ESPN

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

The draft started off heavy in the NFC East, as the three teams with first-round picks this year used them on offensive linemen. And while there were a few little surprises and treats along the way, it never really got hot. All four of the division's teams had workmanlike drafts that balanced need and value and didn't stray into any of the juicy storylines. No Manti Te'o, Geno Smith or Tyrann Mathieu for us.

PODCAST
Chuck Cooperstein, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss the Cowboys' draft picks and who was influencing Jerry Jones' decisions. Listen

There was a trade-down in the first round, as the Dallas Cowboys moved out of a No. 18 spot they didn't like and still managed to get their first-round offensive lineman, while adding a third-rounder to the mix. There were two trade-ups in the fourth round, as the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants maneuvered to add quarterbacks in surprising moves. And there were the Washington Redskins, without a first-rounder but fine with it because they have Robert Griffin III, who waited it out and got two talented safeties in the late rounds for a secondary that needs rebuilding.

We'll be breaking this all down for days and weeks and months, but here's a quick early look at the way the 2013 draft went in the NFC East.

BEST MOVE

In the absence of any earth-shaking moves in the early rounds by NFC East teams, I'm going to have to go with the Eagles taking tackle Lane Johnson at No. 4. They probably could have traded down and out of the pick, but this was a draft in which six offensive linemen went in the first 11 picks, and the value of the third-best tackle with the fourth pick was worth hanging in there. After what happened to their offensive line with injuries in 2012, the Eagles were wise to load up there, taking an athletic player who can start at right tackle right away and maybe move to left tackle down the road once Jason Peters is done. It also helps that Johnson is the kind of lineman who can move. If Chip Kelly plans to run a lot of read-option, or even a lot of bubble screens, Johnson's ability to get out and block at the second level is going to be a big help.

Also considered: The Eagles' trade-up for quarterback Matt Barkley at the top of the fourth round. ... The Redskins' getting two quality safeties in the fourth and sixth rounds in Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo. ... The Cowboys trading down in the first round and getting wide receiver Terrance Williams with the third-round pick they added in that deal.

RISKIEST MOVE

There weren't any real big risks taken by NFC East teams with their most valuable picks in the first and second rounds, I didn't think. So I'm going with defensive end Damontre Moore, who went to the Giants in the third round. Moore is a big-time talent with big-time production numbers in college -- 12.5 sacks last year, 26.5 over the past three. But there are good reasons a player as good as he is was still there at pick No. 81, and in Moore's case those reasons include a marijuana bust and a reputation as a young man who struggles with attitude and work ethic.

Now, Moore is just 20 years old, and it's wrong to assume anyone that age will always be what he has been so far. But Moore is the player from this draft whose job it is to bolster the future of the Giants' pass rush with Osi Umenyiora gone and Justin Tuck aging. If he's a solid citizen and produces the way he did at Texas A&M, he's going to be a steal. If he's an attitude case who doesn't take to coaching and causes problems, the Giants are going to have to keep looking for long-term solutions at defensive end in the next several drafts. A third-round pick isn't too much to risk on a player with Moore's potential, but it's a pick with which the Giants could have found help elsewhere. So if he does flop, they will regret it.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

The Eagles pulled the surprise of Day 3, moving up three spots to the top of the fourth round, where they selected USC quarterback Matt Barkley. Most analysts were convinced Kelly would seek a fast, athletic, running quarterback when he finally pulled the trigger on that position, but Barkley was a pro-style pocket passer at USC and doesn't fit the "system" everyone seems to be assuming Kelly is determined to run now that he's in the pros. As you know if you read this blog regularly, I think that's hogwash and that Kelly is smart enough to know that the best way to coach is to find talented players and figure out the best way to coach them -- not come wading in with your own "system" and only look for players who fit it.

Kelly knows Barkley from coaching against him in college, and Barkley is a guy who a year ago was thought of as a possible No. 1 overall pick. If 2012 was just a bad year for him and he ends up being a good NFL quarterback, nobody's going to care that he can't run the read-option. For a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick, which is what it cost the Eagles to move up and take him, it's a worthwhile risk. And it leaves Kelly with a lot of options at the most important position on his team as he begins his first offseason as an NFL coach.

The Giants pulled a surprise of their own later in the round, trading up six picks to select Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib to develop behind Eli Manning. The 32-year-old Manning hasn't missed a game since 2004, so it's unlikely Nassib sees the field anytime soon. But the Giants decided it was time to start thinking down the road at the position.

FILE IT AWAY

I liked the Cowboys' first round more than most people did, because I thought they absolutely needed to come out of that round with an offensive lineman, and they did. And while Travis Frederick may have been a reach at 31, reaching for an offensive lineman wasn't a bad move for this particular team in a draft in which eight offensive linemen went in the top 20 picks. They traded down from 18 and got the pick that netted Frederick and the third-round pick that netted wide receiver Terrance Williams, and they like that pair better than they liked what was available to them at 18.

But they won't have to look far to remember what might have been. The Giants took Syracuse offensive lineman Justin Pugh at 19, which means the Cowboys could have stayed put and picked up a better-regarded lineman than Frederick (though, obviously, not also get Williams in the third). If Pugh turns out to be a great player for the Giants and Frederick flops in Dallas, the Cowboys could end up regretting the Day 1 trade-down in the long run.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware, minus the arm brace he used at the Super Bowl to help in the healing of a shoulder surgery, was a guest on NBC Sports Network on Friday.

PODCAST
ESPN Insider Ed Werder joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Tony Romo's contract extension and what needs to happen for Romo to lead the Cowboys to a championship. Listen

Ware said he tried to recruit then-free agent defensive end Osi Umenyiora to sign with the Cowboys, Umenyiora ended up with the Atlanta Falcons, praised the work of former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, now with the New Orleans Saints, and more importantly said the Cowboys will be better.

"We will not be .500," Ware said. "We will not be .500 like the last two years we’ve been, I can tell you that."

The Cowboys finished the last two seasons at 8-8 and have missed the postseason for three consecutive seasons. Like most veterans on the Cowboys, Ware is tired of being sick and tired of not making the playoffs.

You can blame several people for the lack of recent playoff appearances by the Cowboys, but Ware stopped short of blaming quarterback Tony Romo, who just signed the richest contract in franchise history.

"I think the blame goes on everybody," Ware said. "It's a team sport and everybody has to play up to their potential."

We took last Sunday off, just needed a personal day, and we're back with our Cowboys weekend mailbag.

Here we go:

Q: I know Jerry Jones takes a lot of lip regarding his job as a GM (I've given some myself). Check these names out: Anthony Spencer, Orlando Scandrick, Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Tyron Smith and Demarco Murray. All drafted by Jones. Are we not giving him enough credit? Second, if the Boys' stay healthy, do you think they can win a Super Bowl? Robert Smith (Austin)

A: It's the other types of picks, such as Robert Brewster, David Arkin, Felix Jones among others that don't help Jones. Yes, Jones makes the final decision on those picks, but Wade Phillips wanted Spencer drafted. Phillips also liked Chris Johnson over Felix Jones. Lee and Carter were solid second-round picks who fell because of health issues. Bryant is a talented player, but numerous teams passed him because of potential off-the-field problems. Jones should get credit but the Cowboys have won just two playoff games since their last Super Bowl. That's on Jones' ledger. As far as if they stay healthy, any NFL team, if they stay healthy, can win a Super Bowl. I don't think the Cowboys have Super Bowl talent on the roster, but good enough players to make a run in the postseason, should they get there.

Q: Calvin, I have been a Cowboys fan since I was a kid. I feel like this offseason is a catastrophe. Rather than making tough choices on fading or overpriced veterans (Ratliff, Free, Austin) they just pushed out salaries. I'm asking, is their any reason I should feel confident in what this team is doing or should I spend my fall looking for a hobby? Matt Ellison (Chantilly, Va.)

A: Take up a hobby. Seriously. The Cowboys are a mediocre franchise right now. Consecutive 8-8 seasons with no playoff berth the last three seasons back that up. The Cowboys have some good talent to reach the postseason, but for numerous reasons aren't good enough at the right moments of NFL games to do it.

Q: Hello, Mr. Watkins just wondering if the Cowboys should go after free agent Osi Umenyiora now that Marcus Spears is no longer with the team? Javier (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)

A: Spears is a run stopper and Umenyiora is a pass rusher. You can move Spears to the interior of the line and I think he'll produce for you there. Umenyiora is more of an edge player who has dealt with injuries the last few seasons. While I think Umenyiora is a solid player in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme, the Cowboys have better edge rushers in DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. I'm not sure if the Cowboys want to pay Umenyiora, though the market for pass rushers is down from a financial standpoint and they don't have the cap space available. Dallas has just $102,000 in cap space. Not enough for Umenyiora.

Q: Why is Dallas in the NFC East? How can Dallas address the offensive line problems with less than $200,000 of cap room?
T. Holloway (Virginia Beach, Va.)

A: I'm not going to breakdown the history of why the Cowboys are in the NFC East. But I do understand your question. The division is getting better and you have to question the Cowboys' abilities of improving. I think the Cowboys can't improve in free agency because of a lack of salary cap space. The Cowboys made significant moves in the past regarding free agents and trades. Now they can't do that because of their cap problems. If you're asking do the Cowboys have good players? Yes. Put DeMarcus Ware, Lee, Carter, Bryant on the open market and opposing teams will sign them up. Injuries along the defense hurt and an inconsistent offensive line were the biggest problems for the Cowboys last season. That can't happen again if the team expects to do anything positive in 2013.

Q: Why do you sports writers and sportcasters think they know more than the coaches who interact with players every day? They see them practice, the effort and more importantly they know about nagging injuries that can undermine confidence and productivity. If you were an athlete you know this. Do think the Cowboys staff can't recognize talent? Moy (Houston)

A: Very few sports writers I know, think they're smarter than the coaches. Same with sportscasters. The Cowboys know how to judge talent, just look at some of the players currently on the roster. However sometimes talented players underachieve and scouts miss out on some players. It's not just with the Cowboys, it's with almost every other NFL team.

PHOENIX -- Some Dallas Cowboys-related news and notes after the first day of the NFL owners meetings.

PODCAST
Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith comments on the proposed rule change that would make it illegal for runners to lower their heads and initiate contact with tacklers. Listen

Brian Urlacher a Cowboy? Executive vice president Stephen Jones was asked about the possibility of signing veteran free agent linebacker Brian Urlacher. Jones expressed a fondness for Urlacher, calling him a Hall of Famer, but said it was doubtful it would happen. Jones' point is it wouldn't make sense to sign Urlacher to backup Sean Lee, only to cut him after a year. "You don't ever dismiss Hall of Famers in my book," Jones said. "It would be difficult. He obviously plays what Sean plays. To move everything around for a year doesn't really make a lot of sense. But at the same time, you don't ever rule it out."
Jones was also asked about wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who was released by Jacksonville last week. Robinson has lingering concussion and ankle issues that give the Cowboys pause. "We got to look at the big picture with Laurent," Jones said. "He had some injuries that we're going to be doing our homework on and be going from there."

Can you spare a dime? The Cowboys are down to $102,050 in salary cap space. To make any moves, the Cowboys would have to restructure some contracts or release more players. Of course, signing quarterback Tony Romo to a long-term deal, which would lower his 2013 cap number, is a priority and would create some space.

A crazy training camp: With Larry Allen and former coach Bill Parcells getting inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer, the Cowboys have been invited to play in the Hall of Fame Game, which gives them five preseason games. It creates a crazy travel plan for the Cowboys. Camp would start in Oxnard, Calif., then the team would travel to Canton, Ohio. After the game, the Cowboys most likely would travel back to the West Coast. The team would play one or two preseason games before coming back to Dallas to finish the preseason.

Running back rule changes: NFL officials showed reporters video of legal and potential illegal hits used by ball carries with the crown of their helmet as the league is promoting player safety. "I don't think Emmitt (Smith) ever violated it," said Jones, a member of the NFL's competition committee. "When people first hear it they say, 'Oh my God, we can't do that.' Then they see what the league is talking about in terms of really being in the open field and really dropping that head and using your head as a weapon." If a ball carrier uses his head and isn't penalized, he's still subject to a fine if the rule change is passed. "As a runner in this league, you don't last long if you run tall," said St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher, who added that the NFL wants to bring the shoulder back into the game instead of players leading with their heads.

Financial market for pass rushers down: Some big-name pass rushers -- John Abraham, Osi Umenyiora, Elvis Dumervil and Dwight Freeney -- are still on the free agent market. Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett signed with Seattle. It would have been interesting to see what Anthony Spencer would have commanded on the market, which seems slow. "Obviously, whatever happens in the markets affects others," Jones said. "You have to look at those things. But to say how it effects him and get into the details, that’s unfair."

Fifth in a a 10-part series breaking down the Cowboys' free-agency needs, position-by-position:

Defensive ends

Who’s on the roster: DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer (franchise tag), Tyrone Crawford, Ben Bass.

Analysis: Ware and Spencer will be moving from outside linebacker to defensive end in Monte Kiffin’s new scheme, but they are not completely unfamiliar spots since they had their hands on the ground as pass rushers in the nickel defenses. The difference will be the play-to-play grind of lining up against tackles, which could wear them down. Crawford showed some promise as a rookie in the 3-4 and plays with an energy that should help him get to the quarterback. The Cowboys have some flexibility with the players on their roster. Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore, Crawford and Bass could play tackle and end if needed.

NFL free agents of interest: Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Osi Umenyiora, Dwight Freeney, Israel Idonije, Amobi Okoye.

Need meter: 7. In the 3-4 scheme, a defense can never have enough linebackers. In the 4-3 scheme, you can never have enough pass rushers. New defensive line coach Rod Marinelli worked with Idonije and Okoye in Chicago and might want to bring them to the Cowboys. Neither will be break-the-bank free agents, which makes them a better fit, and they have the ability to get to the passer. Idonije had 7.5 sacks last year for the Bears and also has some position flexibility. Umenyiora and Freeney are situational pass rushers at this point in their careers. If they understand that, then they could be a fit. However, the price tag could be too steep.

» NFC combine preview: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

NFL Nation previews the 2013 scouting combine by identifying the most important thing for each team to learn about its greatest area of need.

Dallas Cowboys: The switch from a 3-4 defensive alignment to a 4-3, and the likelihood of losing Anthony Spencer to free agency, means the Cowboys' greatest need is on the defensive line. Is there a pass-rushing defensive end who will be available with the No. 18 overall pick? Is there a 1-technique nose tackle they could take in the first or second round who would allow them flexibility with other players on that line? Dallas also needs help on the offensive line and will be looking at the top guards. They traded up last year to get cornerback Morris Claiborne. Could they trade up for someone like Alabama guard Chance Warmack?

New York Giants: It's a good year for the Giants to employ their best-player-available philosophy with their No. 19 overall pick, because they have a number of positions of need. Osi Umenyiora has one foot out the door, and you know the Giants like to look at pass-rushers in the first round. But they could also go offensive line, linebacker, cornerback ... any number of ways, really. For the Giants, the combine will be about prioritizing their needs. Perhaps the interview process helps them figure out which player -- rather than which position -- is worthy of their first-round pick.

Philadelphia Eagles: Drafting No. 4 overall, the Eagles need a franchise difference-maker. Their first order of business is finding out whether their quarterback of the future is in this draft. But if guys like Geno Smith and Matt Barkley don't rise to fourth-pick worthiness, the Eagles will need a building-block piece at a vital position. Luke Joeckel at offensive tackle. Star Lotulelei for defensive line. Dee Milliner at cornerback. The Eagles will be able to pick almost anyone they want and probably get a great player as a consolation prize for their terrible season. Though their greatest roster needs right now appear to be on defense, they shouldn't shy away from using that fourth overall pick on a difference-making tackle or even a quarterback if they find one they love. Drafting in the top five isn't about filling an immediate need as much as it's about finding someone around whom you can build for the long term.

Washington Redskins: The Redskins traded their first-round pick in the Robert Griffin III deal and don't pick until No. 51 -- the 19th pick in the second round. This makes their scouting more challenging and their combine itinerary different from that of many other teams. There's no way for them to guess how the first 50 picks will go, so they must cast a wide net as they look for help at safety and cornerback. Fortunately for them, this draft appears deep with talented secondary players. The Redskins' mission this week will be to try to figure out which of the guys they like will still be available for them when it's finally their turn to pick.

Can the New York Giants' pass rush perk up and help a Big Blue defense that held the Falcons offense scoreless during the playoffs last season repeat that performance Sunday in Atlanta?

Can the two men the Dallas Cowboys brought in to be shutdown cornerbacks keep the Steelers receivers covered while Ben Roethlisberger scrambles to keep plays alive?

Can the Washington Redskins scheme, adjust and work around their defensive personnel shortages for another week, keeping Trent Richardson in check and daring Brandon Weeden to beat them in Cleveland?

These are the key storylines Sunday as the NFC East race spins into its final weeks. Amend them with different opponents, and they are likely to remain the key storylines in this division the rest of the way. Although the quarterbacks get all the attention in this division and statistically there's not a top-10 defense in the bunch, the team that plays the best defense in these final three games is the one most likely to emerge with the division title.

The NFC East race is a jumble. The defending champion Giants hold a one-game lead, but they have road games the next two weeks in Atlanta and Baltimore and are far from assured of winning out. The Falcons and Ravens are a combined 11-1 at home this season and 65-11 the past five. Sure, New York is a defending Super Bowl champion that has shown it can win anywhere, but there's not a team out there that could safely assume it would go 2-0 in those games. The Giants are going to have to play the way they played in January, not the way they've played for most of the past month and a half, if they're going to keep control of the division. To do that, they need to be more ferocious on defense.

The Giants have 31 sacks -- tied for 12th most in the league. Jason Pierre-Paul leads them with 6.5. Osi Umenyiora has six. Justin Tuck has only three.

The numbers are fine, but they're not Giants numbers. This is a pass rush that took out Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady en route to its second Super Bowl title in five years. Unless someone gets more than one sack a game the rest of the way, they're going to finish the regular season without anyone in double figures. That doesn't compute, and it has as much to do with why the Giants haven't already put away this division as anything.

It's possible that seeing Ryan and the Falcons will rekindle memories of how dominant they were up front 11 months ago, and if that's the case, the Giants could be the team that gets on the defensive run that gives them the division title.

The Cowboys sit one game back of the Giants, tied with the Redskins for second place. Statistically fine for much of the season, the defense has endured a brutal rash of injuries. Both starting inside linebackers, a starting safety, a starting defensive lineman and their nickel cornerback are on injured reserve. This week, star pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware (elbow) and starting cornerback Morris Claiborne (concussion) have already missed practice. Nose tackle Jay Ratliff remains in doubt, and his backup, Josh Brent, is out because of his well-publicized issues. The Cowboys are running short of players on defense, which could take them right out of this picture if it continues.

But they've made it this far in spite of their deficiencies. They've won four of their past five games. Running back DeMarco Murray is back in the fold, red-hot wide receiver Dez Bryant apparently is determined to play in spite of a broken finger, and the offense is humming.

The defense has to hold it together, and the key is in that secondary. Ware and Anthony Spencer are playing well at outside linebacker, and the defensive line is average and going to stay that way. The defense is counting on Claiborne and fellow corner Brandon Carr to shut down receivers, especially in a game such as this Sunday's against Pittsburgh's receivers. If Claiborne can't go, the responsibility falls to Sterling Moore, who has looked good in his short time in Dallas.

Carr and Claiborne have been occasionally brilliant but generally inconsistent in coverage this season. The price the Cowboys paid for Carr in free-agent money and for Claiborne in draft picks says they're big-time talents who need to play that way. If they can shut down opposing receivers the next three weeks, the Cowboys' chances of coming from behind and stealing this division are a lot better.

In Washington, all eyes are on rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, who has a knee injury and may not play Sunday in Cleveland.

But the Redskins aren't really worried about their offense. They can run the ball with Alfred Morris, Pierre Garcon can get open down the field for backup Kirk Cousins, and they can score enough points.

Defense has been the Redskins' issue all season. They rank 28th in total defense and 31st against the pass. A secondary that didn't look all that great to begin with is now missing two starting safeties and a starting cornerback. The defense is also missing its best pass-rusher, Brian Orakpo, and starting defensive lineman Adam Carriker. It has been a struggle.

Yet the Redskins, which have managed to win their past four games to move within a game of the Giants, have a real chance. They have looked bad on defense for long stretches during the streak -- the second half against Dallas on Thanksgiving, the first half against Baltimore last week -- but they've managed to hold on. Coordinator Jim Haslett is doing an excellent job of changing up the game plan from week to week and half to half to maximize any advantage he can find. Outside linebacker Rob Jackson can be a disruptive pass-rusher for a half. DeAngelo Hall can be a decent cover corner for a couple of drives.

They mix, match and patch it together, and so far it's not falling apart. The key will be for the Redskins to keep walking that tightrope, and if they can do it for three more games, they absolutely have a chance.

So if you're trying to make sense of this NFC East race as it hits the home stretch, look not to the big-name quarterbacks and receivers but instead to the defenses. If one of these three teams can do something on defense it hasn't been able to do so far, that could make enough of a difference to decide the division.

Never too early to think about the NFL draft, especially in divisions in which three of the four teams are at least two games under .500 at the midpoint. So here's a link to Mel Kiper Jr.'s Insider piece about what teams need to look for in next year's draft. He believes three of our four teams should pick offensive linemen with their first pick and the Giants should pick a pass-rushing defensive end. Here's the list of the players Mel assigns to each of the NFC East teams, bearing in mind that the Redskins do not have a 2013 first-rounder:

Dallas Cowboys: Dallas Thomas, OT/G, Tennessee. Mel shoots down the idea that they need to be thinking about a Tony Romo replacement and says Romo's biggest problem is what's going on in front of him. I agree.

New York Giants: Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon. Because of the assumption that Osi Umenyiora moves on, which is a good assumption. Mel also thinks they'd do well to get a cornerback.

Philadelphia Eagles: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan. The problem on the offensive line in Philly is that their best linemen are hurt, but even if they all come back healthy they could obviously use depth there. Quarterback is also a possibility if Michael Vick is gone and Nick Foles isn't going to be ready right away.

Washington Redskins: Jonathan Cooper, OT/G, North Carolina. Yes, Mel understands they could use help in the secondary, but he believes the most important thing for the Redskins moving forward is making sure Robert Griffin III stays in one piece, and it's hard to argue.

IRVING, Texas -- In two games against the Cowboys, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been held to 213 and 192 yards passing with one touchdown pass and one interception.

The pass rush helped even if the Cowboys did not sack Manning often (three times in the opener, once on Sunday) but an aggressive secondary helped more.

In the Sept. 5 meeting, the Cowboys played full press 27 times, half press 15 times and off 10 times. On Sunday the Cowboys played full press 24 times, half press 25 times and off 12 times.

In the Cowboys’ previous two games against Baltimore and Carolina, the Cowboys did not play full press coverage more than 10 times in either game.

That aggressiveness by Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins against the Giants threw off the timing between Manning and his receivers. Carr played press coverage on 27 individual snaps and 15 times he played safety when the Cowboys went with their dime package.

So far this season when the Cowboys play physical up front with the wide receivers they have had success.

** When you call 67 pass plays against the Giants, you’re asking an awful lot of the offensive line. The Giants had four sacks of Tony Romo but the line held up OK against the likes of Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Chris Canty.

Bad timing on breakdowns, however, hurt. Nate Livings got overextended as he attempted to block Canty once and the former Cowboy was able to sack Romo for a 12-yard loss late in the third quarter. Doug Free made Umenyiora virtually invisible but on the fourth-and-1 play Umenyiora’s jump off the snap forced Free to hold, which would have negated a first down. Romo’s pass was ultimately picked off so it didn’t matter.

The Giants brought five defenders or more 12 times and Romo completed eight passes. He was not sacked in those instances but was picked once. Jason Witten and Miles Austin caught four passes apiece when New York brought five-plus.

The Giants’ four sacks came on four-man rushes, as did two of the three picks of Romo. The Giants are one of the few teams that can rely on a four-man rush to get after the quarterback.

** Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan relied on a four-man rush most of the time as well. He brought five or more guys just once in the game. DeMarcus Ware’s sack of Manning and Danny McCray’s interception came on four-man rushes.

** On Monday Jason Garrett was asked about the receivers’ ability to break up possible interceptions, pointing to Corey Webster’s pick of Romo as an example with Austin falling off balance as he turned for the deep ball.

On the first series of the game the Cowboys had Reuben Randle covered, but Jenkins slipped on the deep throw, allowing a 56-yard reception. Later in the game Manning threw a sideline pass to Randle when he was blanketed by Carr.

In those cases he might not have made the best decision, but his receivers made a play for him. Counter that for Romo when Austin slipped and Bryant was unable to come up with two down-the-field throws in the second half that were contested catches but plays above-average receivers should make.

IRVING, Texas – In seven games, Tony Romo has 13 interceptions, easily putting him on pace for a career high.

In a full season, Romo has never thrown more than 19 picks. In his last two full seasons (2011, 2009) he had 10 and nine interceptions.

So far 2012 has been a different story.

PODCAST
Cowboys QB Tony Romo talks about the pain of losing a hard-fought game and says the fans were right to boo the team. Listen

In his last two home games he has been intercepted nine times by Chicago and the New York Giants.

Let’s break down the four Sunday against the Giants:

Interception No. 1: It’s first and 10 from the Dallas 45 after a 23-yard pickup by Miles Austin. The Cowboys have an eight-man protection, which means only Austin and Dez Bryant are out in a route. The protection is solid against the Giants’ four-man rush and Romo tries to laser a throw to Bryant, who is supposed to run a deep crossing route. After the game Bryant said he was off balance and could not sharpen his route. As a result, safety Stevie Brown is able to step into the interception. It was a forced throw of sorts, but Bryant has to take some blame for not running the route correctly.

Interception No. 2: It’s first and 10 from the Dallas 24 and Romo wants to take a shot against the New York secondary. The Cowboys use a six-man protection with Felix Jones and Lawrence Vickers serving as checkdown options. Jason Witten is in to block. Austin is on the numbers as he runs down the field with cornerback Corey Webster to the outside. Romo’s throw is high and to the outside. As Austin adjusts he is nudged by Webster and is off balance and unable to contest the pass, giving Webster the easy pick. Again, not the best of throws, but Romo is trusting Austin to make a play or at least knock it down and he can’t.

Interception No. 3: It’s second and 7 from the Dallas 34. Romo is under early pressure from Chris Canty, who beats guard Nate Livings. Sensing the pressure, Romo tries to loop a pass to Jones, who is releasing from the backfield. Unfortunately Jason Pierre-Paul senses Jones going out on the route and stops rushing. As a result Tyron Smith is not engaged with Pierre-Paul and the defensive end makes one of the most outrageous plays you will see. He picks off the pass and returns it for a touchdown. That one you tip your cap to JPP for a great play.

Interception No. 4: It’s fourth and 1 from the New York 19. The Cowboys need 1 yard for a first down and go with the pass. The Giants rush four and the Cowboys protect with five guys. Osi Umenyiora beats Doug Free and Romo is forced to flee to his right while being chased by Umenyiora, Canty and Linval Joseph. Knowing it’s fourth down, he throws the ball toward Witten by the sideline, but Brown comes up with his second interception. Given the situation, the quarterback can’t just eat the ball on fourth down. Poor protection led to this pick. But why not run some shorter route to Witten? If they have him take three steps and turn around it’s a first down, but he is running down the seam.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys offensive tackles, Doug Free (right) and Tyron Smith (left), have improved their play the last couple of weeks.

Quarterback Tony Romo wasn't sacked last week at Carolina and the Panthers weren't credited with any quarterback hits.

Everything could change Sunday afternoon at Cowboys Stadium when the New York Giants come calling. In the first meeting, the season-opener, Romo was sacked twice and knocked down twice.

The Giants edge rushers, Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora are difficult to defend for any offensive line.

Pierre-Paul leads the Giants with 4.5 sacks and five quarterback hits. Tuck recorded his first sack of the season last week against Washington, but he's got three quarterback hits. Umenyiora has three sacks on the season, second on the team, and four quarterback hits.

"We went into Carolina and we were challenged," Cowboys offensive line coach Bill Callahan said. "We had too many penalties the week prior to that. We felt the week coming out of the Baltimore game, we did better with the presnap penalties and then we went the last game and we did well. From their prospective they’ve shown some improvement, in terms of shutting down the edges. We've been challenged by some really good rushers and the challenge is greater this week when you look at these guys from New York, this is what they do. This is the heart of their defense we’re challenged again."

Penalties are the biggest issue for the tackles.

Free leads the team with nine penalties for 60 yards and had a four-penalty game in Week 4, which included three false starts. Free leads the NFL with six false starts overall and he's tied for sixth with three holding calls.

Smith has eight penalties for 46 yards charged on his 2012 resume. In that Week 1 game against the Giants, Smith was flagged four times, three on false starts.

Smith is second in the NFL with five false start penalties.

When the Cowboys run, they're averaging 5.84 yards per carry going off left tackle, seventh in the league. But when run plays go toward Free's side, the team averages just 2.83 yards per carry, 28th in the league.

"We're getting into a rhythm and we’re getting into a routine of what we want to establish," Callahan said. "It's really not that much different from what (former offensive) coach (Hudson) Houck did. The footwork is improving, their angles are improving and whatever line coach there is will tell you, you can always improve your hands, your punch, your stride all those fundamental type things to shut down a great edge rusher."

IRVING, Texas -- In the season-opening win at the New York Giants, Tony Romo was at his improvisational best.

PODCAST
Injuries have lowered Jerry Jones' expectations. Does this buy more time for Jason Garrett? Ben and Skin weigh in. Listen

His first touchdown to Kevin Ogletree came on a broken play. The second touchdown to Ogletree came as he snuck out of the pocket. His clinching scoring throw to Miles Austin came on an audible at the line of scrimmage.

Romo’s ability to escape a pass rush as effective as the New York Giants’ is a big part as to why he has 13 touchdowns and two interceptions in his last five games against the division rival. According to ESPN Stats and Information, six of Romo’s nine touchdowns against the Giants the last two seasons have come outside the pocket.

Since the start of last season, no quarterback has more than four total touchdowns against the Giants.

With an unsettling offensive line, Romo has had to get rid of the ball more quickly and has not attempted to buy as much time because of mistakes in the games against Tampa Bay and Chicago. Facing Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, Romo knows he might need to buy more time than a kid at an arcade.

“I think you’re always doing exactly what you want, what the defense is giving you and the amount of time you have as a quarterback dictates a lot,” Romo said. “If you have to get through reads quicker or if you have the time you can push it into certain spots and wait on certain routes and things like that, that’s part of playing the position, evaluating when you’re getting that time and when you’re not and having the comfort level to be able to make all those decisions the right way.”

This week The Other Side stays in-house and talks about the New York Giants with the man who covers the Giants, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.

Q: How different are the Giants since that season-opening loss?

A: They're getting better. They aren't at the level of where they were when they won the Super Bowl last year but making their way toward that. The pass rush is improving. Justin Tuck just got his first sack of the season. Jason Pierre-Paul is heating up and Osi Umenyiora is also beginning to get to the quarterback. The running game and offensive line is in a better place than where it was in the season opener. Eli Manning had an off day against Washington but he and his receivers are more in sync than they were against Dallas. And the secondary still has work to do but is not as shaky as it was on opening night.

Q: Looks like Martellus Bennett is playing better after some injuries, is that fair to say?

A: Actually, the Washington game was his first big game statistically since Week 3. The Giants like his blocking and ability to catch but he and Manning haven't always been on the same page. When the Giants look to get the tight end involved, Bennett can definitely be a weapon in the passing game.

Q: Chris Canty is back. How much can his return improve the defensive line?

A: I think they are still going to try to ease him back in but he makes a difference. He can help draw some of the double teams away from (Pierre-Paul), Osi and Tuck. He is a monster inside from a size perspective to deal with. And the Giants need him to help stop the run. They have had problems in that area.

Q: Why do you think the Giants play so well in Arlington?

A: I think they love the feeling of it being a big game every time they are in Dallas. There is definitely hype and a big-game feel every time they go to Dallas and they like when Jerry Jones challenges them. They get up for this game more than say the Redskins. And the Giants want to redeem themselves for a poor showing in the season opener. They have revenge on their minds.

Q: Can anybody stop the Giants receivers?

A: That's always been a big reason why the Giants do so well in Dallas. But Jerry made some nice moves in the offseason to upgrade the secondary and it showed in the season opener. Nicks is still making his way back physically and isn't quite himself. Cruz has been a monster. The Cowboys need to take Cruz out of the mix and probably make Nicks, Domenik Hixon and Martellus beat them. And even then, it is still hard to shut down Cruz or stop Manning from finding other receivers.

IRVING, Texas – Tony Romo was sacked only twice in Wednesday’s season-opening win against the New York Giants, but it wasn’t like he was playing in a bubble.

Romo was forced to make plays with his feet and he excelled.

He spun away from an unblocked blitzing Keith Rivers on one play. He was able to skirt away from Jason Pierre-Paul on Kevin Ogletree's first touchdown catch and Osi Umenyiora on Ogletree’s second TD grab. He scrambled for a 9-yard gain on a drive that ended in a Dan Bailey field goal. On the game-clinching drive that ended in Miles Austin's touchdown, he eluded Rocky Bernard and hit Austin for a 10-yard pick up.

In other words, Wednesday was a lot of Romo being Romo.

“Yeah, he’s done that for a long, long time,” coach Jason Garrett said. “One of the challenges we have as a coach is to not take the Romo out of Romo as we’re refining him. I think Wade Wilson does a great job with that – understanding the balance of those two things.

"I think if you look at Tony technically and the improvement he’s made over the last five years, his drops are better, his care of the ball is better, all of those things. I think he’s a different player fundamentally from the technique standpoint that way. Having said that, we haven’t hopefully taken the Romo out of him, to let him use his instincts, his feel, his vision of the game. I think a lot of that was on display.”

In the final 20 days before the start of the regular season, we are counting down the top 20 players in the NFC East. For a full explanation, see this post. And if you want to read any of the other posts that have run since we started this series, you can find them all here, in this link.

No. 1 -- Eli Manning, Giants QB

This wasn't easy, and the fact that it wasn't easy to pick a two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback as the best player in the division says a ton about the rest of the players in the division. It was a very tough, close call between Manning and Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware for this spot, and I gave more than a passing thought to Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, who finished third.

But in the end, Manning deserves the spot. He's earned it by performing with incredible consistency at a high level and in the biggest of spots. He ranks behind only Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Matt Hasselbeck in passing yards among active quarterbacks, and each of those players has at least a three-year head start on him. He's fifth (behind those same four guys) in touchdown passes among active quarterbacks. Only Peyton Manning, Brady, Brees and Ben Roethlisberger among active quarterbacks have engineered more game-winning drives, and only Peyton Manning and Brady have more comeback victories.

So Eli is a top-level quarterback in terms of production (and in spite of a stubborn, lingering reputation to the contrary), but what truly sets him apart as a great player is the way he's performed during the two Super Bowl title runs the Giants have made with him under center. He has a 61.5 career completion percentage, a 17-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his 11 career playoff games and has led the team from behind to beat Bill Belichick, Brady and the New England Patriots in two separate Super Bowls. He's the unquestioned leader of his team, the calming influence which Giants players know they can count on in tough times, a key to his team's uncanny ability to handle adversity and a proven champion without whose individual performance those Super Bowl titles would not have been possible. The best quarterback in the NFC East is the most clutch quarterback in the NFL right now and is the division's best player.

The rest of the rankings:

2. DeMarcus Ware, LB, Cowboys
3. LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles RB
4. Trent Cole, DE, Eagles DE
5. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, Giants
6. Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants
7. Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys
8. Justin Tuck, DE, Giants
9. Jason Babin, DE, Eagles
10. Victor Cruz, WR, Giants
11. London Fletcher, LB, Redskins
12. Michael Vick, QB, Eagles
13. Tyron Smith, T, Cowboys
14. Brian Orakpo, LB, Redskins
15. Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys
16. Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys
17. DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles
18. Osi Umenyiora, DE, Giants
19. Evan Mathis, G, Eagles
20. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Giants