This week, Todd is recovering from MCL and Achilles injuries, forcing him to sit out Thursday night's victory against the Chicago Bears. He discusses what to expect this week from Todd Collins, who filled in for starting quarterback Jason Campbell to lead the team to victory against the Bears; as well as how he and the team handled their short work week following the death of teammate Sean Taylor.
At 6-7 and coming off a much-needed conference victory, the Washington Redskins are in the thick of the playoff race for the sixth and final wild-card spot in the NFC. Making the victory even more impressive is the fact that it was their second game in four days, coming just three days after Sean Taylor was laid to rest.
"It's good to get it behind us. Sean will be missed and we certainly won't forget him, but we did get some closure with his funeral," Wade said.
With two days to prepare, Todd and the team had no doubts about facing the Bears.
"I expected to beat Chicago. We all did. We had enough time to prepare and the coaches had us ready," Wade said.
Wade, however, was deactivated due to a lingering knee injury, which forced him to miss Week twelve's contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Regarding his progress, Wade commented, "I'm coming along well. I have a tougher time moving to my right than my left, which affects my power when exploding with my right foot and dragging my left knee (MCL)."
He added, "This has been one of the toughest seasons for me so far in dealing with injuries. Right now I'm getting over my sprained MCL and tendonitis in my right Achilles I've had for the whole regular season. Lately I've tried to get healthy during the week to make it back in time for the game. Until I'm 100% and Coach Bugel has confidence in that, I won't be able to play. I don't help the team when I'm not healthy and trying to block very good defenders. It's been frustrating. It's more of his decision than mine."
This Sunday night, with his return uncertain, the Redskins may rely on rookie Stephon Heyer to help protect Collins from an aggressive Giants' defense that leads the NFL with 47 sacks. Collins, who hasn't started an NFL game since 1997, came in and put up impressive numbers last week against a team that, for years, has prided itself on their defense. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in his first game action in two years. His performance earned him the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week.
Echoing the sentiments of the rest of the team, Wade expressed confidence in the 13-year veteran, "Todd Collins played a great game. I expect him to do the same this week as well. He knows this system as well as anyone."
Tune in again next week for 'On the Line with Todd Wade'.
Behind the Facemask:
Q. What person most influenced your football career?
A. Coaches and teammates from high school to college to the NFL all influenced my career. There wasn't one in particular who did more than anyone. I'll always be thankful for them.
Q. What is your favorite movie and why?
A. My dad introduced me to "Sergeant York," a very old movie based off a true story from World War I. The whole movie contains a little bit of everything that is good for people.
Our thanks to Todd for his time and for interacting with Redskin fans every week.
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