GREEN BAY, Wis. – Brandon Meriweather has a tough time staying healthy.
The Washington Redskins strong safety started his first regular season game in nearly 10 months Sunday and had to leave in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers with a concussion.
Meriweather put a helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers’ Eddie Lacy in the first quarter and took the rookie running back out of the game. The safety was trying to knock second-string running back James Starks out of bounds after a long run in the second quarter and connected on another helmet-to-helmet pop, but Meriweather fell immediately to the ground on the Packers’ sideline.
The Redskins’ training staff attended to Meriweather, who stayed on the ground for a few minutes. After getting to his feet, Meriweather was escorted directly to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.
“I’m going to run hard and try to make the most out of it,” Starks said. “It just so happened [Meriweather] got the worst out of it. I hope he’s OK, but it’s football.”
Meriweather missed the first 10 games of last season due to a left knee injury. Trying to return last Sept. 30, Meriweather collided with Aldrick Robinson during warmups before the team’s game against Tampa Bay and Meriweather wasn’t able to return to action until Nov. 18. In that game against Philadelphia, Meriweather had a great first half before tearing the ACL in his right knee, ending his season.
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Meriweather’s quick departure from Sunday’s game was a hit on the Redskins’ defense.
“That’s the worst thing about football, seeing guys go down, especially those head injuries,” linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said. “Hopefully he can come back because he’s a difference-maker out there.”
Potter is hit and miss
The Redskins’ kicking situation was dicey on Sunday.
With Kai Forbath out due to a groin injury sustained in practice late in the week, John Potter was signed Saturday.
Potter was drafted by Buffalo in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL draft and played six games for the Bills. The Redskins signed Potter on June 12 of his year and released him Aug. 26.
The Redskins were at the Packers’ 33-yard line on the first play of the second quarter and could have tried a 50-yard field goal, but coach Mike Shanahan opted for a pooch punt to pin the Packers deep in their end.
Potter, who is in his second season out of Western Michigan University, got his first field goal opportunity in the third quarter. Sitting at the Packers’ 33 again, Shanahan decided to give Potter a shot at 50 yards, and he pushed the kick wide right.
“I just go out there and kick when they need me to kick,” Potter said. “I don’t think about if they should have me kick this one time. Every time you get in the scoring zone, you just have to be ready to go.”
Potter converted on his only two extra points on the day.
Putting pressure on Rodgers
The Redskins’ defense was able to get to get pressure on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers — well, at least for a short time.
On the Packers’ first drive of the game, Kerrigan corralled back-to-back sacks for nine and six yards. Brian Orakpo dragged down Rodgers on the first play of Green Bay’s second possession to continue the barrage.
Following the three sacks in a four-play span, the Redskins were only able to take down Rodgers one more time – a Josh Wilson 12-yard sack in the third quarter.
“They started getting rid of the ball quicker,” Kerrigan said. “Credit them for making that adjustment because we were getting a lot of pressure when they were going straight drop-back. They made the right adjustment.”
NOTES: Inactive Redskins for the game were Forbath, quarterback Rex Grossman, running back Evan Royster, safety Jordan Pugh, safety Jose Gumbs, guard Josh LeRibeus, nose tackle Chris Neild. … The Redskins are now 13-18-1 all-time vs. the Packers. … The game marked only the second time the Redskins had played at Lambeau Field in the past 11 years. … Sunday’s attendance was 78,020, which is a new Lambeau Field record.
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