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INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Giants' confidence heading into Super Bowl XLVI has been well chronicled for the past week, but now it's getting specific. Now they're predicting final scores.

Earlier Sunday, ESPN talent producer Jason Romano (@JasonRomano) asked his Twitter followers to send him their predictions for the game and offered a prize to whichever follower came the closest to picking the final score. Giants defensive lineman Chris Canty (@ChrisCanty99, a verified account) tweeted back "Giants 28, New England 17."

If the Giants lose the Super Bowl tonight, I can safely predict that one of the popular story lines will be their pregame overconfidence and/or the question of whether they gave the Patriots added motivation with all of these quotes. I don't think the Patriots need any more motivation than being in the Super Bowl, but we'll see what they all say. I'm also interested to know whether Jason sends Canty the prize if he nails the pick.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Deep in the bowels of Lambeau Field on Sunday night, America's youngest 65-year-old practically bounced up to the podium, a grin creasing his famously red face as he broke down his latest huge coaching achievement.

When you push yourself as hard as Tom Coughlin pushes himself, you have to revel in nights like this. The New York Giants had just crushed the 15-1 Green Bay Packers 37-20 to move into the NFC Championship Game, and Coughlin finds himself in the middle of a postseason run every bit as delightfully surprising as the one on which he took the Giants four years ago.

"Just very happy," Coughlin said, and who can blame him? This is a remarkable coaching achievement he's pulled off. His team looked dead in the water just four weeks ago, sitting at 7-7 and in second place after a miserable home loss to the Redskins. The story in New York was about whether he would be fired if the Giants didn't make the playoffs, and the consensus seemed to be that the Giants would have little choice.

Four games and four victories later, such talk has turned preposterous. Coughlin, whose contract runs through 2012, has put himself in line for a multiyear extension. This run with this team is establishing him -- if he hadn't already done so -- as one of the elite head coaches in the game. If he wins his next two games, he becomes a two-time Super Bowl champion and, quite frankly, people are going to start to ask whether he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

"There's nobody outside of this room who believed we could get where we are right now," Giants left tackle David Diehl said. "You go back a month, and it was all, 'Should Coughlin be fired?' But he knew what we had here, and we knew what we had here, and we used all of that for motivation."

The mark of a great coach is his ability to identify the kind of team and the kind of players he has and coach accordingly. Bum Phillips famously said that what made Don Shula great was that "he could take his'n and beat your'n, or he could take your'n and beat his'n." Coughlin is of that school. At a time when so many coaches seem to be slaves to their own system, or seek to have control over roster construction, Coughlin sees his role more simply. His is not to mope and complain that the team didn't do more in free agency, or that defensive starters dropped like flies in the preseason. His is to figure out how to win with what he has. And as he did four years ago, when he tore through Dallas and Green Bay before taking out the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl, he has figured out how to push exactly the right buttons with a roster that didn't look playoff-caliber for most of this season.

"The way the leadership part works is, it starts with the coach," Giants safety Deon Grant said. "And what we have here is a coach who knows his team. He knows how to talk to the veterans in this locker room, when to challenge people, when to lighten up. You want a leader who believes in you, and in order to believe in you, he's got to know you."

Coughlin knows his team. He knew, after that Redskins loss, that the way to approach the following week was to build his players up rather than tear into them. They have responded, and are playing with a champion's level of confidence at exactly the right time of year. No fewer than four players in their locker room said Sunday night, "I knew we were going to win this game," and every single one of them was convincing and sincere.

"We've got a lot of confidence right now," running back Ahmad Bradshaw said. "We've been here before, a lot of us, and we've been here together. And I think that helps us a lot."

This really is starting to feel like four years ago all over again, and the reason is the seasoned, even-keel performance of the leaders who keyed that playoff run. Eli Manning is playing quarterback at an incredibly high level, and Coughlin is delivering the right message during the week and projecting cool, experienced certainty during the games.

"Our coach is always consistent with his message," defensive lineman Chris Canty said. "That's a big deal, because it makes it easy to buy in. Confidence comes from demonstrated performance, and we have people in our building who have some pretty good records."

Sunday was Coughlin's sixth career playoff road win, one short of the all-time record held by a guy you may have heard of named Tom Landry. That's heady company, and it says a lot about the advantage Coughlin gives the Giants at this time of year. To have a coach who's not going to be surprised or thrown off by any situation, who has shown a sincere belief in you and earned your reciprocal belief in him -- that's the kind of stuff that allows a team to keep its head in intense playoff games.

"Success breeds confidence," Coughlin said. "And right now they're a pretty confident group."

That starts at the top, and while he would scoff at the notion, the fact the Giants are one of the final four NFL teams left standing is a direct result of one of the finest coaching jobs of Coughlin's fine coaching career.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Well, Saints-Lions this one ain't. The New York Giants lead the Atlanta Falcons 7-2 at halftime of their wild-card round playoff game here at MetLife Stadium, and they do so because they were able to crack the Falcons' defense once and the Falcons haven't been able to crack theirs at all.

It's been a defensive struggle both ways, as the Giants' defensive front has dominated the Falcons' offensive line the way it knows it needs to and the Falcons' defensive front has returned the favor against a shaky-looking Giants pass protection unit. The first points of the game were a Falcons safety when Giants quarterback Eli Manning was called for intentional grounding in the end zone while under pressure, and neither offense was able to score until Manning found Hakeem Nicks in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 2:47 left before halftime.

The reason the Giants were able to get those points is that they found something in the run game. Manning escaped trouble and ran for 14 yards earlier in the drive (remarkable, considering he only ran for 15, total, in the regular season). And running back Brandon Jacobs' 34-yard run was the biggest play of the first half. Jacobs also converted a big fourth down just before the touchdown pass with a spin move after being stuffed behind the line.

The Giants ranked 32nd in the NFL this year with 89.2 rush yards per game. But they have 75 already in this game, and if they can keep having success on the ground, they have to like their chances.

The Falcons will get the ball back to start the second half, but as of now there's little proof that that will help them. Quarterback Matt Ryan has been pressured from the sides and especially up the middle, with Giants defensive tackles Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard having delivered big hits already. He hasn't had time to look downfield and find his big-time receivers for big plays, which means the Giants are executing their defensive game plan exactly the way they want to. The Giants have more work to do, but to this point things have gone about as well as they could have wanted them to go. They have weathered the early assault from the Atlanta front and found a way to overcome it.

Two injury situations to watch: Atlanta safety William Moore and Giants safety Deon Grant both have left the game. James Sanders has stepped in for Moore, and there seems to be little drop-off there. But if rookie Tyler Sash has to play the rest of the game in Grant's place, the Giants' secondary could be very vulnerable. If, that is, Ryan gets enough time to take advantage of it.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With his team reeling, his defense getting pummeled week in and week out and a storm of negativity swirling around his team in the final two weeks of the season, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin gathered his charges this past Tuesday and woke them up. This isn't so bad, he told his players. Sure, we've lost five of our past six games and our defense is giving up third-down conversions as if they were candy canes. But we have two games left, and if we win them both, we're division champs.

"I don't know if it was anything we said; I think they realized the circumstances we're in," a giddy Coughlin said after the Giants' 29-14 victory over the Jets on Saturday. "These are young men. They're talented. They've got the world by the tail. It's a great time of year. There's a lot to feel good about. If you'd said before the season that, with two games to go we could still determine our fate, we'd have signed up for that."

And now, the same is true with one game to go. The Giants' victory over the Jets sets up a one-game showdown, right back here, next Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. If the Giants win, they're NFC East champs. If they don't, the Cowboys win the division and the Giants' season is over. In spite of all of the injuries, all of the losses and all of the blown coverages along the way, the Giants have pushed their season to the final week and they still have a chance.

"What better time to be playing your best football?" asked Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty, whose sack of Mark Sanchez in the end zone with 2:24 left in the game produced the safety that put the game on ice. "December in the NFL, that's what it's all about. We still have the opportunity to accomplish everything we set out to accomplish, and that's a good feeling."

Coughlin's message really hit home with the defense, which turned in perhaps its finest all-around effort of the season. It was another down game for quarterback Eli Manning and the passing offense (save for Victor Cruz's electrifying, game-turning 99-yard touchdown catch a couple of minutes before halftime). But unlike last week, when they lost to the Redskins, the defense bailed them out this time. After allowing opponents to convert 54 percent of their third downs over the previous five weeks, the Giants held Sanchez and the Jets to 4-for-21 on third downs.

"I think our defense played lights-out football for four quarters," Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. "And I think we had more fans in the stands than they did, here at Giants Stadium -- a.k.a. MetLife Stadium."

It was a chippy week between these two rivals. The Jets, as is their wont, did a lot of talking and boasting. The Giants fired back a few times, but generally the Jets' chatter bothers them more than they care to admit. There's little doubt they drew extra motivation from what was going on in the week leading up to the game, and after the game the big boss admitted as much.

"Given all of the talk that was coming from Florham Park [where the Jets practice], this means a little bit more," Giants owner John Mara said in the locker room.

But while the Giants definitely play better when they can get themselves motivated, the key to this game was the toughening up of a defense that had been the league's plaything for the better part of two months. The Jets decided to attack a Giants secondary that had been giving up tons of yardage, and while Sanchez threw 59 passes, he completed only 30 for 258 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

"When he throws the ball 60 times and he doesn't get 300 yards, that's definitely a win in our book," Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. "They made a couple of comments in the paper about our secondary, so we knew that was probably how they were going to attack us."

Cornerbacks Corey Webster and Aaron Ross did a great job of keeping the Jets' receivers in check. Webster and safety Kenny Phillips had the interceptions. The Giants' secondary was almost unrecognizable for the tight, effective, smothering way it played. And up front, on the defensive line, there was Justin Tuck, playing like his old, All-Pro self for the first time this season.

"He changed his outlook and his demeanor this week," Coughlin said of Tuck. "He got very positive. He decided not to be concerned about the little nicks he had that have been bothering him, and instead to just ignore them and play through them."

Tuck said Coughlin approached him early in the week and challenged him to be a leader at this crucial time. He also said that Rolle's postgame comments last week about guys not practicing because of nagging injuries, but showing up on Sunday to play, caught his attention. Whatever it was, Tuck looked like a new man, helping the Giants' pass rush look like its old scary self as he and Jason Pierre-Paul hunted Sanchez from opposite sides.

"We came out and played relentless against the pass and against the run," Rolle said. "We had a game plan, and our defensive coordinator stuck with it 120 percent."

This is a newly fired-up bunch of Giants, and there can be little doubt they'll come out fired up again next Sunday against the Cowboys. The Giants are scary when motivated. And with a division title on the line, what more motivation could they possibly need?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the New York Giants' potentially season-saving 29-14 victory over the New York Jets on Saturday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

What it means: A couple of things. First, it means next Sunday's game between the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys here at MetLife will decide the NFC East. The winner advances to the playoffs as division champ. The Cowboys could theoretically still make it as a wild card if they beat the Eagles this afternoon, but the Giants' only way in is to win the game and the division. This Giants win also means that the Philadelphia Eagles are, at long last, eliminated from contention for this year's postseason.

Toughening up: In their previous five games, the Giants had allowed opponents to convert 54 percent of their third downs. But in this game, the Jets were a miserable 4-for-21 on third down. The Giants' coverage in the secondary was drastically improved in this game, and they were able to generate enough pressure to rattle Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and disrupt a surprisingly pass-heavy Jets offensive game plan. The offense played its second straight shaky game, but this time the defense was able to bail it out by making a few big stops.

The big play: The Jets were manhandling the Giants on defense in the first half, but with a little more than two minutes left before halftime, Eli Manning completed a 99-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz that put the Giants on top 10-7. It was the play of the game and possibly, as it turns out, the Giants' season, as it sent the Jets into the halftime locker room demoralized and apparently determined to throw the ball to make up for it.

Touchy at the end: The Giants appeared to have the game locked up when they recovered a fumble in the end zone at the end of a long Jets drive. But even though they were up 20-7, they came out throwing, and Manning threw an interception on the first play that the Jets would later convert into a touchdown. The Jets got the ball back at their own eight-yard line with 2:24 left, but the Chris Canty sacked Sanchez in the end zone for the safety that sealed the Giants' win.

What's next: The Giants host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday here at MetLife Stadium in the game that will decide the division title.

Well, all right then. For the first time since the opening week of the 2001 season, the entire NFC East went 0-4 this week. That's a tough trick, folks, and it says a lot about the state of our beloved division. The Redskins, Cowboys and Giants all had chances but all lost in the final minutes, and as a result we don't see much loosening up in the standings, which determine the order of the daily links.

Dallas Cowboys (7-5)

Jean-Jacques Taylor heard Jason Garrett's explanation for the way he managed the clock at the end of regulation, and he didn't change his mind about what he thought about it: Namely, that it was dumb. Got to say, I know Garrett's got this whole public-persona thing set up where he's going to stick by his decisions and explain them and not ever admit that anything's wrong. And I actually think the face he's put on publicly has been good for a team that needed to project confidence this year. But Garrett's explanation on this one just didn't make sense, and I'm with Jacques.

Clarence Hill writes that, while the end-of-game time management issues will be debated ad nauseum, the Cowboys made plenty of mistakes before that point to put themselves in a position to make it matter. And he's right. If you keep leaving it up to your field goal kicker at the end of the game, as the Cowboys have done for three straight weeks now, eventually something's going to go wrong. The Cowboys' inability to make a stop on defense in the second half (and, of course, overtime) was the real reason they lost.

New York Giants (6-6)

A lot of people laughed at me last week when I wrote that the Giants had enough in the passing game to beat the Packers. But while they didn't beat the Packers, I'm pretty sure Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and even Travis Beckum proved the basic point that the Giants' passing offense ranks with the best in the league. Ian O'Connor writes that Manning proved he's in Aaron Rodgers' class. I think Rodgers' accuracy is absolutely incredible and sets him apart from everyone in the league. But as a leader and a playmaker, sure, Eli belongs in the second-place discussion right now.

The popular comparison to Sunday's close loss to the Packers was the famous Week 17 loss to the Patriots in 2007 that gave that year's team so much confidence when it met up with the still-unbeaten Pats in the Super Bowl. And it could have a similar kind of effect on the Giants' confidence. But that year's Giants team was already playoff-bound when that game happened. This one hasn't won in a month. As Chris Canty says at the end of Ralph Vacchiano's post, at this point the Giants need to win a game.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-8)

Jeff McLane's theory is and has been that the Eagles' commitment to Michael Vick could go a long way toward keeping Andy Reid around at least one more year. Of course, Jeff also seems to think that the best move for the organization with regard to Vick right now might be to sit him down for the rest of the year so he doesn't get hurt more seriously than he already is.

Phil Sheridan thinks the most important thing Reid can do the rest of the way is demonstrate that he still has control of his locker room, as questions have arisen about that in recent weeks. I think the way the Eagles play in the final four games can have an impact on the organization's decision about Reid, but I think it's going to have to be pretty awful in order to change the team's mind and get him fired.

Washington Redskins (4-8)

Dan Daly writes that Sunday's loss felt like the end of the Redskins' season, especially with Trent Williams and Fred Davis set to miss the final four games due to drug suspensions. And while I expect they'll play better defense down the stretch than they did in the final eight minutes of Sunday's game, I agree that it's hard to see how they're going to score enough points to win games the rest of the way.

Jason Reid writes that the Redskins aren't close to being a good team and that they need smarter and better leaders. I think that's a little harsh. They're overmatched on offense and will be more so the rest of the way with Williams and Davis out. But Sunday's fourth-quarter meltdown notwithstanding, the general sense people around the league have of the Redskins is that they're a strong defensive team with good leaders like London Fletcher and Santana Moss and may be a strong quarterback/wide receiver combination away from contending as early next year. Particularly in a division that just went 0-4 this week!

It's Thursday of a rivalry week here in the NFC East, and with mere days left until Cowboys-Redskins and Eagles-Giants, I can think of no better way to prepare than with a hot, steaming plate of links.

New York Giants

It sounds as though the experience that Victor Cruz and Chris Canty had while at a New York City nightclub where a fatal shooting took place the other night was fairly harrowing. They're both fine and neither was involved in the problem, but Cruz at least got a bit of a talking-to from Tom Coughlin about the whole thing. Nothing good ever happens at 2:30 in the morning, was the message from coach to player.

If you're a Giants fan and you were planning to boo Steve Smith when he returned with the Eagles on Sunday night... well, he gave you another reason or two. Man says he'd rather have the extra guaranteed money he got from the Eagles than have been back with the Giants.

Dallas Cowboys

John Clayton's expecting Tony Romo and the Cowboys to navigate the odd upcoming portion of their schedule (which includes next week's annual Thanksgiving home game) somewhat expertly, in part because the veterans on the team are so used to it. The quality of their opponents over the next three weeks could help with that as well, though Sunday's is a rivalry game, and those are never to be taken lightly.

Clarence Hill says the impending return of Felix Jones as DeMarco Murray's backup, the emergence of fullback Tony Fiammetta and the overall improvement of the offensive line as a run-blocking unit make it more important than ever that the Cowboys prioritize the run game in their offense. I don't have much to add. He's 100 percent correct.

Philadelphia Eagles

Bob Ford takes an insightful look at the DeSean Jackson situation, concluding that while Jackson may have a point and the team should have prevented this from becoming this much of a problem when they had a chance, Jackson needs to understand that the team is in no mood right now to address his contract to his satisfaction.

There's also some dispute in the Philadelphia media about the point during Sunday's game at which Michael Vick actually broke his ribs. Andy Reid says second play of the game. The professional skeptics whose job it is to question everything the coach says are doing their jobs. I just wish the doubt didn't seem to be based on something LeSean McCoy said offhand in a postgame interview. But these are the kinds of things that happen when you were picked to finish first and you're 3-6. I'll bet the 2010 Cowboys could tell them some stories.

Washington Redskins

Rex Grossman didn't learn he was starting last Sunday's game until Saturday, which he says was fine since he was ready anyway and wishes he could go back to the Week 5 loss to the Eagles, do things differently and not have lost the job to John Beck in the first place. But if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride, and if turnips were watches I'd wear one by my side.

Jason Reid says Redskins GM Bruce Allen needs to take more of a significant role in player-personnel matters whether Mike Shanahan likes it or not. I don't know this for a fact, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the deal when Shanahan signed on for his five-year contract. Impatience seems rampant in Washington, and Shanahan has three more years after this one. Just because he didn't get a quarterback for this year doesn't mean he won't or can't figure out a way to get one for next year.

Well, I got to see all four NFC East teams in person this week, and while it wasn't always pretty, the two division matchups were plenty intense. That intensity is likely to last all season in a division in which nothing appears as though it will come easy. To see you through it, you'll need some things you can count on. Like the links.

Dallas Cowboys

DeMarcus Ware didn't like the way he was treated by the Redskins on Monday night, and he didn't like the way the officials handled it. Ware was upset at holds he felt weren't called, and especially that Trent Williams ankle tackle that saved a sack on that last drive. And like every great pass-rusher who complains about this stuff, Ware is correct, and he should be allowed to do his job without his opponents getting away with breaking the rules. But it happens and will likely continue to happen. I talked to Williams after the game and told him Ware was upset about the ankle tackle. Williams said it was "part of the game," and that on a play like that he'd rather risk a penalty flag than a strip-sack. I can see his point, but that doesn't make it right.

Anthony Spencer did get the strip-sack that iced the game for the Cowboys, and like Babe Ruth, he called his shot.

New York Giants

The Giants do not agree with Michael Vick's assertions that some of their hits against him Sunday should have resulted in penalty flags. "He's entitled to his opinion," said defensive tackle Chris Canty, who delivered the hit that injured Vick's hand and that Vick said should have been ruled a late hit. "Obviously he has been real banged up so I can understand where he's coming from." Hey, the winners write the history books, right?

Antrel Rolle defended himself for losing his cool and getting into a scuffle with Eagles players that resulted in a penalty Sunday. Rolle is a confident fellow, but his coach doesn't seem to agree with him that it was OK to get into the fight.

Philadelphia Eagles

Oh, it's getting ugly in Philly, where Sam Donnellon writes that Andy Reid's act is wearing thin after 13 years of poor game management and a grumpy reluctance to answer for it. Sam thinks Reid is a master preparer but doesn't have what it takes to call the right play at the right time in a big spot, and Sam believes he's got enough evidence to make this assertion. I agree that 13 years is a long time. Reid's operating under more pressure than ever this year. He's got the roster everybody thinks can take him all the way, and it's on him not to mess it up.

And defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, also feeling the heat, says he's not planning any changes at linebacker this week. But the tea leaves indicate that we might start seeing more Brian Rolle and a little bit less Casey Matthews as the year goes along.

Washington Redskins

LaRon Landry played in his first game of the season, having finally recovered from his hamstring injury, and there was no mistaking the impact he had on the Redskins' defense.

The Redskins' offensive line played a pretty good game Monday night against the Cowboys, Barry Svrluga writes, until it absolutely had to make a play. Work in progress, this. Overall, the Redskins' line has had a very good year. And the Cowboys' defensive front is the kind of test that can wear you down as the game goes along, which appears to be what happened.

PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick wore a pack of ice with a bandage wrapped around it on his right hand, and as the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback sat behind the microphone in the wake of his team's 29-16 loss to the New York Giants, he was furious.

"Looking at the replays, I'm on the ground every time, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated," Vick said. "The refs have got to do their jobs. And I mentioned it to the refs in training camp when I talked to them. I'm on the ground constantly, all the time. Every time I throw the ball, I'm on the ground. And I don't know why I don't get the 15-yard flags like everybody else does."

Vick's right hand -- his non-throwing hand -- is broken as a result of a hit he took in Sunday's game. It happened at the tail end of a play on which he hit receiver Jeremy Maclin with his best pass of the day -- a 23-yard catch that moved the Eagles deep into Giants territory. Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty hit Vick as he threw it. Andy Reid said Vick's hands were up around his head, and Reid surmised that Vick may have been trying to protect his head in the wake of the concussion that knocked him out of last week's game in Atlanta. Vick said that didn't matter -- that the hit was late and should have been called as such.

"I'm not blaming the officials," Vick said shortly after and before more quotes that seemed to do just that. "I'm not going to sit here and complain about the officials. I'm just going to talk about it and hope somebody takes notice."

Vick had X-rays on his hand and actually returned to the game for one series. But he said his hand swelled up too much during the ensuing Giants possession to allow him to return and takes snaps from the center.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to play next week," Vick said.

Mike Kafka replaced Vick, as he did last Sunday in Atlanta. It's unclear whether Kafka or Vince Young would start in Vick's place if he's unable to play next week against the 49ers.

I had to check this a few times after I saw it, but it turns out Sunday's overtime victory was the 10th fourth-quarter comeback of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's career. Based on everything I heard and read about Romo a week ago after he gave away that Jets game, I was pretty sure he'd never completed a fourth-quarter pass.

Oh, but the tune is different now that Romo came out of the locker room with a broken rib and went an unbelievable 12-for-15 for 201 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the Cowboys to victory over the 49ers. Now, it's about Tony the tough guy, and about the burnishing of a legacy that needed some serious shining up after last week.

For some reason, when it comes to perceptions of Romo, everything has to be an extreme. He's either incredibly good or incredibly useless, sometimes within the course of the same game. The fact, which is backed up by the numbers, is that he's an outstanding quarterback who hasn't yet delivered a championship and whose biggest flops have come under some very bright spotlights. A supremely accurate passer who's thrown a couple of dumb interceptions at bad times and once fumbled a critical field goal snap in a playoff game.

Romo is unduly harangued for his mistakes, so it probably makes sense that those who do that haranguing would also gush over his triumphs. He was incredible Sunday. He was also incredible for the first three quarters of last Sunday's game. The difference here is that they won this one. If they lose to the Redskins next Monday night at home, I'm guessing the grittiness of this performance will fade from memory amid renewed cries that the guy's a bum. It'd be nice if everybody could relax, but that's not the time in which we live. Romo plays under intense scrutiny, and he will until he delivers that championship. Meantime, life's a roller coaster for Romo and the Cowboys, and Sunday was one of the highs.

You know what never gets too high or too low? What always keeps things in the proper perspective? Yeah, that's right. The links.

More Cowboys

I'm going to say this game was a lot bigger for Dan Bailey than it was for Tony Romo, who already knew he could play in the NFL. After missing that 21-yarder early in the game, Bailey drilled the game-tying kick from 48 and the winning chip-shot in overtime. Anything that helps the Cowboys' confidence in their kicking game has to be a welcome relief at Valley Ranch.

The Cowboys' defense locked things down in the second half, writes Carlos Mendez, whose notebook also includes injury updates on Miles Austin, Felix Jones and Phil Costa. Yikes, the Cowboys have a lot of injuries.

New York Giants

As former Giants receiver Steve Smith becomes more and more a part of the offensive game plan for the Eagles, the Giants continue to search for his replacement as their reliable slot receiver, Ian Begley writes. It looks as though Brandon Stokley, signed just last week, will get a chance to show what he can do in that role tonight against the Rams.

Mike Garafolo has a look at Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson, who's been getting more playing time lately thanks to injuries to Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora and whose nickname, teammate Chris Canty says, is "White Chocolate." These guys spend a lot of time together, is all I have to say.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are deep at quarterback, as they believe it's wise to be in today's NFL, and so they may have a choice of qualified replacements next week if Michael Vick is out with a concussion. Mike Kafka filled in Sunday night, and Vince Young, the nominal backup, continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury.

Philadelphia is still continuing to build and work on its new defense, which was outstanding for much of the game but gave up too many costly big plays when it counted. The Eagles believe things will get smoother and better on defense as the season goes along. Atlanta was a very tough test, and in a couple of crucial spots, they flunked it.

And last but certainly not least, your first-place ...

Washington Redskins

More important than the two early interceptions he threw was Rex Grossman's ability to recover from them and still lead the Redskins to victory in the clutch, writes Rich Campbell. And he's right, of course. Everybody throws interceptions, and Grossman is one of those guys with whom you seem to sit around waiting for bad things to happen. But he's playing with confidence in this Redskins offense, and the way he played after the interceptions was proof of that. Sure, the Redskins turned to the running game more, but they should have done that anyway. And when Grossman needed to find Fred Davis or Santana Moss or Jabar Gaffney and make a big throw, he made it. More good than bad so far in this young season from Grossman, to be sure.

When Tim Hightower got tired after 15 first-half carries, Roy Helu proved more than capable of filling in and picking up critical yards for the Redskins. Washington's depth at running back is impressive, especially when you consider that they didn't even use Ryan Torain, who at one point last year was their starter.

One more game remains in the NFC East, of course, and I'll be there tonight to check out the Giants. Next week, I see all four teams!

Ah, Week 1 in the NFL. A time for renewal. For optimism. For irrationally extreme overreaction. A full slate of NFC East games was played Sunday, and when it was over, Redskins fans were thrilled, Eagles fans were happy, Giants fans were exasperated and Cowboys fans ... well, I'm not sure what the Cowboys fans should be feeling after what happened to that team Sunday night.

One thing the fans of each and every team have in common is that they're sure they either overcame or were done in by horrendous officiating calls. Another is that you all get links.

Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo said he cost the Cowboys the game, and it's hard to argue with him. Romo's goal-line fumble was an inexcusable example of trying to make something happen when caution would have made more sense. Getting at least three points there may have put the game away. It certainly would have lessened the likelihood of him throwing the interception that set up the Jets' game-winning field goal. Romo was outstanding for the first three quarters against a tough Jets defense and with Dez Bryant hobbled in the second half. But this is the story of his career, right -- brilliant play for stretches, then costly mistakes that overshadow the brilliance. He offered his critics more fodder Sunday night.

Undermanned at cornerback before the game even started, the Cowboys dealt with in-game injuries to Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins. Scandrick has a sprained ankle, they said during the game. After the game, Jerry Jones said it might be a fracture and that Scandrick would miss at least three weeks. It sounds as if Terence Newman could be ready for next week's game in San Francisco. He'd better hurry.

New York Giants

Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty called his team's performance in the opener "embarrassing," saying they keep making the same mistakes their coaches are insisting they stop making. Certainly, this was the case on special teams. And the secondary looked pretty bad. They did get decent pressure on Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman even with Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora out, thanks to emerging star defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. But the offense operated in fits and starts, was 1-for-10 on third down and couldn't generate a consistent rushing attack against the Redskins' defense. Nobody wants to accept it as an excuse, but injuries and free-agent defections have left this Giants roster extremely thin, and the result of that is a greatly reduced margin for error. The players they do have on the field are going to have to play extremely well to overcome the holes in the roster. If you don't have a tight end to speak of, you're going to have a hard time converting third downs. Either somebody's got to do something great or everybody's got to do everything right, and the Giants didn't get enough of that Sunday against a spirited Redskins bunch.

Tuck believes he'll be back next Monday night for the game against the Rams. That'll help the defense, but it won't do much for the offense, I don't think. Also in that notebook, Tuck complains about officiating calls -- something that players on roughly 12 other teams did Sunday. Such is life. Pitchers complain about small strike zones, basketball big men complain about uncalled fouls, pass-rushers complain about holding. Nobody says anything when they win.

Philadelphia Eagles

Phil Sheridan says DeSean Jackson doesn't have to tell us he deserves a pay raise -- that his play on the field is doing that for him. Jackson was outstanding Sunday, and if he delivers 15 more games like that he'll have more than made his case for that new contract extension he wants. I'm still not completely sure the Eagles want to give it to him, though.

LeSean McCoy looks like a major fourth-quarter weapon for the Eagles, who threw a lot early against the Rams' blitz but then fed it to their star running back in the fourth quarter when they needed to salt it away. While it's nice to be able to grind out yards and slowly milk the clock, ripping off a 49-yard touchdown run to extend the lead isn't a bad way to do the job either. A little non-traditional, maybe, but effective.

Washington Redskins

Early in training camp, it looked as though the Redskins were planning to keep their excellent tight ends in to block and help out the offensive line. But as the line has played better, the Redskins have been able to use Chris Cooley and Fred Davis more as receivers in the passing game. Clearly, Sunday's game showed that they have the ability to be major assets there. Davis in particular was a mystery for the Giants all day, reeling in five catches for 105 yards. The fact that they're able to deploy Cooley and Davis as receivers can only help the Redskins' offense as it continues to develop around a spry-looking Rex Grossman.

Some rookies are more immediately placed in better positions to succeed than are others. I don't know if Ryan Kerrigan is the best rookie in the NFL. I do know he's in as strong a position to put up spectacular stats as any rookie in the league is this year. Playing outside linebacker opposite Brian Orakpo in this Jim Haslett defense, he's going to be racing off the edge for sacks all year -- and that kind of thing doesn't require a kid to get up to speed on NFL nuances. Whatever deficiencies remain in Kerrigan's game, he'll offer the kind of positives that show up in a box score. His interception return for a touchdown was a great play by a talented player who clearly has the instincts and athleticism to make an impact in his first season. And having Orakpo on the other side will help him in many ways.

Flying home this morning from St. Louis, but once I get there we'll spend the rest of the day breaking down more of what happened Sunday in these games. I look forward to it.

The New York Giants could have used a feel-good preseason opener Saturday night. No, I don't think you can read much into these preseason games. You don't know which teams are game-planning and which aren't. You can make judgments on individual efforts in certain cases, and get a sense of what teams might be planning in terms of playing time and defensive and offensive alignments. But when we say a team looked good or bad in a preseason game, we are not making any predictions or judgments about the way the season will go based on that.

All of that said, after a week in which they got knocked around in free agency and faced questions about whether their offseason plan was sound or even extant, the Giants could have used a match that left them feeling good about things. Kind of like the one the Redskins had Friday.

They didn't get it.

Yeah, some good things happened in their 20-10 exhibition loss to the Carolina Panthers. Jason Pierre-Paul was the star of the first half, looking fast, athletic and hungry as he recorded two sacks. Both punters looked good, third receiver candidates Domenik Hixon and Victor Cruz had nice moments, and Michael Boley ran back an interception for a touchdown on the first series of the game. But all in all, it wasn't a good night. There were tackling issues, communication issues and special teams issues. The backup offensive line was so bad that it may have gotten kicker Lawrence Tynes hurt.

Other than the Tynes thing, none of this is cause for any reason concern. Just because they were sloppy Saturday night doesn't mean anything about the season. I'm just saying, given the way their fans were feeling in the wake of the free-agent departures of Steve Smith, they could have used a better performance.

Here's some stuff I saw:

1. Pierre-Paul looks like a monster. The Giants' 2010 first-rounder has been getting a lot of snaps with the starters in practice with Osi Umenyiora sitting out, and he looked fantastic Saturday night. Two sacks, pressure on almost every play, quickness off the edge, athleticism, determination -- everything you want in a pass rusher. If Umenyiora wants to continue to sit out because of his contract, the Giants have some tape they can show him of a guy who looks like a very capable replacement. If Umenyiora wants to come back, the Giants have even more depth on the offensive line and can keep Mathias Kiwanuka at linebacker. Pierre-Paul's rapid development would be a very useful thing for the Giants.

2. Other good stuff from the defensive line. We saw encouraging play from the defensive tackles, too, with Chris Canty getting into the backfield, Rocky Bernard getting a sack, rookie Marvin Austin playing well in the second half and the Giants generally producing a lot of pressure with their defensive front. As expected, they moved Kiwanuka up to the line in passing downs, and they did the same thing with Adrian Tracy when he replaced Kiwanuka in the second quarter. Tracy played well, helping generate the pressure that led to the Bernard sack as well as Alex Hall's. The Giants are looking for depth at linebacker, and Tracy could help if he plays like this.

3. The punters look good. The coverage? Not so much. Matt Dodge hit a couple of nice punts, including one that looked a little bit like a Jeff Feagles directional special. But Steve Weatherford was one of the best punters in the league the last couple of years and hits the ball farther than Dodge does. Could be tough for Dodge to win this competition. And regardless of who wins it, the coverage team will just have to do a better job. This is one area that actually does mean something in preseason, because the guys on special-teams coverage units should be playing hard and trying to win roster spots. They were miserable all night until Cruz came up with a big solo tackle on a punt return in the third quarter. A guy like Michael Coe, who has an opportunity with the Giants losing so much depth at cornerback, needs to come up bigger than he did on Armanti Edwards' long first return.

3a. Also, one punt-related question: Why in the world did Tom Coughlin call for a 56-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter when Tynes is coming off knee surgery and he's trying to get a look at two punters? Just wondering. Seemed like a weird decision. Tynes, who is also the only kicker I've seen so far this preseason who hasn't been able to kick it through the end zone on kickoffs, missed the attempt.

4. William Beatty -- some good, some bad: The new starting left tackle got manhandled a bit on the first two offensive series, looking overwhelmed and doing a lot of reaching and grabbing as he was getting beaten off the edge. But he seemed to settle in and looked much more authoritative and aggressive on the next few series. He stayed in longer than did the other starting offensive linemen, and it's no coincidence. Whether Beatty is ready to handle his new full-time job will go a long way toward determining how well the Giants handle their transition to this new offensive line assignment.

5. Brian Witherspoon was a bright spot. The Giants' starting secondary looks as though it should be very good (though there did seem to be some communication issues there early on). The question is whether they have depth behind the starters, with Prince Amukamara and Bruce Johnson hurt. Witherspoon was a star of the second half on special teams as well as at cornerback. A guy to watch as the preseason rolls along.

6. Quick hits: It was fun to watch top draft pick Cam Newton get his first game action for the Panthers. He beat Giants rookie Tyler Sash with a great throw on his first drive, but Sash and Coe made good plays to help keep him from capping that drive with a touchdown pass. ... It appears as though Hixon is the leader for that No. 3 receiver spot. He got a lot of work in the slot in the second half with Sage Rosenfels throwing to him. ... I thought Danny Ware looked all right as a third-down back catching screen passes. ... The word on Tynes was a thigh contusion, which is better than a knee injury for sure.

More on the Giants on Sunday, as you'll get my "Camp Confidential" report on them. Meantime, let me know what you thought.

ASHBURN, Va. -- Barry Cofield is the nose tackle for the Washington Redskins now, which is not what he necessarily wanted to be when free agency began. His first choice, he said at the time and says still, was to remain with the New York Giants. But the fact that the Giants didn't re-sign him didn't make him bitter.

"No hard feelings at all," Cofield told me in an interview after a Redskins practice here Tuesday. "Now, don't get me wrong. I'm excited about Sept. 11 and the prospects of playing those guys. That fires me up. But definitely no hard feelings. I definitely think I should be able to come back to the Super Bowl reunions and not get booed."

In the end, Cofield said, the Giants made a "respectable" offer, but that they "weren't able to be competitive because of their salary cap situation, and that's the economics of the game."

"They made their bed when they made the signings that they made at defensive tackle," Cofield said. "Guys like Rocky (Bernard) and Chris (Canty), they spent a lot of money on those guys. They're already invested in Canty, and that’s the guy they have to stick with. They drafted guys, and if they feel like they get a great value with a defensive tackle, with all the other positions of need they have, I was the odd man out."

He was surprised when the Redskins called, because he'd been a 4-3 defensive tackle in New York and the Redskins run a 3-4 scheme. But having played in a 3-4 in college, he liked the idea and the fact that the Redskins sought him out to be the man in the middle of their defensive line.

"They've definitely spelled out what they expect from me, and it's something I think I can do," Cofield said. "You're not taking on double-teams. It's not necessarily about two-gapping and being a 350-pound monster. Nose tackles come in different shapes and sizes, and I feel like I have my own fit, they obviously envision me in their defense, and we have a common vision."

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan told me Cofield and Stephen Bowen were two defensive linemen the Redskins had targeted going into free agency because of their ability, their age and their character. He said he had no concerns about Cofield adapting to the 3-4.

"He played it in college and played exceptionally well," Shanahan said. "You go back to film and you watch. He can give you all the calls of the 3-4 defense when you talk to him on the phone, so he's played it before and he's exceptionally bright. So whatever he does, he's going to be a consummate pro, and those are the guys you look for when you put a football team together."

Cofield likes the fact that the Redskins came to him. He liked, obviously, their contract offer. And the 3-4 is the defense in which he feels he fits the best. He remembers talking to the Steelers, Patriots and Cowboys before he was drafted and being surprised that the Giants, a 4-3 team, were the ones who took him.

"I thought there was a good chance I'd be going to a 3-4 defense. It just happened five years later," Cofield said. "I'm excited about it. I've always liked the 3-4 defense, I think it's an effective defense, I think there's a reason teams like the Steelers and the Ravens are always on the top of the league defensively. I think it fits my abilities perfectly. It's a defense that's built on technique, leverage and discipline, and I think those are my strengths."

He was known in recent years for his pass-rushing ability with the Giants, but Cofield said that's not really what he's all about as a player.

"I'm a guy that's disciplined, and I play with great pad level, leverage, technique, use my hands and I’m not the guy who’s aggressively flying upfield," Cofield said. "I did that when called upon in New York, and it was good for me to diversify my game, diversify my repertoire by doing that, but coming into NY, I felt like I was a guy that was better suited for a 3-4."

Now he's in one, and he's excited about making the transition. For Shanahan, who tried unsuccessfully to talk Albert Haynesworth into doing the same thing a year ago, that's pretty refreshing.

"Whoever you bring in," Shanahan said, "you want to make sure they have the right mindset."

He's got that in Cofield, who can't wait to get into that 3-4 and get at the Giants in that season opener.

We chatted. As predicted, it was epic. I can't even imagine how brilliant these chats are going to be once the lockout ends. We may need to order in extra containers for all of the excess awesomeness. Meantime, here's a little recap of some of today's highlights:

Barry Cofield of the New York Giants checked in and asked: "Dan, am I being unreasonable to be asking for the type of contract that Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard are getting? I know we all play the same position, but I think Reese feels that my stats are better because I only have a guard to worry about, whereas Chris or Rocky takes on a guard & center most of the time."

Dan Graziano: I don't think you're being unreasonable, and I think some team will give you the contract you're looking for. But I don't think it'll be the Giants, who seem to have pegged your value somewhat lower than you have and made some plans to move on.

Joe from New Jersey asked which tandem would have more sacks this season: Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan in Washington or DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer in Dallas?

DG: Ware/Spencer, though I like the question. I'll take the Cowboys' duo on the chance that Rob Ryan coaches something out of Spencer and Kerrigan needs a little bit of time to adjust to the LB spot.

Generic Eagles Fan from Philly wrote: "Does anyone else realize that our team will always be the same under Andy Reid? Somewhere between 9 and 11 wins, maybe a first round victory, then a second round loss because of some fundamental flaw...like QB who chokes or lack of secondary. Are there any moves the Eagles make in the offseason that take them past upper middle class?"

DG: First, I think a lot of teams would sign up for the between-9-and-11-wins-every-year deal. But the problem the past two years is that the defense has crumbled late. And as simple as it sounds, they need to add personnel. If they get a stud CB and make a tweak or two at LB and D-line, they can make a deep playoff run. Their offense is certainly good enough. It's defense that has sunk them at the end of the past two seasons.

Jonathan from NYC wondered why the Redskins would pursue free-agent defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin rather than try 376-pound Anthony Bryant, who has 60 pounds on Franklin, at the nose tackle spot.

DG: I guess it depends what they want, and how sold they are on Bryant as an every-down starter. Franklin has interior D-line experience and versatility. But yeah, if they like Bryant enough they could beef up at the ends, add a CB and maybe an ILB and go with him. Your logic is sound.

And Diran from New York asked why I thought the Cowboys should commit to the run when they have Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and all those fun passing-game weapons.

DG: Well, because their backs are also very good. And when you commit to the run, you have a better chance to control the game. It's more reliable. Assuming you really do commit to it.

Seriously, think about stopping by next week. We take questions from everyone -- from Generic Eagles Fan to Barry Cofield himself! Who else's chats get that kind of range?

All right, everybody. I am Dan. I am new. I am thrilled to be here. If you've been reading this blog since Matt Mosley left it, I'm sure you've been wondering when someone would be coming to take it over full-time, and today's the day. Please, save all applause until the end.

Briefly: I used to be a baseball writer for newspapers in Florida and New Jersey. I covered the NFL for the past two years for AOL FanHouse (R.I.P.). I live in North Jersey, grew up in South Jersey and went to school in Washington. So I've lived among Giants fans, Eagles fans and Redskins fans (and Cowboys fans, come to think of it, because you're everywhere). But I swear I neither hate nor favor any of your teams, and I trust you will keep this in mind for at least a couple of hours before allowing yourselves to wonder otherwise.

Anyway, that's enough about me. This blog is about you, and about all of us having some fun together. We'll be talking plenty, whether here or on Twitter. Meantime, some lockout links to start the day:

Dallas Cowboys

In his mailbag, Jean-Jacques Taylor says the Cowboys' secondary issues may come down to the ability of new D coordinator Rob Ryan getting the current players to play better, not who they can get in free agency. I guess, but you still have to figure Jerry Jones has been doodling Nnamdi Asomugha's name on his Trapper Keeper during some of the slower CBA talks, no?

Rob Phillips looks at whether 2010 draft pick Akwasi Owusu-Ansah could help at safety this year.

New York Giants

Chris Canty thinks the 2011 season will start on time. Full disclosure: Canty is not a legal analyst.

Amid speculation that his knee won't be healthy in time to handle Canty's prediction, Giants WR Steve Smith is using his Facebook page to offer optimism.

Philadelphia Eagles

Andy Reid believes the lockout will hurt the on-field product this fall.

Meantime, Reid and his coaches did some coaching ... of Philly-area high school players. Funny quote in here about how Reid doesn't want players going too far if they take vacations, in case the lockout ends and they have to get back to camp quickly. "You don't want to be taking camel rides through the Sahara desert." Would love to know which of Reid's players have done that.

Washington Redskins

If Mike Shanahan's professed plan to start John Beck at QB is a smokescreen, Beck doesn't care. He's fired up.

Redskins players are organizing more workouts this week. I'm assuming the conditioning tests at the player-organized workouts aren't quite the media event they were in Ashburn last summer, but who knows?