Hey everybody. I'm back for our first chat since we did one at midseason when the Redskins were 5-3 and in position to claim an NFC wild card spot. Obviously, a lot has happened since, including Sean Taylor's killing and four consecutive losses that leave the Redskins on the edge of the playoff picture entering tomorrow night's game against Chicago.

I have a couple of questions in the mailbag ready to go. Send your questions to skinsmailbag@washingtontimes.com

From Larry in Silver Spring:
Will tomorrow night's game be as emotional as Sunday's, or do you think everyone's ready to move on and focus on football?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I do think the focus will be on football for the Redskins. The vibe around the team yesterday was competely different than it was last week after Taylor's death. When you mention emotion, it's surprising that the Redskins didn't come out with more fire or passion -- they were completing flat. Maybe attending the funeral will give some guys a sense of closure and they can be focused on the current task -- saving their season with a win over the equally desperate 5-7 Bears.

From Jeff G. in Arlington:
I know how close Clinton Portis was with Sean Taylor, and you can see how hard he's taken Sean's death. Do you think it will have any lasting effect on his on-field performance? Clinton obviously struggled against the Bills -- was that an aberration, or cause for concern?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I think Portis bounces back with a good game tomorrow night. He had 25 carries for just 50 yards against the Bills but that was a product of Buffalo playing both safeties near the line of scrimmage and having a solid run defense. Portis didn't exactly have a lot of running room.

From Shalin:
I was wondering if Clinton Portis is going to play tomorrow? There was mention that he hurt his ankle / knee on Sunday against the Bills? Just wondering if Betts will get a look since it is a short healing week for CP?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I expect Portis to play. He told me in the locker room yesterday that he felt pretty good for a Tuesday. Betts is a possiblity to get some more work if Portis' injuries give him trouble early in the game.

From Barry in Reston:
How concerning was Joe Gibbs' performance on Sunday with the timeouts and 10-men-on-the-field?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Very concerning. On the 10-men tribute, Gibbs should have been kept in the loop on that and said as much yesterday. I can't really blame Joe on that one. On the rule deal -- can't call consecutive timeouts to freeze the kicker -- that's a big-time issue. It probably didn't alter the game, Rian Lindell had just connected from 51 yards before the first timeout was called. But there has to be somebody on that staff to get in Joe's ear and tell him/remind him of the rules. In his current game-day role, Gibbs has few duties: Timeouts, replay challenges and fourth-down decisions. He has to be sharper.

From Paul in Arlington:
Is this it for Coach Joe? I'm torn between loyalty to the guy, seeing
him in an obviously tough situation and also wanting him kicked out
to the curb? What are your thoughts?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Tough to say. He won't be kicked to the curb, that's for sure. The decision undoubtedly will be his and his alone. The Danny won't fire him or even send him upstairs to the front office for a year. Last Sunday's game and the timeout fiasco should force Joe to ask himself this question; How much have some of my game-day decisions hurt the cause this year? There is plenty of evidence to suggest it has.

From Bill in Raleigh, N.C.:
So if Joe Gibbs is gone after the year, who's up for that spot? Does
Gregg Williams have any competition?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I think Williams is the leader right now for the post unless The Danny wants to make some noise and blow up the entire operation (save for the front office and VInny, of course). If Williams gets the job, the questions are then: A) Does Al Saunders stay? B) How does Williams co-exist with a front office that likes to get older players?

Ryan O'Halloran:
That's all the questions for today. I'll be back later in the month to wrap things up with a chat.

Greetings from Redskin Park. The team returns to work tomorrow to get ready for Sunday's key NFC East game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Our midseason package -- grades, five plays of the first half -- will run in Wednesday's paper. I'll also have a Redskin Insider on rookie safety LaRon Landry and how different his role was in Sunday's win over the New York Jets.

I can imagine what the ton of the questions would have been had the Redskins laid an egg in the Swamp. Even with the win, fan apathy is at an all-time high since I started covering the team in 2004.

Let's get to the questions. If you have one, send it along to skinsmailbag@washingtontimes.com

From SkinsLover in D.C.:
Why do we not spread teams out inside the 5-yard line and then run the ball instead of always going into a jumbo package?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Sounds like somebody listened to Doc Walker's radio interview with Redskins QB Jason Campbell this morning at SportsTalk 980. Walker's contention, I believe, is that the Redskins should spread the field near the goal-line and then run up the middle, particularly on draw plays. That worked a few times outside the 20-yard line on Sunday. According to my chart, the Redskins had five plays inside the Jets' 10-yard line. They did 2-WR/2-RB on the first three plays. They had 1-WR/2-RB on a first-and-goal play from the 9. And on first-and-goal from the 1, they had their 'Jumbo' -- 2 RB-3 TE. In that situation, first down from the 1, 'Jumbo' is the best option and Portis scored a touchdown. But the spreading-it-out theory has validity anywhere else on the field.

From Donald in Falls Church:
How many wins do you think it's going to take to make the playoffs out of the NFC? Right now, I see the Redskins finishing 9-7. Are they going to need to get to 10-6 to make it?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I, too, have the Redskins projecting to finish 9-7 -- wins over Philadelphia, Buffalo, Chicago and Minnesota. But 10 wins will be needed to grab the last wild card spot. The Redskins are currently seventh in the conference. The Redskins' remaining opponents are 38-27 (counting Dallas' 7-1 record twice). The best chances to steal a 10th win will be in Tampa Bay -- the Bucs are only 5-4 and the season finale against Dallas. If the Cowboys have home-field wrapped up or even a first-round bye secured, I wouldn't expect several front-line players to see a lot of action.

From Chris in Odenton, Md.:
What's the latest on Randy Thomas? Is he still on track to come back in December?

Ryan O'Halloran:
As far as we've been told, Thomas has experienced no set backs since tearing his triceps against Philadelphia in Week 2 and having surgery a few days later. At the time, we were told it was a 10-12 week injury and this is Week 8 of the recovery time. The training staff has been vague when asked about Thomas' return. The Redskins won't know for sure until Thomas gets on the practice field and has the arm wrenched.

From Thad in Annapolis:
Coach Gibbs repeatedly states in his press conferences that all the games are going to be close and it is a real war. Like many Skins fans I am tired of hearing this. The only reason the games are close is because of Gibbs and his conservative nature and lack of imaginative game plan. When are Gibbs and Co. going to dust off the 700-page playbook and let Al call the games? It is very obvious that Gibbs sets the game plans or even overrides plays that AL calls! (This is what I envisioned Redskin Football to be. This is not the NFL of 1980's. QB's are aloud to pass to Wideouts down the field to set up the run) Why did Gibbs bring in AL in the first place then?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Nice rant, Thad. Responding to some of your points. 1. I, too, am tired of hearing Gibbs use the 'war' reference to every game. The reason they'll be close is the Redskins are the same as just about every other team in the NFL -- average.; 2. The Giants and Arizona games in particular stick out as examples of Gibbs' being too close to the vest and wanting to sit on a lead.; 3. I definitely agree that Joe should leave Al alone and let him call whatever he wants for a period of time. If at that point, things aren't working, Gibbs should get re-involved with the game-plan process.; 4. Except for the Arizona game, I'm not sure Gibbs is that involved during the game. But he definitely has his paws on the game plan during the week; 5. Gibbs brought in Saunders because he knew his play-calling ways weren't going to change. Plus, I have to guess that The Danny was involved as well.

From Susan in Silver Spring:
I was interested to see that your colleague Dan Daly skipped Sunday's Skins game in favor of Colts-Pats. What gives? Has Dan jumped off the D.C. bandwagon?

Ryan O'Halloran:
DD was smart -- he went where the "real" football was being played. He got to see a great game in-person instead of DVR'ing it and having to endure Phil Simms as the commentator. Hey, Phil, we get it -- you have meetings with coaches and players leading into the game. There's no need to mention it, oh, 562 times. Dan will be back at FedEx Field this Sunday ... probably because the Patriots are off.

From SkinsLover in D.C.:
Who is Taylor? And what did Coach Gibbs have to go through with him doing the offseason? If reference to the question yesterday about Andy Reid. I thought Gibbs only had two kids?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Taylor is Joe Gibbs' grandson. Last off-season, he was diagnosed with leukemia. Last time I checked, Joe said Taylor is doing OK becuase it was caught so early. And yes, Joe, has the two sons -- J.D. and Coy.

From Peter:
Isn’t it true that the Skins fundamental problem is lack of talent? On both sides of the ball, they have a few very good players, but that’s it. If that is indeed the cause of their lackluster performance, then the answer would appear to be that the organization is unable to figure out how to get and keep the players they need to make it to the big time, but the owner has yet to figure this out, and for reasons of his own, e.g. unwillingness to let go of control, refuses to bring in a GM and take personnel decisions out of the hands of his creature, Vinny Cerrato.

Ryan O'Halloran:
I don't think the problem this year is lack of talent. They've had some injuries and some players (receivers) simply aren't performing. When it comes to personnel, all of the criticism should be directed at team president Gibbs, The Danny and of course, Vinny. My big problem with them is their trading of draft picks but in the case of Pete Kendall, their hand was forced because of their gamble during the off-season that Todd Wade would work out. There still should be a GM in place to be accountable for the personnel decisions and be the face of the organization. That will need to be the case once Gibbs retires.

From Barry in Reston:
At last Clinton Portis broke through with the kind of game we expected on a weekly basis when we traded for him three years ago. So can we expect more 140+-yard games out of CP or was this a one-time breakout?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Yeah, that was a vintage Portis game. About time for that. As for expectations, probably not 140-yard games but if this is the start of something, expect No. 26 to be around 100 yards, assuming he gets 20-plus carries and stays healthy. That's a big assumption, though.

Ryan O'Halloran
The mailbag is empty. I'll have another chat in a few weeks but will be answering questions if you send emails to skinsmailbag@washingtontimes.com.

The Redskins are still waiting for the result of cornerback Carlos Rogers' MRI exam, but it's almost certain that he'll be out at least a month. That would be if Rogers only injured the MCL in his right knee against New England. If it's the ACL, Rogers is done for the year.

Hey everybody from Redskin Park. Welcome to another live chat, reviewing Green Bay and previewing Arizona.

Open locker room was from 12:30-1:30 today. Joe Bugel said he expects Casey Rabach and Todd Wade to play against Arizona. Lorenzo Alexander has been moved from defensive tackle to left offensive tackle behind Chris Samuels. Marcus Washington will try to increase his workload today in practice, which just started.

Send questions to skinsmailbag@washingtontimes

From Henry in Virginia Beach:
Don't you think a big problem with this team is Al Saunders? We have a good Defense and a good QB now but Al is messing it up with his play calling and lack of feel for the game. First, when was the last time one of those reverses actually gained more then 5 yards, so why must we run some version of them 3 times a game? In GB it was raining and guys were dropping and fumbling balls all over the place but lets have 9 guys handle the ball on a rainy day when nobody can hang onto.good play! Second, 3 and 1 Saunders calls a pass to Sellarsguess what Al another drop. Another 3 and 1 and Al pitches the ball back 4 yards to CP and he doesnt even get back to the line of scrimmage.

Ryan O'Halloran:
No, Al Saunders isn't a big problem. Dropped catches are the problem. Portis fumbling is the problem. A creaky offensive is the problem. The reverse has been a successful play for the Redskins since 2004, especially with Moss and Randle El. Before Moss slipped, remember, he fumbled. On third-and-1, that's not an automatic run down against the Packers because Green Bay knew any important run would be going to the left side. Granted, there are always going to be nit picks within any game as it relates to play calling but I think Saunders has called some good games.

Barry in Reston:
What's the latest with the offensvie line?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Center Casey Rabach is expected to play. ... Right tackle Todd Wade hopes to play but will be replaced by current right guard Jason Fabini if he can't go. ... If Fabini moves to tackle, Rick DeMulling or Mike Pucillo will play right guard. ... The big deal is Rabach. If he was unable to play that would require a lot of juggling -- Pucillo to center, DeMulling to right guard, Fabini to right tackle and who knows what kind of chemistry that group would have.

From Pete in Arlington:
How surprised are you by the way the defense is playing?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I thought the defense would be improved but their play has been surprising. I thought they would move up to around 15th or 16th in the league (up from 31st). Instead, they're in the top five (don't have the statistics in front of me). It's already drawing comparisions to the 2004 team but there's a different, I think: Even though they didn't give up yards in '04, they didn't exactly create a ton of turnovers or sacks. This team is on their way to doing that.

From Thad in Annapolis:
After a big win it seems that skins have a let down, with the coaching staff that they have in place this should not happen but it does why?

Ryan O'Halloran:
You're right -- this team has been prone to letdowns ever since Gibbs came back in 2004. Three years ago -- beat Tampa in opener, lose next four; Two years ago -- start 3-0, lose two straight; start 5-3, lose three straight; Last year -- get back to 2-2, lose three straight. This year -- start 2-0, lose to Giants. ... As to why it's happened this year, the Giants loss was a complete letdown. The Redskins for sure thought they would be 3-0 heading into their bye. As for Green Bay, circumstances (injuries) have to be considered but if you're a road underdog, I'm not sure if a loss can be classified as a letdown. As for the coaching staff, I'm sure they're trying to push some buttons this week.

From John in Fairfax:
Do the Cardinals have a chance in you-know-what of winning Sunday?

Ryan O'Halloran:
There's always a chance but in the Cardinals' case, it's not much of a shot, especially if Tim Rattay has to start at quarterback. He's been with the team less than two weeks. The Redskins will win 24-6.

Ryan O'Halloran:
Practice update: Not practicing today are Stephon Heyer, Casey Rabach, Todd Wade, Shawn Springs (in Texas with his ill father) and Pete Kendall (rest). Fabini was at RT, Pucillo at C, DeMulling at RG and Lorenzo Alexander at LG.

Ryan O'Halloran:
That's it for this week. I'll be back Tuesday to talk about the Cardinals and Patriots.

I'm back here at Redskin Park. The typical day-off stuff means not a lot is going on today. The players have to report at 7 a.m. Wednesday for film review and then they'll get into the Green Bay game plan.

The Lions game was probably pretty boring for those at home, but looking at the game from a couple different angles, it was interesting. This is especially true when watching it on the DVR. Gregg Williams and Al Saunders both called smart game plans. Williams never once rushed more than four defenders and the Redskins still got five sacks. He opted to give up everything the Lions wanted to take underneath because he was confident his linebackers could make the tackles. And they did.

Saunders, meanwhile, altered the passing game plan without Santana Moss. Only two of Jason Campbell's 29 attempts traveled further than 20 yards.

The Packers are an interesting team. Obviously Brett Favre is playing well and as Joe Gibbs said on his radio show earlier today, the Pack isn't make much of an effort to run the football. Defensively, they have two solid corners (Al Harris and Charles Woodson) and a prime-time pass rusher (Aaron Kampman).

Let's get to the few questions I've gotten so far. If you have one, send it along to skinsmailbag@washingtontimes.com

From Skinslover in Atlanta:
I'm looking ahead. I think the Cowgirls will lose their next two games first to the Pats, and then to Your Vikes. Will Jackson be back by then for the Vikes and what do you think there chances are to win with or without him?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Glad to start with a question regarding my Vikings, who stink like all get out. Dallas will lose to New England on Sunday in the Game of the Year So Far. But the Cowboys will throttle the Vikings in two weeks. The Cowboys could be 8-1 (although that means they've won at Philly and the Giants) when they host the Redskins in November. If the Vikings have Jackson at QB, they have ZERO chance. Dallas got big-time lucky last night, though.

From Gary in Reston:
Was it me or was Mike Martz out to lunch on Sunday?

Ryan O'Halloran:
No, it wasn't you. It was befuddling how Martz called the Lions' plays. He didn't adjust whatsoever once the Redskins showed they weren't going to be blitzing at all. And for some reason, he didn't use Kevin Jones until the second half. Granted, the Lions had some success with draw plays but the Redskins were giving that up -- sacrifice the 5-yard carry to defend the 15-yard crossing route. And the Lions defensive coaching staff -- they should return their paychecks. They made no effort to pressure Jason Campbell -- he was put on the ground only twice in more than 30 dropbacks.

From Barry in Centerville:
With four games played, how would you grade the following players: Jason Campbell, Clinton Portis, Sean Taylor, Chris Cooley and Shawn Springs?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Jason Campbell -- B: He has four touchdowns, three interceptions, 869 yards passing and an 84.3 rating. He's had some bumps in the road, but that's to be expected. There's no question he's the guy to lead this team.

Clinton Portis -- B: Portis has 66 rushes for 299 yards and three touchdowns. He has also caught 9 passes. He gets a good grade because he didn't have a training camp and yet stepped in right away with 17 carries against Miami. And the guy plays his butt off.

Chris Cooley -- C: He has three touchdowns but only 10 catches for 80 yards in four games. He's been an average player but mostly because of what defenses are doing to cover him.

Sean Taylor -- B: Has two interceptions and isn't missing nearly as many tackles as last year.

Shawn Springs -- Incomplete. I still think they're working him into the lineup.

From Tom in D.C.:
You mentioned the five road games coming up in today's story. What's your prediction on how they come out of his seven-game stretch?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Here goes (subject to change): lose at Green Bay, win over Arizona, lose at NE, win at NYJ, win vs. Philly, lose at Dallas, win at Tampa Bay. ... That would leave the Redskins at 7-4. In the dreadful NFC that would leave them in great position for a wild card berth since Dallas remains the NFC East favorite. The worst case is they go 2-5 during the stretch.

From Bill in Bethesda:
What's surprised you so far in the NFL this season?

Ryan O'Halloran:
In the NFC, New Orleans falling apart (0-4) tops the list. The Saints were bad defensively last year but the offense covered their butts. Now the OL is a turnstile, McAllister is out for the year and the Saints are finished. What this year will show is that Reggie Bush isn't an every-down, between-the-tackles NFL running back.
In the AFC, San Diego's struggles are interesting. But at 2-3, they're only a half-game out of the division lead so I think they might be OK although I said last week they were finished.

Ryan O'Halloran:
Well, that's it for this week. No more questions in the Inbox. See ya next week.

Time to get started. I think this is the ninth Redskins chat of the season.

The team returned to practice yesterday after six days off. They're off today before starting preparation for the Detroit Lions tomorrow.

But there was a bit of news today. Turns out that Clinton Portis' right knee injury is not the same as the tendonitis that kept him out of the preseason. Bubba Tyer was in the media room an hour ago to tell four of mediafolk that Portis sustained a bruised knee against the Giants but that wasn't the reason he wasn't on the field at the end of the game.

I expect Portis to play Sunday against Detroit. Santana Moss is another story.

Let's get to the questions

From Tim:
Let's review -- the Redskins have played 3 games and we have two players on offensive line who perhaps couldn't start for most teams and they are not young plus we have brought in 2 receivers because one we gave 2 draft picks for doesn't play during the game. WE NEED A GENERAL MANAGER. Joe is fine as coach and team organizer, but is not gifted in picking players.

Ryan O'Halloran:
I disagree and agree with Tim on some of his points. Compared to the last few years, playing Wade and Fabini in place of Jansen and Thomas is an upgrade over the depth issues. Those two players aren't Pro Bowlers but they're better than guys like Mark Wilson, Jim Molinaro, Cory Raymer -- guys pressed into service. They're on-par with Ray Brown. ... Where I agree -- the trading of draft picks for Brandon Lloyd may go down as a worse decision than signing Adam Archuleta. At least ol' Archie started for a half a season. Gibbs' strength isn't picking players (that was Bobby Beathard's job in Gibbs Version 1.0). A GM isn't coming anytime soon, though.

From Kevin in Fort Lauderdale:
You wrote that Brandon Lloyd did not participate in post practice drills w/ the other receivers and QB's. What is the deal with Lloyd? Is he a malcontent? Was his talent in S.F. fleeting? Is he buried in the coaches' doghouse?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Glad you picked up on that -- it was pretty noticeable to a couple of us. Lloyd doesn't come out to the field 90 minutes before the game to work with Cambpell, either -- that's Cooley, Randle El, Thrash and now Caldwell. I don't think he showed a lot of talent in SF. As for being a malcontent/in the doghouse, that's a tough thing to speculate on but let's assume they're not happy with him.

From SkinsLover:
Is Lloyd not showing effort in practice? And what's up with signing all these receivers?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Lloyd's lack of playing time is generating more questions this year than Archuleta's awful play did last year. Anyway, we don't see enough of practice to form an opinion on whether a guy is working hard. What's up with the signing of McCardell specifically is that Moss' groin thing may be a season-long concern and after Randle El, the Redskins don't exactly have a lot of proven play-makers on the roster. Thrash is a great special teams player but a possession receiver at best.

From CNYSkinFan in Syracuse:
With a 13 game grind coming up -- how worried should we be that Portis is still hurting after coming off a week of rest during the bye week? Is this gamesmanship by Gibbs or is Portis really hurt? Is this why Portis was not at the end of the game against the Giants?

Ryan O'Halloran:
There should be mild concern about Portis' new right knee injury. The best thing about Clinton is that he plays hard -- every play. The worst thing about Clinton is that he never takes plays off. That means he'll get banged up. Trainer Bubba Tyer said about an hour ago that Portis' knee injury did not prevent him from being available on the final plays against the Giants.

From Gary in Reston:
How brutal could this month be for the Redskins' secondary?

Ryan O'Halloran:
It could be gruesome. The Lions are first in passing yards, the Packers are fourth, the Cardinals are 12th, the Patriots are third. The Redskins rank 13th in pass defense but have to get some turnovers and sacks to slow those teams down.

From Barry in Richmond:
Were the players surprised they got all of last week off?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Not really. But they were definitely thankful. Gibbs had supposedly floated some hints that the team would get the entire week off with a win over the Giants. After the loss, most of us expected him to practice Tuesday and Wednesday. But he said he met with a few of his veterans on Monday and decided it was best to have six days off. We'll see if it works this week.

Ryan O'Halloran:
A bye week evidently means fewer questions so I'm cutting this chat short so I can finish up tomorrow's Insider. I'll be back next week at 2 p.m. to chat about the Lions game and look ahead to the Green Bay game.

Hey everybody. Instead of chatting from Redskin Park, I'm at Casa O'Halloran in Loudoun County because the team is off until next Monday. A somewhat curious decision by coach Joe Gibbs (he's made a lot of those recently, hasn't he?) to give the team an entire week off but they'll be playing 13 straight weeks starting Oct. 7 and they're pretty banged up -- 11 of the 53 players would have been unable to practice today.

Obviously, an interesting loss to the Giants on Sunday. Up 17-3, the Redskins do nothing offensively in the second half and then the final minute left everybody in burgundy-and-gold open to second-guessing. But who among us didn't have the Redskins 2-1 at this point? Granted, I'm sure everybody had them losing that '1' game in Philly and then beating the Giants. In the dreadful NFC, where only Dallas looks to be for real, the loss may come back to haunt the Redskins but there is a ton of opportunities left to steal road games.

I've got the XM Radio Online (Channel 26) cranked up so let's get started.

From Joe in Sacramento, Calif.
Hello from 3,000 miles away. I do not want to harp on this loss, even though it was a big one to lose (at home, with a lead against a divisional opponent), but to me it seems that this teams lacks direction. Since Gibbs returned, the Skins have moved in a better direction, but they are not all together. Saunders saying he does not know why his best player is not on the field? Gibbs saying Betts and Portis are essentially the same (which it is painfully obvious they are not)? And again, absolutely horrible clock management no matter how the coaches spin it. How come with all 3 of these coaches, who are "geniuses" and among the highest paid seem to be on different pages?

Ryan O'Halloran
First, there's nothing wrong with harping on a loss like that. Come next month when the Patriots throttle the Redskins -- that one isn't worth the time to harp on. Your question about direction has been thrown around ever since Gibbs came back in 2004. Ultimately, he's in charge. I don't totally disagree with him saying Betts/Portis are one in the same but I absolutely think Portis should have been in the game on third and fourth downs Sunday from the 1-yard line. As for Saunders saying he had no idea about Portis not being in there -- Al is very close to the vest when it comes to personnel, including Portis' habits of coming out of the game at his choosing. I didn't have big a problem with clock management down the stretch against the Giants as I did the personnel packages and calling the same play twice.

From CNYSkinFan in Syracuse, N.Y.:
Is there any clarity on who calls the plays for the Redskins? I know that Saunders is the OC and calls the plays most of the time but Gibbs has repeatedly said that he makes the decisions on when to kick FGs and go for it on fourth downs. It seems in crucial situations there are a ton of mistakes and wasted time. Is that because too many people are trying to make the decision?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Saunders calls the offensive plays. Period. Has since he got here. Will likely call the plays until he leaves. Gibbs makes the call on to kick field goals or go for it on fourth down and obviously he and Joe Bugel talk to Saunders a lot in-game about the running plays. But the notion that Saunders is a pass-oriented play-caller isn't correct -- his Kansas City offenses were rushing machines. In crucial situations, the mistakes have been penalties, clock management, iffy play-calling. And yes, there are times where they might be too many cooks in the kitchen.

From Mike in Coral Springs, Fla.:
In Gibbs 1, the Redskins were famous for making key half time adjustments, during Gibbs 2 its the opponent that most often makes the winning adjustments. Any theories as to why this is the case?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Couple stats: First half yards/points against Miami -- 95/3; second half -- 305/13
Philadelphia: 209 yards and 10 points by the Redskins in the first half; 126 yards and 10 points in the second half.
Against the Giants: 179 yards and 17 points in first half; 91 yards and zero points in second half.
Translation: The Redskins did a decent job offensively in the second halves against the Dolphins and Eagles. But a couple factors against the Giants -- they didn't have the ball that much until the last 5 minutes and when they did, I felt they didn't pass enough. Their running game was stalled and they shouldn't have sat on the lead.

From SkinsLover in D.C.:
What's the attitude at the Park today, and how does this lost affect the teams bye week schedule? also Carlos calling out the offense in the post game interview...what's up with that? Did CP talk after the game didn't see any interviews with him?

Ryan O'Halloran:
This question was sent to me on Monday. The mood at the Park yesterday was one of the players saying, 'We let one slip away and it stinks' combined with, 'We're still 2-1.' Several players said the loss stung and they didn't sleep that great, which is surprising considering they've played so many games at so many levels. I didn't see Rogers' comments on Comcast after the game but if he's calling out the offense, he needs a mirror to look at himself. Portis did speak with reporters on Monday.

From Irving:
What do they see in Carlos Rogers?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Well, that's direct. But it warrants a discussion since Rogers hasn't progressed as much as a top draft pick should three games into their third season. I write about Carlos a little bit in tomorrow's paper. He's been thrown at 23 times in three games. He better get better in a hurry -- October brings matchups against high-powered passing offenses: Detroit, Green Bay, New England and Arizona.

From Dale:
Given this last game, especially the second half, do you think the offensive line has got it together yet? There only two starters from last year!

Ryan O'Halloran:
Nope, the offensive line doesn't have it together just yet and that's totally understandable since two months ago, Pete Kendall was with the Jets, Todd Wade was a guard (not a tackle) and Jason Fabini a tackle (not a guard). Chris Samuels and Casey Rabach are the only two holdover starters. It's going to take some time for the group to get on the same page communication-wise. That's true in run blocking and pass protection.

From Barry in Reston:
What was the biggest mistake made during the Redskins final offensive drive in terms of time management/play calling?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Let's this the things that went wrong. That'd be easier
1. After getting a first down at the Giants 18 with 1:22 left, Campbell should have spiked it instead of rushing. The shotgun snap went off his chest when he wasn't ready for it and the Redskins lost 3 yards and 15 seconds when Campbell rushed to kill the clock on second down.
2. After getting a first down at the Giants 1 with 58 seconds left, I wouldn't have spiked it. I would have tried to use Campbell on a quick QB sneak or a quick Sellers hand off up the middle to try and surprise the Giants, who had their nickel package on the field. If the Redskins don't make it, there's still plenty of time.
3. I had no problem with the second-down play-call -- play action pass to Sellers that fell incomplete. Sellers wouldn't have scored even if he would have caught it. But on third and fourth downs, you MUST have Clinton Portis in the game.
4. On third down, I would have tried play action and have Campbell on the move again with a run/pass/throw away option.
5. Now, here's the biggest thing. After Betts gets stopped on third down, the Redskins have the same play call on fourth down. But there's nearly 40 seconds remaining. In hindsight, because New York defended that play so well, I would have sent in a new personnel group with a new play or kept the Jumbo package in the game and call a different play.

From John in Fairfax:
After the bye, can we expect to see Reche Caldwell on the field?

Ryan O'Halloran:
If he's here to play, I would expect him to play against Detroit. That will be nearly a month after he signed and he should have a more-than-just-working knowledge of the offense. That would mean, Brandon Lloyd, it's time to get out of uniform.

From anonymous:
Three questions:
1. Last season, there were questions about wheter Gibbs and Saunders were on the same page with play calling and offensive team identity. It seems like that is happening again when you look at the lack of consistency in what they want to do. Is there something going on there that hasn't gotten public yet?
2. On defense, I noticed that Carlos Rogers was the corner in the game during single corner sets as opposed to Springs. Is Rogers the number 1 guy? Please say he isn't, he's terrible and plays way to far off the receiver.
3. What the hell is the deal with Brandon Lloyd?

Ryan O'Halloran:
1. As for the Gibbs/Saunders relationship, I think it's fine and they're on the same page. Saunders has embraced Campbell as a play maker and Saunders' run-game philosophy is in-line. But if the head coach asks the play-caller to be conservative and sit on a lead, the play-caller has to listen.
2. Sorry to disappoint you, but Rogers is your No. 1 corner. Springs is No. 2 and Smoot will be No. 2A when he gets back to full health.
3. Brandon Lloyd's deal? If I had a good answer for that one, I'd be in line to receive an honorary degree in psychology. A different dude, for sure.

From Sidney in Virginia Beach:
Is it just me or does it seem like whenever the Skins have a lead, the coach would go into a conservation mode to "protect the lead" instead of continuing to attack the defense and score? If the offense approaches every possession like they are down by 10 points, that sense of urgency will always be present.

Ryan O'Halloran:
It's not just you. That's been the case since Gibbs came back to the Redskins. In those rare occasions where they've had a double-digit halftime lead, he likes to sit on it and let the defense finish out the game. It cost the Redskins on Sunday. It did cost them last year, I think against Tennessee. The time to sit on a lead is in the last 10 minutes.

From William:
If Joe Nobody (myself) can tell what the Redskins are looking to do when I see how they line up, I wonder what a highly paid Defensive Coordinator, or a 5 million a year Middle Linebacker are able to see from the field. Is it just me?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I just checked the replay of the final snap and Antonio Pierce and Kawika Mitchell are shifting to their right right before the play. They recognized the formation (same as on third down) and knew what coming. It was easy pickings.

From John:
1. Why haven't we seen Brandon Lloyd on the field and involved in the outcome of the game, it seems as if he's being overlooked. Is this because of us quality of play?
2. Is Caldwell a better option than Lloyd?

Ryan O'Halloran:
1. Lloyd is no longer part of the Redskins' short-range offensive plans. He's their fourth receiver and when the team does play four-wide, it's usually Chris Cooley in the slot. And it's ALL because of his quality of play.
2. Caldwell will be a better option once given the chance.

From Doug in Lovell, Maine:
Would you explain why a defensive line gets worn down more than the offensive line by a running attack? I am afraid it is not intuitive since presumably each uses maximum exertion on evey play.

Ryan O'Halloran:
Yeah, that was a topic last week when the Redskins were running it effectively. It's probably more of a mental thing -- giving up 5,6,7 yards a rush can wear down a defensive line mentally as well as physically because getting pounded on might effect their pass rushing abilities.

From Michael:
I have been noticing since the Redskins let Antonio Pierce go to the Giants
three years ago, our defense has been getting "torched" by their offense.
Pierce was the "QB" of Gregg Williams defense and Williams even said he is
the smartest at that position other than Fletcher in his systems. Thus this
begs me to wonder is he giving Eli and the offense "keys" on the Skins
defense against the run and the pass? Sure seems like it.

Ryan O'Halloran:
I think there's some truth to that. The Giants and Redskins play twice a year so that Pierce probably helped the Giants' offense more in 2005 when he was new to the team. The Redskins generally change up their defensive signals often and might go to extra lengths when they face Pierce.

From Brett:
Would it have been legal for Gibbs and/or Al Saunders to tell JC to "huddle up" before getting to the line to run that last play? And, while we're at it, I thought Al and Joe were offensive masterminds. Did we really PLAN to run the same play two times in a row?

Ryan O'Halloran:
It would have been perfectly fine. What I would like to find out next week is whether there was any communication between Bill Lazor into Campbell's helmet radio. If so, the coaches could have told Jason to slow it down or could have sent in a new play. And yes, they planned to run the same play twice.

Ryan O'Halloran:
The mailbox is now empty -- lots of good stuff this week. I'll hang around until 3 p.m. if anybody has questions.

Ryan O'Halloran:
OK, folks, that's all for this week. I'll be back next Tuesday at 2 p.m. where we can discuss Lions-Redskins or the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy or the release of Bruce Springsteen's latest album. Take care.

OK, folks, sorry for the delay. Just got done talking to Marcus Washington and Jason Campbell outside Redskin Park. To the questions.

From SkinsLover:
A couple of questions: First, why did we decide to run another play because Philly called a timeout (before halftime)? Also, why does it seem Carlos Rogers is always the one that gets beat on crucial third or fourth downs?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Joe Gibbs was bailed out by Andy Reid late in last night's first half. With 14 seconds left, Gibbs sent out the field goal team. It was a bad decision -- he has to show more confidence in his young quarterback to do the right thing near the goal-line. Reid called the timeout and Gibbs sent the offense back on to the field and Campbell threw a terrific touchdown pass to Chris Cooley. As for Rogers, it seems that way because that's exactly what's happening. I haven't reviewed the game tape or studied my notes yet but your theory will probably be confirmed.

From Irving:
When does the flex scheduling start?

From Ryan O'Halloran:
The question came in before last night's game but it became a lot more interesting once the Redskins won and went to 2-0. The NFL flex scheduling starts in Week 10 (Nov. 18). The only game that can't be moved for the Redskins is their Thursday night game against Chicago on Dec. 6. In Week 10, the Redskins play at the Cowboys. At the very least, that game will be moved to 4 p.m. Fox is sending its A team -- Buck and Aikman -- to FraudEx for Giants-Redskins.

From Dustin in Syracuse, N.Y.:
Reche Caldwell was inactive and Lloyd missed another chance to score a TD this week. Any chance Caldwell will be active for the Giants game? Or are we looking after the bye week?

Ryan O'Halloran:
The Lloyd pass was overthrown and he would have been out of bounds had he caught it, but again, he pulled up on the play only to start running again. He played only a few snaps and has obviously fallen behind James Thrash. I expect Caldwell to be in uniform against NYG. Simple math would suggest Lloyd would be inactive but stranger things have happened.

From Gary Fogel in Reston:
I hate to be the one to rain on the Skins' parade when they're 2-0 and just beat the Eagles on the road, but how much more impressive (and less nervewracking) would last night's win have been had Campbell been able to connect with a wide-open Moss late in the fourth quarter? Over the long haul, Jason's got to be able to make that throw to become a true top-tier QB, right?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Had Campbell and Moss connected for the touchdown, it would have been an emphatic exclamation point on the victory, making it 27-12. Yes, Campbell has to be able to make that throw and I think he will sooner rather than later. The good sign on that play was how easily Moss got open.

From Brent in Arlington:
I am skeptically optimistic about what I've seen so far this season especially considering the injuries on the O-line. I can't believe how well our backups have stood in there for our starters. In regards to Randy Thomas, is a torn triceps an injury that could sideline him for awhile, or is it something that he'll play through, but will likely be a nagging injury to him all season? Also, our bye week appeared to be unfortunately early, but considering Smoot's hamstring and Randy's triceps, maybe it's a blessing in disguise...thoughts?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Thomas hasn't come back to Redskin Park from getting an MRI on the triceps. If the muscle is completely torn, he's probably out for the season; if it's a partial tear, he could be back in a few weeks. As for the replacements, Todd Wade had a solid debut at right tackle, which isn't surprising considering the guy's a good tackle. Jason Fabini is the new right guard with Thomas injured. His play will be something to monitor more closely. Aside from two false start penalties, he appeared to hold his own. The early bye isn't a bad thing. Although it comes in Week 4, it comes in Week 10 of the season (counting training camp).

From John in Fairfax:
What do you make of the defensive backfield so far? I love the way Taylor is hitting and running around like crazy. But what of Landry and the corners? It seems to be a pretty noticeable improvement over last season.