By Howard Bryant
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis underwent surgery yesterday on his right hand, which was broken in Sunday's 27-3 loss to Philadelphia. He was not at Redskins Park after three screws were used to stabilize his fourth metacarpal bone, which runs through the ring finger. He is expected to miss about a month.

The injury occurred with 3 minutes 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Portis ran around left end for nine yards and was brought hard to the turf near the sideline by Eagles safety Brian Dawkins. Portis rose awkwardly, shook his right hand and did not return.

Bubba Tyer, the team's director of sports medicine, said the operation was performed by Jeffery Lovello on an outpatient basis at Inova Alexandria Hospital. Tyer reiterated his estimation from Sunday that Portis would be out three to four weeks.

"He'll be in a cast or a splint to help control the swelling for the first week," Tyer said. "And then we'll take that off and put some type of splint or cast on him again."

The next pressing question regarding Portis is whether he will play again this season. Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs was heavily criticized for allowing Portis to play on opening night against Minnesota a month after Portis had suffered a left shoulder separation. Should the 3-6 Redskins fail to make a playoff run, Gibbs would then decide if it his best move is to allow Portis, who has absorbed great punishment this season, to sit out the remainder of the season.

Portis finished with 25 yards on six carries Sunday. His backup, Ladell Betts, took over and rushed for 83 yards on 20 carries. The rushing duties will now be split between Betts and T.J. Duckett.

For the first time this season, Gibbs said that Duckett will play a prominent role in the offense. The beneficiary of a steady, punishing Duckett would be rookie Jason Campbell, who will start his first NFL game Sunday afternoon in Tampa.

Duckett has seven carries for 40 yards with one reception for minus-three yards. Betts is second on the team in receptions with 30 to Santana Moss's 31. He has 366 rushing yards on the season, an average of 4.5 yards per carry.

Randy Thomas was called for a false start in the second quarter Sunday, ending his streak of penalty-free games at eight. Thomas says he wasn't called for a penalty last season, either.

On third and 17 from his own 17 and the Redskins trailing 17-3, Thomas was whistled for a false start.

"When you think about it, that's a pretty good streak, right?" Thomas said. "I couldn't believe it. Then again, you saw all those guys lining up on the blitz, you had to do something to get ready."

In the Redskins' 22-19 win over Dallas on Nov. 5, Thomas was called for an illegal touch, a no-fault-of-his-own penalty that occurred when a deflected pass hit him. "That wasn't even a real penalty," Thomas said. "It got declined, anyway."

Last week, Gibbs lamented that he didn't know who the Redskins upset at the league's office for their difficult schedule. Gibbs's latest gripe is that the Redskins have played three teams coming out of a bye week, all on the road and all to disastrous results. The New York Giants crushed the Redskins, 19-3, on Oct. 8. Two weeks later, Indianapolis destroyed the Redskins, 36-22, and two days ago the Eagles beat the Redskins. . . .

Defensive end Phillip Daniels made a trip to the hospital yesterday to have his bruised right forearm examined. Daniels played the whole game Sunday despite the injury and wore a sleeve on his forearm yesterday. Tyer said he is calling the injury a sprained wrist. Daniels is expected to engage in limited practice. . . . Tyer said Moss's left hamstring was sore and his practice would be curtailed this week.