August 16-- Camp closed

Todd Collins will follow Jason Campbell as the number 2 QB in Saturday night’s game against the Steelers.. Joe Gibbs is now contending that the race for back-up QB on this team is open.. Collins was 5-5 last week in Tennessee driving the team to their lone offensive score against the Titans.. Brunell was hurried often taking 3 sacks and generating little yardage.. The starting quarterback job is not in debate..

RB Rock Cartwright was held out of practice today after suffering a pulled hamstring.. He is questionable for the Steelers game.. Asked how he would deal with the RB rotation with Rock possibly out and Portis already sidelined, Joe Gibbs said “everybody is going to get in there (meaning Marcus Mason, Dee Brown and Derrick Blaylock) I would expect Ladell Betts to start and Derrick Blaylock to receive the lions share of the carries with the first team..

G Mike Pucillo is excited for his opportunity to start at LG Saturday night.. There is no word whether Todd Wade will suit up for the team this week and if he does, if he’ll play with the second.. That of course would be quite telling.. Pucillo is used both ways in practice at times and is the team’s back-up center and jumbo package tight end.. If this experiment fails, figure on the Skins to watch the waiver wire following the third pre-season game for help at guard..

Injuries: Held out of practice were: T Chris Samuels (knee), RB Clinton Portis (knee), TE Tyler Ecker (groin), RB Rock Cartwright (hamstring)

Returning to practice after missing some earlier this week: WR Antwaan Randle-El (quad), WR Santana Moss (groin/hamstring/hip), DT Anthony Montgomery (knee)

Todd Pinkston could see some time this week with the interchangeable receiver parts this week due to various injuries to the WR core.. Pinkston spoke about the infamous play where he shied away from a hit against the Skins a few years back on national TV and was ultimately crucified by the media.. he said, “those who saw the film know I lost the ball in the lights and that I don’t shy away from hits.”

Training camp is expected to be broken today, with fewer 2-a-days and using the home facility as the training site, this doesn’t have the feel of year’s past, but it is a benchmark for the summer.. The rookies had to put on a performance for the veterans today, as far as I can tell, it included some impressions of the coaches, but they were tight lipped about what would happen..
Joe Gibbs wouldn’t confirm he was closing down camp today saying “last time I told ya’ll it was closed, you told them and then I had a hotel tore up.”

OK men..