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We have arrived in the second round of the "Madden 13" cover vote bracket. Two of our division's four representatives survived the first round and two did not.

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz absolutely demolished Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo in the all-NFC East first-round matchup, collecting 82 percent of the vote in the third-most-lopsided matchup of the round. (Brian, your vote totals are hurtful. I'm taking the bus and you will NOT see me at the pancake social in the morning!)

Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy easily beat Dolphins running back Reggie Bush 68 percent to 32 percent. I thought this would be closer, but McCoy should be grateful for the easy win, because as we discussed here last week, his road to the final four is not an easy one.

And Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware lost a tough first-round matchup to Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. Ware got 42 percent of the vote in this matchup of sack artists.

Cruz's second-round matchup is against Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, and I predict an easy win for Cruz in the all-New York showdown. If Cruz wins, he gets a quarterfinal match against the winner of the second-round match between Patrick Willis and Maurice Jones-Drew. My bracket has Cruz making it all the way to the final.

McCoy's second-round matchup is a big one against Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. No guarantee McCoy wins this, and even if he does, he'll likely have to take out Cam Newton in the third round. Tough sledding for Shady, but you never know. And you can go and vote if you really want him to win.

Day 3 of the NFL Any Era Team project brings us to our first NFC East player, Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware. In case you haven't been paying attention, the NFL Any Era Team is a list of the top current 20 players, as determined by a panel of 20 Hall of Fame players and Hall of Fame writer John Clayton, who could have played in any NFL era. We are revealing four per day, and Nos. 9-12 were revealed today. Ware, often regarded as the league's best pass-rusher, came in at No. 12. That's why you see here a cool, old-looking photo illustration of him sacking Steve Young, which never actually happened but, according to our panel, certainly could have.

"When you say tough guy I'm thinking DeMarcus Ware," Hall of Fame former Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green said. "I'm talking about a guy who has to go against double-teams all game long, with the line trying to kill him on every play and with backs chipping on him -- that stuff hurts. There's toughness there in terms of your mind being able to overcome and take on a double team all day long, or you fight through everything and almost getting the sack or you would have had it had the back not chipped you.

"I give the D ends a lot of credit for being tough, for being able to take on double and triple teams all day long, and for the frustration of being a big guy and then having a little bit guy try and chip you. That's why I like Ware. He exemplifies how I feel about the great defensive ends and all they have to face."

Ware is playing in an era in which getting to the quarterback has become the most important aspect of playing defense, and he's as good at doing it as any player in the league. Our panel ranked him ahead of fellow pass-rushers Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney, who came in 16th and 17th, but behind Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who came in 10th. We'll see over the next two days how many current pass-rushers are in the top eight. But Ware got his share of respect from the panel.

"I love DeMarcus Ware's style of play," Hall of Fame former Cowboys tackle Rayfield Wright said. "He is very active and aggressive. He seems to understand his role as far as the team is concerned and he plays it very well."

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 17:

Ware QBs dare not tread: Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware could become the first player to lead the NFL in sacks in three different seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Ware led the league with 20 sacks in 2008, with 15.5 last season and currently has 18 with one game to go. Minnesota's Jared Allen has 18.5 and Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jason Babin has 18, so this is a race that's going down to the wire. Of those three, Ware's the one with something to play for Sunday other than the league sack lead.

You take it. No, you take it: The game between the Eagles and the Washington Redskins has a chance to be sloppy. The Eagles are tied with the Buccaneers for the league lead in turnovers with 36. Right behind them are the Redskins, who rank third in the league this year with 34 turnovers. Washington quarterback Rex Grossman, who is tied for the league lead with 19 interceptions in spite of having played just 12 games, is also tied with San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers for the league lead in turnovers with 24.

Romo's signature season: If Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo throws at least one touchdown pass and no interceptions in Sunday night's game against the New York Giants, he will become the sixth player in NFL history, according to ESPN Stats & Info, to throw at least 30 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in the same season. Aaron Rodgers did it in 2009 and will again this year unless he throws four interceptions Sunday. Tom Brady did it in 2007 and 2010. Brett Favre turned the trick in 2009, Peyton Manning in 2006 and Donovan McNabb in 2004.

Eagles history: Babin enters the game with an outside shot at Reggie White's team record of 21 sacks, set in 1987. Babin had three sacks each in his Week 14 and Week 15 games, so it's not out of the question that he could get three here against the banged-up Redskins line and match White's record. The Eagles will be playing hard, as LeSean McCoy has an outside shot at the league rushing title and the team is trying to stave off what would be just the third losing season in Andy Reid's 13-year tenure as its head coach.

Holding on when it counts: The Giants' receivers have had an issue with dropped passes this year. They are tied for the league lead with 31 drops. But according to ESPN Stats & Information's "Next Level" numbers, 23 of those 31 drops have come in the first half of games. Their 23 first-half drops are five more than any other team has this year, but 22 teams have more than the eight drops the Giants have in the second half or overtime. So the Giants' passing game does seem to correct itself as the game goes along. Those same "Next Level" stats say Giants quarterback Eli Manning was 4-for-11 with 8.6 yards per attempt when the Cowboys sent five or more pass-rushers in the first half of the Week 14 game in Dallas, but he was 8-for-11 with 12.7 yards per attempt and a touchdown against Dallas blitzes in the second half of that game.

As you get ready for this afternoon's home game against the Minnesota Vikings, here's one reason for Washington Redskins fans to feel good and one reason for concern.

Feeling good: If there's one team in the league that seems uniquely unable to take advantage of Rex Grossman's biggest flaw, it is the Vikings, who have gone nine straight games without intercepting a pass. Grossman has a streak of 10 games in a row with at least one interception, so something's got to give there. Minnesota can rush the quarterback fine, but its weaknesses in the secondary are stunning. So if the Redskins' offensive line can keep Jared Allen and the Minnesota pass rush off of Grossman, he could have a big passing day.

Cause for concern: Adrian Peterson. The best thing the Vikings have going for them on either side of the ball is the best running back in the league. He's been limited by injuries in the second half of this season, and he looked rusty last week, but as long as he's healthy he's a problem for any team that struggles -- as the Redskins have for much of this season -- to stop the run. If Peterson allows the Vikings to control the game on offense, that could be the best way for the Vikings to keep the Redskins' offense off the field where they can't hurt them.

A very special holiday edition of the weekly picks. Click on the video to hear and see why this week's picks result in chaos in the NFC East race:

Redskins 23, Vikings 10
Jets 24, Giants 14
Eagles 35, Cowboys 31

Last week: 2-1
Season to date: 25-23

It's quiet this morning. Too quiet. Quick, somebody put a microphone in front of a Giants or Jets player while I work on these links.

Dallas Cowboys

Rookie right tackle Tyron Smith has been one of the Cowboys' best players this year, but he knows he's got his hands full Saturday against red-hot Eagles pass-rusher Jason Babin, who has six sacks in his last two games, a league-leading 18 for the year and got the better of Smith the last time they faced off.

Brandon George explains why the Cowboys aren't even allowed to negotiate a contract extension with surprise standout wide receiver Laurent Robinson if they want to before the end of this season. Expect the Cowboys to make him one of their priorities when the season ends, but he's likely to have other suitors as well and drive the price up. Which is the point of this vested-veteran rule.

New York Giants

Gary Myers writes that, if Eli Manning wants to keep Tom Coughlin around as his head coach, he'd do well to deliver him a win on Christmas Eve against the Jets. A loss would drop the Giants to 7-8 and possibly out of the playoffs for the third year in a row. And whether you blame Coughlin for this season or not, the recent history just isn't real helpful to his chances.

The Jets' wide receivers have the rings and the cool nickname, Johnette Howard says, but the Giants' wide receivers are simply better. This is likely why Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham were so confident and unflinching Wednesday in discussing the Jets' defense and top cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Philadelphia Eagles

Les Bowen writes on the development over the course of this season of the Eagles' young and much-maligned linebacking corps. There's no question that the Eagles' defense, and especially this unit, is playing much better than it did over the first half of the season. The problem is that the youth and mistakes of the linebackers were a big reason for the rotten start. So as much as they're doing to try and salvage things now that they're all more comfortable, it's likely too late.

Juan Castillo is headed home to Dallas for Saturday's game, and given the way this season has gone for him, it's anything but a triumphant homecoming. One has to wonder what level of miracle has to occur over the final two games or even beyond for Castillo to return as the Eagles' defensive coordinator in 2012.

Washington Redskins

Hey, remember what we were talking about up at the top with the Smith-Babin matchup? Well, the Redskins have a rookie tackle, too -- Willie Smith, who's been pressed into left tackle duty by the Trent Williams drug suspension. And he gets to go up Saturday against Minnesota's Jared Allen, who has 17.5 sacks and is right there behind Babin in the race for the league lead. Tough test for young Willie, to be sure. But the Redskins are checking him out to see what he might be able to offer in 2012 and beyond.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan thinks Lorenzo Alexander should have received more votes than he did from fans as a special-teams Pro Bowler. Alexander is a bit of a coach's dream. Since Shanahan got there, he's moved Alexander from defensive lineman to outside linebacker and then to backup linebacker/special-teams captain. Alexander makes nary a peep, just works and plays his tail off and sets a great example for the younger players on the team. It's no surprise his coach feels strongly about him and wants to help get him some recognition.

Yeah, I know the game's not over yet. And I want to see DeMarco Murray as much as the next guy does. But I'm in New Jersey and I'm not sure how much longer the power will stay on. So I thought it made some sense to get something down now, rather than later, about the Dallas Cowboys' preseason game Saturday night in Minnesota.

First off, everybody's going to want to talk about the defense, which gave up 216 yards to Adrian Peterson, Donovan McNabb and the Vikings in the first half. Peterson looked unstoppable, which he often does against many teams. The Vikings' offensive line beat up the Dallas defensive line in the run game, and Peterson cashed in for 69 yards on 11 carries. Safeties Gerald Sensabaugh and Abram Elam got burned on a long touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian, and it's very easy to come out of that first half saying the Dallas defense looks like more of the same from last season, when only the Broncos gave up more points.

But I'm not sure Cowboys fans should be so quick to get so down about this, and for a number of reasons.

First, and most importantly, it's only preseason. I'm constantly preaching here that you can't make sweeping predictions or evaluations about team performance in preseason, because you don't know what you're watching. Some teams game plan, others don't, and sometimes plays get called for the express purpose of identifying how a certain player will do in a certain matchup. To say the Cowboys' defense is in trouble because it gave up a bunch of yards in the first half Saturday night is a classic overreaction.

Secondly, the Cowboys did do some good individual things. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick had a couple of nice pass breakups in big spots against Berrian. Jason Hatcher got his hand on a McNabb pass and Sensabaugh made a nice diving interception before the ball hit the ground. I thought Anthony Spencer was very active and busy around the ball, whether it was pressuring McNabb (he sacked him once) or making a play or a tackle in coverage. Overall, the tackling (which was a major issue for the Cowboys last season) was fine. Peterson had a couple of chances to break long gainers and didn't. So while the Cowboys didn't do a good job containing him at the point of attack, they did manage to keep him from destroying them.

Finally, the Cowboys are not at full strength on defense. They're still missing starting cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman, and starting defensive end Marcus Spears. And those who are playing have had only a month's worth of practices in new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's system. It's perfectly understandable if frustration from last season's defensive performance leaks into this season. But it's unfair to assume based on preseason games that it won't be better. It's a work in progress, getting healthier and more comfortable. And considering how strong the Cowboys' offense should be, remember: The defense doesn't have to be one of the best in the league to make the team a contender. It only has to improve from the back of the pack to somewhere near the middle.

As for that offense, there were quite a number of highlights, which I'll hit on as I mention some other things I saw:

1. Tony Romo looks great. He was pressured early up the middle (remember, Dallas started a third-string center) but held up fine and threw with impeccable accuracy and confidence all night. He was 15-for-20 for 141 yards in the first half, and even some of his misses were well thrown. The near-touchdown on which Kevin Ogletree couldn't get his second foot in bounds was a perfect throw. The throw just out of Dez Bryant's reach at the goal line shortly before Felix Jones' touchdown run was in a place where Bryant was the only one who would have even had a chance to catch it. Romo's accuracy is his greatest strength, and it was on display Saturday.

2. Bryant is a physical beast. He can overpower defensive backs to make a catch. When he makes a catch, he's hard to bring down. He's 6-foot-2, 225 pounds with great hands and great instincts. Once defenses have Miles Austin to worry about as well as Bryant, Romo is only going to look better.

3. Felix Jones continues to impress. But while Jerry Jones is out there saying Tashard Choice needs to play better on special teams to make the roster, Choice looked good on a couple of runs while spelling Felix. Murray was also set to play at some point Saturday (and I'll update with stuff on him if the storm allows), and as great as Jones has been this preseason, it's good for the Cowboys to see what their other options are for giving him a break and helping to keep him healthy.

4. Jesse Holley is working hard to make the team. Made a couple of very nice third-down catches, missed a tackle on a kick return ... mixed bag kind of a first half for Holley, but if Romo's comfortable throwing to him and he's making the catches when he does, that's got to help his case.

5. The offensive line got better as the game went along. As mentioned, there were some issues early with the Vikings getting pressure up the middle. Rookie Bill Nagy still looks like he needs to add strength, and Tyron Smith looked as though he was struggling with his footwork again on the first offensive series. But things tightened up as the first half moved along, and the Cowboys were able to keep Romo clean and allow him to make his plays. On the sack, left tackle Doug Free got beaten by Jared Allen, who forced Romo up in the pocket where Christian Ballard got off a Nagy block to bring Romo down. I wonder if Nagy is supposed to hold that block longer, or if I'm watching the rookie too closely.

6. Shayne Graham should be the kicker. Dan Bailey and Graham each hit mid-range field goals (37 and 38 yards, respectively) at this writing, but given Graham's track record I have to think he gets the job as long as he doesn't miss kicks in the preseason. He didn't look great on kickoffs, but the new rules make that less important this season.

Again, more later if I'm still online. But that's what I have for now.

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.

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.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 14.

The Philadelphia Eagles' defense will have to slow down Jason Witten. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna loves throwing the ball to Witten. Over the past three games, Witten has been targeted 20 times and has 19 catches. He's always been a matchup problem for the Eagles, and there's no way that middle linebacker Stewart Bradley can cover him one-on-one in the middle of the field. Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has immense respect for Witten, so he'll probably use safeties Nate Allen and Quintin Mikell against him at times.

The New York Giants need to continue their emphasis on starting fast. In last week's win over the Washington Redskins, the Giants scored a touchdown on their opening possession for the first time this season. Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has placed more emphasis on scoring quickly, and it's paid off in recent games. With David Diehl likely returning to the lineup at left tackle, look for the Giants to run right at Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. Brandon Jacobs raced for 39 yards on a carry to the left side on the first possession against the Redskins. I think the Giants will try the same thing against the Vikings. If they can score quickly, it will take one of the loudest crowds in the league out of the game.

It's time for Mike Shanahan to bust out the running game. The Redskins should have tailback Ryan Torain in the starting lineup against Tampa Bay on Sunday. Torain had back-to-back 100-yard rushing days earlier in the season, but we haven't seen him since Week 8 because of lingering hamstring issues. The Bucs are 26th in the league against the run, allowing 128.5 yards per game on the ground. If Trent Williams can come back strong at left tackle, I think Torain will have some success on that side. Stephon Heyer was overwhelmed at left tackle last week, which pretty much fouled up everything. Williams hasn't been great in his rookie season, but he's about the best the Skins have to offer at this point.

The Cowboys will try to follow the Chicago Bears' game plan against Michael Vick: The Cowboys may blitz a little more than the Bears did against Vick two weeks ago, but they'll rely heavily on their defensive front. Safety Gerald Sensabaugh told me Wednesday that the secondary has watched all of the double moves DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin like to use. Sensabaugh said the key will be not taking his eyes off the receiver too soon. If you look up to get your bearings, one of the Eagles receivers will race past you for a touchdown. The Cowboys will probably play their safeties deeper than usual, and they'll try to frustrate Jackson by not allowing him to have anything downfield. The Cowboys did a great job against Jackson last season. One matchup to keep an eye on will be Jason Avant versus Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick. If Scandrick is unable to play because of a concussion, look for rookie Bryan McCann to line up across from Avant, one of the most underrated receivers in the league. He and the Giants' Steve Smith do a superb job on third downs.

Will the New York Giants face Brett Favre or Tarvaris Jackson? The Giants spent most of the week preparing for Favre, but they'll be ready to adjust if the famous streak ends. I think the Vikings are actually more dangerous with Jackson right now. He moves around the pocket much better than Favre and he's a threat to take off when everybody is covered. Much like they did in the second half against Vick, the Giants need to knock down Jackson. With Favre, I think the key will be to make sure you catch those interceptions. He's going to make some mistakes, and right now this Giants defense is doing a good job of capitalizing. If Devin Thomas can mix in another partially blocked punt, the Giants will be in business.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about the Week 6 games:

Can the Cowboys' offensive line hold up against the Vikings? We all know what happened the last time the Cowboys were in the Metrodome. Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards abused right tackle Marc Colombo and All-Pro Jared Allen wore out left tackle Doug Free in a divisional round playoff game in January. You'll recall that Free was forced into that game when Flozell Adams went down with an injury. I think Free will bounce back from a poor game against the Titans and play well against Allen. But the problem with Colombo last season was that he wasn't getting off the snap quickly enough because of the crowd noise in the Metrodome. The Cowboys have worked on their silent counts this week and feel like they're better prepared this time around. Starting center Andre Gurode has a degenerative condition in his knee and will likely be a game-time decision. I think he'll be ready to go, but if not, left guard Kyle Kosier would be his replacement. Montrae Holland would take over at left guard.

The Redskins must diversify their passing game against Colts. Washington tight end Chris Cooley and wide receiver Santana Moss are on pace to have career seasons. That's good news for fans, but at some point, there must be more diversity in this offense. Anthony Armstrong made a huge play in the fourth quarter against the Packers, so perhaps he's a candidate to be targeted. But right now, I think the Redskins are too easy to defend. The Colts have unbelievable pass-rushers in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, but the Skins could counter some of their speed by running right at them. With Trent Williams back at left tackle, I think this is a game where the Skins needed to pound the running game like they did against the Eagles. But when they must pass, someone other than Moss and Cooley must step forward. Does anyone know what's happened to Fred Davis? This was supposed to be one of the best tight end tandems in the league, but Davis' season hasn't gotten off the ground.

Giants need to put the Lions away early. The New York Giants must assert their dominance early in Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. Tom Coughlin has made the Lions out to be world beaters, but we know the score. Rookie running back Jahvid Best can burn a defense if he's allowed to have any cutback lanes. I think middle linebacker Jonathan Goff, who has been impressive so far this season, will have some one-on-one situations against Best. Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is one of the toughest covers in the league. I think you'll see Corey Webster on him initially with some help over the top from Kenny Phillips. The Giants will try to make the Lions one dimensional from the start. Same thing they did against the Texans last week.

The Eagles have a huge opportunity against the Atlanta Falcons. It sort of feels like Atlanta's the best team in the NFC almost by default. Quarterback Matt Ryan's playing really well and the Falcons also have an excellent running game. The Eagles were gashed in the running game by the Washington Redskins, and I assure you that Falcons coach Mike Smith will try to do the same thing. With Brodrick Bunkley (elbow) out for this game, the Eagles must do a good job of gang tackling. We saw what happened to Quintin Mikell when he tried to challenge Washington's Ryan Torain in the open field. Atlanta's Michael Turner can't be allowed to get in a lot of those one-on-one situations. On offense, Kevin Kolb must be smart with the football while playing behind a patchwork offensive line. Andy Reid thinks left tackle King Dunlap will play better with a week of practice under his belt, but I have my doubts. Reid better make sure Dunlap has a lot of help.

Can Randy Moss make the Cowboys pay -- again? No one loves lighting up the Cowboys more than Randy Moss, whom Jerry Jones passed on in the 1998 draft (along with several other teams). With a full week of practice under his belt, Moss could be very dangerous against the Cowboys. Look for him to try to beat the Cowboys on a vertical route early in this game. The Cowboys have struggled against the vertical routes, as evidenced by losses to the Bears and Titans. This is not a smart defense right now, and Brett Favre and Moss will look to make them pay. And I don't believe for a second all this nonsense about Favre not playing because of tendinitis. This is panic time for both teams, and Favre's come too far and had too many unretirements to sit this one out.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about the Week 1 games.

This will be the only Cowboys-Redskins preview in the blogging community not mentioning a certain defensive tackle. That's because I think he'll be a non-factor in this game. I'll be zeroed in on what Mike and Kyle Shanahan do to make sure Donovan McNabb stays on his feet long enough to deliver the ball. Trent Williams is going to be a solid left tackle in this league, but there are easier ways to make your debut than facing outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. The Skins are going to help Williams quite a bit early in this game and that could take away from what McNabb's able to accomplish with the talented tight end duo of Chris Cooley and Fred Davis. If the Redskins can give McNabb some time, I think Santana Moss will be a tough matchup for Terence Newman or Mike Jenkins. Kyle Shanahan wants to use Moss a lot like he used Houston's Andre Johnson and that's a scary thought for this secondary.

Justin Tuck was elected defensive captain by his teammates. Sunday's game against Carolina is the game where Tuck and his defensive teammates can show they're ready to get back to the '07-'08 years. Tuck has promised to be a lot more vocal on and off the field and he'll be supported by the energetic new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. I can't say enough about Fewell, who has completely changed the mindset with a lot of these players. He's going to hold his guys accountable, but he's also not going to beat them down constantly. I really like what he's done to fortify the rush defense. And it looks like Fewell has helped inspire Tom Coughlin. I had a long conversation with Coughlin in Albany, N.Y, during training camp and you could tell he thinks this team has a legitimate chance to do something special this season. I have them reaching the Super Bowl. However, I may change that pick if they struggle against the Panthers.

Kevin Kolb can't win this game against Green Bay on the first drive. The previous sentence popped into my head when I couldn't sleep Thursday night and it's not quite as profound now that I see it in print. But you know what I'm saying. Kolb doesn't need to try to do anything heroic in his debut as the full-time starter for the Eagles. Simply feed the ball to your playmakers and make sure you hit them on the run. Kolb's going to have some rough days, but I also think he's capable of putting up some big numbers. He moves around a lot better than folks give him credit for and you'll see that against the overrated Packers.

Doug Free was thrown into an awful situation against Jared Allen in last year's divisional playoff game. He'll be much better prepared for Washington outside linebacker Brian Orakpo on Sunday evening. Orakpo joined us on ESPN 103.3 in Dallas-Fort Worth on Thursday and wouldn't tip his hand on where he'd be lining up. There's some thought that defensive coordinator Jim Haslett might move him around a bit. Orakpo will try to use his speed early in the game before transitioning to his bull-rush technique. The players refer to that as "speed to power" and Orakpo can be dangerous in that mode. I think Free will hold his own. If he doesn't, Tony Romo could be in trouble.

Let's keep our eye on the Eagles' tweeting defensive end Brandon Graham. The rookie defensive end had to stop by Andy Reid's office Thursday to explain why he tweeted his intentions to whisper in Aaron Rodgers' ear the word "sack." I'm not sure I recall Deacon Jones or Reggie White whispering anything in a quarterback's ears, but times have changed. I'm anxious to see how Graham performs in his first game. He can't get so amped that he forgets his technique early. But I could see him having a big debut -- especially since the Packers will be focused on trying to slow down Trent Cole. Graham's studied Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil on film and he's ready to showcase some of those moves Sunday.

As part of our ongoing "Great Debate" series, ESPN.com's Matt Mosley and ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon were asked to discuss the Dallas Cowboys' chances of reaching the Super Bowl. You might have heard that it's being played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Will the prospect of becoming the first NFL team to qualify for a hometown Super Bowl give the Cowboys some extra motivation? We're about to find out over the next six months.

Now, let the debate begin:

Mosley: Tim, let's dive right into this thing without exchanging too many pleasantries because the two of us have never exchanged a lot of pleasantries. I wish we'd had this debate before the preseason games, because the Cowboys' first-teamers were embarrassingly non-competitive in matchups with the Chargers and Texans. But since I don't put one ounce of stock into the preseason, I'll argue that the Cowboys will become the first team in NFL history to play host to a Super Bowl in their own stadium. It sort of makes me queasy to espouse that type of optimism for this franchise, but I honestly think they have a lot of the intangibles that are necessary to make this happen.

The most important ingredient is quarterback Tony Romo. I think winning his first playoff game last season against the Eagles was huge for his confidence. I think we both agree that he has the talent to lead a team to the Super Bowl, but he desperately needed to get the Seattle-New York monkey off his back.

In 2009, Romo learned to put his teammates before himself. It was an important lesson for a guy who forged a reputation based on his devil-may-care approach. As backup quarterback Jon Kitna explained it to me last season, Romo realized that decisions he makes on the field affect everyone in the organization. He ended up with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions and was able to strike a nice balance between his improv work and his willingness to throw the ball away. He remembered Bill Parcells bellowing in practice, "The throwaway's a good play!"

Oh wait, I need to take a break and let MacMahon say something.

MacMahon: Glad to see Parcells’ wisdom is still fresh in your mind, Matt. Perhaps you recall his oft-repeated line about putting away the anointing oil in regard to Romo.

You really think one playoff win is proof that Romo is ready to carry the Cowboys to a Super Bowl? What about the next weekend? He failed to get the Cowboys in the end zone during a lopsided loss to the Vikings.

Of course, it’s not all about the quarterback. The Cowboys’ biggest concern appears to be their aging offensive line, which got whipped by the modern-day version of the Vikings’ Purple People Eaters. The Cowboys have to cross their fingers that right tackle Marc Colombo and left guard Kyle Kosier can come back strong from knee injuries that could sideline them for the season opener and beyond.

It would be wrong to rule out Romo as a potential Super Bowl quarterback, but it’s foolish to consider him the favorite in a conference that features a couple of guys who have done it before and have great supporting casts (New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Minnesota’s Brett Favre). Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is also arguably more likely to be a featured attraction at JerryWorld in February.

Perhaps I should pacify the New York branch of your Beast readership by mentioning Eli Manning, who has as many playoff wins on Texas soil as Romo.

Mosley: Tim, we both know that Wade Phillips let that Vikings playoff game get away from him when he opted for a long field goal attempt from a shaky kicker instead of doing the logical thing and going for it on fourth-and-1. And when Flozell Adams suffered an injury in the second quarter, the game was effectively over. But you're correct in saying the offensive line is a major concern. We've learned to appreciate the work of Kosier when he has been out of the lineup and his backup, Montrae Holland, hasn't exactly been a road-grader in the preseason. But wait, I'm arguing against myself.

As crazy as it might sound to longtime Adams apologists such as yourself, Doug Free will be an upgrade at left tackle. He's had a good preseason and the Cowboys' great offensive line coach Hudson Houck, who mentored future Hall of Famer Larry Allen, raves about Free's work on the left side. Once the season gets rolling, perennial Pro Bowlers Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis will return to form.

You talk about the Saints like they're invincible, but I seem to recall the Cowboys going into the Superdome last December and pushing them around. The Saints won a Super Bowl with someone named Jermon Bushrod playing left tackle. The Cowboys might be long in the tooth along the offensive line, but they have better units than the Eagles and Redskins for sure. The Giants have been just as banged up as the Cowboys throughout training camp, so those offensive lines are pretty close.

Last time I checked, Rodgers hadn't won a playoff game, so I'm not sure why every national pundit suddenly has him in front of Romo. And surely Favre's ankle can't hold a lot more lubricant. Without Sidney Rice in the lineup the first half of the season, Favre will be missing a major weapon. If the Cowboys can secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs this time around, I think they'll get a bonus game at their home stadium.

Obviously I'm winning the debate at this point, but I want to give you some more reps. Other than being worried about the offensive line and the talented players on other teams, what's your biggest reason for the Cowboys not going to the Super Bowl?

MacMahon: No wonder you dropped out of Baylor Law School all those years ago. You do a fine job of shooting holes in your own case.

You blame Phillips (1-5 postseason record as a head coach) for making a poor decision in a playoff loss. Does his new contract somehow guarantee that won’t happen again? You mention that the Cowboys had a shaky kicker situation last season. Has that changed? They’re crossing their fingers that David Buehler can get the job done. He’s money on kickoffs and sprints against disappointing draft picks, but he’s never attempted a field goal in the NFL and was erratic at USC.

Of course, you could point out that the Cowboys had no reason to be confident in their short-yardage offense instead of just pointing the finger at Phillips for not going for it on fourth-and-1. After all, your perennial Pro Bowlers couldn’t pave the way for Marion Barber to get a yard on four tries against the Chargers in December. I hate to use actual facts in this debate, but Barber’s conversion percentage on third- and fourth-and-1 ranked among the lowest of backs with at least 10 such opportunities last season.

And you totally lost me with the Flozell Adams turn. You begin by saying how much the Cowboys missed him in the Minnesota massacre and follow it up by declaring that Doug Free is a significant upgrade. Sort of a false start, which is fitting.

Free is certainly an upgrade, but Jared Allen was far from the biggest problem for the Cowboys in the playoff loss. That was Ray Edwards, the Vikings’ other end, who wreaked havoc from the first time that annoying horn blew. Which gets us back to whether Colombo can get completely healthy.

But the biggest reason I’m skeptical about the Cowboys’ Super Bowl aspirations? Because I remember what happened when they were supposed to be Super Bowl front-runners a couple of years ago. I can’t just hop back on the bandwagon. I’ve got to see it to believe it.

Mosley: Tim, that's a fascinating conclusion you've reached. You need to see them reach the Super Bowl before you can be convinced they can get to a Super Bowl. And to compare this current group of players to the '08 "front-runners" is completely unfair. That locker room was home to Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson and Terrell Owens.

With those players "safely" in Cincinnati now, the Cowboys have a completely different team. The arrival of Keith Brooking in '09 via free agency was a huge thing for this team. He's an excellent linebacker, but more important, he's a tremendous leader. He and safety Gerald Sensabaugh were big-time additions to this defense.

The Cowboys had one of the top defenses in the league last season, and they have a chance to be better in 2010. The other three NFC East teams have major questions. And I think the Saints are about to go through a Super Bowl hangover season. Which NFC East team has a better defense than the Cowboys?

Which NFC team has a better quarterback than the Cowboys -- outside of the Saints? You could make an argument for Favre, but all that lubricant in his ankle is going to bring him down at some point. And Rodgers has more pressure on him than Romo, because the Packers have a suspect defense.

You're making a passionate case against the Cowboys going to the Super Bowl, but in your heart of hearts, you know they have an excellent chance. I'm going to give you a shot at a closing argument here. To this point, all of your statements have been summarily defeated by a man with half a law degree. Time to sound the retreat, sir.

MacMahon: The Cowboys’ cheerleading team has clearly lowered their standards to let you join the squad.

I’ll grant you that this is a much more mature team than the band of misfits that melted down in 2008. The Brooking-T.O. swap certainly worked chemistry wonders, and guys such as Romo and Jay Ratliff have grown into good leaders.

The Cowboys should certainly be considered NFC East favorites, having won the division two of the past three seasons and adding Dez Bryant to their talented core. They merit consideration as Super Bowl contenders, but with their difficult schedule, I don’t see the Cowboys claiming home-field advantage. And I wouldn’t bet on them winning a playoff game in Green Bay, Minnesota or New Orleans.

You declare that the Cowboys have an excellent chance to play a home Super Bowl. I’d downgrade that to a decent chance. Go ahead and crack the anointing oil if you wish. I’m keeping the lid on my bottle until February.

MINNEAPOLIS -- So much for that hot team theory. The Vikings may have stumbled through the month of December, but they buried the formerly red-hot Cowboys in a 34-3 win that felt like it was over by halftime.

A week after their major breakthrough against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys looked overmatched in the Metrodome. Even coach Wade Phillips, a man who can find a silver lining in the darkest of moments, wasn't able to offer a defense for the Cowboys' tepid showing in a divisional playoff game. It was the second-worst playoff loss in franchise history, surpassed only by a 38-6 loss to the Detroit Lions in 1991.

"It's like an elevator falling all the way from the top; it's tough when it's over," said a grim-faced Phillips. "I was surprised, but they have a good football team."

In the aftermath of a beatdown punctuated by Brad Childress amusing himself with an unnecessary call for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, it seems odd to say that the Cowboys were ever in the game. But Dallas actually had a shot to grab the momentum in the first quarter. As he'd done during the Cowboys' four-game winning streak, quarterback Tony Romo led the offense into Vikings territory on the first possession of the game. The Cowboys' plan all week was to treat that opening possession as if it were the most important drive in the game.

The strategy worked until Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards raced past right tackle Marc Colombo and stripped the ball from Romo. The Vikings recovered at their 35-yard line and averted an early Cowboys score. After forcing a three-and-out, the Cowboys moved to the Vikings' 30-yard line and elected to attempt a 48-yard field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-1. Shaun Suisham, who replaced the wayward Nick Folk last month, smothered the ball wide left and it would be fair to say the Cowboys never posed another serious challenge.

"Obviously, we need to get points out of those drives," said Romo. "It's not on any one person but we all need to play better. When you go into a place like this, points matter."

What Romo is saying is the Cowboys missed a huge opportunity to limit the home crowd's influence early in the game. I think the Metrodome is louder than the Superdome, a place where the Cowboys had one of their biggest wins of the season. Even the PA announcer sounded as if he was taunting the Dallas offense as the Vikings' front four took over the game.

In my talking points for Sunday's matchup, someone forgot to tell me that Edwards was one of the best pass-rushers in the league. And to think, I wasted so much time on the Williams Wall and Jared Allen, who didn't have much of an impact until Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams left the game with a right calf strain with 7:18 left in the first half. On the first two plays after Adams' departure, Allen tackled Felix Jones in the backfield and then caused a Romo fumble, which led to a Vikings field goal and a 17-3 lead. For unknown reasons, tight end Jason Witten ended up "blocking" Allen one-on-one on those two plays. I asked Adams' replacement Doug Free if he was supposed to be helping Witten against Allen, but he said he wasn't sure what happened. It seemed like a pretty good description of how most of his teammates felt following the loss.

The aforementioned Edwards had three sacks, six hurries, a forced fumble and five tackles. I didn't see a lot of No. 91 jerseys inside the Metrodome, but they'll probably be taken off the discount rack this week. Colombo has been the emotional leader of the Cowboys' offensive line since Bill Parcells salvaged his career, but he was physically whipped by the younger, faster Edwards on Sunday. Edwards finished the regular season with 8.5 sacks but he's often in the sizable shadow of Allen.

"He has played at a high level this year, just in terms of production," Childress said of Edwards. "But he showed up and he is always making plays and chasing the football. He's an extra heartbeat guy."

After the game, Childress took the opportunity to beat his chest and talk about the "nonsense" of the Cowboys being the hottest team in the playoffs. Down the road, the Cowboys will be able to look back at '09 as a successful season. They won a playoff game for the first time in 13 years and young players such as Mike Jenkins and Miles Austin have an opportunity to be stars in this league for a long time. Though he hasn't come right out and said it, owner Jerry Jones is going to bring back Wade Phillips for at least one more season. Phillips' defense was one of the best in the league over the past month and there's no need to make significant changes to the unit. I asked Phillips if he considered this a successful season.

"Well, our goal was to win it all and this isn't a success," said Phillips. "I do think we did a lot of great things and I thought winning the division was important and winning the playoff game at home was important. We need to get back to that point again next year."

The defense played well enough to give the Cowboys a chance at a comeback in the third quarter, but Brett Favre simply overwhelmed them in the first half. On his first of three touchdown passes to Sidney Rice, Favre launched a deep ball that was so precise that Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh had no clue the ball had been caught. After the game, inside linebacker Keith Brooking wasn't looking for a silver lining.

"I don't consider this season a success," he told ESPN.com. "We took some steps in the right direction, but I wouldn't call it a successful season. You dive into the NFL season every year and then it comes to an abrupt halt like this. I'll go home tomorrow and ask my wife, 'What the hell do I do now?'"

It's a question a lot of Cowboys fans will be asking as well.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tony Romo had a chance in this game -- for at least one possession. Like they'd done in recent weeks, the Cowboys quickly marched down the field on their opening possession, but Romo was sacked by Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards and he fumbled the ball away. This would be a recurring theme in this game.

And once the Cowboys lost starting left tackle Flozell Adams to a right calf strain, all hope was pretty much lost. On the Cowboys' first possession without Adams, Vikings All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen raced around tight end Jason Witten and knocked the ball loose from Romo. The Vikings made it 17-3 after that play and the Cowboys didn't pose a serious challenge the rest of the game.

With better protection up front than Romo was afforded, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre threw two touchdowns in the first half. He hit Sidney Rice on a gorgeous 47-yard throw that Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh literally never saw coming. Sensabaugh actually matched Rice step for step but he never looked up to find the ball. And as Rice strided into the end zone for his first of three touchdowns, Sensabaugh looked around to see what happened.

This was supposed to be two evenly matched teams, but I thought the hotter team (the Cowboys) would prevail. But it was obvious early in the game that the Vikings' pass rush was simply too potent for the Cowboys to handle. Cowboys coach Wade Phillips will get to coach this team for at least one more season. He's certainly earned that right. But the Cowboys will have to spend the offseason figuring out why they couldn't hold up against an elite defense.

I'm sure some Cowboys fans will be upset that Brad Childress chose to run up the score late in the game. But hey, the Cowboys are the ones who helped provide the opportunity. I'm headed to the visiting locker room. I'll have a column for you guys in a couple hours. Stay tuned.