; 1Z5 E: 1872  L: 97063 - 97132  OPR: 1  TYP: 1  C
Provided by copyright (c)1997 Associated Press
TUESDAY 10/28/97  4:10:38
^Harvey, Simmons will miss Bears game<
^By JOSEPH WHITE=
^AP Sports Writer=
   ASHBURN, Va. (AP) _ Just when it seemed it couldn't get any
worse for the Washington Redskins, it did.
   After losing three out of four games, coach Norv Turner
announced Monday that two of the team's most reliable veterans of
the past few years, Ken Harvey and Ed Simmons, will miss next
week's game at Chicago _ and possibly more.
   Both players had to leave Sunday's 20-17 home loss to the
Baltimore Ravens, adding to a laundry list of injuries that has
Turner shuffling and scrambling to put together a lineup.
   ``We've got to make some changes. We've got to find a way to get
our best guys on the field,'' Turner said. ``We've got to find a
way to win a couple of games while we're in this situation.''
   The Redskins are 4-4 and seem to be headed nowhere fast. Their
only consolation is that NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia
have the same record, and the New York Giants (6-3) have yet to
convince anyone that they're for real.
   ``Jacksonville was 3-6 last year, and went to the playoffs,''
Turner said. ``Every year a team seems to do it, and we're going to
do everything we can to have us be the team this year.''
   But the Jaguars didn't have an injury list this long. Michael
Westbrook and Bob Dahl are already ruled out for Sunday, while
Terry Allen, Kenard Lang, Jamal Duff, Chris Mims and Rich Owens all
need to have a good week of recuperation if they are to make it on
the field against the Bears.
   Harvey, a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker, has started 72
consecutive games, but for several weeks he's had a problem with a
sprained left shoulder that keeps slipping out of joint.
   ``I watched him running, one arm's moving and the other's
strapped to the other side,'' Turner said. ``You can't go play on
one arm. We're going to try to get him healthy so he can be Ken
Harvey.''
   Rookie second-round draft pick Greg Jones, who has seen time at
defensive end the past two weeks because of injuries to the line,
will get his first NFL start in Harvey's place.
   Right tackle Simmons has a strained left calf, probably from
overcompensating for his chronically sore right knee. Replacement
Darryl Ashmore has not played well _ he had two fourth-quarter
penalties Sunday _ so Turner will have to rejigger his line
completely.
   Left tackle Shar Pourdanesh will likely move to right tackle,
with Joe Patton moving from left guard to left tackle. Rookie Brad
Badger, who started the season opener because of injuries, gets the
call at left guard.
   Turner said both Harvey and Simmons could be out two to three
weeks.
   The defensive line doesn't look much better. Duff was on
crutches Monday with a sprained ankle, Mims received a cortisone
shot for an abdominal sprain, and Owens saw a doctor about a mild
back sprain.
   It's a group that's struggled no matter who was playing. Bam
Morris on Sunday became the fifth running back this season to run
for 100 yards against the Redskins, and Baltimore was a yard shy of
becoming the fourth team to get 200 yards total rushing.
   In a desperation move, the Redskins were actually playing both
safeties near the line of scrimmage _ a nine-man front _ and they
still couldn't stop Morris.
   ``You can't put any more people up there,'' Turner said. ``There
are some areas in the run defense where we aren't quite good
enough.''
   One solution might be to give in to holdout franchise player
Sean Gilbert, who has to sign by Nov. 4 if he is to play this year.
But barring a surprise reversal in policy, the Redskins aren't
about to pay the defensive lineman the $4.5 million per year he
wants.
   ``I'd love to see him here,'' Turner said. ``Teams lose a player
for the season by injury. If Sean doesn't make it here this year,
in my mind that's what happened.''