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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the game of the day in the NFL:

What it means: I'm sure New York Giants fans are disappointed in their team's fourth straight loss, but the fact is that the Giants showed all of the same guts and heart and toughness they showed during their 6-2 start but came up just short against a team that might be one of the best of all time. The Packers' Mason Crosby kicked a 30-yard field goal with time running out for a 38-35 win to improve the Packers to 12-0 and drop the Giants to 6-6. But the Giants have proven again that they can play with anyone in the league when their heart is in it. And since they're only one game out of the division lead with four to play (and two of those against the division-leading Cowboys), that still has a chance to serve them well before it's over.

Giants' lines step up: The Giants needed to get to Aaron Rodgers with their defensive line if they were to have any chance to stop him, and they did. Justin Tuck played his best game in weeks, and Jason Pierre-Paul was the same, speedy, unstoppable monster he's been all season. The Giants delivered hits on Rodgers even when they didn't get there in time to sack him, and the Packers went to the run game an uncharacteristic amount in an effort to run clock and keep the pass-rushers off of Rodgers' back. The Giants' offensive line also played a pretty good game, considering it was without its starting left tackle again and center David Baas was a late scratch due to headaches. They weren't great in pass protection, but for some reason the run-blocking was some of the best it's been all season. And with Ahmad Bradshaw back from his foot injury, the run game became a legitimate threat for the Giants again.

Eli Manning doesn't scare: The Giants quarterback was the main reason behind the team's 6-2 start, and even as things haven't gone as well lately, he's remained undaunted and excellent. After the Packers scored to go ahead by eight with 3:34 left in the game, Manning moved his team right back down the field and scored with a touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks with 58 seconds to go. A D.J. Ware run for a two-point conversion tied the game and put the biggest scare yet into the undefeated Packers.

But turnovers kill: You need to be just about perfect to beat a team like the Packers, and as good as Manning was in matching the great Rodgers, he did turn it over twice. The interception that Clay Matthews returned for a touchdown came on what Manning will surely call a "bad-decision" play -- he shouldn't have thrown the ball once he saw the coverage down the field. And while the fumble just before the end of the first half wasn't really his fault, as Matthews whacked him from behind as he was getting ready to throw the ball, it cost the Giants a chance to add valuable points as the first half was winding down.

Kenny Phillips out?: The Giants made no announcement on the Phillips knee injury after he left the game in the first half. But the star safety never returned to the sideline. If he has to miss games, that's going to negatively affect the Giants in pass defense as well as run defense. They like to play three-safety sets and would have to do so without their best one.

What's next: The Giants travel to Dallas on Sunday to play the Cowboys in a Sunday night game with major NFC East implications. The Cowboys' overtime loss to the Cardinals means the Giants still have an opportunity to take control of the division if they can beat the Cowboys on Sunday and again in the regular-season finale on Jan. 1.

Mike Sando and Matt Williamson took a look back at the first round of the 2009 draft and ranked the picks, division by division. Mike's focus is on the NFC West, since that's his blog, but it was nice of him to make this an all-encompassing post from which the rest of us could steal liberally. Thanks, Mike. Your check is in the mail.

The NFC East did pretty well in this survey, ranking second among the eight divisions for return (so far) on its investment in 2009 first-round picks. The Cowboys didn't have a first-rounder that year, but the Redskins took Brian Orakpo 13th overall, the Eagles took Jeremy Maclin 19th and the Giants took Hakeem Nicks 29th. All three have been strong contributors at least and outright stars at times, and all three look poised to get even better in the short term and the long.

The only division that fared better in these rankings was the NFC North. The Packers had two picks in the '09 first round and spent them on B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews, whom you may have enjoyed watching win the Super Bowl a couple of months back. The Lions picked Matthew Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew, two key cogs in their offense when Stafford is healthy. And the Vikings got Percy Harvin. The Bears didn't have a first-rounder that year, but I think it's safe to say that the North's haul beats the East's in terms of volume and because of the aforementioned Packers Super Bowl title.

The reviews on this could change over the next few years, of course, but for now you have to believe the Giants, Redskins and Eagles are happy with the way that 2009 first round went.

ESPN.com’s NFL writers rank the top 10 pass-rushers in the league today. Next week: Top 10 tight ends.

ESPN.com's panel of power rankers had no trouble identifying the best pass-rusher in football. The rest of our Top 10 list? It was easily the most difficult to compile so far in what will be a 10-week project.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware received seven of eight first-place votes. AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky ranked him No. 2, putting Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney at the top of his ballot. Overall, a total of 17 players received votes, and the crowd was dense enough to exclude established veterans such as Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams, New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs and Colts defensive end Robert Mathis.

The category was tough, explained NFC West blogger Mike Sando, because "sack numbers tend to fluctuate from year to year and it's tougher to know which pass-rushers are truly the best. I think the proliferation of 3-4 defenses also made this a tougher call. We weren't evaluating defensive ends exclusively. We were also looking at 3-4 outside linebackers. That deepened the pool while forcing us to compare players at more than one position."

Ware, for one, wasn't a difficult choice -- as long as sacks are the primary statistical representation of pass rushing. Ware led the NFL in sacks last season with 15.5, and he has also had more combined sacks over the past two, three and five seasons combined than any other NFL player. At 28, he would seem to have several ultra-productive seasons remaining in his career.

Beyond Ware, however, the debate was fierce. The Green Bay Packers' Clay Matthews received the second-most votes (61), but there wasn't much separating him from Freeney (58) or Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (52).

Kuharsky's familiarity with Freeney gave him a unique perspective.

"I've had coaches and scouts I trust tell me, repeatedly, that Freeney is the best pure pass-rusher in the league," Kuharsky said. "They say he's the guy they'd want if they could have anyone and the most difficult guy to stop because of the way he plots out his game. That's stuck with me and was a big factor for me as I put together my ballot."

From an NFC North perspective, I think it's interesting that Ware is the only NFL player who has recorded more sacks than Allen over the past five seasons. Allen's total of 11.0 last season was his low-water mark over the last four seasons, however, and the explicit instructions for voters were to base judgments on what we can expect for the 2011 season.

Given a choice between Allen, Matthews or Freeney in building a Super Bowl team for 2011, whom would you choose? With all due respect for Freeney (and Kuharsky, such that he deserves it) Matthews, 24, seems the right answer to me.

Matthews, Allen and Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers gave the NFC North a league-high three members of this exclusive group. Peppers' all-around contributions last season earned him a spot on The Associated Press' All-Pro team, but his total of eight sacks left him ranked eighth on our list.

Illustrating the difficulty of this exercise, two voters left Peppers off their ballots entirely and a third -- AFC North blogger James Walker -- ranked him No. 10. The Atlanta Falcons' John Abraham, The Associated Press' other first-team All-Pro defensive end, ranked a composite No. 7.

NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas, who covers Abraham and until 2010 covered Peppers as well, ranked Peppers No. 5 and said: "I know the sack numbers can rise and fall, but he has the ability to completely take over a game at any time." Meanwhile, a younger Abraham would have ranked higher.

"He had 11 sacks last year but 5.5 the year before," Yasinskas said. "At 32, you have to at least question whether he would sustain 2010 numbers in 2011."

Finally, if you're outraged about the absence of Williams, Tuck, Suggs, Mathis, the Philadelphia Eagles' Trent Cole or even the Denver Broncos' Elvis Dumervil, you probably need to focus your ire at the inclusion of Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake. In his second NFL season, Wake exploded for 14 sacks.

Does one elite season merit inclusion on this list? Opinions varied widely among our voters. Wake was left off three ballots and voted No. 10 on three others. AFC East blogger Tim Graham, who saw more of Wake last season than any other voter, placed him No. 4.

"If we're ranking the best overall defensive ends or outside linebackers, then maybe Cameron Wake doesn't make my list," Graham said. "He's not a run-stuffer and is lacking when it comes to pass coverage. But we're rating pure pass-rushers, and that's the one thing Wake does on an elite level. He's a freakishly gifted athlete who creates havoc in the backfield.

"I also don't view Wake as a one-year wonder because he had a strong season in 2009 despite playing behind Joey Porter and Jason Taylor in most situations and under a different defensive coordinator. He should continue to thrive under Mike Nolan's guidance. I view Wake as a legitimate star who was overlooked on a mediocre team."

Your thoughts? I'm expecting them.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden was selected by Dallas in the sixth round of the '08 draft, but he never got a chance to play at Cowboys Stadium. I've asked folks from the Cowboys why Walden didn't make the team, and quite honestly, they don't seem to remember that much about him.

And to be fair, Walden wasn't able to stick with the Kansas City Chiefs before a 17-game stint with the Miami Dolphins. Now, the former Middle Tennessee State star will start opposite Clay Matthews in the Super Bowl. He was asked Tuesday during media day if he recalled what the Cowboys told him when he turned in his playbook.

"I wasn’t there long enough," said Walden. "I just think going through that experience early in my career prepared me for it to happen later in my career, where I probably would have been more devastated. Going through it earlier helped me become a stronger person because they say if you’re not going through adversity, you’re not working toward it. I try and look at it like that and let it prepare me for the point where I’m at now."

So Jerry Jones and the Cowboys can take solace in knowing they made Walden a stronger person. But something tells me they'd prefer having him line up opposite DeMarcus Ware next season.

PHILADELPHIA -- A few thoughts on the Eagles slinking into the offseason following a weak effort and 21-16 loss to the the Green Bay Packers:

What it means: What once looked like a special season ended with a thud against a Packers team that owned the line of scrimmage. We spent all that time wondering if the Eagles could slow down Aaron Rodgers and the passing game, but the Packers gashed them with the run. A rookie by the name of James Starks out of Buffalo embarrassed the Eagles' defense by surpassing 100 yards. That's the last thing the Eagles were worried about happening Sunday -- and it showed. There's no good spin to put on this loss for the Eagles. They went belly-up against the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago, and they repeated the effort against the Packers.

Vick continues to struggle: The Eagles needed Michael Vick to play like he did during the first 10 weeks of the season, but that didn't happen. His final stats may look decent, but he held the ball too long at times and actually used his amazing spin move to help Clay Matthews make a sack in the first half. The Packers did a really nice job of keeping track of Vick in the open field. Safety Nick Collins made one of the most memorable plays when it appeared that Vick might escape for a first down in the third quarter. Collins closed quickly and tackled Vick short of the marker. With four minutes left in the game, Vick had trouble walking off the field. He appeared to injure his left leg again. He made a valiant effort at the end, but ended the game by throwing an interception in the end zone to Tramon Williams.

Jackson was a non factor -- until that final drive: Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson injured his left leg in the first quarter and had to go to the locker room. He returned to the game in the second half, but didn't look the same. On a fly pattern, you could tell that Jackson was having trouble getting any separation. But he did have a 28-yard catch on the Eagles' final possession.

Akers has a terrible day: If Eagles kicker David Akers has had a worse day in his career, it's not coming to mind. At least not on this type of stage. He hooked a 41-yard attempt in the first quarter and then he did the same thing on a 34-yarder in the fourth quarter. The Eagles could've been lining up a game-winning field goal at the end had Akers done his job.

I'm about to board a flight to Philadelphia for Sunday's Packers-Eagles wild-card playoff game, but let's dip into the mailbag for a few questions first. A lot of folks are wondering what Jason Garrett will do at defensive coordinator now that he's been granted so much authority by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Let's get right to your questions:

Kevin in San Jose, Calif., what's on your mind? Is it reasonable to hope and wish for a Champ Baily-Washington reunion this coming offseason?

Mosley: I realize that Mike Shanahan seems to value veteran players more than most head coaches, but I don't see him committing a lot of money to Bailey at this point in his career. Bailey's been one of the best cornerbacks in the league for years, but he's a declining player at this point. The Redskins would be better off identifying a cornerback in the draft. I think LSU's Patrick Peterson might be gone by the time the Skins pick at No. 10 (Now No. 4 on Mel Kiper's Big Board), but he's certainly someone to keep in mind. I tried to focus on Peterson in last night's AT&T Cotton Bowl, but a freshman named Tyrann Mathieu kept stealing the show. It looked like Mathieu was the best defensive back on the field in the win against the Aggies, but it's not like I've watched a ton of LSU football this season. Bringing in aging players (see Donovan McNabb and Larry Johnson) didn't exactly work out for Shanahan in his first season, so I'd be surprised to see him make a play for Bailey.

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Al from High Point, N.C., has two New York Giants questions: 1. Do you see [defensive coordinator] Perry Fewell as being interviewed by certain teams for a head-coaching job more as a legitimate concern for the Giants or are the other teams making him more of a Rooney Rule candidate? 2: How come the Giants do not find a way to keep coordinaters from becoming head coaches some other place by trying to make one of them a successor to Tom Coughlin?

Mosley: That whole coach-in-waiting thing rarely works out at any level. Ask the University of Texas about that strategy. Coughlin sees himself coaching for several more years, so he wouldn't be pleased with that type of scenario. The Redskins had Gregg Williams as their coach-in-waiting to Joe Gibbs, but that didn't work out for him. Fewell did some nice things this season, but it's too early to overreact and make him a coach-in-waiting. Jerry Jones basically did that with Jason Garrett by making him the highest-paid assistant in the league following the '07 season. And the plan of succession didn't go off that smoothly, with Wade Phillips getting fired eight games into the 2010 season. Regarding your first question, I think Fewell has a legitimate chance to be a head coach. I think owners and general managers across the league have a lot of respect for how he handled the interim job in Buffalo, and I don't think the Rooney Rule's the only reason he's getting a look right now. Ultimately, though, I think he'll be with the Giants for at least another season. And it's not a bad thing when teams want your assistants to be head coaches. It normally means a team is having a lot of success. You can't really say that about the Giants right now, but the defense certainly took some positive steps.

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Jason from Bryn Mawr, Pa., is one of our most prolific mailbag participants. He has an Eagles thought: "Can the Eagles Flip the Switch?" is a great article, providing well-balanced information. Everyone seems to be concerned with only the Eagles' performance against the Vikings, but let's not forget they had not played very well in the weeks prior to that game. I believe the "Miracle in the Meadowlands II" has masked our recollection of prior events. They were then blown out by the Bears (final score is no indication) and required fourth-quarter come-from-behind TDs to beat both the Texans and Cowboys.

Mosley: Jason, I agree with you that teams have sort of caught up with Michael Vick a little bit since that first game against the Giants. But I'm afraid that Vick was so brilliant through the first 10 games that we sort of developed unreasonable expectations for him. He'd had enough near-interceptions earlier in the season to indicate that he'd eventually have some turnovers. But the fact that he has nine fumbles in his past six starts is pretty remarkable. But if Vick is close to 100 percent from that quad contusion suffered against the Vikings, he's capable of making the Packers' defense pay. I think Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg have spent a lot more time getting Vick ready for some of those cornerback blitzes that the Vikings used with a lot of success. And I can promise you that Jason Peters will have some help at left tackle to make sure that Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews doesn't take over this game. Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers will try to be aggressive with the blitz early in this game. And if the Eagles can pick it up, they'll have a shot at a big play on that first drive. I'm told that Reid and Mornhinweg have emphasized a quick start on offense all week. That's why I wouldn't be surprised to see Vick dial up DeSean Jackson on one of those double moves on the first play from scrimmage.

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Steve in Philadelphia wants to talk about Jason Garrett's decision-making power: Jerry Jones did not say that Jason Garrett would have final say on picking players. He said that no one would be on the team that Garrett doesn't want on the team. I believe that this may mean that while Jones continues to function as the GM, he would merely shy away from major free agents or draftees that Garrett has some apprehension about from a character perspective, like T.O. I do not believe this is the same as "final say" on all personnel decisions. Do you agree?

Mosley: Steve, I think you're on the right track. Jones did stunningly say that Garrett would have "final say" when it came to the hiring and firing of assistant coaches. But I don't think Garrett necessarily wants "final say" when it comes to player personnel decisions. Only Andy Reid and Mike Shanahan enjoy that type of power in the league right now. And it's not like Shanahan has a great track record when it comes to drafting players. I think Garrett's smart enough to know that he doesn't have the skins on the wall to demand complete authority on draft picks. I think what Jones was saying is that he won't release or sign a player against Garrett's wishes. It's still surprising that Jones made that statement Thursday, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll follow it.

I'll check in with you guys from Philadelphia on Sunday.

In theory, Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg understand that running the football can be a helpful strategy. But once the action starts, they're not wired to follow this type of logical approach. The Green Bay Packers -- Philadelphia's opponent in an NFC wild-card game Sunday -- give up more than 114 rushing yards per game, and the Eagles have two running backs who are capable of breaking big gains.

Reid admitted this week that he and Mornhinweg often script four or five plays for running back Jerome Harrison, but he didn't really have an answer for why those plays are rarely called. It's no secret the Packers probably will do exactly what the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings did to Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in recent weeks. They'll blitz cornerbacks and safeties in an attempt to cause chaos with the Eagles' protection schemes. I've been told by more than one NFL personnel man that Eagles offensive line coach Juan Castillo is brilliant when it comes to designing protections and running plays. It was Castillo who designed and suggested the toss play to LeSean McCoy that went for a 50-yard touchdown to beat the Giants in their first matchup this season.

Sometimes we watch young hitters have a lot of success until pitchers develop a book on them. And it appears that the league is finally developing a book on the post-prison Michael Vick. Over the first half of the season, he was remarkably efficient and it looked as though he might never throw an interception. But our friend KC Joyner, aka the Football Scientist, indicated back in November that Vick was getting away with a lot of loose throws as he counted up his near-interceptions.

Vick had a league-high 115.1 passer rating through the first 10 games, but he's tailed off significantly in his past six starts. Vick has an 89.7 passer rating and six interceptions to go along with 10 touchdowns. And he hasn't done a good job securing the football, as evidenced by his nine fumbles in that same span. There's a chance that last Sunday's "bye" week against the Dallas Cowboys helped restore Vick's focus and, more importantly, his health.

But to me, the most disturbing thing about the loss to the Vikings two weeks ago was how Vick and receiver DeSean Jackson appeared to be on different planets. Even on the rare occasions when he had time to deliver the ball, Vick would throw the ball 10 yards away from where Jackson's route ended. This offense had developed a reputation for striking on the first series and setting the tone for the rest of the game. But the Vikings bullied Jackson near the line of scrimmage and then had Vick on the run. Part of that occurred because highly overrated left tackle Jason Peters couldn't handle Vikings Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen. It will be interesting to see whether Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers has outside linebacker Clay Matthews lining up on Peters' side or across from right tackle Winston Justice. It's more likely that Matthews will line up over Peters and try to force Vick to his right.

Vick knows there's a fine line between keeping Jackson engaged in the game and trying to force the ball in his direction.

"Obviously, when he's involved in the game, our chances go up of scoring points, moving the ball down the field," Vick told reporters this week. "You've got to get the ball in his hands. If defenses are taking him away, you've got to find a way to get that done. It's tough. One thing you can't do in this league is force the ball to anybody. You'll have balls all over the place, incomplete passes and interceptions, obviously . . . You just have to play within the system."

When he played for the Falcons, Vick was the system. He used his brilliant athleticism to make plays, but he never achieved the type of consistency that leads to championships. Reid and especially Mornhinweg have done exceptional work with Vick over the past two seasons. They didn't try to curb his athleticism, but they did help him learn how to calmly go through his progressions and make accurate throws. It's hard to tell whether Vick has regressed over the past six games or if teams have simply caught up with some of the changes he has made to his game.

Tight end Brent Celek told me via phone Thursday night that the loss to the Vikings might have served as a much-needed wake-up call for this offense.

"We're as hungry as we've ever been," Celek said. "I think that loss could end up being a great thing for us. None of the confidence we gained while putting up the big numbers has gone away. We just need to get back to scoring early."

From talking to the Eagles this week, you get the feeling they quickly got over the lost opportunity to have a first-round bye. I can remember Giants players saying in 2008 that they hated the first-round bye because they loved how they built momentum with a wild-card win in 2007.

"Any time you make the playoffs, you're playing great teams every week," Celek told me recently. "I don't think it matters what seed you are because to win the Super Bowl, you have to beat a lot of great teams regardless of the seed."

This offense is certainly better than the one that made it to the NFC title game in 2008, but the defense has taken a step back. I think the Eagles need to score at least 27 points to beat the Packers on Sunday. And while that seemed automatic in the first half of the season, it's no longer a foregone conclusion.

In case you missed it Sunday, someone named Erik Walden sacked Jay Cutler twice Sunday and had 11 tackles. Walden was a sixth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in '08, but he didn't make the team. He'd spent most of his career with the Miami Dolphins, but the Packers signed him off the street in late October.

Now, he's making a name for himself after replacing the injured Frank Zombo as the starter at right outside linebacker. I vaguely remember Walden from training camp in '08, but nothing about the former Middle Tennessee player stood out. But he was arguably the best defensive player on the field Sunday, and now he'll prepare to face Michael Vick.

"A lot of guys, probably names you haven't heard this season, have come up big for us," Packers Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson told reporters following Sunday's win over the Bears. "Walden had a huge day for us. You haven't heard his name a lot this year. He's a new guy on this team, but he stepped up big.

"That has had to happen with the amount of injuries we've had. We haven't had guys that have been out two weeks, three weeks. We've had guys on [injured reserve] who couldn't come back. Backups and practice squad guys who have been called up, they've had to play and play well in order for us to get into the playoffs."

The Eagles will have to focus a lot of their attention on Packers linebacker Clay Matthews on Sunday, so Walden will probably have plenty of opportunities against one-on-one blocking. Everyone talks about the Packers being a dangerous No. 6 seed based on their offense, but their defense has been equally (if not more) impressive this season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

In anticipation of this week's NFL combine, we held a marathon chat session earlier today. Here's just a sample of what took place during this unprecedented session:

Chris from Massachusetts: Matt - Do you expect Crabtree to run at his pro day?

 Matt Mosley: (12:02 PM ET) Chris, I think Crabtree will feel compelled to run at his Pro Day. If not, he'll hold a special workout -- perhaps at the Michael Johnson facility in Dallas. Welcome to the marathon chat by the way.

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Steiny (NYC): Matt, I have heard some people say that Michael Oher would be a great pick for the Washington Redskins. Can you see the Redskins going after Oher?

 Matt Mosley: (12:03 PM ET) I think they could find a more accomplished offensive tackle than Oher at No. 13. I think you might see them try to identify a pass-rusher like Brian Orakpo out of UT.

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Devin from Boston: Todd Mcshay thinks that the former walk-on LB Clay Matthews from USC is a Patriots type player--versatile with a great work ethic. Is this guy really worthy of a 1st rounder or did he benefit greatly from the tremendous skill surrounding him at USC?

 Matt Mosley: (12:05 PM ET) Devin, you may have a point about the talent surrounding him. I've heard Matthews name come up in association with the Browns more than the Patriots. I think he'll be a solid NFL player. I don't see him as an elite guy at all, though.

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Corey (Philadelphia, PA): With the Eagles picking at 21 and 28 this year, do you see Knowshon Moreno or LeSean McCoy still being there at those two picks, and how do you see the Eagles using there 2 picks?

 Matt Mosley: (12:06 PM ET ) Corey, I think the Eagles will be trying to identify the best OT at that position. If they aren't in love with one, look for them to trade down and grab some extra picks. Unless you decide that Moreno's definitely the long-term answer at running back, I wouldn't take him there. You can find solid running backs later in the draft. Michael Oher out of Ole Miss a guy to look at with one of those picks.