The Washington Redskins suffered not only a heartbreaking 31-28 loss to the St. Louis Rams this past Sunday, but they also lost two key defensive starters in the process of what looked like a promising season for the team. As yesterday they found out star outside linebacker Brian Orakpo and defensive end Adam Carriker were declared out for the rest of the season.
Both injuries are heart wrenchingly painful for a team that relies heavily on the front seven of it’s defense that is the strength of the team. With Orakpo suffering a tear to his left pectoral muscle and Carriker a tear to the quad tendon in his right knee in the first quarter of Sunday’s game.
A two-time Pro Bowler, the news is even more painful for Orakpo, who suffered a similar injury last season in the final game of the season while sacking Michael Vick before having surgery on the shoulder in the offseason. He damaged some scar tissue in the shoulder during the preseason last month and never fully appeared 100 percent healthy.
“He can do it all,” coach Mike Shanahan said of Orakpo. “He’s everything you look at in a Pro Bowl linebacker.”
Indeed he can and that is why his injury along with Carriker’s are two huge blows for a promising young team like the Redskins, who will suffer huge setbacks with the replacements at both positions. Especially a steep decline for the replacements expected to step in at outside linebacker for Orakpo.