PLAYER NOTES
--TE Chris Cooley will be sidelined at least three games as he recovers from Oct. 28 surgery on his right ankle.
--P Hunter Smith's groin, which sidelined him in Weeks 5 and 6 before he returned in Week 7, will keep him out again on Sunday. The Redskins will sign former Broncos and Cowboys P Sam Paulescu to replace him on Friday.
--S Chris Horton injured a knee on Thursday and couldn't finish practice. He's questionable for Sunday.
--CB Byron Westbrook didn't practice again on Thursday as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Oct. 27. He won't play Sunday at Atlanta.
--LB H.B. Blades didn't practice again on Thursday as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Oct. 27. He has a chance to play Sunday at Atlanta.
--OT Stephon Heyer took full practice on Thursday with the right knee he sprained on Oct. 26 against Philadelphia and is expected to start again against the Falcons.
--QB Jason Campbell, who sprained his right ankle Oct. 26 against Philadelphia, took full practice and is feeling better. He's expected to start on Sunday.
GAME PLAN
The Falcons' game plan is obvious: Protect Matt Ryan (12 touchdowns, 1,649 yards) long enough to enable the polished second-year quarterback to find ace receiver Roddy White (37 catches, six touchdowns) downfield or Hall of Fame lock tight end Tony Gonzalez (33 catches, three touchdowns) underneath or hand off to power runner Michael Turner (554 yards, eight touchdowns). Ryan had just six interceptions and been sacked six times until suffering three each on Monday against New Orleans. The Redskins counter with a defense that ranks fourth overall and second against the pass but just 22nd against the run despite stud tackle Albert Haynesworth and still-active middle linebacker London Fletcher, 34.
With left tackle Stephon Heyer gimpy and backups Will Montgomery and Mike Williams starting on the right side, pass protection is a big issue for Washington. The absence of Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley (ankle) complicates matters for quarterback Jason Campbell, who was sacked six times last game.
Santana Moss is the only current starter with more than 15 catches for 123 yards. Clinton Portis is averaging 4.1 yards a rush, but take away a 78-yard scamper against then-winless Kansas City and the average is just 3.5. The Redskins would like to sustain drives for their own sake and to keep the potent Falcons offense off the field.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
Falcons WR Roddy White vs. Redskins CBs DeAngelo Hall and Carlos Rogers. White, who had a team-record 1,382 receiving yards in 2008 while making his first Pro Bowl, had an acrobatic touchdown catch and just failed to make a diving end zone grab Monday at New Orleans. Expect former Falcon Hall, who has all three of Washington's interceptions, to have primary responsibility for controlling Matt Ryan's top target.
Falcons DE John Abraham vs. Redskins OTs Stephon Heyer and Levi Jones. After recording 26.5 sacks the past two years, Abraham has dropped off to just three so far this year, but he might well be looking at Sunday's game against Washington as a chance to get untracked. The massive Heyer, who has an ailing right knee, often struggles against speedsters like Abraham. If Heyer can't play, ex-Bengals starter Jones will get the nod.
INJURY IMPACT
If OT Stephon Heyer (knee) can't play at Atlanta on Nov. 8, the Redskins will likely start Levi Jones, who was signed on Oct. 20.
If LB H.B. Blades (knee) is sidelined at Atlanta as expected, rookie LB Robert Henson will likely be active for the first time.
If CB Byron Westbrook (knee) is sidelined at Atlanta as expected, rookie CB Kevin Barnes will likely be active for the first time.
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