ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -After nearly succumbing twice to tears in the locker room after a terrible game, Santana Moss did what good pros do. He went home and got over it.
“I had to really sleep on it to understand you ain’t perfect, you know what I mean?” the Washington Redskins wide receiver said Wednesday.
Moss had possibly his worst game in his seven-year NFL career Sunday. Six passes were thrown his way, but he failed to record even a single reception – his first whitewash since 2002. He dropped two passes, bringing his season’s total to six, second in the NFL to the eight by New Orleans’ Devery Henderson.
The one time Moss had the ball in his arms, he fumbled away the game. He was stripped on a reverse, and the ball was scooped up and returned for a touchdown by Charles Woodson in the Green Bay Packers’ 17-14 win.
Usually a steady, down-to-earth presence, Moss was close to a mess afterward. He blamed the loss on himself and was so upset that he didn’t clearly explain why he took himself out in the fourth quarter. On Wednesday, he clarified that he did so because his hamstring was cramping – not because he was having a bad day.
“I won’t ever, just because you’ve had a drop or two, pull myself out. That’s a coward,” Moss said. “I just felt like my leg wasn’t feeling good. I didn’t want to be out there if I couldn’t go 100 percent.”
Moss said he perhaps was trying to go full steam too soon after missing the previous game with a groin injury. He felt better Wednesday and took part in a complete practice, leaving Green Bay behind with the focus on the next opponent, the Arizona Cardinals.
“If you sit back and dwell on it, then you’re not going anywhere,” Moss said. “I always look ahead. Last week, after the game, you could see how I felt. The next day? It was (over with). I’m going to just look ahead and do what I do because I know I’ve done plenty of other things. I’ve done a lot of good to let a few unhappy plays put me down.”
Moss has caught only 12 of 31 passes thrown his way this season and is part of a group of receivers that has yet to catch a touchdown pass. Those numbers might lead to a request for some receivers, but not Moss, who has been a hardworking, invaluable member of the offense since he arrived in 2005, the year he set the franchise record for receiving yards.
“That’s ‘Tana being ‘Tana,” receiver Antwaan Randle El said. “He felt he made some mistakes. He had some drops that hurt us, but he wasn’t the only one.”
Coach Joe Gibbs met with Moss earlier this week and gave his receiver a public vote of confidence.
“I think he is absolutely one of the best playmakers I’ve ever been around,” Gibbs said. “He means a huge amount to this team. I’m convinced that guy will make a ton of plays for us down the stretch. I don’t think anybody works harder. I’m convinced the guy means a lot to us and will in the future, too.”
Notes:CB Shawn Springs played Sunday’s game knowing that his father had become seriously ill. Springs has since traveled to Texas to be with Ron Springs, who is hospitalized in a coma. “We talked about it before the game,” cornerback Fred Smoot said. “But he seemed to stay to focused during the game. After the game we talked a little bit more about it and he let me know he was going to go to Dallas the next morning.” Gibbs said he didn’t know when Shawn Springs will return. … It’s anybody’s guess which players will make up the starting offensive line against the Cardinals. The first-team unit for Wednesday’s practice had only one player – LT Chris Samuels – who started at the same position against the Packers on Sunday. Pete Kendall (sore knees, sore hamstring), Casey Rabach (strained groin), Todd Wade (strained groin) and Stephon Heyer (strained hamstring) did not practice. Kendall, Rabach and Wade are confident they will be able to play.
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