Alex Smith wants to play vs. Jets, but Redskins mum if he will

Jay Gruden doesn’t want the Redskins to be scared.

After last season’s rash of injuries and last week’s devastating news that rookie Derrius Guice would miss the year with a torn ACL, the Redskins coach admitted he sometimes felt like he was doing something wrong.

But injuries, Gruden said, are a part of the game.

“Eventually we’re gonna have to get them out there and play and the fear of people getting injured can’t cross your mind,” Gruden said Tuesday. “We have to go out and play football and we have to coach it, get things — get guys on the same page so whether it’s game two, game three or game four we’ll get ’em out there eventually.”

Still, there’s a difference between being scared and being cautious. The Redskins plan to take the latter approach Thursday when they host the New York Jets.

Gruden did not indicate whether quarterback Alex Smith will make his preseason debut after the 34-year-old sat out last week against the New England Patriots. Gruden said the defensive starters would likely play, but the offense would wait and see.

Last year, starter Kirk Cousins threw 23 times in Week 2 of the preseason against the Green Bay Packers. But the circumstances were different. The Redskins offense underwhelmed in Week 1 and Washington was adjusting to Gruden resuming play-calling duties after Sean McVay’s departure to the Rams.

This season, the Redskins might be able to afford Smith sitting another week, even with this being the 34-year-old’s first campaign with Gruden. Though he hopes to play, Smith said the Redskins are “far ahead” of when the team started camp.

If the Redskins feel further ahead than they were last year, keeping Smith out so he can avoid injury would make sense.

“Every single day the level of intensity is up there where it needs to be, the attention to detail, the intensity, it’s been consistent and I think that’s really hard,” Smith said. “You know these are dog days, it’s hot, it’s weather, there’s a lot of stuff going on around here. And this group every single day has brought energy, bought that attention level.”

Elsewhere, the Redskins will continue to evaluate their roster. The franchise wrapped up their Richmond portion of camp on Tuesday and now will shift gears as they return to their team headquarters in Ashburn.

Gruden and players are glad to be moving on. The Redskins coach referenced a well-known line from HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” but said it in a more family-friendly manner. The Redskins, he said, are “ready to get the heck out of here.”

Cornerback Josh Norman enthusiastically agreed, dumping a bottle of Gatorade to literally show he had “emptied his cup” in camp.

“Now it’s finally over with, I can go home and sleep in my bed that’s so comfortable,” Norman said. ” I can get a lot of Z’s and I’m going to count a lot of sheep.”

But after Noman’s rest, he and the defense will face a Jets team that they appeared to be better than throughout the practices.

Norman sat out Week 1 in New England, but the defense looked solid facing Brian Hoyer and some of the Patriots’ first-team unit (Tom Brady did not play). This week, defensive lineman Daron Payne could make his debut and the secondary will look to continue to make strides.

The Redskins’ best hope, however, is they come out healthy.

“I think that’s the main thing: safe and healthy,” Norman said. “Can’t ask for nothing better in the preseason.”