There are no rookie free agents on the roster, which is unusual, but there are still two unlikely Redskins on the 53-man squad.

Former New Orleans linebacker Alfred Fincher didn't sign with Washington until July 31, shortly after being cut by Detroit, but he was such a force during preseason (20 tackles) that he forced himself onto the roster as the sixth linebacker behind starters Marcus Washington, London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh, top special teams tackle Khary Campbell and 2007 draft pick H.B. Blades.

"I'm really excited to be here, but I'm only a little bit stress-free," said Fincher. "If they have numbers at your position, playing well might not matter."

Former Cleveland safety Justin Hamilton, cut by the Redskins in June but re-signed on Aug. 7, made the most of his second chance. He had 14 tackles and two forced fumbles in his four preseason games, beating out veteran Vernon Fox to join rookies Kareem Moore and Chris Horton as backups to LaRon Landry and Reed Doughty.

"I felt I had pretty much done all I could do, but there are a lot of guys they can bring in to play special teams and be a backup," Hamilton said. "I know if you don't produce, you don't stay, so I've got to produce."

PLAYER PERSONNEL NOTES

-- QB Jason Campbell is 0-2 against the Giants although he has three touchdowns and just one interception in those two games.

-- RB Clinton Portis saw the highs and lows against the Giants during his first four years as a Redskin. Portis carried four times for a career-low nine yards at the Meadowlands in 2005. But he ran for 126 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in Washington's critical 22-10 victory there last year.

-- TE Chris Cooley is a Washington staple, but he didn't top 50 yards or five catches in any of his eight games against the Giants during his previous four seasons.

-- WR Santana Moss, who played home games at Giants Stadium for the New York Jets, had 24 catches for 493 yards and four touchdowns in his first six games as a Redskin against the Giants.

-- WR Antwaan Randle El was held in check as a receiver by the Giants the past two years, catching just seven passes for 95 yards, but he did throw a 48-yard touchdown to Moss against New York in 2006.

-- DE Demetric Evans is expected to start just his second game since 2005 in place of the injured Jason Taylor against the Giants.

-- FS LaRon Landry, who missed the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, is set to start against the Giants.

-- CB Carlos Rogers, who missed the final nine games of 2007 and the wild-card playoff loss with torn knee ligaments, will start or at least play extensively against the Giants.

-- LB Rocky McIntosh, who tore his left ACL last Dec. 16 against the Giants, will start.

GAME PLAN: With the starting line having struggled in its longest preseason test at Carolina and with the Giants owning one of the NFL's top pass rush units even minus Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan, look for coach Jim Zorn to try to keep the Giants off balance with a mix of runs and short passes. Guards Pete Kendall and Randy Thomas and center Casey Rabach need to open holes for No. 1 back Clinton Portis while tackles Chris Samuels and Stephon Heyer have to keep New York ends Justin Tuck and Matthias Kiwanuka out of Jason Campbell's face long enough for him to find Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El and Chris Cooley downfield.

Defensively, the Redskins likely won't blitz Eli Manning under new coordinator Greg Blache as often as they did under predecessor Gregg Williams. Demetric Evans, filling in for injured left end Jason Taylor, will have to be stout against the run as will right end Andre Carter, who's more of a pass rusher. Jeremy Shockey's departure from the Giants will also allow Washington's linebackers to focus more on the run, leaving corners Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers and the rest of the secondary to deal with Plaxico Burress and Co. Eli Manning threw 88 times in the two matchups with the Redskins in 2007, completing 29 for 416 yards.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Redskins RT Stephon Heyer vs. Giants LE Justin Tuck. Heyer stoned Tuck's all-time great predecessor Michael Strahan in Washington's 22-10 upset at the Meadowlands last December. Now he duels with Tuck, who's opening his first year as a starter but who was second on the team with 10 sacks in 2007. This is the 6-6 Heyer's big body against the 274-pound Tuck's quickness.

--Redskins RCB Carlos Rogers vs. Giants WR Plaxico Burress. It's well-known that the Giants saved their 2007 season with a goal-line stand against the Redskins in the final minute of Week 3. What has been forgotten is the play that gave New York the lead to stay in that game in Washington, in which it had trailed 17-3 at halftime, was a 33-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Burress, who beat Rogers with 5:32 left.

INJURY IMPACT:

-- WR Antwaan Randle El will play with a broken bone in his left hand.

-- LB Khary Campbell, the leading special teams tackler the past three years, will play with a thigh bruise.

-- DE Jason Taylor is doubtful with a sprained knee. Demetric Evans will start in his place.

-- S Kareem Moore is doubtful with a strained hamstring. Justin Hamilton will be active if Moore can't play.

-- WR Malcolm Kelly is out with a sore knee. That leaves the Redskins with just four receivers: veterans Santana Moss, James Thrash and Randle El and rookie Devin Thomas.