Holly Bugel, daughter of Redskins offensive line coach Joe Bugel, lost her long battle with bone cancer this morning in Arizona. Holly Bugel was 36. Her father had flown to be with her immediately after the Aug. 9 game against Buffalo and returned to practice on Aug. 18. Bugel was on the field this morning  and left  immediately afterwards for Arizona to be with his wife Brenda and surviving daughters Angie and Jennifer. Coach Jim Zorn said that since the family had so much time for Holly's passing, the funeral arrangements were already planned and that Bugel might even return for Saturday's game at Carolina.

"Joe has been very strong, very real about the situation," Zorn said. "He's been real upbeat talking about the little victories, each day has considered a real blessing that his daughter was alive and able to communicate. I can see the pride he had in how his daughter was fighting this illness and the strength that Brenda his wife had to have through this whole thing."

Redskins owner Dan Snyder, who has provided his plane for Bugel's transportation, said, "We've had a loss in the Redskins' family. Our hearts, prayers go out to Joe and his family."

Offensive tackle Jon Jansen, along with guard Randy Thomas and tackle Chris Samuels, the linemen who have been with Bugel the longest, said that Zorn came into the position meeting this morning to get Bugel to come to the phone to talk to his wife. Bugel then returned and told his players.

"He came back in and just told us, 'Hey, love your kids. You never know what's going to happen, ' " Jansen said. "We just [told] him that we love him.

-- David Elfin

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