Cornerback Carlos Rogers, benched after getting burned by Denver's Brandon Marshall on a double move on a 40-yard touchdown in the first quarter last week, might not start this week. He's not as down about it as he was when he was sat down last year without any real explanation from coordinator Greg Blache.

Secondary coach Jerry Gray, a former Pro Bowl corner, said the staff made the move to protect Rogers and the Redskins.

"I've lived that life," Gray said. "If something happens like that, I feel like, 'OK, it's becoming a trend,' I have to protect this guy. Sometimes as a corner you can lose confidence. I knew they would have picked on him the rest of the game. I have to be smart enough as a coach to say, 'I'm going to protect my guy.' There's a period of embarrassment, and then you get past that and you say, 'OK, coach, why did you do it?' I explain it and then move on."

So what about this week at Dallas, gentlemen?

"I don't expect to be on the bench," Rogers said. "I made a mistake. It happened. Whatever consequences is, I gotta deal with it, I gotta live with it. If (starting is) not the plan, I'm here to support the team. I don't think I'll be just strictly benched. I may come off the bench. I don't know right now. I'm going to continue to prepare, practice, continue to study like I am a starter."

Rogers apparently got more reps than anyone in practice, but veteran Fred Smoot and youngsters Justin Tyron and Lendy Holmes were also in the rotation.

On Thursday, Gray seemed to hint that Rogers will start on Sunday.

"He's responded great," Gray said. "He understands what he has to do ... show who you really are, stop going through the little phase that he'd been going through of giving up double moves. Traditionally, he hasn't given up double moves. And what I saw on film is exactly what I've talked about, taking a little peek back at the quarterback, losing sight of the wide receiver. When you do that, any corner can get beat. I expect for Carlos to bounce back, be the physical guy that he is, and go out there and cover wide receivers

"Last year, when we lost Shawn Springs, we put him on T.O. and he knocked three or four balls down during that game. It's just going through your progression, keep your eyes on the wide receiver and then you'll make a play. Don't try to make a play that's not there."

--P Hunter Smith was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to fullback Mike Sellers on a fake field goal to help the Redskins end a four-game losing streak with a 27-17 upset of the Denver Broncos.

Smith, who was an All-State quarterback in high school in Texas, ran a fake field goal for a touchdown in Week 1 against the New York Giants. He's the first specialist in NFL history to rush and pass for a touchdown in the same year.

Smith said he got a text from Colts All-Pro quarterback Peyton Manning, his teammate the past decade.

"He sent me a text, 'Nice TD throw,' and I sent him back a text, 'You need to get your quarterback rating up where mine is,' " joked Smith, whose perfect 158.3 passer rating, 54.1 points higher than Manning, who ranks third among quarterbacks.

--Fullback Mike Sellers, one of four holdover healthy starters from the 2008 offense, said the spate of backups has given the regulars a lift the past two weeks.

"There's a lot of guys that are really hungry, guys that haven't had the opportunities," Sellers said. "There was a whole different mindset."

Quarterback Jason Campbell, another one of the holdovers, agreed.

"A lot of guys getting their opportunities. ... This may be the only opportunity that you get and you have to make the best of it," Campbell said. "That gives them the energy to go out and play hard and fight."

BY THE NUMBERS
20 -- Years since Washington won consecutive games in Dallas (1987-89). The Redskins won just four of their final 19 games in Texas Stadium (1991, 1995, 2005, 2008).

QUOTE TO NOTE
"Ladell was like, 'It's my time to shine.' He's playing with a vengeance." -- FB Mike Sellers on new starting RB Ladell Betts.

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