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The 2011 season was not the most, well, beastly season in NFC East history. It was the first time in a full, 16-game season that no team in the division won at least 10 games, and for much of the year the talk around the division was that it wasn't what it used to be.

Buncha baloney if you ask me. Even forgetting for a second that an NFC East team won the Super Bowl, this division still does one very important thing better than any other: rush the passer. The NFC East's 181 sacks led all NFL divisions in 2011, and by quite a bit. (The AFC North, which had three playoff teams, was second with 160). The Eagles tied for the league lead with 50. The Giants tied for third with 48. The Cowboys tied for seventh with 42, and the Redskins tied for 10th with 41.

Look deeper, into the film-based, number-crunching stats from Pro Football Focus -- stats that take into account more than just sacks when evaluating the extent to which teams rushed, hassled and affected opposing quarterbacks, and the division still rules. The Eagles rank No. 1 in PFF's 2011 team rankings, the Cowboys No. 3, the Giants No. 6 and the Redskins No. 9. No division prizes this critical aspect of the game more than the NFC East does, and it shows up in the numbers.

So, as we slug our way through a slow news month in the NFC East, I thought it'd be a good idea to check in on the pass rushes of our four teams and see how they're doing -- what they've done to get better or worse, what their 2012 prospects look like from this far out and yes, how they rank against each other. You guys asked for more polls, and I promised I'd listen, so there's one right here for you to vote on. After you finish reading, of course. I'm addressing them in order of how many sacks they got in 2011, in case you're wondering how I decided. Seemed fair.

Philadelphia Eagles

Key contributors: DE Trent Cole, DE Jason Babin, DT Cullen Jenkins. PFF ranked Cole the No. 1 overall 4-3 defensive end in the league last year. Babin ranked 10th overall and third in pass rush, finishing third in the league with 18 sacks. Jenkins ranked as the No. 4 pass-rushing defensive tackle, and Derek Landri was No. 10. Defensive line coach Jim Washburn and defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, each of whom is entering his second season in his current position with the Eagles, believe the front four is responsible for the pass rush. And while they got a lot of publicity for how wide they like to line up their defensive ends, they like to get pressure from the defensive tackles as well.

Newcomer: DT Fletcher Cox. The Eagles traded up in the first round to pick Cox because they believed he could be an impact pass-rusher from one of those interior spots right away. They need to toughen up against the run, and that will have to be part of Cox's game. But what appealed to them was his ability to get to the passer. Rookie linebacker Mychal Kendricks could conceivably factor in here too, but the Eagles don't ask their linebackers to rush very much in the new scheme.

Stock watch: UP. The addition of Cox, as well as the possible return to full health of Mike Patterson and 2010 first-round pick Brandon Graham, give the Eagles incredible depth at a position at which they were already very strong in 2011. It's possible they'll rush the passer even better in 2012.

New York Giants

Key contributors: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DE Justin Tuck, DE Osi Umenyiora, DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka. No one's roster goes as deep as the Giants' does in terms of star-caliber defensive ends. Pierre-Paul was fourth in the league with 16.5 sacks in just his second NFL season. Umenyiora had nine in just nine games. Tuck turned it on at the end and in the playoffs, and Kiwanuka is a defensive end playing linebacker. The Giants believe a strong pass rush is their heritage and their key to being an annual contender.

Newcomer: DT Marvin Austin. The Giants didn't really bring in anyone this offseason who looks like a 2012 pass-rush contributor, but their 2011 second-round pick missed all of last season due to injury, so we'll call him a newcomer. The Giants would like to get more help from inside. Linval Joseph was their best pass-rushing defensive tackle in 2011, according to PFF's rankings. A healthy Austin could be a difference-maker.

Stock watch: DOWN. Not by much, but a little, because of the loss of reliable, underrated reserve DE Dave Tollefson. If Tuck and Umenyiora have injury problems again, or if Umenyiora holds out, they could get kind of thin at defensive end pretty quickly without Tollefson there to fill in this time. Now, this is the Giants, and they'll probably figure it out. The addition of linebacker Keith Rivers could allow them to move Kiwanuka back to end in case of injury. But it's worth pointing out that they did lose a somewhat important piece of the pass rush and didn't replace him.

Dallas Cowboys

Key contributors: LB DeMarcus Ware, LB Anthony Spencer, DE Jason Hatcher, NT Jay Ratliff. There's no one like Ware, who rang up another 19.5 sacks in 2011. That's nearly half the team total, and the conventional wisdom says he needs more help. But PFF ranked Spencer its 11th-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the pass rush and Hatcher as its eighth-best 3-4 pass-rushing defensive end. Add in Ratliff, who can generate pressure up the middle, and the Cowboys look better in this area than we tend to think.

Newcomer: DE Tyrone Crawford. Dallas' third-round pick is looked at by many as a project, but as one that can eventually help with the pass rush whether he ends up as a 3-4 end or standing up as an outside linebacker. Whether he can help in 2012 remains a question, but the Cowboys didn't see a first-round or second-round pass-rusher they liked better than Spencer, so they focused on the secondary instead and picked up some down-the-road guys for the pass rush.

Stock watch: EVEN. They're bringing back basically the same group, and while there's a theory that the improvements at defensive back will help the pass rush by giving it extra time to get sacks, we have yet to see that in action. Spencer must play with more aggressiveness if this unit is to take a step forward into the upper tier with the Eagles and Giants.

Washington Redskins

Key contributors: LB Brian Orakpo, LB Ryan Kerrigan, DE Stephen Bowen. The Redskins' pass rush is all about those young outside linebackers, and they are fearsome. But with only 16.5 sacks between them in 2011, their numbers have a ways to go to get into the big-time stratosphere we're talking about in the NFC East. PFF did rank Orakpo fifth and Kerrigan ninth among pass-rushing 3-4 OLBs in 2011, so they do a lot of things well in that area. Bowen had six sacks and DE Adam Carriker came up with 5.5.

Newcomer: DE Jarvis Jenkins. Just as we did with the Giants, we'll go with a 2011 second-round pick who missed his rookie season due to injury. Jenkins may not be a pass-rusher, but adding him to the defensive line rotation could help free up more room for the linebackers and maybe help the other linemen get to the passer more often as well.

Stock watch: EVEN. This is really all about how much and how quickly Orakpo and especially Kerrigan continue to develop as elite pass-rushers. They've both shown flashes of incredible raw ability, and they have to continue to hone their craft so they can play at the level of the other pass-rushers in their division. Ware, Cole, Pierre-Paul and the rest of these guys are setting a high bar, and the Redskins know they have to have their own pass-rush monsters if they want to hang with them year in and year out.

Is Robert Griffin III's supporting cast good enough?

The Washington Redskins have made a big bet on the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Baylor, trading three first-round draft picks and a second-round pick for the right to draft him No. 2 overall last week. He has all the makings of a star worthy of such a price, but if the Redskins want to make any real noise in the division race in 2012, he's going to need help. Washington spent big early in free agency on wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan, two dynamic young players they believe can grow and develop along with Griffin in Mike Shanahan's offense. But they didn't do much to make immediate improvements to the offensive line. And with Tim Hightower still unsigned, the running game looks a bit short. Griffin's short-term success could ride on the ability of a lot of returning Redskins players to take the next step in their own development.

There are good-looking pieces in place, to be sure. Left tackle Trent Williams, the No. 4 pick in the 2010 draft, returns from his drug suspension to reclaim his spot as the anchor of the line. The Redskins hope that he and tight end Fred Davis, who was the team's best receiver last year but lost those same final four games to a drug suspension as well, have learned their lesson and will be strengths of the offense (rather than ongoing concerns) from now on. Veteran receiver Santana Moss remains on the roster and should be a help to Garcon and Morgan as they work their way into the system. Even Rex Grossman, last year's 20-interception starting quarterback, should be an asset to Griffin, because Grossman understands the offense very well and will be an effective tutor for the rookie as long as Griffin tunes out the parts about throwing the ball to the wrong team.

The Redskins believed they had one of the league's better defenses in 2011, and up front they do appear to be very strong, especially if promising second-year lineman Jarvis Jenkins is recovered from the injury that cost him his rookie season and ageless linebacker London Fletcher continues to perform at his extremely high level. There are questions in the secondary -- both at cornerback and at safety -- that the Redskins hope quantity and competition will sort out in training camp, but overall the defense should be solid. The questions are on offense, where a rookie quarterback for whom expectations are high will need his supporting cast to be reliable if the Redskins are to take a step forward and have an outside chance at a playoff spot. In all likelihood, this is another year in the rebuilding process, and what the Redskins and their fans want to see is a clear step in the right direction. For that to happen, the pieces around Griffin will have to do everything they can to make him look as good as possible.

The NFL draft is now two weeks away, and the teams in our division continue to do their fine tuning in advance of it. Heck, even the Giants got into the act and started acquiring some guys Wednesday. Crazy, I know. Links.

Dallas Cowboys

Rainer Sabin thinks Jerry Jones' reputation as a stubborn owner is outdated and that Jones deserves credit for a willingness to admit and acknowledge his mistakes. Not a bad point, though Cowboys fans would probably respond by saying they'd simply prefer he stop making so many.

Were you wondering if someone would take a chance on recently released cornerback Terence Newman? No? Nobody? How about you there in the back? Did you raise your hand? Yes? Well, here you go. He's a Bengal.

New York Giants

The Giants capped off a busy Wednesday by signing former Patriots cornerback Antwaun Molden. They hope to have the Keith Rivers trade finalized and announced today, and maybe once that happens we'll get some clarity about their plans for where all of their linebackers are going to play.

The knee injury tight end Jake Ballard suffered in the Super Bowl was more serious than we originally knew. Ballard had microfracture surgery in addition to the surgery to repair his torn ACL. It's going to be a very tough road back for Ballard.

Philadelphia Eagles

The way Demetress Bell's contract is structured allows the Eagles to get out after a year if Jason Peters is back and ready to go, but it also gives them the option of keeping Bell around as a long-term replacement if that's what they end up needing. Reuben Frank has the details.

Former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook wants the team to give current running back LeSean McCoy his long-term contract. As we have discussed at length here, I believe Westbrook and McCoy will get their wish at some point.

Washington Redskins

Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith, who helped Cam Newton flourish as a rookie quarterback in 2011, says the Redskins can have success with a rookie quarterback in 2012 as long as the receivers are open-minded about working with one.

Defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins, who was a star in his first training camp last year before a preseason injury knocked him out for the season, has been cleared to resume playing football. This helps make the defensive line perhaps the deepest position group the Redskins have, and it should be a strength of their team in 2012.

Just after I posted about the Washington Redskins signing free-agent wide receiver Pierre Garcon, Adam Schefter reported they were on the verge of a contract with free-agent wide receiver Josh Morgan, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers. It's been a busy first couple of hours of free agency for the Redskins, who also have re-signed defensive lineman Adam Carriker to a contract extension.

Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network reported the Carriker deal first, and he reports that it's for $20 million ($7 million guaranteed) over four years. A short time later, Carriker tweeted, "I'm back! #resign94 complete." Carriker is an important piece for the Redskins, a favorite of the fans and the coaching staff who helped the conversion to a 3-4 defense, and with him back and Jarvis Jenkins expected back from his rookie-year injury, the Redskins should have good depth along the defensive line.

Now, as for the wide receivers, they're not the ones for whom you were hoping. I understand that. Vincent Jackson was the big prize, but he appears to be off to Tampa Bay, and Garcon was probably about the best option left on the market after Jackson. But he is not an established No. 1 wide receiver. He could turn into one. He turns 26 in August and caught 70 balls for 947 yards in Indianapolis last year without a real quarterback. He's a good fit for Mike Shanahan's offense, and he has the ability to blossom as a No. 1 wide receiver if he clicks with the Redskins' new quarterback, who's expected to be 22-year-old Robert Griffin III. And that kind of future bet was the best the Redskins could do if they weren't going to get Jackson.

Similar situation with Morgan, who's also 26 and played just five games for the 49ers this past year before breaking his leg and missing the rest of the season. Mike Shanahan has been looking for free agents who have done some work to establish themselves as NFL players but are still hungry and young enough to grow with the team over the coming years. This was the thought last summer behind the signings of guys like Josh Wilson and Barry Cofield, and Shanahan is sticking with it. He targets guys he thinks will fit what he plans to do on offense and who are young enough to still be with the team once it's a contender. His hope is to build a team that can contend for a number of years, not just for one.

So while the Redskins needed quality and not quantity at wide receiver, without Jackson and Marques Colston (who re-signed with the Saints earlier in the day) they didn't have too many top-level options. So they're banking on younger guys who can grow up around Griffin and hoping they're getting them right before they take off.

In that respect, the criticism the Redskins are taking for reverting to old habits seems unfair. These aren't aging, big-name stars who are on the downsides of their careers. They are players who fit what the Redskins are trying to build. And whether it works out or not, this is the residue of an actual plan, not just a dartboard free agency approach that looks like what they used to do.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ah, links by the bay, on the morning after the New York Giants managed to put themselves back in the Super Bowl. Some have been complaining, for the past couple of weeks, that this blog has been Giants-heavy. To those people, I say: sorry. It's not about to get any better.

But you know, when you're after democracy and fairness, you can always count on the links.

New York Giants

Hey! Guess who showed up at Candlestick Park to watch his brother win the NFC Championship Game. Yeah, that's right: Peyton Manning. Peyton is very proud of Eli Manning, as he should be. Eli Manning is a stone-cold killer.

In fact, the biggest difference between this year's Super Bowl-bound Giants and the team that won it all four years ago may be the extent to which this is Manning's team -- and the extent to which the Giants rely on him. Ashley Fox muses eloquently on this idea.

Philadelphia Eagles

Les Bowen has a look at quarterbacks the Eagles could target in the draft, if they want to take a shot on finding a developmental guy in the middle rounds.

Jeff McLane ponders the question: "What if the Eagles' defensive issues weren't the coordinator's fault?" Specifically, Jeff is musing on whether the Eagles' defense has enough size on it.

Dallas Cowboys

New Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson is looking forward to working with Rob Ryan again (the two were together in Cleveland) and has some very definite ideas about the kind of players he wants and the way he expects them to play, as Calvin Watkins writes.

The death of Joe Paterno has had a great effect on the Penn State community, which is a large and far-flung one that includes players and coaches in every NFL city. Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee released a statement through the team about his thoughts on losing his college coach.

Washington Redskins

Wow, it's tough to find Redskins links right now. All of the Washington papers were covering the Ravens this weekend, and the blogs seem a little slow, too. Fortunately, we have Redskins.com, which excerpts a recent Adam Carriker interview in which he discusses how much he enjoyed being around rookie Jarvis Jenkins this year ...

...and has photos of the practice bubble being inflated at Redskins Park. No longer will Washington be the only team in the NFL that has to cancel practice when it rains!

Man, the NFL really sets this whole thing up nicely, doesn't it? Of course the NFC East is still alive for at least one more week. Every division is. Eight playoff teams remain, and there's one from each division. Almost as if they planned it that way.

Anyway, the NFC East champs looked as good as any team that played this weekend, and they of course lead off the Monday links.

New York Giants

The Giants rushed for a season-high 172 yards in their playoff victory over Atlanta, but Ian O'Connor writes that the run that got it all started was a 14-yard scamper by a very unlikely candidate -- quarterback Eli Manning. "Unlikely" is putting it mildly, since Manning only had 15 rush yards, total, during the regular season. But Ian's point is a good one -- that Manning has a knack for making the play the Giants need him to make when they need him to make it.

The Giants' players have done a lot of talking the past few weeks, and they clearly feel more confident in themselves than they have at any point this year. That all starts early this week. Before he even left the postgame locker room, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul guaranteed a victory over the Packers next week at Lambeau Field. Pineapples for everyone!

Philadelphia Eagles

Les Bowen has been pretty consistent about pointing out a key, oft-ignored element of the Steve Spagnuolo situation: That even if the Eagles do want to make him their defensive coordinator, they're likely to have competition for his services.

We gave you the link to the Cowboys' "Stay or Go" post from ESPNDallas.com a few days ago. Philly.com is doing the same thing for the Eagles, allowing you to go on there and vote on which players you think should be back next year and which won't. Eagles management is not offering fans the same opportunity -- just the Philly.com web site. But it's a pretty complete list. Andy Reid's on there, even though we know he's coming back. Jeffrey Lurie's on there, even though there's no indication he's stopped wanting to own the team. And Swoop, the mascot, is on there, in case you think it's all Swoop's fault.

Dallas Cowboys

Jason Garrett has begun the process of meeting with his assistant coaches, many of whom he inherited when he took over as head coach from the fired Wade Phillips. Garrett flexed some muscle last offseason in making tough decisions about players he'd inherited and didn't want, and you wonder if he might want to put his own stamp on the coaching staff now that he's got a full season under his belt.

Cowboys linebacker and Penn State alum Sean Lee issued a statement over the weekend about new Penn State coach Bill O'Brien. I mean, I guess he's saying he supports the new coach, but it's not exactly a ringing endorsement from a former player who would have liked to see one of his former coaches get a shot at the top job. Feels like a lot of Penn State people taking this perspective are missing the point.

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan and the Redskins' coaching staff will coach the South team in the Senior Bowl later this month in Mobile, Ala. Not every draft prospect will be there, of course, as many are juniors. But coaches generally enjoy the Senior Bowl as an opportunity to get an up-close look at some guys who might be able to help them. The Redskins have several needs on both sides of the ball, and working closely with some of the top seniors could help them turn up a mid-round gem or two.

Lots of people have asked me about Adam Carriker, who is well liked by fans and teammates and coaches and says he wants to come back to the Redskins next year. But Carriker is going to be an unrestricted free agent, and his return is therefore uncertain. I'm not sure I agree with the idea that Jarvis Jenkins is the issue, since I think they planned to use both guys in a rotation last year and could fit both into their scheme. I think the issue has more to do with London Fletcher being a top priority and the decisions that need to be made at offensive line, safety, wide receiver and several other places. They could conceivably run out of room in the budget for Carriker, is all.

My goodness. The NFL playoffs begin in two days. Our division's representative plays in three. Where does the time go? Links.

New York Giants

People can officially stop asking me whether the Giants will bring in Steve Spagnuolo to be their defensive coordinator. It turns out, the Giants signed current defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to a contract extension that runs through 2012. Turns out they did this last year, when Fewell was interviewing for head-coaching positions. Nothing like a little leverage, huh? The Giants like Fewell, their issues on defense were personnel-related and not scheme- or coaching-related, and there's no reason to think he's going anywhere. Unless someone hires him to be their head coach.

Also, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for December, which isn't real surprising considering he was NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in the month and had a 16-tackle game in one of the weeks in which he wasn't. Pierre-Paul just had his 23rd birthday on Sunday. Given his talent, his rapid learning curve and the team for which he plays, it's terrifying to imagine how good he can become.

Philadelphia Eagles

Les Bowen reports that Spagnuolo, the former Eagles defensive assistant and Giants defensive coordinator who was fired earlier this week as head coach of the Rams, is interested in coaching next year and would be interested in the defensive coordinator job with the Eagles, should that come open. The Eagles still have to decide what to do with current defensive coordinator Juan Castillo and whether they're willing to overhaul the defensive scheme under new leadership for the second year in a row.

Linebacker remains an offseason need for an Eagles team that struggled to find production out of those positions for much of the year. But Geoff Mosher writes that, at the very least, the group of linebackers the Eagles have played much better toward the end of the season. Just don't tell Jeffrey Lurie that. Remember, the way he sees it, it doesn't matter because they didn't play anybody good!

Dallas Cowboys

Jean-Jacques Taylor writes that young, talented Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant is embarking on his most dangerous time of the year -- the offseason. Jacques says Bryant needs structure in his life, and the proof lies in the off-field issues he's had involving behavior and his finances. All eyes are always on Bryant, whom the Cowboys believe can be a building-block player for them if he keeps his head on straight.

ESPNDallas.com invites you to play "Take him or trash him" with the Cowboys' roster. Go through and click on each player and decide whether you want him on next year's team or not. Something to do instead of work, which I know you're looking for.

Washington Redskins

John Keim lists five players who could help improve the Redskins' defense in 2012. Two of them -- defensive linemen Jarvis Jenkins and Barry Cofield -- are already on the roster. But a healthy return from Jenkins and continued improvement from Cofield at nose tackle would, in fact, help. The others John lists are Oakland Raiders safety Tyvon Branch, who can be a free agent, and two players who will be in this year's draft -- LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin.

The Redskins will be working on the offensive line as well, and only the first year of right tackle Jammal Brown's five-year deal was guaranteed. In order to return in 2012, Brown is going to have to prove to the Redskins that his troublesome hip is finally really healthy. The guess here is that they look elsewhere for a tackle.

ASHBURN, Va. -- This is the 16th year in a row in which at least five teams will make the NFL playoffs that didn't make it the year before. That's enough of a trend to make you think it'll happen again next year. And head coach Mike Shanahan says he believes his Washington Redskins are in a position to be one of next year's five.

"Yeah, I think we are," Shanahan told me in an interview Friday in his office at the Redskins' training facility. "We've got to be a little lucky with injuries, because we don't have depth. But we'll have a lot more depth next year than we did this year. And I think we had a chance this year if we'd stayed healthy."

Shanahan gave me a lot of time Friday and addressed a wide variety of topics. I was able to incorporate into the interview several of the questions you guys sent me in the mailbag, and my hope is to fill you in on the Shanahan interview as completely as possible in several different posts over the coming days. So here are a couple of your questions and what Shanahan had to say in response:

Kent Senter of Falls Church, Va., wanted to know why Shanahan has been preaching that the Redskins' rebuilding project must take time while a coach like Jim Harbaugh can come in and turn the San Francisco 49ers around in one year.

Mike Shanahan: We had dealt a lot through free agency and not the draft. San Francisco did a great job through the draft, they did a great job with their organization. If you take a look at the players that they have playing for them over the last three or four years, take a look at their draft choices and the free agents that they did acquire, they had some pretty good picks. Here, they'd traded away a lot of the draft choices. I think everybody knows that -- the history of the Redskins and draft choices. But we talked about, when I came here, that with the salary cap you've got to build through the draft. You just can't keep on signing high-priced free agents, because there's no way you can develop the depth. And so we had to change philosophies and we've done that and hopefully it pays dividends.

Greg Martin of Freehold, N.J., says he's on board with Shanahan's change of philosophy and believes it has paid dividends. Greg wanted to know if this year's Redskins draft strategy would be similar to last year's, when Washington traded down and amassed more picks, or if they'd consider trading "multiple current or future picks for one player, QB or otherwise."

MS: You just never know. If anybody says they know the draft ... It takes one person before you, one person after you... You never know what somebody wants to get a deal done. I don't know [if I can trade up] because I really don't know what the value is. I mean, are you looking at three No. 1s? Three No. 2s? And who's the guy? Is it the first pick? Is it the second or third? How bad does that team want to move out of there? You just don't know.

I followed up with a question about the reports and speculation that it could take three No. 1 picks to trade up to the No. 1 spot and take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and asked if he considered that realistic or sensible. He responded with a comparison to the 2002 deal in which the Oakland Raiders got two first-round picks, two second-round picks and cash from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for head coach Jon Gruden.

MS: I told Jon, 'No offense, but you're not worth that much! And don't go to the place where they're giving up the two No. 1s for you.' I mean, it just handcuffs you.

Finally, I asked if he thought his team was close enough to contending that he could afford to give away a big trove of draft picks for one player he really wanted.

MS: No. In fact that's why, when we went from 10 to 16 [in last year's draft] and we were able to get that extra second-rounder from Jacksonville, we were able to parlay that where we got [Leonard] Hankerson, we got [Roy] Helu and we got [DeJon] Gomes. So by going from 10 to 16, not only did we get Jarvis Jenkins, but we were able to get those three players. And those are three starters for us.

Much more to come, as I said, in the coming days. But hopefully this is good stuff for you guys to chew on for a bit. Thanks for your help with the interview.

Just four days left until the game that will decide the division. What do you say to some links?

New York Giants

Ohm Youngmisuk has a nice column up on ESPNNewYork.com about how Tom Coughlin is leading the Giants by example through their tough late-season stretch. The whole narrative on Coughlin has changed this week, and I think for good reason. The Jets game mattered to the whole organization, not just because of the playoff implications but because of the obvious, and somewhat unfriendly, rivalry the two teams have. It may not be a stretch to think that the Jets win erased any possibility of Coughlin losing his job. It's possible that John Mara has already told him, as he had by this time last year, that he'll be back in 2012. Which I think he should.

Jason Pierre-Paul took up the game of football five years ago. Tuesday, he was named to the Pro Bowl. It's terrifying to think how good this guy can eventually be.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys heard what Justin Tuck said Monday about hating them, and they say they don't plan to engage in any back-and-forth trash-talking in advance of this week's game. We shall see, I guess.

Todd Archer writes that a win in this game would help demonstrate that Jason Garrett is indeed the right man to be the head coach of the Cowboys. I guess, but my question is: "To whom?" Jerry Jones, the only man whose opinion on that issue matters, is already all-in on Garrett, who will not be judged solely on this season but on a body of work Jones believes is still in its infancy.

Philadelphia Eagles

The local media in Philadelphia have seem to come to grips with the idea that Andy Reid will return as the Eagles' coach. Now that that's happened, Rich Hofmann writes that the decision on what to do with defensive coordinator Juan Castillo looms as the biggest decision of the offseason. I think it's actually DeSean Jackson, but I see where Rich is coming from. And I think the handling of the Castillo situation will say a lot about where things stand between Reid and his bosses.

Of course, as Les Bowen writes, nothing's going to happen this week on the Reid, Castillo or Steve Spagnuolo fronts because Eagles management has continued to be tight-lipped on all future-related matters and likely won't say anything until next week, after the season has ended.

Washington Redskins

Good news on the injury front for the Redskins -- rookie defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins, a training camp star who suffered a season-ending knee injury before the season began, is ahead of schedule in his rehab and should, according to the team, be ready to participate in the entire offseason program.

Rick Maese has a look at where things stand with the Redskins' defense heading into the offseason, including the status of veteran linebacker London Fletcher, who is eligible for free agency and a big key to what the Redskins do on defense.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. This morning's links will be lighter than usual, since we'll all be eating plenty later on. Meantime, know how thankful I am for my wonderful job and for the time I get to spend here online mixing it up with all of you each day. I hope you all enjoy a wonderful holiday with friends and family.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys were one of three teams to put in a claim on quarterback Kyle Orton, which seemed to confuse some people who hadn't read Todd Archer's item in Wednesday morning's links saying they should. Two reasons: First, it seems clear that backup quarterback Jon Kitna has a somewhat serious injury, meaning the Cowboys don't have the reliable veteran backup they like to have behind Tony Romo. And second, they knew the Bears were going to claim him, and the Cowboys could be competing with the Bears for a playoff spot. Doesn't matter. The Chiefs claimed him, too, and they had higher waiver priority than either Dallas or Chicago.

Rob Ryan says the Cowboys' defensive problems are all in the red zone.

New York Giants

I have written many times, here and elsewhere, that I dispute and fail to understand the reasons why fans boo their own favorite team for poor performance. Brandon Jacobs seems to agree with me, which makes me ... well, I don't know how it makes me feel. But the premise that fans would pay all of that money for tickets and parking and then boo a team or a player for not playing well still baffles me. I'd boo if I felt the player or team wasn't putting forth a full effort or really trying their best to win. But I don't think that's the case with Jacobs. In particular, I don't think you can get on a running back for failing to find holes that don't exist. The running game problems for the Giants are all offensive line-related, and there's nothing Jacobs can do about them. However, I was discussing this on Twitter on Wednesday with a follower of mine named Albert Guendi (@albertguendi), and he said the main thing that bothers Giants fans about Jacobs is the number of times over the past few years he has said or done something to indicate a lack of enthusiasm for playing football in general and for the Giants in particular. And so I can kind of understand that Jacobs has eroded his benefit of the doubt with fans. Still don't get why you'd sit there and not want to build up your favorite team or player rather than rip on them for losing. But I can get why Jacobs might not longer be a player about whom Giants fans feel much affection.

And no news to this point on Ahmad Bradshaw and Michael Boley, what with the Giants' practice schedule pushed back due to the fact that they're not playing until Monday night.

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick has been able to throw the ball a little bit this week, according to Andy Reid, though it remains to be seen whether he'll play Sunday. He didn't practice Wednesday, and if he doesn't practice before the weekend I'd personally bet on a second consecutive start for Vince Young. Either way, they're getting a soft Patriots pass defense Sunday and should be able to take advantage, as long as the receivers are healthy. Problem is, they're not. DeSean Jackson missed practice with a foot injury and Jeremy Maclin has shoulder and hamstring problems. The Eagles literally can't afford to lose another game, and so they're going to have to hope they can out-physical opponents up front on the lines the way they did Sunday night against the Giants.

Cullen Jenkins seems to feel bad about the hit that gave Giants running back D.J. Ware a concussion. Says he's "not a mean person."

Washington Redskins

Running back Evan Royster says it was rough, waiting around all year on the practice squad for his shot at actual carries in an actual NFL game. But he's on the active roster now, and if you don't think he's going to get a shot to carry the ball, you haven't paid much attention to the way Mike Shanahan has been using his running backs this year or, really, ever. He obviously doesn't think Ryan Torain can handle every-down duties. He obviously doesn't think Roy Helu is or should be anything more than a change-of-pace guy just yet. So I'll bet you see Royster get a real and serious look at some point -- whether it's this week or sometime in the final five.

Remember Jarvis Jenkins, the Redskins' rookie offensive lineman who was one of the surprise stars of training camp and blew out his knee in preseason? Nathan Fenno checks in on him.

Morning. It's eight days until the start of the NFL's regular season, 11 days until the first NFC East games of the year, and we are counting it down the only way we know how: Link by link.

Dallas Cowboys

Remember, Jerry Jones says, Tony Romo got knocked out of the 2010 season playing behind a veteran offensive line. So what's so wrong with going young there? Sure, it's spin, but it's a worthwhile point that someone you all know very well made yesterday before he even heard Jones mention it -- how much worse can the kids be than what they already had there?

While everyone expects Orlando Scandrick and his new contract to eventually replace Terence Newman in the starting lineup at cornerback, Jason Garrett says that's not happening now. Garrett says he likes Newman and Mike Jenkins as his starting corners and Scandrick in his nickel role, and there are no plans to change it, assuming Newman and Jenkins get back from their injuries sometime soon and actually play.

New York Giants

Mike Garafolo writes that the last time Eli Manning failed to throw a touchdown pass in the preseason was 2004, his rookie year. Mike also demonstrates, with the help of a really cool Star-Ledger graphic that uses different Eli faces (interceptions are upside-down Eli faces!), that the Giants haven't been completing passes over the middle this preseason. It could be because they're still working on finding something reliable in the slot. Could also be that preseason doesn't mean anything. Soon, we'll find out for real. Anyway, click on that graphic. Star-Ledger graphics are excellent, and I'm not just saying that as a proud alum.

The great thing about Tom Coughlin is that he's going to give it to you straight without worrying about his players' feelings. Jerrel Jernigan was clearly a fiasco on punt returns Monday night, and Coughlin said as much on his conference call Monday. There's a chance they could use Aaron Ross, who's now a starting cornerback, to return punts instead, though Coughlin admitted he's hesitant to do that because they need Ross so much now in the starting lineup. Ross hasn't always been the healthiest guy in the league, you know.

Philadelphia Eagles

Amid all of the expected angles on the Michael Vick contract story, Jonathan Tamari actually spoke to Vick's creditors and offers a story about how the new deal affects Vick's rather messy personal finances. Good thinking, Jon.

Evan Mathis said he signed in Philadelphia expecting to be a starter, which he is now, at left guard, after the options at right tackle all fizzled out and they had to move Todd Herremans over there. The Mathis signing got lost amid the bigger-name Eagles signings late last month, because he's an offensive lineman and because those guys have bigger names. But as it turns out, that may have been one of the more important signings they made.

Washington Redskins

I wouldn't be surprised if the Redskins found another defensive lineman to add to their mix once the cuts all come in this weekend. But right now, it sounds as though they're comfortable going with what they have there, even with promising rookie Jarvis Jenkins out with a torn ACL.

And, as expected, Malcolm Kelly was one of the cuts the Redskins made Tuesday to get down to 80 players. The 2008 second-round draft pick had a world of talent, the old Redskins coaches and new Redskins coaches agreed, but he just could never get healthy enough to stay on the field and show it. Kelly is just 24 years old, but the injuries have him considering hanging it up and doing something else for a living.

Dallas Cowboys

Tight end Martellus Bennett is going to miss two to four weeks with a sprained ankle and therefore might not be ready for the Sept. 11 season opener against the Jets. Losing Bennett impacts the Cowboys' passing game because it might inhibit their ability to use tight end Jason Witten as their slot receiver if he has more blocking responsibilities. The Cowboys are counting on their depth at tight end to help offset their lack of depth at wide receiver.

Jerry Jones seems almost giddy about the rookies on the Cowboys' offensive line. Kevin Kowalski isn't likely to be the starter once the season begins, but Jones seemed pleased with his performance in Saturday's game. Still seems strange, the treatment of Andre Gurode. Why fly him with you to Minnesota only to make him sit there and watch someone else do his job? Ugly business sometimes.

New York Giants

Mike Garafolo checks in with Jonathan Goff, who's shown signs this preseason of improving in pass coverage. I personally think this is a big question-mark spot for the Giants. There aren't too many positions at which you can point and say, "Yeah, the Giants are actually better there this year than they were last year." As good? Sure. Maybe not too much worse? Absolutely. But better? Not too many. If Goff can show improvement in his second year as a starting middle linebacker (not an outrageous idea, certainly), that would be one.

Victor Cruz was the star of the show in last year's Jets-Giants preseason game. He believes he's come a long way since then and hopes he can star again as he continues his bid for more playing time at wide receiver this year.

Philadelphia Eagles

In the wake of Todd Herremans' move from left guard to right tackle, Les Bowen assesses the remaining issues on the Eagles' offensive line -- specifically whether Jason Kelce is or should be leading the supposed "competition" between himself and Jamaal Jackson for the starting center's job. If Kelce proves to be a complete disaster (as he appeared to be at times Thursday night), then they can always just slide Jackson back in there. But Les is right -- they don't seem as though they want to do that.

The Eagles' receiving corps is gaining strength and depth, it would seem, with two weeks left before the start of the regular season. If Jeremy Maclin and Steve Smith really are both going to be ready, it'll be fascinating to see how this offense operates and who gets the targets.

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan was known in Denver for his zone-blocking offensive lines. Implementation of that scheme and those concepts didn't go so great in Shanahan's first year in Washington, but things seem to be improving in the second. It does amaze me a little bit that Washington's is the offensive line about which I've written the least in this preseason. Does that say more about what they're doing there or the number of question marks with which the other three teams are dealing?

On the other line, however, the Redskins' options for replacing promising rookie Jarvis Jenkins look grim. Jenkins is out for the season with a knee injury suffered in last week's preseason game, and his playing time will be taken by some combination of Kedric Golston, Doug Worthington and Darrion Scott. "Obviously," Shanahan said, "you cannot replace a player like that."

The Washington Redskins' feel-good preseason took a big hit Friday morning when rookie defensive end Jarvis Jenkins revealed that he tore the ACL in his right knee during Thursday night's game against Baltimore. It's almost certainly a season-ending injury, though the team has yet to many any announcements about that.

The Redskins' second-round pick in this year's draft, Jenkins injured the knee chasing after Ray Rice early in Thursday night's game. An MRI on Friday morning apparently revealed the severity of the injury. It's a tough blow for Jenkins, who'd played well enough in training camp to challenge for a starting role on the line or at least a prominent role in the team's rotation of defensive ends. He's earned praise for his athleticism and the speed with which he was learning Jim Haslett's defensive schemes.

It's also a tough blow for the Redskins, who were counting on Jenkins to rotate in with Adam Carriker and Stephen Bowen at those end spots and now will have to rely more than they planned on Kedric Golston and others. The Redskins' defense has been one of the most impressive aspects of the team's encouraging preseason performance, and now they're thinner in a key spot.

We say it all the time, but it doesn't matter who wins or loses in preseason, or really how well anyone plays, as long as no one gets seriously hurt. Count the Redskins among the unfortunate teams who couldn't make it through the preseason without a significant injury.

Two preseason games in the books from Thursday night, two more to come Saturday, so let's see where things stand in the NFC East with a little thing we like to call the breakfast links.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys' offensive line picture gets a little bit cloudier with an injury to Phil Costa, who'd been doing a good job filling in at center for the injured Andre Gurode. Costa's play this preseason had him in line to start either at center or potentially left guard, but now it appears as though Gurode is the center and Montrae Holland is the guard if both are healthy. Bill Nagy remains a threat at either position if he continues to impress Saturday night.

Lots of talk in this story about Dez Bryant and what he and the team see as his improved maturity and professionalism this offseason. This is going to be an issue throughout Bryant's career, I imagine, as reputations are nearly impossible to shake and he's got a tough one. He's saying all the right things and seems to be impressing the right people in his own locker room, at least. We know the kid had stunning talent, and if he can keep these extra issues from mattering, that'll be best for him and the team.

New York Giants

Newly signed cornerback Brian Williams is expected to play for the Giants on Saturday. Tom Coughlin said the main reason the team signed Williams was his experience, and their expectation that he could learn their defense quickly. With all of the injuries the Giants have suffered at the position, Williams is going to get a chance to play and show what he can do after a couple of years as a backup.

Matt Dodge didn't like being booed at the Giants' first home preseason game Monday, but he has shrugged it off. Here he talks about the competition between he and Steve Weatherford, the support he's received from Coughlin since he got to New York, and other things on the mind of a punter fighting for a roster spot.

Philadelphia Eagles

After getting knocked around due to their ineptitude in Thursday night's preseason game, Michael Vick defended his offensive line, especially rookie Jason Kelce, who was beating himself up. Shows good leadership from Vick, who was one of last week's goats and obviously doesn't see the benefit in engaging in blame-assignment after a meaningless preseason game.

If you thought LeSean McCoy caught an unusual number of passes in this game, you weren't alone. They noticed in the Eagles' locker room, as well, and the party line was that you take what the defense gives you. McCoy is clearly a weapon in the passing game -- this is not news. But on a night like this one, when Vick didn't get any time to find receivers downfield, it was encouraging for the Eagles to see him so in sync with his best running back.

Washington Redskins

It sounds as though the injury to rookie defensive end Jarvis Jenkins could be worse than initially thought, which would be a shame, since Jenkins has been one of the pleasant surprises of training camp and preseason. Jenkins will have an MRI on Friday and hope it comes back clean, but he was fearing for his ACL on Thursday night after the game.

Dan Daly tries to decipher Mike Shanahan's clues about his deliberations on the Redskins' quarterback situation. Shanahan isn't offering many in his news conferences, though I still think as long as John Beck doesn't fall flat on his face he's the guy. And we don't know how much, if at all, Beck or Rex Grossman will play in next week's preseason finale.

Observations from the Redskins' 34-31 preseason loss to the Ravens on "Monday Night Football":

Everyone loves a horse race, so it's no surprise so many people who are watching the Washington Redskins' apparent quarterback competition are treating it as one. Rex Grossman bounces a couple of throws, he's in trouble. John Beck hits a deep ball, he's in the lead. Grossman looks sharp in the 2-minute drill, he's not dead yet. Beck throws an interception, he's lost the job! Oh wait! Beck comes back and leads a 95-yard touchdown drive! The job is again his to lose!!!

It's just not as cut and dried as that. The key thing to remember about the preseason games is that we never really know what we're looking at. Some teams concoct game plans, some teams don't, and you have no idea, really, who is trying hard and who isn't. So the evaluations have to be about more than performance and results. And for Mike Shanahan and the rest of the Redskins' coaching staff, they are.

Shanahan and the Redskins know exactly what Grossman is. He doesn't have to show them anything. They believe, if they install Grossman as the starter, they know exactly what they'll get. And so far this preseason, nothing he's shown has done anything to sway them from that opinion.

They believe, however, that Beck has the ability to give them more. That he can make plays and move the chains with his feet. That he has a quicker release, and that he anticipates throws better. They think the upside is higher with Beck, and what they wanted to see from him when this preseason began is how he would handle the pressure of being the starter -- or at least the opportunity to finally be a starter in the NFL.

So while, yes, it matters that Beck made a bad throw that was intercepted on his first play of the second half, it almost certainly matters more that he rebounded to lead that long touchdown drive. You're not going to judge a guy on one throw, good or bad. But to watch Beck engineer that drive, make smart decisions quickly, let go of the ball with that kind of speed ... that's the kind of thing that, if the question is whether Beck can handle the pressure of the situation, the answer is affirmative. Shanahan is not likely to announce his decision for another week or so at least, but I believe Beck has been the favorite all along and has done nothing to lose that status.

Some other thoughts from what turned out to be an exhibition loss when Tyrod Taylor and the fired-up Ravens went in for a touchdown with 22 seconds left:

1. Ryan Kerrigan is an impact player. Sure, he's a rookie still learning to play standing up as a linebacker instead of in the three-point lineman stance he used in college, and he still needs to get used to the coverage schemes. But when they send Kerrigan after a quarterback, he can flat-out get there. He picked up his second sack in two preseason games, and it appears as though he and fellow outsider 'backer Brian Orakpo can be a fearsome combination. Overall, the Redskins' first-team defense looked very good, although it could suffer if the knee injury sustained by rookie defensive end Jarvis Jenkins in the first quarter is a long-term issue. Jenkins has been a star during training camp.

2. Terrence Austin is playing himself into a roster spot. For the second game in a row, Austin was a standout at the receiver position. He caught Beck's touchdown pass and had 71 yards on five catches. He's also served as the punt returner the past couple of weeks with Brandon Banks out (although he got only one chance in this one), and that could help him make the team. If he has a connection with Beck, and if Beck is the starter, it's going to be difficult to cut Austin.

3. Interesting night for DeAngelo Hall. He had the interception return for a touchdown, nicely anticipating the route and sitting on it while Joe Flacco fired it right to him, but he also gave up Lee Evans' touchdown for Baltimore. He had tight coverage on Evans and just didn't see the ball in time to make a play on Flacco's pinpoint throw. In general, the Redskins' secondary has been the weak spot of the defense in this preseason. In fairness, they have been playing without starting safety LaRon Landry and cornerback Josh Wilson -- as well as without inside linebacker London Fletcher, who is not a member of the secondary but is an on-field leader of the defense whose presence and knowledge are missed. It was encouraging to see O.J. Atogwe on the field for the first time this preseason, and Reed Doughty has played well at safety during the injuries to the starters. But once Landry is back there, things will feel much more whole.

4. Santana Moss will be a huge help to whichever guy is the quarterback. Moss is simply a great, professional route-runner. They could use a bigger red zone threat than they have, but Moss is going to be a safety net for Beck and/or Grossman all year as they work on moving the ball down the field. As for that red zone threat ... maybe Leonard Hankerson can develop into it. We got on his case last week for drops, so it should be noted that he made a very nice shoestring catch on the only ball that came his way on this night. And Anthony Armstrong looks like a potential deep threat, as Beck found him for 33 yards on his first throw of the game.

5. Tim Hightower. Not much else to say. He ripped off another big run, didn't fumble the ball and looks like he's moving up fantasy draft boards as the season approaches. Nine carries for 56 yards, no sign of injured Ryan Torain to challenge him and Roy Helu looks like a fun, speedy backup at this point. Hightower is a factor in the passing game as well, as a blocker and a receiver, and if he holds onto the ball, he's going to be an asset.

Once again, no way to know whether the good stuff we've seen from the Redskins will carry into the regular season, and no real reason to think it will. The preseason just doesn't have that kind of predictive value. But even though they lost the game, there were a lot of things about Thursday night to help make the Redskins feel good about themselves, and there is value in that as the season gets ready to start.