Redskins fullback Mike Sellers has played in the domes of Minnesota, St. Louis, Indianapolis and in front of notoriously hostile crowds at Oakland, Philadelphia and Kansas City. But Sellers said there's no place louder than Seattle's Qwest Field where Washington will try keep its surprising season going in Saturday's wild card playoff game. That's where the New York Giants were penalized 11 times for false starts in 2005.

"The crowd was ridiculous," Sellers said thinking back to Washington's 2005 playoff loss at Seattle. "That's the loudest stadium I've ever played in. Crowd noise is an issure for us. The guy from Microsoft [Seahawks owner Paul Allen] when he built the stadium, I think he had a few little extras put in."

The Redskins get back to work this morning as they prepare for Saturday's NFC Wild Card game in Seattle (4:30 p.m.). In a change from their procedure two years ago, the Redskins will have a walk-through today, practice Thursday and travel Friday. In January 2006, they headed west on Thursday.

Open locker room is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and Joe Gibbs talks around 3 p.m. I'll have an update if anything is worth an update.

Some nuggets to chew on as people with real jobs return to work after what I hope was a four-day weekend:

* Not that I ever get ahead of myself, but the league has set the Divisional Round playoff schedule. If the Redskins beat Seattle, they would play at Dallas on Sunday, Jan. 13 (4:30 p.m.). On Saturday, Jan. 12, Green Bay (4:30 p.m.) and New England (8 p.m.) host. On Sunday, Indianapolis has the early game (1 p.m.).

* Final regular season rankings for the Redskins offense: 15th in yards (333.3), 12th in rushing (116.9), 14th in passing (216.4), tied for 18th in scoring (20.9), 27th in yards per rush (3.76) and fourth in interception rate.

* Final regular season rankings for the Redskins defense: eighth in yards (305.3), fourth in rushing (91.3), 16th in passing (214.0), fifth in passing yards per completion (5.69), 11th in scoring (19.4), 27th in interception rate and 27th in sack percentage.

* Clinton Portis' 23-yard touchdown run to open the scoring against Dallas was only his third run of 20 or more yards this season. This from 325 carries. Portis departed with eight minutes remaining after a 7-yard gain put him over 100 yards for the contest. It was the first 100-yard game by a Dallas opponent this season.

* In a sign that the Redskins were working the boundaries in the passing game Sunday, they had only 47 yards after the catch. Several receivers toed the sideline to catch passes and Todd Collins did a nice job of throwing low and away from defenders on throws over the middle.

* The Redskins blitzed 14 times against Dallas -- five rushers (one time), six rushers (six times) and seven rushers (seven times). Up 27-3, Gregg Williams dialed up consecutive calls of seven rushers. On the second play, Chris Wilson sacked Brad Johnson when he wasn't blocked. Julius Jones did the proper thing and blocked the rusher closest to the quarterback.

* How good was the NFC East this year? Not only did they qualify three playoff teams for the second straight year (they had two in 2005), they basically beat up on each other. Dallas was 4-2, the Redskins and Giants both 3-3 and Philadelphia 2-4. The only series sweep was Dallas over the Giants.

* In the NFC South, had Tampa Bay played its front-line guys and beat Carolina, the Bucs would have finished 6-0 in the division -- the first team to go winless in the division one year and undefeated the next since the 1999 Rams and the second since 1970.

* Six of the last eight top seeds in the NFC have reached the Super Bowl, including the last three -- Philadelphia, Seattle and Chicago.

While Clinton Portis says he's tired of talking publicly about Sean Taylor, Santana Moss, the other Redskin who was closest to the late safety, said he still talks to him, in a fashion.

"I just let him know that we're playing with him that he's playing with us and that we're playing for him," Moss said. "It's hard. Sometimes I see myself staring off into space, not believing [Taylor's Nov. 27 death] still. This football thing is helping us be able to deal with it. We're using a little bit what he left us with to keep doing what we've been doing
these last few weeks."

Moss said Taylor's shooting has changed his approach to football and to life.

"It makes you hold up, pump your brakes a little bit and realize that this life we live ain't going to be guaranteed," Moss said. "You see things differently. You try to approach things differently. You try to better at what you're doing and take care of your business while you have that chance because you don't know when you're going to get that opportunity again."

Redskins beat reporter Ryan O'Halloran will be on the air today at 3 p.m. on the John Thompson Show on SportsTalk 980-AM.

Dallas' Roy Williams was named today as the replacement for late Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor in next month's Pro Bowl. That makes 12 Cowboys, who despite their NFC-best 13-3 record simply aren't THAT much better than the conference's other playoff teams.

I think the NFL wants fans to watch its meaningless all-star game and since so many deluded souls root for the franchise formerly known as "America's Team (no playoff victories since 1995)," I guess they think this is the ticket.

Tim Cowlishaw, the Dallas Morning News columnist (and member of the Around the Horn panel) who attended last weekend's Redskins rout of Dallas, admits today that he's not worried about the Cowboys' chances of advancing to the NFC title game. ... unless the Redskins beat Seattle on Saturday.

If that's the case, Cowlishaw thinks the Cowboys could lose, which would be a collapse comparable to the Mavericks' upset by Golden State last spring in the NBA Playoffs.

Here's how he finished his column in today's paper:

The Redskins displayed considerable focus in winning their last four games. They weren't easy games. They had to beat defending NFC champion Chicago. They had to finish with wins over the playoff-bound Giants and Cowboys.

Coach Joe Gibbs said they, too, just looked at the task at hand each week and didn't worry about how hard it was to do what they were trying to accomplish.

A team that can run the ball effectively against Dallas has a chance to limit the number of plays that Romo gets. Clinton Portis was the only back all season to rush for 100 yards against Dallas.

Again, I expect a better defensive effort and more imagination from the Cowboys in the playoffs than they showed Sunday. That should be enough to beat any opponent next weekend.

But one team has an outside chance of pulling a Golden State on the Cowboys. And that would be as devastating an ending to what at 11-1 had the potential to be the team's best season ever as what the Warriors did to the Mavericks last April.

Albert Breer blogged about it on the DMN site this morning as well.

- Dallas Morning News: A Dallas Cowboys' collapse would rival Mavericks' failure

- Cowboys blog: The harder they fall

- John Taylor

Redskins rookie linebacker is the son of safety Bennie Blades, who finished his NFL career with the 1997 Seahawks and the nephew of receiver Brian Blades, who played for Seattle from 1988-98. And now Blades will make his playoff debut on Saturday against their old team.

"I lived in Seattle when I was in seventh grade and my dad was in his last year before his career ended with a back injury," Blades said. "I've heard from some of my friends out there once they found out we were going to be playing the Seahawks. My dad was here for our game last week. We called my uncle right afterwards. We were all really excited about this game. He played there a long time, but family ties mean more."

Most players had at least one stocking cap covering their heads during today's brutally cold practice, but one of their teammates was in shorts.

But, it wasn't a typically tough lineman. ... It was punter Derrick Frost. He said he wasn't trying to prove he was macho to his teammates who play more physical positions.

"I wear shorts for practice every day," Frost explained. "I live in Minnesota in the offseason so I'm used to the cold. It's not that big a deal."

More than a couple of players rolled their eyes about Frost's shorts.

Redskins beat writer Ryan O'Halloran and Channel 4's Lindsay Czarniak look back at the win over Dallas, ahead to the game against Seattle and the influx of young talent making an impact.

1. In 2005, the Redskins were 5-6 but reeled off five straight wins to make the playoffs. This year, they were 5-7 but won their final four games to make the playoffs. Which run to the postseason was more impressive?

Ryan: This year's run because of the circumstances. Joe Gibbs said Monday this team has more talent and that's probably true. In 2005, only one of the five teams during the streak reached the playoffs (Giants) and the Redskins didn't play all that great in wins over Arizona and Philadelphia. This year, they won at the Giants and at Minnesota. The offense is playing better down the stretch and while the defense isn't creating the amount of takeaways they did in December 2005, they are doing a better job against the run.

Lindsay: There is no question in my mind that this year is more impressive. It's not just because of the tragedy with Sean that this team has had to deal with and work around, but also the other storylines as in Todd Collins, shaking the dust off and guiding this team to four straight wins. I think Collins' run should restore faith in the fact that Al Saunders system can be as fruitful as touted. Collectively, this team is more impressive considering how all of a sudden, they've been forced to find an identity and it's a balanced offense. The defense doesn't have as many takeaways, but give me a break, with these younger guys stepping up, Reed Doughty, Chris Wilson, etc., to hold the Cowboys to one yard rushing and remain so consistent these past few weeks, my hats off to this group.

2. The Redskins have held four consecutive halftime leads, quite an accomplishment considering their troubles earlier on with the Giants, Philadelphia and Buffalo. What has been a couple of the factors that have contributed to the held leads?

Ryan: I asked Joe about that on Monday and he pointed to the players giving "special effort," which was an interesting answer. I think coaching has been the biggest factor. After losing so many halftime leads by being conservative, I believe Joe went to Al Saunders and Gregg Williams (or vice versa) and said to stay aggressive in the third quarter regardless of the score. That's why the Redskins were passing against Dallas up 20-3 early in the fourth quarter. That's why the Redskins were blitzing Minnesota up 32-14 late in the fourth quarter.

Lindsay: I think it's a matter of the offense finding more of an identity and thus, keeping the defense off the field to avoid getting tired. I think it's been a specific effort to stay aggressive but from the players' perspective, the thing I keep hearing them say is that they are now playing for each other and really gelling together without any room for guys trying to be superstars. I think that that approach has created stronger second half effort from the players.

3. The Redskins continue to get contributions from young players on both sides of the ball. For Ryan, what played into this change in philosophy? For Lindsay, which of the young players (besides LaRon Landry) have been the most impressive in the last few games?

Ryan: This is perhaps Gregg Williams' greatest impact on the Redskins. Sure, he helped chase some free agents that panned out (Springs, Griffin, Daniels, Fletcher) and those who didn't (Archuleta). But most of all, he has added young depth to the defense and in the NFL, young depth = low salaries. Look at the guys who will start or play key reserve roles on Saturday: Landry, Montgomery, Doughty, Golston, Wilson, Blades. A key to the off-season is the offensive staff following suit. The Redskins need to get younger among their reserve offensive linemen. Only two of the projected 11 offensive starters are non-first rounders who are home-grown (Cooley, Heyer).

Lindsay: The key difference is London Fletcher. Gregg Williams needed someone that he could trust for that role and in London, he has that. Whoops, that's Ryan's question. Here's mine. As far as young players, you can't miss Chris Wilson, coming off a two-sack performance and following up what's been a very successful few weeks for the defensive end. Leigh Torrence is really turning it up a notch and although he's striving for more consistency, he seems a lot more comfortable. But the biggest pat on the back goes to Reed Doughty. He has come leaps and bounds since that first game starting for Sean Taylor back at Dallas. He is so strong mentally and physically and really making key plays.

4. The Seahawks haven't changed that much since they beat the Redskins 20-10 in the NFC divisional playoffs. Two-part question: A) What should concern Al Saunders the most? B) What should worry Gregg Williams the most?

Ryan: A) Seahawks defensive end Patrick Kerney has a team-high 14.5 sacks and will be matched up against rookie right tackle Stephon Heyer. Kerney has 61 tackles, suggesting he isn't merely a pass rusher. If he has early success that will change what Saunders can do with his tight ends. B) Seattle hasn't been able to run it but Matt Hasselbeck is better than any quarterback the Redskins have faced during the winning streak. And he won't be shy about testing young safeties LaRon Landry and Reed Doughty.

Lindsay: Al Saunders should be weary of the fact that Patrick Kerney said his defense didn't show up last week against the Falcons. Kerney + bruised ego = lookout. However, Heyer also had a good showing going up against Michael Strahan in NY and Kerney isn't as good as Strahan. For Gregg Williams, he should be concerned about Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's timing and his ability to establish such an offensive rhythm that and the fact that Qwest Field is the toughest place to play in the NFL.

5. Prediction time: Both of you will be making the trip to Seattle -- who ya got and why?

Ryan: My white-flag move a few weeks ago to let Lindsay pick first and then pick the same exact score has panned out; I'm 2-0 because she went with the Redskins on the road to beat Minnesota and then down Dallas at home. Since I think she's going to pick the Redskins, here's why they'll win: They thrive in the underdog role, they should have success in the passing game and they've played a better schedule in Seattle and therefore, are the better team. The Redskins win, meaning yours truly will spend his birthday next Sunday munching on popcorn at Texas Stadium.

Lindsay: Oh but what's a birthday without a little Texas Queso? We know we'll find you at the bar line-dancing later. Just kidding. I am very superstitious and do not like looking ahead to Dallas, but I do think the Redskins will be going back to Texas Stadium and I think it's because of the Redskins defense. I'm looking for the secondary to have a busy day as Seattle has made the switch to a pass happy offense. On the flipside, I do think the Redskins will be able to keep up their passing success and I think the intangible is the most important. This team has come so far, they are extremely focused, battle tested and they are still thriving on the motivation of taking No. 21 on a ride through the playoffs. 17-14, Redskins.

BONUS 6. Now that the college bowl season is almost over, January is a gigantic television month. What's your choice: American Idol, 24, Lost or The Wire?

Ryan: First, thank goodness college football is almost over. The only thing that makes it slightly worse than college basketball is that the games take longer. No playoff = no interest. As for the television shows, it's a huge month. First, Grey's Anatomy finally returns next Thursday. Of the aforementioned shows, in order, it's The Wire, American Idol, 24 and Lost. I've made a New Year's resolution not to dissect every scene from The Wire. I usually pick up American Idol after the auditions -- if I wanted to watch bad singing, I'd stand in front of the mirror.

Lindsay: I don't know why Ryan tries to downplay the fact that he really is the second coming of Barry Manilow. I'm slightly embarrassed because I haven't watched Lost or The Wire, but I know that I would love Lost if I took the time to get into it. I could spend all day watching a marathon run of Grey's Anatomy or Sex in the City but since neither of those are on the list, I'm going with American Idol. I like rooting for the underdog and I love to sing along.

Sounds like it's going to a very tough afternoon to throw the ball tomorrow in Seattle. That's how both the Redskins and Seahawks have preferred to operate of late, but the windy, rainy weather might force the teams to try to win on the ground.

Here's tomorrow's weather forecast for Seattle:

Windy with periods of rain. High near 45F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch.

I got inspired this morning when Peter King's picks landed in my inbox: Why not surf around the Web for a bit (read: too long) to see who the experts (and assorted others) are picking in Saturday's Redskins-Seahawks game? Plus our guys are all on planes bound for Seattle right now; consider this something to tide you over until they land and resume blogging.

This is by no means comprehensive (though it feels damn-near close), and I haven't bothered to add up how many picked one or the other. But if nothing else, this should give you a pretty good feel for what folks out there are saying about the 'Skins and Seahawks.

And now, on to the picks:

- Sports Illustrated's Peter King picks Washington, 23-20

- Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z picks Washington, 31-27

- NFL.com's Pat Kirwin picks Seattle

- MSNBC.com's Jay Novacek (!) takes the Redskins, 24-17

- A bunch of picks over at Yahoo. ... But Chris Carter picks the Redskins, adding this caveat: "Is this the kiss of death for the Redskins since I've picked against them all season?"

- The Sporting News checks in with a Seahawks pick, 27-24, from Vinnie Iyer

- Sportsline's Pete Prisco picks Washington, 20-17

- Deadspin's Big Daddy Drew picks Seattle in a landslide, 31-10, along with this line: "They lose by 21! It's a sign from above!"

- Jeff Zillgitt's Zen pick: Seahawks 24, Redskins 20

- Oh, and there's more from McPaper: Only three of their eight NFL guys take the Redskins.

- FoxSports writer Mike Tanier takes the Seahawks.

- Another big ensemble of heads over at FoxSports.com: Only one out of five, Peter Schrager, takes the Redskins.

- Jim McCabe from the Boston Globe takes the Seahawks

- Terry Bannon of the Chicago Tribune takes the Seahawks, 28-23

- John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (nice Web site!) takes the Seahawks, 27-20

- Bill Simmons, ESPN's Sports Guy, takes Seattle, 30-15. He's concerned about the QB situation for Washington:

Rule No. 1 of the Playoff Manifesto 4.0 says you should never, ever, EVER back a crappy QB on the road. The question remains: Is Collins a crappy QB who caught lightning in a bottle for four games against a favorable schedule, or is Collins quietly giving us the script for the next half-decent Disney sports movie, "The Late Bloomer?" As much as I like Cinderella stories, I'd rather put my money on a 36-year-old career backup playing like a 36-year-old career backup at Qwest Field. Call me crazy.

- Paul Needell of the Newark Star-Ledger takes the Redskins, 24-21

- And, for what it's worth, Kissing Suzy Kolber also picks the Redskins, but I will shoot for keeping my job instead of linking to it. Go use your Google.

- And last, but certainly not least, our very own Ryan O'Halloran and NBC 4's Lindsay Czarniak each too the Redskins over the Seahawks in our Weekly Redskins Debate.

Got a pick? That's what the comments link is for. Enjoy.

- John Taylor

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest, where the sun is actually peeking through on an otherwise glorious Friday afternoon.

Kickoff is about 24 hours away -- I snapped a picture of the stadium from in front of the hotel where most of the D.C. area print reporters are staying tonight.

Some other nuggets:

* The Redskins are scheduled to arrive later this afternoon. Hopefully their charter will be fed. Aboard United's non stop out of Dulles this morning (we were on the plane a shade over six hours), they don't even provide free trail mix for the rank and file in coach class.

* The first Redskins fans have been spotted -- in the hotel lobby.

* Three of the six Seattle P-I reporters who made predictions are going with the Redskins.

* Myself and another reporter decided to live it up getting from the airport to our hotel on the waterfront: $50 for a limo. Can't beat that. And we got a bottle of water.

Here's the thing about the West Coast: The time change stinks. Several of us media types ran into each other in the Marriott lobby this morning around 5:50 a.m. local time and it wasn't because of the anticipation of today's Redskins-Seahawks game.

As I write this, it's a little less than five hours before kickoff. On the injury front, I don't expect James Thrash (ankle) to play, which would open a spot for Keenan McCardell. McCardell hasn't played the last three games, a curious decision because he was a productive No. 4 receiver when Thrash was injured. For Seattle, receiver Deion Branch is doubtful.

Weather update: Overcast, windy, stop-and-starting rain. The gusts are supposed to calm down by kickoff but not the rain.

Today's coaching matchup between Joe Gibbs and Mike Holmgren: They have a combined seven Super Bowl appearances, the fourth-largest total for a playoff matchup. First is Don Shula vs. Marv Levy (10).

There doesn't appear to be an overwhelming buzz in the city for this game. Washington State-Washington men's basketball tonight is drawing a lot of interest. The Sonics are a rumor. At dinner with friends last night in suburban Bellevue, I was told that when the Seahawks and UW football are both winning, this town is without a doubt a UW Football Town.

Finally, two puzzling headlines in today's Seattle Times:

"Can The Hawks Finally Win Must Win Game?" ... This was on the front page of the paper. First, I was taught as a headline writer early in my career to never use the same word twice in the same headline. Second, do they forget that Seattle made the Super Bowl two years ago or won a playoff game last year?

That headline referred to a column on the sports front, with the headline:

"Seahawks Still Have Something To Prove" ... Seattle did win the division.

A shout out from Qwest Field in Seattle where the Redskins and Seahawks tee it up in a little over an hour.

The inactives were just distributed and as expected, Redskins receiver James Thrash is inactive. The others not dressing are Jason Campbell, Omar Stoutmire, Brian Kozlowski, Ryan Boschetti, Kevin Sampson, James Thrash and Alex Buzbee.

Keenan McCardell will dress for the first time in three games.

A big inactive for the Seahawks is receiver Deion Branch.

Attached is a picture from the Washington Times' six positions in the press box. This is clearly one of the best stadiums in the NFL. The downtown atmosphere is cool, and most importantly, it's easy to get via cab from our downtown hotel.

It's NOT raining in Seattle. That should help both the passing offenses of both teams if it stays that way.

Has it occurred to anyone that the Redskins haven't been behind since Todd Collins took over at quarterback in the second quarter on Dec. 6 against Chicago? How does he react if they fall behind?

The sodas in the press box are labeled "The 12th Can" in a play on Seattle's famous "12th Man," the nickname for their fans.

Shawn Springs' interception just before halftime against the Bears and Collins' subsequent touchdown pass to Todd Yoder -- the plays that might have saved the Redskins' season -- were both 21 (as in late safety Sean Taylor's jersey number) yards.

I've been scanning the crowd here at Qwest Field to determine which are the most popular jerseys among Seahawks fans. I'd say the top three appear to be quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, linebacker Lofa Tatupu and linebacker Julian Peterson. There's a smattering of Shaun Alexander jerseys, but not nearly as many as you might have seen two years ago. He has truly fallen out of favor here, apparently.

There are a handful of retro Steve Largent and Jim Zorn shirts, with a few Marcus Trufant, Deion Branch and Bobby Engram jerseys scattered about. Strangely, I have yet to see a shirt for offensive lineman Walter Jones or defensive end Patrick Kerney, both of whom were selected to the Pro Bowl.

A special nod goes to the fan wearing the head of a chicken, with the name "rooster" on the back of his jersey.

Fresh from the "You'll See Everything If You Travel Enough" file: About two-and-a-half hours before game time, police were stationed on and below a 40-foot pedestrian bridge that connects second and fourth streets. Police told The Washington Times they had been trying to talk a fan down for nearly six hours.

- As expected, Seahawks fans enjoyed riding Mike Sellers before the game for his tongue-in-cheek comments to the Times and SportsTalk 980 alleging the Seahawks pipe in crowd noise to Qwest Field. "Pipe this!" yelled a nice fan. (That's original). Coming off the field Sellers put his right hand to his ear and mouthed, "What? I can't hear you."

- In the few moments the sun peeked through the clouds and the rain stopped, the atmosphere on the west side of the stadium about three hours before game was actually pretty electric. One street closed down and it became a street carnival with mom-and-pop food stands with Polish sausages, roasted peanuts and, bless these people, corn dogs. A downtown stadium atmosphere -- what a novel ideal.

- A cool feature about the stadium is a scoreboard dedicated strictly to defensive stats: sacks, tackles for lost yardage, three-and-outs and takeaways. The offensive board is first downs, passing yards, rushing yards and total yards. If you're at FedEx Field, a fan is lucky to know how much time is left in the game.

- On sale throughout the stadium was Jones Pure Cane Soda with Matt Hasselbeck on the label. Quipped one observer: "It's the 12th Can."

- Interesting factoid No. 1: Since 2005, seven quarterbacks have made their first postseason start. Their record is 0-7 with a 53.7-percent completion percentage, two touchdowns, eight interceptions and 17 sacks.

- Interesting factoid No. 2: Washington is only the fourth team in the Super Bowl era to reach the postseason after starting 5-7 and the first since Jacksonville in 1996.

The Redskins begin the offseason with all of their opening day starters under contract for 2008 (late safety Sean Taylor included). But 18 players count at least $3 million against the salary cap for a staggering total of $107.4 million.

Those players are: offensive linemen Jon Jansen, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas; receivers Brandon Lloyd, Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El; running backs Ladell Betts and Clinton Portis; quarterback Mark Brunell; tight end Chris Cooley; defensive linemen Andre Carter, Phillip Daniels and Cornelius Griffin; linebackers London Fletcher and Marcus Washington and cornerback Shawn Springs

Joe Gibbs has resigned as coach and president of the Washington Redskins, the team said today.

Gibbs planned to announce his decision today at a 3 p.m. press conference at Redskin Park.

The 67-year-old Gibbs had just completed what he called his "toughest season," a campaign that included a long string of injuries to key players, the murder of star safety Sean Taylor, four straight heartbreaking defeat, a stirring run to the playoffs and, finally, a first-round exit in the postseason.

The Redskins were eliminated from the playoffs by the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. At a press conference on Monday, Gibbs declined to discuss his future with the team.

The club plans to immediately begin a search for Gibbs' successor.

The Redskins already have two strong candidates in assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams and associate head coach Al Saunders. Williams served as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2003. Saunders coached the San Diego Chargers from 1986 to 1988.

Williams produced three top-10 defenses in his four seasons with the Redskins.

Gibbs compiled a 31-36 record and twice took his team to the playoffs in his second tenure with the Redskins. In his first stint with the club, Gibbs guided the Redskins to four Super Bowls, winning three of them -- a performance that earned him a place in the Hall of Fame after he retired the first time in March 1993.

WIth the news of Joe Gibbs' resignation, the NFL Network has decided to run a four-hour block devoted entirely to the Redskins, including live coverage of Gibbs' press conference at 3 p.m. Programming will include airings of the "America's Game" documentaries that first appeared on the network last year.

Here's the schedule:

1 p.m.: America's Game, 1982 Redskins
2 p.m: America's Game, 1987 Redskins
3 p.m.: Gibbs press conference, live from Redskins Park
4 p.m.: America's Game, 1991 Redskins

UPDATE: Comcast SportsNet will go live with coverage at noon.

12 p.m.: Redskins Radio with Larry Michael and Bram Weinstein LIVE

2 p.m. :SportsNite Special Edition: Goldston, Brown, Thaler and Harris in studio with live shots from Redskin Park

3 p.m.: Joe Gibbs Press Conference LIVE

4 p.m.: SportsNite Special Edition: Continuing Coverage from Joe Gibbs Press Conference

And, MASN is getting into the mix, too.

From 11 a.m. to noon, MASN will interrupt regular programming to provide live coverage from the studios of MASN partner, Redskins Radio/Red Zebra Broadcasting.

At 2 p.m. MASN will resume its live coverage from the studios of Redskins Radio, with a special edition of the John Riggins Show.

MASN will carry Coach Gibbs' press conference live at 3:00 p.m.

Joe Gibbs has been retired as the Washington Redskins coach for a little over 12 hours. The team sent out an e-mail at 8:58 a.m. notifying folks that a press conference would be at 3 p.m.

Some random thoughts about Tuesday, another in a long line of crazy days this season at Redskin Park.

* It was impressive to see the team-wide endorsement of Gregg Williams, the assistant head coach-defense who should be in line to replace Gibbs. The defensive players want Williams as the boss because they respect his system but also because it will likely mean Jason Campbell doesn't have to learn a new system.

* Given several chances during a 54-minute press conference in the Redskin Park Auditorium/Sauna, Gibbs did not make a public endorsement of Williams. This was understandable but concerning if I'm Williams. Gibbs knew he would be putting Snyder behind the 8-ball if he came out and said Williams should get the job. If Snyder then didn't hire Williams, he would be raked across the coals by Redskin Nation.

* The pressure is now on Snyder. The coach he idolized has retired, going 31-36 in four years but making the playoffs twice and bringing stability to the franchise.

* Elevating Williams is both the wise and easy road to take. Wise because it makes the most sense. Easy because it would result in the most seamless transition.

* With the exception of Cowher, the head coaching pool isn't exactly full of Lombardi-types. It would be interesting to see if Snyder takes Pete Carroll's temperature. The former NFL coach has a top college program at USC.

* My crazy candidates: Brian Billick, Marty Schottenheimer (again), Josh McDaniels, Carroll, Nick Saban.

* Finally, Gibbs poked his head into the media room about 6:30 tonight. He looked like the happiest guy in the world. Period.

Not much going on here today at Redskin Park. The assistant coaches are in the building and a couple of them have talked to us or will talk to us later in the day.

As Coaching Search 2008 enters its first day, our guy Jimmy Shapiro sent along some odds, courtesy of Bodog.

The next Redskins coach:

Gregg Williams 2/1, Bill Cowher 5/1, Al Saunders 5/1, Brian Billick 6/1, Jason Garrett 9/1, Mike Singletary 12/1, Rex Ryan 12/1, Jim Caldwell 15/1, Field 2/1.

Todd Collins' role next season:

Starter for the Redskins 2/1, back-up for the Redskins 1/3, starter for another NFL team 3/1, back-up for another NFL team 1/1.

Which position do the Redskins draft in first round:

Offensive line 5/1, Cornerback 3/2, Defensive Line 1/2 , Safety 7/2, Other 2/1.

The murder of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor in November also pushed Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs into retirement.

Gibbs on Tuesday continually cited his family's changed circumstances for his decision to walk away. However, grandson Taylor was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago this month and Gibbs remained on the job. In fact, Taylor, now 3, has been doing much better in recent months and Gibbs has been upbeat when talking about him.

However, Sean Taylor's death at 24 drove home to Gibbs the fragility of life and his desire to spend more time with his family. I maintain that if Sean Taylor hadn't been killed that Joe Gibbs would still be coaching the Redskins at least for 2008, the final season of his original contract.

Retired Redskins coach Joe Gibbs was interviewed on HBO's "Inside The NFL" tonight. Bob Costas was at Redskin Park this morning to talk with Gibbs.

Costas said it was the "first sitdown Joe has done since yesterday's announcement." Well, not really -- The King (George Michael) had him on Channel 4 Tuesday night.

Anyway, some highlights ...

* (on making the decision): "It was like most things, a process really. I was so focused on the season -- I thought we had a chance the way he had been playing. I was so focused on that, the Seattle game was a shock. I thought we were going to win. When I climbed back on the plane, I had a strong feeling that with my family situation changing a lot, I felt like it was time for me to go home."

* (citing family as reason to retire): "It's primarily with Taylor. You always picture in life saying, 'Next year we're going on vacation, next year we're going to do this.' Everybody had always been healthy. Taylor was a shock for all of us and something really tough for my family to go through. There were a lot of changes there. Life doesn't always stay exactly the way you expect it. With those changes and the fact Taylor got sick and Pat staying most of the time in Charlotte, it was one of those things where, where do I need to be?"

* (on his grandson's condition): "He's doing extremely well. I feel so good about where he is right now. He's in the second phase of his treatment and we're excited about that. It's all going extremely well."

* (on Dan Snyder trying to convince him to stay): "When you say to somebody, 'Hey, Dan, if one of your children called and said they need you, you would drop every single thing you've got. You wouldn't care about business or the Redskins.' I think he understood that."

* (On double timeout vs. Buffalo): "I felt all of the emotions anybody would feel. You want to make good decisions and lead the team. That was a crushing point in my professional life. I would have said at the point, honestly, I doubt there will be a positive thing said about me in coaching. That's where I was and how I felt. To see what God did over the next five weeks was amazing."

* (on his legacy): "I think other people have to judge that. That's the great thing about the NFL. I take great pride in what happened with the Redskins and the way we fought and where we are. Those other things are up to somebody else."

* (On feeling content with his decision): "I feel real comfortable with this. I've been blessed beyond belief. . . . I figured I would coach the junior high the rest of my life. How did I get to do this?"

Redskins beat writer Ryan O'Halloran and Channel 4's Lindsay Czarniak chat about Joe Gibbs' retirement, Dan Snyder's big decision, the loss to Seattle, which players might not return next season and make predictions for this weekend's playoff games.

1. Joe Gibbs will never coach another NFL game. When he finished his season-ending briefing on Monday night, what was your gut take - he's simply negotiating an extension for him and his staff or he's really thinking about retirement?

Lindsay: Once the Redskins beat Minnesota, I had a gut feeling that this would be it for Coach. I can't say why but seeing him after that win, I felt like he had a different ease about him and that's when I came to my personal conclusion that no matter what happened from there on out, he could walk away from the game and feel great about what his team had done (at that point, winning three in a row). So on Monday, when he was non-committal, I really thought he was going to announce his retirement. I didn't expect him to do it the next morning, but I felt like it would be the final scene in the end of the Hollywood movie that should be made about this season: Coach, saying "thanks, but no thanks" with a big smile on his face.

Ryan: Not until I got official word Tuesday around 9 a.m. did I really think he was going to retire. I was always of the opinion that Joe would coach out his contract barring a personal health scare. But as Earnest Byner said yesterday, looking back, there were indicators. Joe really talked about spending time with his family and those precious moments in the last few months - that should have been a sign he's thinking about retirement. And even though the Redskins rebounded from the Timeout Debacle, that could have also been a sign to Joe that it was time. Giving credit where it's due, Lindsay correctly predicted Monday afternoon at the Park that Joe was retiring - in 2-4 weeks. A bet was made and I lost ... again.

2. What were your impressions of the 54-minute press conference on Tuesday. Was anything surprising said or not said?

Lindsay: I felt surprised that I had sympathy for Dan Snyder because I can't begin to imagine how disappointing this must be for him. I was both happy and shocked that Coach seemed so clearly at peace and excited about his decision. I not even once thought that he wasn't doing exactly what he wanted and knew he should be doing. He was so in command. I was surprised that Snyder said the last time he talked to Bill Cowher was six years ago.

Ryan: I feel shocked/stunned that Lindsay had sympathy for The Danny. I, well, didn't. He's just so non-impressive as a public speaker and given the chance to pontificate about the state of the franchise, he gave us a story about how he and Joe's wife text message. So the heck what. It wasn't surprising that Joe didn't give an endorsement of Gregg Williams because he didn't want to hang The Danny out to dry in case he doesn’t choose Williams. It was also amusing that The Danny said the front office structure wasn't broke. Two playoff wins in 10 years. A 31-36 record the last four seasons. OK.

3. The players have overwhelming endorsed Gregg Williams to be Gibbs' successor. How poor a decision would it be for The Danny to hire somebody from outside the team?

Lindsay: It would be a grand mistake. I think this is a time when continuity is a must and I'm concerned that if someone else comes in, Gregg Williams gets a job somewhere else and I do not want to see him leave this team. I don't want to see a change in defensive scheme but also I think he is a real motivator. I want to know more about the dynamic between Williams and Saunders because I want to see them both stay. Ultimately, I don't think this team needs an overhaul and that is my fear with someone coming in from the outside. You keep it internal, you have no excuses, you give the new coach power of personnel and you have a team that has grown in a unique way and will make a run to the playoffs.

Ryan: It would be a blunder ... except if they can get Bill Cowher. If The Danny can lure Cowher away from television and North Carolina a year before he was expected to return to the NFL, then you have to look at that. But when Cowher says no thanks, the best option is Williams. And that's not because he'll become the next Belichick. It's the best thing to do right now. Jason Campbell doesn't need to learn a new system. The defense needs to stay in a 4-3 scheme. I think the dynamic between Williams and Saunders would work - Gregg the head coach would give Al the offensive play caller more freedom to be aggressive and wouldn't meddle as much as Joe did. I would not give Gregg last call on personnel – it has to remain a collaborative effort since a GM isn't likely to be hired in the near future.

4. Two-parter - A) You're the owner - who do you hire. B) You're the coach - which key assistants do you retain?

Lindsay: I love this game!!!! A) If I'm the owner, I hire Gregg Williams as my head coach and I look long and hard at linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti at the spot of defensive coordinator. B) If I'm the coach, I retain the majority of my staff, including Al Saunders. I need a new linebackers coach since I bump up K.O. as they call him to coordinator.
 

Ryan: A) Hire Williams. But I also make major changes to the front office and work with Williams to find a personnel chief that can take care of the behind-the-scenes stuff. That would require some house-cleaning. B) As the coach, I would definitely keep Saunders and Bill Lazor on offense because they're key to Campbell's development. I'd probably keep Joe Bugel. On defense, I'd try and steal Dick LeBeau from Pittsburgh but when the Steelers balk, I'd promote Jerry Gray to run the defense.

5. A question about the Seattle game: When the Redskins led 14-13 and then recovered a pooch kickoff, were you thinking in the press box, "I should start looking at flights to Dallas," or "Another fourth-quarter flop is looming."?
 

Lindsay: I was amongst the media texting our office to say "never mind" to cutting the plays that we had selected to describe the Redskins loss. What began the momentum shift for me was the Cooley catch and then, when I saw Landry make those two picks, I couldn't help but think that this was another one for Sean. When Santana Moss got the touchdown, I thought it was a done deal. I have to say though, that when the Redskins lost, I found it so symbolic of the season. The string of great plays to put them in position to beat the Seahawks only to be stopped in their tracks. They looked especially worn out to me at the end and I thought this team deserved to feel proud for what they'd accomplished, despite the loss.

Ryan: I had already booked my travel to Dallas since I was heading there regardless of the result but had the Redskins scored a touchdown after the recovered kickoff, it would have been 21-13 and that would have been enough for them to hold on. But when Shaun Suisham missed a field goal and it remained 14-13, I figured it was over. Like Lindsay said, the story of this Redskins team on the field is that they’re good enough to put themselves into position to win but not great enough to actually cash in on all of those opportunities.

BONUS 6. The new coach will have some personnel decisions to make with free agents and those with high salary cap numbers. Staying or going - Collins, Cartwright, Springs, Griffin, Jansen, Thomas, Daniels, Godfrey, Caldwell, Prioleau?

Lindsay: Staying - Cartwright, Springs, Griffin, Daniels, Jansen should be a definite as far as I'm concerned. I think Collins will be hard to retain because anyone can see it was no "fluke" that he did so well last season. The others, I could see remaining, but am not certain.

Ryan: All bets are off if Williams doesn't get the job. But assuming he does ... Cartwright will get more money elsewhere and depart. Collins stays when nobody offers him a legitimate chance to win a starting job. Griffin and Daniels re-work their deals to stay. Springs hangs around because he’s loyal to Gregg. Caldwell and Prioleau won’t return. Tough decisions need to be made on Jansen and Thomas but I think they ultimately are asked back.
 

BONUS 7. Who you got in this weekend's playoff games - Seahawks-Packers, Jaguars-Patriots, Chargers-Colts and Giants-Cowboys?

Lindsay: Seahawks over Packers (love the Brett Favre story, but I'm on Hasselbeck's bandwagon). Patriots over Jags, Colts over Chargers and Giants over Cowboys (cut Eli a break!!!!)

Ryan: Packers (close), Patriots (by 10 or more), Colts (in a rout) and Giants (in a high-scoring game).

Remember how so many of the Redskins noted that they beat the Cowboys by 21 (as in late safety Sean Taylor's jersey number)?

And you noticed, of course, that the Redskins lost their playoff game by 21 points as their magical run expired.

How about this? Washington has the 21st pick in April's college draft.

Dan Snyder has started his coaching search with Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, a protege of Gregg Williams, the Redskins' assistant head coach/defense who's viewed by most as the leading candidate for Washington's coaching vacancy.

NFL sources confirmed that Snyder and Schwartz were meeting today at an undisclosed location to discusss the 41-year-old Baltimore native replacing Joe Gibbs, who retired on Tuesday.

Colts assistant head coach Jim Caldwell and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks both declined to comment on their interest in the Redskins' coaching vacancy.

Caldwell and Meeks, both of whom are black, would fulfill the Redskins' obligations under the NFL's Rooney Rule. With Indianapolis' upset loss to San Diego today, both men are now available to be interviewed.

One complication with Caldwell is that he's believed to be the leading candidate to succeed Tony Dungy if the the Colts' coach, as is considered quite possible, retires.