In 'Great Shape,' Portis Is Ready to Get a Little Taste of Action

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis is scheduled to make his preseason debut tomorrow night against the Buffalo Bills at FedEx Field.

"Oh, yeah, Clinton is going to get out there a little," offensive coordinator Sherman Smith said yesterday after the afternoon practice at Redskins Park. "He's just going to go out and play a series or two, he may not even play 10 plays. We're going to put the ball in his hands to just see the quickness. He's in great shape, he's ready, so just run behind this line and get some time."

Portis, who sat out the Redskins' preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts last week, said he plans to keep it simple against the Bills.

"I'm not looking to see nothing. I'm looking to see how long they're [going to] leave me out there, to be honest," Portis said. "Is this [going to be] good? For who? For y'all? For the media? For the public? I guess. But what's good for [Number] 26 is rest. Rest is important. Rest is vital."

Smith, who played a key role in the success of former Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl running back Eddie George, said Portis is the type of player he enjoys coaching. "You can see he's a special running back," Smith said. "He's got great patience as a runner. He can explode when he sees it, he's got great feet in the hole and he's a good decision maker."

Plan for Quarterbacks

Coach Jim Zorn said he might rotate his quarterbacks differently than he did in the preseason opener. Starter Jason Campbell again will open the game with the first team, but rookie Colt Brennan might go in next, instead of backup Todd Collins.

Zorn wants to see Brennan operate in different aspects of the offense, considering that a few weeks from now Brennan will be relegated to holding a clipboard for a year as he develops. "We may mix and match here as we go on," Zorn said.

Regardless, Collins and Brennan will be playing a lot again, with the starters out there for three series at the most.

Cartwright Injured

The only new injury yesterday was to running back-special teams star Rock Cartwright. According to Cartwright, some cartilage pulled away from bone in his rib cage, which is very sore. The problem has lingered all week, but he couldn't play through it.

Cartwright is undeterred about trying to play tomorrow -- "I'll see what it feels like [today] and try to give it a go," he said -- but the coaches likely will force him to rest this weekend.

Schmitt Says He's Done

Fullback Pete Schmitt left Redskins Park after rejoining the team this week, saying he was through with football. The Redskins released Schmitt just before training camp and re-signed him Monday.

"He just hung it up," Zorn said. "He just stepped aside and said, 'You know what, maybe this is not for me.' " The Redskins used Schmitt's roster spot to re-sign safety Justin Hamilton, who was released by Washington in May. The team needed a defensive back because cornerback Shawn Springs (Achilles' tendon), safety LaRon Landry (hamstring) and safety Chris Horton (stomach flu) missed practice yesterday, and cornerback Carlos Rogers, who underwent major knee surgery last fall, is not scheduled to play Saturday. Hamilton played at Virginia Tech and is from Clintwood, Va.

A Chance to See Favre

Brett the Jet mania is running rampant in the Big Apple and the Redskins will experience it firsthand Aug. 16 when they play their third preseason game. Brett Favre, traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Jets, likely will make his debut against the Redskins that night.

Zorn, who is a part of the same West Coast offensive tree as Favre, thinks the future Hall of Famer will throw a pass or two in that game. "We get to see him next week, pretty exciting stuff," Zorn said. "I don't know how ready he will be if they have a lot of different terminology. I imagine we'll get to face him. It's been a real emotional ride for him."

Former Jet Pete Kendall knows what a madhouse Giants Stadium can be, even without Favre's debut in a night game that will only prolong the tailgating revelry. "It's pretty serious already," Kendall said of the partying. "But I think it's great for the team and it's great for the fans."

Kendall, by the way, is still using the green shoulder pads he brought with him from New York last year. "I just wear whatever they put in my locker."

Cornerback Shawn Springs said it will be strange just seeing Favre in a different uniform. "Man, I'm not going to know how to act if I see Brett Favre in a Jets uniform," Springs said. "I don't know what I'm going to do. It's going to look weird, man, but I'm quite sure Brett's going to be himself and go out there and have fun."

Rookie Moore Earns Praise

Rookie safety Kareem Moore continues to earn high marks and could play a substantial role Saturday. He appears to be recovered from the knee problems that hindered him early in camp -- Moore is coming off surgery -- and is practicing well. Zorn praised his body control and the efficiency of his movement, calling him a "tremendous athlete."