Deep Thoughts on Their Mind

A Week After Getting Torched by Owens, Redskins' Secondary Must Deal With Galloway

Shawn Springs swears that when he tried to defend standout wide receiver Joey Galloway on the scout-team defense as an Ohio State freshman, there would be an audible whoosh as the upperclassman sprinted past him. Time after time, Springs would try to backpedal for a stride or two, but almost instantly the cornerback was chasing the essentially unstoppable Galloway.

This was 13 years ago, and today the friends will renew their competition. While Springs certainly has improved -- he credits those teenage battles with Galloway and wide receiver Terry Glenn with helping his maturation into an elite defensive back -- Galloway, the eighth overall pick in 1995, has refused to slow down, remaining one of the premier deep threats in the game.

A week after Washington's deep zone defense was scorched for three long touchdowns by Dallas's Terrell Owens, it faces another massive test without top safety Sean Taylor, who is suffering from a knee injury. The Redskins cannot afford to have their safeties get caught out of position, or bite on any fakes from quarterback Jeff Garcia, because even at age 36, Galloway is a game-breaking force.

"A lot of the things that [Owens] scored on were our mistakes," safety Reed Doughty said. "He capitalized on them, and that's what good players do, but I don't think there's a whole lot of things that we have to change. We just have to get better at what we're doing."

Redskins safety Pierson Prioleau joked earlier this week that he thought Galloway had changed his No. 84 to Owens's No. 81, that the Tampa Bay wide receiver had found a way to turn back the clock.

"We've got to stop big plays from Joey Galloway this week," Prioleau said.

Galloway is tied for the NFL lead with five catches of 40 yards or more, and, among the league's top 50 receiving leaders, Galloway is tops with an average of 17.8 yards per catch.

"The guy takes great care of himself, and the guy can really run fast," Tampa Bay Coach Jon Gruden said during a conference call. "That's well documented. But the great story is he's had two very serious knee operations, and in his first game as a Buccaneer [the 2004 season opener against Washington], he ripped his groin off the bone, and he's been able to come back from all of that. It's unbelievable what he can do. He's really God-blessed in his talents, but he really works at it, too."

The Redskins probably will employ a lot of cover-2 today -- with two deep safeties and one shaded to double-team Galloway -- as well as cover-3, with the field split into thirds to take away space downfield. Springs often is used in man coverage on an opponent's top wide receiver within that zone scheme, getting help over the top from a safety, and there will be no lack of respect shown to Galloway. No one wants a repeat of Owens's numbers from a week ago.

"I'm glad he's on our team," Tampa Bay star cornerback Ronde Barber said of Galloway, whom he faces in practice. "I'd hate to have to deal with a 37-year-old guy with the experience he has, and to still have that explosiveness. He's a big asset for us. I'm glad we have him."