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#HailMail: 2016 Cardinals Week

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Redskins.com's Stephen Czarda answers YOUR questions submitted on Twitter about the Redskins' roster and more as the team prepares for a Week 13 matchup with the Cardinals.


Randy LaFlair Sr. asks: @Redskins will @Real_JordanReed be out this week with his shoulder injury? Hope not we need him!! #HailMail #HTTR

When asked about his shoulder by reporters on Monday, Jordan Reed – who suffered a grade 3 separation against the Dallas Cowboys -- said his range of motion is about "30 percent" right now, but he doesn't need any surgery. That's the good news.

His status for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals isn't entirely known, however, as he considers himself day-to-day.

"If I go out there I just got to make sure it's ready to go," Reed said of his shoulder. "They're not going to try and put me out there unless I got strength in my arm and I can move it and things like that. If I'm able to do that I'm going to play, if not then I can't play."

Backtracking to last Thursday for a minute, what Reed did in his return was rather remarkable. Early in the second quarter, Reed fell hard on his shoulder in the end zone and eventually walked into the locker room. It looked as if his day was done, only for the Florida product to reemerge on the sideline before the start of the second half.

Tearing through a Cowboys defense that didn't have an answer for Reed, he'd haul in 80 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

"I think it has a lot to do with my maturity and things like that – how I've grown, and how my teammates look at me and the faith they have in me to come through in certain situations," Reed said of his return to the field. "And when I'm not out there, I feel like I'm letting them down. I don't like to miss time."

Now, if Reed can't play this Sunday, then the Redskins will look to Vernon Davis to produce. That hasn't been an issue for the 32-year-old, as he's experienced quite the comeback season, hauling in 31 receptions for 450 yards and two touchdowns. Six different games this season he's recorded at least 50 receiving yards.

The Cardinals, however, have been exceptional against tight ends this season, not allowing a single touchdown for a player at the position through 11 games. So it will be a difficult matchup even if Reed is active.


RJ asks: Do you think Dustin Hopkins kicking woes needs to be addressed? #HailMail

The Redskins remain confident in Hopkins despite his recent struggles (he's missed five field goals in the last five games).

Two of those misses came against the Cowboys last week in the Redskins' five-point loss, as Hopkins failed to convert on attempts from 46 and 55 yards.

His first miss came after the Redskins called a timeout on a kick he made (Morgan Moses had to sprint onto the field to replace an injured Brandon Scherff).

The second miss was from 55 yards out into a blazing sun.

"I'm not worried about him," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said. " A [55] yarder, you know, it's hard, and to your point, maybe I should have punted but I have faith that he's going to make those kicks.  I see him do it every day in practice. On the shorter field goal, he missed it, so, overall, I think his field goal percentage is still pretty solid for an NFL kicker. I think it's up there at the top of the line, so I don't have any thought that he's going to wilt down the stretch.  I think he's going to be fine."

While Hopkins is now 25-of-31 (80.6 percent) on field goal attempts this season, the Florida State product is still second in field goal makes and third in touchbacks with 47.

He has another appearance in a dome this week before facing colder and harsher weather down the stretch.


@ZwayZylo asks: @Redskins With Scherff and other offensive linemen pretty beat up how is the O line preparing? #HailMail

The offensive line is a little bit banged up right now, but this is a tough group.

With the 2016 NFL Combine underway, Redskins.com will look back at past Redskins that attended the event. Here's photos of Brandon Scherff.

Morgan Moses has been battling an ankle injury since the Bengals game in late October, but has appeared on all but three of the offense's 204 plays over the last three weeks.

Brandon Scherff has also recently been bothered by an ankle injury, but hasn't missed a single snap since being removed from the Redskins' game against the Lions last month for a handful of plays due to a shoulder injury.

Ty Nsekhe appeared on the injury report last week with an ankle injury as well, although he played all 75 offensive snaps for the Redskins against the Cowboys.

All three were credited by Gruden for their grittiness against Dallas.

"I'm really impressed with Brandon," Gruden said in his postgame press conference. "Those two guys [Scherff and tight end Jordan Reed] – ordinary guys probably wouldn't have come back in – but those two guys are extraordinary people and players and they both fought through injuries as Morgan did, as Ty Nsekhe did."

Scherff – who did not participate in Monday's practice – told CSN Mid-Atlantic's JP Finlay that he should be "good to go" against the Cardinals, while there's no reason to believe either Nsekhe or Moses won't play based on their track records.

Arie Kouandjio started a game at left guard earlier this year and could be ready to go in place of Scherff if needed.

If the two banged up tackles can get through Sunday's game, meanwhile, they'll receive a big boost with the impending return of Trent Williams next week. 

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