Although I'm here in Chicago for the USA Media Summit/Dog-and-Pony Show, we're on a break, which allowed me to glance at the Redskins schedule.

A few thoughts:

1. The Redskins got no favors from the NFL. They start on the road. They finish on the road. But in what can be described as a quirk, the Redskins play their first three division games on the road. They're at the Giants in Week 1, Dallas in Week 4 and Philadelphia in Week 5. That puts a premium on winning the home games against New Orleans and Arizona in Weeks 2-3. If the Redskins can enter mid-October at 3-2 or 2-3, they should consider themselves fortunate.

2. The bye week comes at a good spot. The Redskins will play nine games before their week off and will have a full two weeks to gear up for the Cowboys Sunday-night game. The players might argue for an earlier bye since they'll have a training camp of nearly seven weeks (or so we've heard).

3. The Redskins aren't nearly the national television darlings that a team like Cleveland is. The Redskins will play prime-time games in Weeks 1 (at Giants), 9 (Pittsburgh, a Monday nighter so I'm leaving three days ahead of time) and 11 (Dallas). Cleveland didn't even make the playoffs and the Browns have five night games.

4. The NFL still can't get Week 17 right. A cross country trip to San Francisco? That's stupid. The final game should be against a division opponent. Period.

5. Toughest stretch: Weeks 4-5 (at Dallas, at Philly). Easiest stretch: Weeks 2-3 (New Orleans, Arizona).

- Ryan O'Halloran