Bilder » The 29-year-old has 20 goals and 41 points in 5

ASHBURN, Va. -- Michael Vick says its taken him 10 years to learn when to slide. Robert Griffin III figures hell have it down pat just a few days from now. "Monday night," the Washington Redskins quarterback said Wednesday, adding a big smile as he spoke to reporters. "I mean, you guys have been talking to me about it for eight months. I think its ingrained in my head now. Ill be getting down on Monday night." After eight months of rehab on his reconstructed right knee, its finally all-systems-go for Griffin to play in the prime-time Week 1 opener against Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles. Griffin said theres a chance he could be even more emotional than when he made his NFL debut a year ago. His stated goal: "Play like you were never gone." But not necessarily play the same. This is the second time Griffin has returned from major knee surgery. He said the first time around, after he was hurt playing for Baylor in 2009, was "a lot more scary" because he didnt know if would be his old self again. When he did return, he didnt change how he played. This time, he says he will. After missing all or part of four games in his rookie NFL season because of injuries, he almost has to. "Its a different mentality in college," Griffin said. "Youre trying to get to the pros, and there are lot more different things you can do at that level that are frowned upon at this level. I just know Ive got to be safe and slide and still play fearless. Im not going out there and play scared." Changing the mindset isnt easy. Vick, 33, is a decade older than Griffin and has had more than his share of injuries while making his name as a run-pass quarterback. Coaches and teammates have implored him to learn to slide for years, and only now does it sound as if the message is finally getting through. "What Ive learned is you have to be cautious," Vick said, "because these guys in this league, they hit so hard, and we only weigh about 210 pounds, 215 pounds. And these guys are taking all types of angles on us, and we dont even see them sometimes, so its important for us to protect ourselves and be conscious of where we are on the field and most importantly understand what we mean to our football team. "It happens over time, and I can honestly tell you I didnt learn it until this year. This preseason was the most I got down and slid, and ran with a sense of getting down and not trying to score all the time. I think once you tell yourself thats what youre going to do, then you kind of ingrain it in your mind." But instincts are hard to unlearn. Vick went also headfirst -- instead of feet-first -- more than once during this preseason. Griffin sat out the preseason and was cleared for Week 1 last week by Dr. James Andrews, although coach Mike Shanahan said at the time that Andrews also had unspecified "concerns." Andrews later contradicted the coach, saying there were "no concerns." Shanahan then said the "concerns" were discussed among doctor, coach and player on Sunday but didnt reveal what they are. Griffin declined to be drawn in the fray Wednesday, other than to say that he also had no concerns about his knee. "Bottom line," Griffin said, "is Im ready to go." Notes: NT Barry Cofield has an enormous cast to protect the broken bone in his right hand and will probably have to wear it in the game. He says it wont affect his performance, but one problem is that he cant buckle his own chinstrap. He says he seeks help from a different teammate before every play so as not to burden any one person. "Its like a family effort," he said. ... S Brandon Meriweather has a groin injury to go along with his sore knee, making him the top injury worry headed into Mondays game. Adidas Originals Superstar Shoes Canada . Quarterback Drew Willy appeared to injure his throwing hand on the third last play of practice Thursday. Adidas Superstra Wholesale Canada . -- Ben Brust scored 19 points to lead six Wisconsin players in double figures as the No. http://www.wholesalesuperstarcanada.com/ . Ghoulam has put pen to paper on a four and a half year deal, tying him to Napoli until 2018. The 22-year-old Algeria international, who played for France at Under 21 level, has made 87 league appearances in four seasons at Saint-Etienne. Adidas Superstar Clearance Sale . Vargas (8-3) allowed four singles and two walks while striking out five, allowing only two runners from a diluted Twins lineup to reach second base. Mike Moustakas and Jarrod Dyson hit RBI singles in the second inning against Kevin Correia (4-10), and that was all Vargas needed. Adidas Superstar Shoes Canada . The injury will keep the Finnish forward out of the Olympics. The 29-year-old has 20 goals and 41 points in 56 games this season, his first with Tampa Bay.Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins was admitted to a local hospital Tuesday for a viral infection that has kept him out of the teams past three games. The Kings announced Wednesday that Cousins will not play in Fridays home tilt against Indiana as well as Saturdays game versus Orlando. The team is hopeful hell be able to return when Sacramento closes out its current homestand Monday against Utah.dddddddddddd Cousins in in the midst of a career season, having averaged 23.5 points and an NBA-best 12.6 rebounds thus far in 2014-15. The fifth-year pro is currently tied for sixth in the league in scoring. The Kings have lost every game that Cousins has missed during this stretch, though those defeats came to three of the leagues top teams in San Antonio, Memphis and Toronto. ' ' '