Hello again from Redskins Park. The regular season finally starts on Sunday when the Redskins host the Miami Dolphins. Not much going on out here today -- it's the traditional player's day off although several players -- LaRon Landry, Santana Moss, Phillip Daniels, Ladell Betts, Sean Taylor -- have been at the complex today.

To preview a couple of the topics I'll be covering: The back-up quarterback situation. Joe Gibbs has made the decision but didn't reveal it on Monday because he had yet to tell the interested parties.The defensive line. A couple readers have ripped me for being critical of them. Well, if they play well, I'll eat my bowl of crow but they're in the they-have-to-show-me category.

Let's get started

From Skins Lover in PG County:
Who has the team kept on the practice squad? And what do you think of Reed Doughty?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I had a note on the practice squad but had to cut it from today's notebook to make room for the No. 2 quarterback update. The practice squad is FB Brian Bell, DE Alex Buzbee, CB John Eubanks, OL Kili Lefotu, LB Matt Sinclair, WR Burl Toler, LB Anthony Trucks, CB Byron Westbrook. Bell and Westbrook were teammates at DeMatha HS and Buzbee played at Georgetown. ... About Doughty. The fact he's still around means the team thinks he's made progress and has upside. It's unlikely he'll get a ton of time on defense but he'll play special teams again this year.

From John:
Can the left side of the line possibly be ready for the season? Kendall and Samuels are slated to start not having taken a single snap together.

Ryan O'Halloran:
True, new LG Pete Kendall has played eight snaps as a Redskin, none of them with Chris Samuels alongside at LT. Samuels is bound to have some rust and has admitted as much. It might take most of the first game for him to get into football shape and I expect the coaches to give him some help in the form of a TE or FB in blocking Jason Taylor. I expect Kendall and Samuels to get on the same page rather quickly. They have a combined 20 years of NFL experience so this isn't their first rodeo.

From Christopher in Baltimore:
Please help me understand what is REALLY going on with the Skins RB situation. Is Clinton Portis taking all the first team work this week? Coach Joe said he will start - but should we expect to see Betts and Portis alternate? I like Betts but I think he surprised some people last year - he is solid backup - but he is not a premier franchise back like CP. Can I expect CP to go for 1200+ yards this season?

Ryan O'Halloran:
What REALLY is going on with the Redskins RB situation really unclear. We won't know for sure what Joe Gibbs has in mind and what his marching orders to Al Saunders are until Sunday's game. Gibbs did say Portis will start, which is pretty interesting considering the guy hasn't played since last November. In the early going this month, I fully expect Portis and Betts to rotate and Betts could get more carries while Portis gets into football shape. I do think Betts can be a No. 1A-type back -- he was a surprise last year but hasn't done it for 16 games. As for Portis, 1,200 yards would be a stretch.

From Joe in Sacramento:
Hello from 3,000 miles away. When the Skins cut Wynn, Marshall and Salave'a it was described as cutting three good locker room guys. There are times when other players are discussed, most notably Lloyd and maybe Taylor, that they are not good locker room guys. Can you give any specific examples of what gives these aforementioned (and other) players these reputations.

Ryan O'Halloran:
Yes, all three guys were good in the locker room and Wynn especially was a respected team leader and go-to guy for the media. Speaking for all the beat writers, we'll miss No. 97, whose locker was just inside the room's main entrance. I would not classify Taylor as a bad locker room guy. Some might because he doesn't talk to the media, but that's sour grapes. Taylor was aloof his first year, opened up a little bit in Year 2 but has been pretty tight-lipped ever sinice. He's a lead-by-my-actions guy. As for Lloyd, when your behavior gets you invited to Joe Gibbs' office twice in a few days (last December), then there is a problem, especially when Gibbs proceeds to tell the media about the meetings. One veteran told me last year that Lloyd is a little too sarcastic, but maybe he's changed this year.

From Steve in Rockville:
Considering they didn't play at all during the preseason, do you expect Portis and/or Samuels to show any signs of rust on Sunday?
From Ryan O'Halloran:
I think they'll show some rust. Samuels I mentioned earlier. Portis' rust will be in how he picks the holes, how he follows his blocks, how he bounces off tacklers. If I'm Saunders, I try to give Clinton about 10 carries and then Betts 20 carries for starters.

From Brett in Wyncote, Pa.:
We all heard that Cooley's deal was six more years at $30 million and that he's happy because now he can possibly "retire a Redskin.” But we hear that all the time and then two years later, the player is a salary cap casualty. What is the deal really worth? How many times will they renegotiate and convert salary into guaranteed money before they cut him and I have to retire yet another jersey to my closet?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Cooley's deal is 6 years, $30 million, including $14 million in guaranteed money. A lot of players use that retirement line and then, as you point out, they're gone a few years later. I think I ran that quote, though, because Cooley is one of those guys that will be here a long time. If a player like Shawn Springs had said earlier in camp he wants to retire here, I probably wouldn't have used it since it probably won't happen. For Cooley, you could foresee him playing the first three years of the deal -- which would make him 29 years old -- and then ripping up the final three years and giving him another 5-year deal, which would carry him until he's 34.

From Gary in Reston:
The Redskins first six games: Dolphins, Eagles, Giants, Lions, Packers, Cardinals ... am I crazy for thinking they could actually open up 5-1?

Ryan O'Halloran:
You're not too crazy. I think the Redskins will go 4-2, losing to the Eagles and Packers. If they go anything less than 4-2, they have no shot at the playoffs. But 5-1? First, they have to hold serve at home, which they haven't been able to do with any consistency since Coach Joe's return. They were 3-5 at FraudEx last year, 6-2 in 2005 and 3-5 in 2004. The game they could steal is Green Bay if the defense is able to pressure Brett Favre into some interceptions. Check out the schedule following the first six games: At Pats, at Jets, vs. Eagles, at Dallas, at Tampa Bay. Yikes.

From Joe in Centerville:
What’s your prediction for Sunday’s game?

Ryan O'Halloran:
It's going to be close, but I think the Redskins win 20-16. The Dolphins are in transition with a new coach and new quarterback and their offense might sputter a little bit. Miami is pretty good defensively so yards may be hard to come by early in the game.

From Donald in Falls Church:
So Coach Joe doesn't want to reveal who his No. 2 QB is. Isn't it a slam-dunk that it's Collins?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I think it will be Collins. Joe didn't want to say what his decision was because he hadn't talked to either player. C'mon Joe. That takes 5 seconds. He knew he would be asked about it after practice yesterday and could have told Collins and Brunell his decision and say he would talk to them more about it later. I hope this thing can be settled on Wednesday.

From Larry in Brooklyn:
All I keep hearing is how the D line will be the major reason this team struggles to win 8 games. Did you pay attention to our D line in 2004 and 2005? Those teams had top 10 defenses. This d-line is just as good if not better. Our back 7 is much better now then it was then. I wish you journalists would do your homework before you make asinine predictions based on your anti-Redskin bias.

Ryan O'Halloran:
How do you really feel Larry? The DL was just part of the reason the defense was bad last year. They didn't create a consistent pass rush and didn't do a solid job against the run. But there were far other problems that contributed to the demise. I did pay attention to the DL in 2004 and 2005. The reason they were effective was because they were healthy and the reason they had some sacks is that Gregg Williams trusted his corners in man coverage so he blitzed safeties and linebackers. If Andre Carter plays the run better and Cornelius Griffin stays healthy, this could be an OK defensive line but for the time being, expect Williams to blitz LBs and DBs to create more pressure. The back 7 is better than last year so I'll give you that point. As for making asinine predictions, it's fun to go out on a limb to create some conversation. As for not doing my homework, I won't touch that one but rest assured I spend several hours each Monday and Tuesday watching that week's Redskins game.

Ryan O'Halloran:
The mailbag is empty but I'll hang out until 3 p.m. if anybody has questions. Send them to skinsmailbag@washingtontimes.com

Ryan O'Halloran:
All right folks. That's all for today. I'll be back next Tuesday at 2 p.m. to rehash the Dolphins game and look ahead to the Monday nighter in Philadelphia. Take care.

Greetings from Redskin Park. The team is off today and tomorrow. Today is a regular day off and Joe Gibbs gave them Wednesday off because they beat Miami. The Redskins will practice Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Even though it was an overtime win, it was pretty non-descript. The big story was the loss of RT Jon Jansen to an ankle injury

Let's get to the questions.

From Brent in Arlington:
What are the pros and cons of the Todd Wade vs. Stephon Heyer battle for the right tackle spot? Is one particularly better than the other in run or pass blocking?

Ryan O'Halloran:
(Sorry for the delay on answering this one. We're having a discussion in the media room about Gibbs' appearance on his radio show and did he or didn't he name Todd Wade the starter at RT) ... I think Wade is the best option and is better at run or pass blocking than Heyer. Wade's pros is his experience. Period. He'll get at least two games to do the job. If after the bye, the Redskins think they have a problem at RT, then maybe Heyer gets a shot.

From William:
Can you give an update on the El Gaucho Bowl '06? Jim Ducibella is
claiming that you never paid up. Is this year double or nothing?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I got off to a flying start -- 13-2. Only the Eagles and Rams let me down. Duce went 10-5 so I hold an enormous three-game edge. As for not paying up, guilty. But we didn't go to Seattle last year so I didn't have the chance. He did pay for our lunch at Hooters this spring.

From Donald in Richmond:
It seems to me that, especially now with Jansen down, the O-line isn't optimal this year for "Joe Gibbs football." Do you disagree? If I'm right, what can they do, given the skill position guys they've got, to still move the ball and get points?

Ryan O'Halloran:
I still think the Redskins will be able to play "Gibbs Football" without Jansen in the lineup. Granted, they may run more to the left side and do some more pulling when running to the right side, but I think their big-picture plan remains the same -- run it first, pass it second. They had 41 runs and 22 passes against Miami.

From Brett:
What's the real story behind making Springs the third CB? We need more information on this because it doesn't make any sense.

Ryan O'Halloran:
The real story will probably never be revealed until Springs leaves the Redskins. Here's what we know. On his radio show at noon, Gibbs said Springs' injury was a hamstring but he wasn't on the injury report because he didn't miss any practice time and, we believe, Springs went to the training staff on his own. Plus, they didn't want the Dolphins to know about the injury. But he should be playing more only because he's their best cover corner.

Ryan O'Halloran:
Got delayed there. Was outside talking to Todd Wade, who confirmed that he was is the starter at RT. And that's the right decision.

From SkinsFan in Alexandria:
Suisham's game-winning FG was right down the middle, and he's been pretty reliable since the Skins signed him. Is it possible our long kicking nightmares are finally over?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Have to admit, Suisham has been pretty impressive since he missed his first field goal of the preseason. He's a good kickofff guy and has a lot of FG range. But long-term, that's really tough to predict when it comes to kickers. Look at the Chiefs. They draft a kicker in the fifth round of this year's draft, hand him the job and after one game, they're looking at a veteran kicker.

From Gary Fogel in Reston:
So Clinton Portis takes off all of the preseason, then looks to be in midseason form in the opener. Guess he was right all along. Does that mean other big-name players might take his approach next summer and skip the preseason, too?

Ryan O'Halloran:
Portis (17 carries, 98 yards) certainly looked good against Miami. I'll give Portis and the Redskins the nod for their decision not to do any playing or practicing in the preseason. But we'll see how that carries over for the next few games. As for other big-name players taking the approach, I think it'll become a trend with running backs especially. Tomlinson, S. Jackson, L. Johnson already do this.

Ryan O'Halloran:
Another news update. Reche Caldwell, who started at receiver for New England last year, is in the building. If he's signed, this really would mark the beginning of the end for Brandon Lloyd. I think Caldwell would instantly become the Redskins No. 3 receiver.

From Brett:
So, what's your prediction for Springs this week? Does he play more? Do they match him up with The Eagles best receiver? (I guess that'd be Reggie Brown.)

Ryan O'Halloran:
If his hamstring is fine, I think he'll play more because the Eagles usually run three-receiver sets and they will definitely try to throw it more than Miami did. I don't think they'll match him up with Brown all the time because the Redskins play sides of the field instead of just individual receivers.

From Jason in D.C.:
For all of the talking that Fred Smoot normally does, I haven't heard him say anything about the gift interception that he dropped on Sunday. Has anyone asked him about that? For as good as he thinks that he is, you'd think that he'd have more than 3 interceptions over the last two seasons.

Ryan O'Halloran:
I don't think Jason will joining the Smooter Fan Club anytime soon. On the INT, Smoot said he was thinking about running before he actually caught it or some mumbo jumbo that he tries to spew and the TV folks each up on a daily basis. The reason Smoot is back with the Redskins is that he stunk with Minnesota. And he wasn't any better on Sunday. He allowed completions of 4, 14, 8, 8 and 14 yards and committed a penalty that kept a Miami drive alive.

From Larry D. in L.A.:
Will Jansen's injury be devastating to the Skins, or just a difficult hurdle to overcome?

Ryan O'Halloran:
It's a difficult hurdle to overcome. Wade is more than competent enough to fill in. The Redskins can't afford more season-ending injuries, though. Tackle was the one place they had some depth.

Ryan O'Halloran:
That's it for this week. Appreciate the questions. Next Tuesday at 2 p.m., I'll be bleary-eyed from the Monday night game in Philadelphia but I'll chat about the game. See ya.

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.