his offenses have struggled, Gibbs said, and he has studied that set over the years and is simply not a proponent of it.
"I feel strongly about the fact that there are teams in this league that are really good teams that don't use the shotgun besides us," Gibbs said, "and it would be different if we were the only team out there, and we're not. There's different reasons for different people being in it and not being in it and one of them is the crowd, it's a big deal and I like being closer to center. ... I could go on and on, but for me it's something I feel really comfortable with and I understand it's one of the things that come up all the time."
Gibbs said it requires specific personnel at center to execute the longer snap on the shotgun, and in general Gibbs has stuck to conservative play calling this season. Washington does whatever possible to minimize turnovers -- with Brunell often throwing the ball out of bounds -- and has not reveled in the trick plays that were a staple of his first coaching tenure with the Redskins.
News & Notes
• Brunell said his sore hamstring feels much better now after the bye week. He suffered the injury in Week 2 and has played with it ever since. "It wasn't 100 percent but it's there now, which is good," Brunell said. "The bye week came at a good time."
• Green Bay listed star running back Ahman Green (Achilles) as probable and top cornerback Al Harris (knee) and safety Darren Sharper (knee) as questionable. Packers Coach Mike Sherman was noncommittal when asked if he thought they might be able to participate on Sunday, though Harris probably will practice Friday. All three players missed yesterday's practice.
• The Redskins cut running back Sultan McCullough from the practice squad yesterday and signed running back Dahrran Diedrick to take his place. Diedrick (6-feet, 225 pounds) was an un-drafted rookie free agent out of Nebraska in 2003 and spent time on Green Bay's practice squad before being released in August.
-- Jason La Canfora
