Legs squared, arms out, Brian Orakpo hunkered down for a tackle early in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee Titans rookie running back Bishop Sankey saw holes on the right side were plugged. He cut back, right at Orakpo.
The linebacker reached out with both arms after a swift move by Sankey, which whipped him around and to the ground. Orakpo tucked his right arm to his body, then signaled to the sideline he needed to come out.
The Redskins fear Orakpo may have a partial tear of his right pectoral muscle. They confirmed he has a right pectoral injury. An MRI will be taken Monday to land at a firm assessment of the problem.
It has not been an enjoyable sixth season for Orakpo. He has half a sack. He’s smashed a finger. Each week, he deals with questions about his production, queries spurred in large part by the $11.45 million he will earn this season after the Redskins applied the franchise tag to him in the offseason.
His pectoral area is also a home of repeated injuries. Twice, he has torn his left pectoral.
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Orakpo’s first tear came in the final game of the 2011 season. He spent the summer rehabilitating the injury which allowed him to return in time for the 2012 opener. His return was brief.
During a sack of St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford in Week 2, Orakpo tore his left pectoral in a different place.
After coming off the field Sunday in the Redskins’ 19-17 win, Orakpo was looked at for several minutes on the sideline. He eventually left the sideline and did not return. He was not present in the locker room postgame.
Orakpo is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and the highest-paid player on the team this season. He has at least 8.5 sacks in the four full seasons he’s played for Washington.
Should Orakpo miss any time, rookie Trent Murphy is his likely replacement. The big redhead out of Stanford was the Redskins’ top pick in this year’s draft. After being selected in the second round, 47th overall, Murphy has worked his way onto the field in coordinator Jim Haslett’s 3-4 defense. On occasion, he would be on the field at the same time as Orakpo. Sunday, he took over Orakpo’s right outside linebacker position after the injury.
In three games, Murphy has three tackles and no sacks.
“Murphy [is] ready to go,” veteran Jason Hatcher said. “He’s been waiting on his opportunity. I think he’ll do good. I’ll be there to support and be a big brother to him.”
Outside of Orakpo’s injury, Sunday was a mixed defensive day.
The 236 yards allowed by the Redskins were their second-fewest of the season. Only the 148 given up to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Week 2 win — the only other victory of the season — were less.
The numbers could have been better if not for crucial penalties that undid positive work.
None were more damning than an illegal contact call against linebacker Keenan Robinson two plays after Orakpo was injured. The penalty negated a 5-yard sack by Chris Baker. Instead of second-and-15 from the Tennessee 26-yard line, the Titans had first-and-10 from the 36.
The Titans eventually drove 80 yards on eight plays to take a 17-16 lead.
Earlier, an illegal contact penalty on cornerback Bashaud Breeland — who had his first career interception Sunday — took a sack away from Ryan Kerrigan and gave the Titans a first down instead of pushing them into a punt.
“We got to get better,” Hatcher said. “We got to get a lot better. We gave up seven points, touchdown over the middle, we can’t have that. If we want to win ballgames, can’t have that. We got to get better.”
He may be the one to lead any improvement. Hatcher said his previously injured hamstring is feeling better. His late-game helmetless pursuit of Tennessee quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was proof of that.
“You got to be a little crazy to play this game, man,” Hatcher said. “I wasn’t thinking about my helmet off. I was thinking get him on the ground.”
Nor was he worried about damaging his face along the way.
“Not at all,” Hatcher said. “I’m still going to be pretty.”
For the first time in more than a month, the postgame locker room was jovial. One win, even against 2-5 Tennessee, was a well-received salve after four consecutive losses. Baker tried to pump fellow lineman Frank Kearse to the media. Kearse picked up his third sack of the season Sunday.
But, noticeably missing in the corner of the locker room was Orakpo’s Texas-accented baritone. The Redskins find out Monday how long that and his play may have to be replaced.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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