Every week, Redskins.com chats with a Redskins coach about a hot topic. This week: associate head coach-offense Al Saunders discusses Todd Collins:
"I wasn't surprised with his performance last Thursday against the Chicago Bears. I would expect Todd to play at a high level when he has the opportunity to play.
"It's like any other thing: the guys around him have to perform at a high level also. They played extremely well, and Todd put the ball in the hands of the playmakers. He has the capability of doing that.
"Todd is a very intelligent guy and when you've played in this league in a backup role for a long time, you have to have a special type of personality and a special type of patience to perform at a high level in a practice environment, yet have enough character to be a real solid teammate.
"He was very supportive of Jason, and he was very supportive of Mark Brunell last year when Mark started. Todd has a lot of respect from his teammates and certainly the coaching staff.
"I never worried about Todd's enthusiasm for the game. He was a great pitcher at Michigan. He was a great basketball player in high school. People don't realize that he's a tremendous athlete.
"He just has been in a situation where he hasn't been a starter and he hasn't had an opportunity to play. I've always felt like if he did have an opportunity, he would do extremely well.
"Todd has never been someone who had his spirits get down due to not playing in 10 years. He understood his role everywhere he was. He played in Kansas City behind a guy [in Trent Green] who was throwing for 4,000 yards every year and was in the Pro Bowl. Todd is a consummate professional in terms of the way he prepares and what he has to do.
"I think Todd's quick release is real important to his game. Todd has great anticipation. That's how he has been able to be effective as a quarterback.
"The last quarterback I was around that had the kind of quality was Kurt Warner. He didn't have a real strong arm, but he understood the system so well and he got the ball out.
"Dan Fouts was a guy like that and Joe Montana was a guy like that. Now I'm not trying to compare Todd to them, but that quality of play is imperative to someone like Todd who depends on timing and rhythm for the success of the passing game."
