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.