The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A day after skipping practice following his arrest on a drunken driving charge, Washington Redskins rookie safety Sean Taylor was granted an excused absence Friday. In fact, the team told him to stay away until Monday.

Taylor will be inactive for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers, the fallout from being charged with driving under the influence and refusing a breathalyzer test after being stopped by a Virginia trooper early Thursday.

Taylor was not at Redskins Park for Friday's practice. Coach Joe Gibbs said the No. 5 overall draft pick will not be at today's walkthrough or Sunday's game.

"He's not going to play this weekend, so I think it's good for him from a standpoint of media attention for the team and all that kind of stuff," Gibbs said. "It'd be better for the rest of us to spend the rest of the week concentrating on Green Bay."

The Redskins have to handle Taylor's situation carefully, because they can't directly punish him over the charges unless he admits to them or is found guilty. But Gibbs can penalize Taylor for missing Thursday's practice and team meetings without notice.

Taylor was stopped by a state trooper around 2:45 a.m. Thursday. The whole episode violated the No. 1 rule Gibbs gave his players at the beginning of the season: Don't embarrass the Redskins.

"I realize we're dealing with young guys," Gibbs said. "They make mistakes. In general, we trust them. They're real professional. You've got to be smart. You've got a lot of time to vacation, be with your family or whatever. During the season, it's the time when you're trying to be focused on football."

Taylor's absence leaves the Redskins without their two top safeties. Matt Bowen is out for the season with a knee injury, leaving Ryan Clark and Andre Lott - with just seven career NFL starts between them - as the probable starters against the Packers.

In other news, the Redskins released tight end Fred Baxter, giving him an injury settlement after he injured his hamstring in practice this week. Baxter wasn't even around for one game, having been signed after Walter Rasby was cut.

VIKINGS: Minnesota wide receiver Randy Moss was upgraded to probable for Sunday's game against the New York Giants after participating in an entire practice for the first time in nearly two weeks.

"That's big," coach Mike Tice said. "We're pretty excited."

Moss, who strained his right hamstring in a win at New Orleans Oct. 17, made a token start last week against Tennessee but played just two snaps as a decoy. He is expected to play a larger role against the Giants Sunday, but he won't be at full strength for at least two more weeks.

The five-time Pro Bowler leads the Vikings with 394 yards receiving and eight touchdowns this season. He's tied with running back Mewelde Moore for the team lead in receptions with 26.

Moss has played in 102 consecutive games.

JAGUARS: Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor was upgraded to probable and should start at Houston despite a leg injury.

Taylor returned to practice Thursday after sitting out a day with a strained quadriceps muscle.

He was hurt in the second half of last week's game at Indianapolis, pulling up at the end of a long run and limping back to the sideline. He returned to finish with 174 total yards.

Right guard Chris Naeole also was upgraded to probable with an ankle injury.

But defensive tackle Willie Blade was added to the injury report and listed as questionable with a back injury. Blade played the first five games but was inactive against Kansas City and then suspended last week against the Colts for conduct detrimental to the team. Coach Jack Del Rio has refused to give any details.

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