Live Q&As

Hey there. Nothing really "dirty" about it. As I said on Twitter, icing is delicious on baked goods, stinks in the NFL. Coaches do this all the time and it's incredibly irritating...and occasionally effective.

Good question. I had a list of things I wanted to see today and I crossed a bunch of them off: touchdowns, a big game from McNabb, really effective offensive movement and a running game. There has to be more than just Portis. Larry Johnson was dreadful. No one else stepped up. The O line is so much improved, but there's only so much those guys can do.

I asked myself that very question. The announcers alluded to it, saying Shanahan was nowhere near the refs. Maybe he felt that the distance made it a gimme.

That second half was dismal, specifically the fourth quarter. The Redskins seemed to be in control and it slipped away; I wouldn't say it was thrown away. Landry had an unbelievable game, he got dinged a couple of times...at crucial points. Same with Doughty. The depth there remains a concern. 

Mike Shanahan talking now, he says Trent Williams will have an MRI. Earlier, they'd said there was a sprain. We'll see what the MRI shows. Could be some torn tissue, maybe not. Some people will tell you that a sprain always means there's a tear of some sort, but there's no reason to panic. It didn't look like a bad injury.

Really? Don't you have to be happy with the progress that's been made from last year? Sure, it's a wretched way to lose and the Redskins could be 0-2 right now after last week. But they finally showed progress on offense. The defense is what it is and that's a good thing. I can't believe you've stayed with 'em through Zorn and you're bailing now. I would say that what we've seen was atrocious football; this was merely bad.

The Gano miss was huge. And so were the injuries as the game wore on. If they'd had a running game, the second half could have been different. They could have played ball-control, ran out the clock and moved the ball into FG position a couple of times. They don't have the horses for the ball-control they needed in the second half.

Yes, he did! With any one else, you might think they'd regret that. I'll bet you he does not.

Tough to be confident when you're the defense and you're getting shredded for over 400 yards -- that goes for both sides. It's just that the Texans got rolling at the right time and, to my way of thinking, had the better depth. You have to say that, on the ol' team-building spectrum, the Texans are farther along. The Redskins need more people at key spots, more depth. And, um, maybe a big ol' defensive end who's interested in playing. Or a coach who's interested in playing him.

Really, has drinking ever really solved anything or made anything better? Of course it has! Hope you've got some sick days at work. Want me to write you a note?

That's the way I roll, but NFL GMs aren't asking me to coach. (I could do better than Todd Haley, I think.) 

See earlier answer. Shanaan: MRI on his knee. You can expect to know more tomorrow.

I did not realize my name is Cincinnati! You know the answer: it's both. The defense wore down; there's a lot for Haslett to look at. But the Texans really are good. The Texans came into this game riding a five-game winning streak (since last season, obvi) and their previous two wins were over the Patriots and the Colts. They're improving and growing. It's a cool thing to watch if they aren't playing the team you root for. 

Yes, he did. I watched a lot of Broncos games as a Cheeves fan. You know, sometimes your own smart ideas can bite you on the buttocks. I'm pretty sure Mike Shanahan does not see the irony in that. 

I had 'em at 7-9 and I'm going to stand by that. 8-8 might put them in the running for a wild card on the first week of January. That would be fun. I think they're gonna fall just a little short of the playoffs, though. They have an old roster and injuries are gonna happen. 

I believe it was a catch. You could see the tape on his forearm and you could see that the ball was between the ground and his arm. In any event, once the call was made the replay wasn't conclusive enough to overturn it. 

Really? You can't mean that. ... Changing the topic: wouldn't you love to know what Kubiak and Shanahan said to each other? 

You're right. That is their MO. It used to be Jason Campbell's fault. It used to be Jm Zorn's fault.  There's been a ton of roster turnover since last year and I'm sure there'll be more this offseason, but Miek Shanahan has to figure this out. That's why they pay him the really really big bucks.

That's why I say 7-9, 8-8. The offense looked better, but do you think Joey Galloway can keep up this pace? Who else besides Moss is gonna catch the ball? And where's the running game? 

Yeah, I don't mean to be a downer. The team is better, offensively and defensively. And it's certainly better coached. You didn't really think they're go from 4-12 to 12-4, did you? They weren't that close to catching fire last year. This is gonna take time.

Well, he was hurt and couldn't go, Shanahan said. He's certainly a big body and he does make a difference when he's out there. He sprained his ankle Wednesday, missed practices and, well, you know what that means. Whether he couldn't go or whether the coach didn't want him is probably a matter of semantics. Perhaps in the past here or in Tennessee, coaches have shrugged, kept him active and put him in for enough plays to keep the offense on its toes. That isn't the way Shanahan is going to work, rightly or wrongly. 

Larry Johnson is not the answer and there really isn't an RB who's stepped up to help Clinton Portis out. He's had two really strong games, but he's doing it by himself.

Even Steven...so what you have is a team that's going to be right around .500. You can't trade Albert Haynesworth for a tube of Neosporin and a box of socks. Everyone knows the Redskins want to be rid of him and no one has a big enough need to give up anything in return. It's what you call a buyer's market. Landry has had two really strong games.

I know you're not the only one who feels this way. I think he has far less involvement with Shanahan in charge. Just watch Shanahan; does he seem like he'd be into small talk with an owner? 

Oldest roster in the league and it's a long season. As for high water or low water...you've got to like their chances in St. Louis.

This was the first overtime game in the history of the Texans, so you've got to cut Kubiak a little slack. But only a little. Who punts in that situation??? You're wrong, though, about 8-8. They're gonna be better than that. 10 wins, I sayeth.

Baby steps, baby steps. Not easy, I know.

I like Doughty and I think he's a very capable backup. He's very, very smart...but you can't have him out there as much as he was tonight. Tend to agree on Buchanon.

You actually get pizza with toppings, so there's that.

Depends on where they pick in the draft. I can't answer that until I know their picks for sure. But it would seem like an area they'd address.

I wondered how you guys were gonna feel about McNabb. He had one of the best performances by a Redskins QB in decades. He can't play defense, too. Or kick. 

Probably a year away from wild card, two from contending for the NFC East. Some of that depends on McNabb's health and whether he re-signs here.

I was referring to his overall performance. For the second game, he had some crucial blocks and he's been solid in pass pro.