The Redskins, who finished 2-2 in the preseason, have been unable to get their entire first-team offense on the field at the same time this preseason, but for a few drills before kickoff, the unit was together. Portis and Samuels, who have missed every exhibition game, were in uniform and warmed up before the game. Each tested his injured knee slightly more than in the past, but neither was in the lineup.
"Discretion was the better part of valor," Gibbs said of Portis.
Portis and Samuels will go into next weekend's opener feeling their way, not having taken a real hit or competed against an opponent in a month or more. Starting left guard Pete Kendall made his Redskins debut a week after being acquired from the Jets, and he, too, will be less than 100 percent come Sept. 9. Though physically fit, he never will have played with Samuels, his left-side partner, and still is getting acquainted with teammates and the scheme. Kendall came off with the entire starting offense after the scoring drive, admittedly not yet versed in the nuances of this scheme.