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Rex Grossman has thrown for over 300 yards in three of the four games he has started for the Washington Redskins before taking over the Redskins starting job and running his close friend, Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme Grossman’s only other 300 plus yards passing game happened when he threw for 339 yards against the Buccaneers in December 2006.

Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo sprained his right ankle early in Sunday’s season opener against the New York Giants, but returned to play most of the rest of the game. Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said that he is hoping to have both starting strong safety LaRon Landry and outside linebacker Brian Orakpo on the field this week when his team hosts the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Landry missed most of the last week of practice with a strained hamstring, but did some jogging prior to Sunday’s season opener.

On a punt return, he lined up for a short kick several yards in front of Brandon Banks. The two had a miscommunication that resulted in Paul’s catching the kick, trying – and failing – to hand it to Banks and being tackled for no gain. That describes rookie Niles Paul’s NFL debut, here’s how he explained it…. “It was definitely an in-between kick,” Paul said. “I started backing up, didn’t hear Banks coming and didn’t hear the call. They wanted us to field the ball, so I had to make sure I did that.”

Quarterback Rex Grossman will face the same young Cardinals secondary this Sunday that allowed Cam Newton to throw two touchdown passes to Steve Smith, for 77 yards and for 26 yards, and find tight end Greg Olsen for a 43-yard pickup on the way to an NFL record (422 passing yards) for a rookie in his first game.

Stephen Bowen and Adam Carriker both tallied fourth-quarter sacks, as the Redskins’ defensive-front tallied a total of four sacks in week one. The 2010 Redskins’ defensive line generated a total of nine sacks in 16 games.

Six of Washington’s twelve picks from April’s draft made their NFL debuts in the opener: Kerrigan (first round), running back Roy Helu (fourth), safety DeJon Gomes and receiver Niles Paul (both fifth) and cornerback Brandyn Thompson and nose tackle Chris Neild (both seventh).

Tight End Chris Cooley set the Redskins’ record for career catches by a tight end, passing the late Jerry Smith. Cooley now has 423, while Fred Davis had a career-high 105 yards on five catches.

Safety Reed Doughty took blame for the 68-yard catch and run that set up New York’s first touchdown…. “I had him man-to-man in deep coverage,” Doughty said. “I have the dig [route], I have the up [route] and he ran the dig and up. There’s no reason for me to jump that route.”

Wide Receiver Anthony Armstrong’s six yard touchdown Sunday gave him three touchdowns in three games against the Giants.

Seventh round draft pick NT Chris Neild only had three sacks in his college career had two on Sunday in his first game as a pro.

In four years as a defensive end at Purdue Ryan Kerrigan never scored a touchdown, but in his NFL debut at outside linebacker he scored on an interception return after batting down a pass

Pro-Bowl outside linebacker Brian Orakpo recorded his first career blocked field goal

Edit: This blog was archived in May of 2016 from our original articles database.It was originally posted by Bernie Marshall

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