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I've read almost every account of the Cowboys' 24-7 win over the Raiders and the Giants' 26-6 loss to the Broncos. Here's a look at what folks around the country are saying about those games:

Cowboys

• Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and 103.3 FM ESPN said the cold reality of December is about to arrive, but he praised the Cowboys for their work against the Raiders.

• Tim Cowlishaw said that December wouldn't be nearly as important if the Cowboys had not taken care of business in October and November.

• Todd Archer talks about how Jason Witten and Tony Romo both played through pain against the Raiders.

• Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News says that Miles Austin is the guy who makes this offense go.

• Gil Lebreton of the Star-Telegram focuses on the Witten angle.

• Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com says that everything clicked on offense -- and it couldn't have happened at a better time.

• Calvin Watkins from ESPNDallas.com was impressed that the Cowboys put away an inferior opponent early.

Giants

• Tim Smith of the Daily News says the Giants looked "disinterested" to him.

• Paul Schwartz of the Post says the Giants' playoff hopes took a tumble following a 26-6 loss to the Broncos.

• I'm sure you saw footage of Osi Umenyiora screaming at his teammates on the sideline.

• Matt Gagne of the Daily News says Danny Ware's fumble had huge repurcussions for the Giants.

• Here's what a neck specialist said about Antonio Pierce's injury.

• The NFL Network got more than it bargained for when it listened to Josh McDaniels visit with his offense.

• Joe LaPointe of the New York Times is a little gentler in describing the loss.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:

The Eagles are going to be vulnerable at linebacker and cornerback against the Chargers. The Eagles have been dealing with injuries all season, but the losses of Ellis Hobbs for the season and Joselio Hanson to a four-game suspension have put them in a real bind. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is a tough guy who will stand in the pocket and take punishment. And with Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates running routes, he has plenty of options. Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott would prefer to generate pressure from his front four, thus not exposing players such as cornerback Dimitri Patterson. Cornerback Asante Samuel loves to take chances on defense, but he needs to play under control against this offense. Just when you think Chargers coach Norv Turner is on the ropes, he gets his team going. That was a huge win over the Giants in the Meadowlands. We'll see if they can ride that momentum to a win over the Eagles. And by the way, keep your eye on Chris Gocong moving to middle linebacker. That's a completely different situation for him, and I think he could find himself covering Gates every now and then. That's not a good thing for the Eagles.

I think the Eagles will ride Brian Westbrook in this game. Yes, I know this is a different team with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, but the Chargers did a nice job taking away the deep ball against the Giants. Westbrook appears to be healthy heading into this game, and I think he could give the Chargers' linebackers trouble in space. I think Andy Reid needs to get Westbrook involved early so he can take a hit or two. He hasn't played since that violent collision with London Fletcher's knee. Once Westbrook feels some contact, I think he'll be ready to go. I see a breakout game coming for him. And if you know my track record on predictions, make sure you bench Westbrook on your fantasy team immediately.

The Redskins are catching the Broncos at a bad time. After a brilliant start to the season, the Broncos have dropped two straight to the Ravens and Steelers. They can't afford a three-game losing streak. I think Josh McDaniels will take advantage of the Skins' issues in the secondary. With Levi Jones taking over at left tackle and Chad Rinehart possibly getting some valuable time at guard, Washington's offensive line will have a different look. I don't think it can be any worse. Mike Williams was struggling mightily before he was injured. Here's hoping that Jim Zorn and Sherm Lewis discussed ways in which Jason Campbell can get the ball away quicker. Don't waste time sending Santana Moss on double moves 40 yards downfield when there's no hope of getting the protection. And on defense, this is the game where you need Albert Haynesworth to earn his money. I know his legion of apologists has spoken, but it's time for him to take over a game. This would be a good place to start. The Redskins can't afford the turnovers that have plagued them all season. If they get a quick start and a heroic performance from the defense, the Redskins can hang around in this game. Am I predicting a win? C'mon!

The Cowboys must dominate the line of scrimmage on defense. Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware could have three or four sacks. The Packers' offensive line has been awful this season, but those 37 sacks are also a product of Aaron Rodgers holding onto the ball too long. He won't be able to get away with that Sunday. Packers left tackle Chad Clifton is back from an ankle injury, but it's not like he's completely healthy. He really struggles when pass-rushers try to make an inside charge. At this point, Clifton's just a guy. Someone named T.J. Lang is going to get the start at right tackle. This is a big, big problem for the Packers. And keep your eye on Keith Brooking and Ware in this game. This offensive line has allowed linebackers to come racing through the line of scrimmage in the running game.

I love this Charles Woodson vs. Jason Witten matchup. It looks like the Packers will try to keep Woodson close to the line of scrimmage and let him press Witten. I think Witten's athletic enough to get releases on the long-armed Woodson, but we'll see if quarterback Tony Romo has enough time to get the ball to him downfield. I think it will be one of the best matchups on the field. Romo will be looking for Packers cornerback Jarrett Bush. The Cowboys think he's susceptible to double moves. That's why they hope he jumps on Miles Austin or even Patrick Crayton at times. If Bush gets burned a lot Sunday, remember that you read about it on Final Word, one of America's fastest growing features on the Internet.

	Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE
	Quarterback Tony Romo and the Dallas offense had no answer for the Broncos defense Sunday night.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

DENVER -- If you looked at the schedule in April and chalked up Sunday as a win for the Cowboys, at least you have company. But this team took a 17-10 loss to the Broncos in stride, perhaps because no one in charge expected anything more.

Maybe it's time we forget about the immense potential that the '07 team displayed and realize that the current Cowboys were fortunate to even stay on the field with the 4-0 Broncos. That's right, Josh McDaniels has put his team in the playoff conversation the old-fashioned way: by alienating and then trading his bonus-baby quarterback for a bus-driver with a prominent neckbeard.

Week 4 Coverage • Walker: Mendenhall mends fences in victory • Mosley: Cowboys adjust expectations • Williamson: Putting the 'D' in Denver • Graham: Brady is back • Kuharsky: Garcon, Collie producing • Seifert: Bears build swagger • Sando: Rams looking for answers • Wojciechowski: Bears give Chicago a break • Reiss: Patriots-Ravens game a classic • Watkins: Cowboys offense sputters • Clayton: Colts running away with division • Pasquarelli: Embattled Zorn adjusts • NFL Nation: Reactions | Wrap-ups | Live • MNF: Packers, Favre can bury the hatchet

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a man who naively believed that his players would perform to the level of a $1.2 billion stadium, went completely soft after the game. To listen to him, you'd think the Cowboys ran into John Elway and the Orange Crush circa 1984.

"There's a reason they're 4-0," Jones kept repeating as he sucked on an orange. "The Broncos are better than what anybody would have thought."

Jones didn't seem one bit surprised the Cowboys would surrender a fourth-quarter lead and lose to a team from the AFC West. Judging by his reaction, the Cowboys would've uncorked champagne at Invesco Field had they been able to escape with a win. As it stands, the Cowboys are a 2-2 team in search of an identity.

In their previous two games, the Cowboys appeared to have one of the most dominant running games in the league. And on Sunday, they fed off the energy of Marion Barber, who was returning from a left quad injury. He delivered blows to Broncos defenders in the first half and then did forward rolls in celebration. Barber had 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown in the first half, helping the Cowboys take a 10-7 lead and wearing down the Broncos' front seven.

Then in one half, the Cowboys' offense pretended it was December (it was brisk) and pretty much fell all over itself. After touching the ball 12 times in the first half, Barber only had one carry the rest of the way. Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett indicated that Barber's injury was a concern, but the head coach and owner acted as if that was news to them.

The Cowboys only ran the ball seven times in the second half, with limited success. Through 14 quarters, Garrett had been remarkably balanced with his play calling, then for no apparent reason he abandoned the running game. It wasn't as if the Broncos were putting eight players in the box to stop the run. They brought their fair share of blitzes, but they also stayed back in coverage for most of the game in an effort to take away the deep ball.

The Broncos sacked Romo five times, but at least three of those were coverage sacks. He was 14-of-18 for 134 yards in the first half because he was simply dumping off the ball to his running backs. He made a good throw to Roy Williams on the sideline to set up the Cowboys' only touchdown, but that was the longest throw he made.

For no apparent reason, Garrett basically put the game in Romo's hands in the second half. And despite a brilliant throw to Sam Hurd for a 53-yard gain on fourth-and-3 with 1:16 left, it should've never come to that. The Cowboys had the ball at the Broncos' 17-yard line early in the second half when Romo threw a pass to the sideline that was picked off by Champ Bailey. Several people in the locker room told me that Miles Austin turned the wrong direction on the route and that it wasn't Romo's fault, but it was still a huge play.

Romo was 11-of-24 in the second half and he kept hanging his receivers out to dry. Just ask Roy Williams, who took what he called the hardest hit of his life from Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams. He returned to make a clutch catch on the Cowboys' final drive, but he was on the sideline when Romo fired two passes into the end zone from the 2-yard line. Williams would've been a nice option on a fade route. Instead, Romo threw two passes to Hurd, who was blanketed by Bailey.

The Cowboys are obviously more explosive with Felix Jones (left knee) in the lineup, but I'm not convinced Garrett would've had him in the game. We somehow deluded ourselves into thinking that the Cowboys have a lot of weapons on offense. They appear to have three talented running backs and an excellent pair of tight ends. But there's no one at wide receiver who poses a consistent threat. Nothing against Hurd, but is he really the best option on consecutive plays from the 2-yard line?

The Cowboys' defense performed admirably for most of the afternoon, but it cratered at the worst possible moment. And if you're pinning your playoff hopes on the defense holding the opponent to seven points each week, you're dreaming. After putting 31 points on the board against the Giants, the Cowboys' offense has managed a combined 24 points against the Panthers and Broncos. It was a pitiful game plan in the second half -- and the execution wasn't any better.

"We had limited opportunities [in the second half]," Garrett told me after the game. "But you have to take advantage of those opportunities."

It did look like Garrett was ready to commit to the running game early in the fourth quarter, but a holding penalty on Martellus Bennett wiped out a 17-yard run by Choice. The Cowboys would've had the ball first-and-10 at the Broncos' 44. Instead, they were forced to punt and the Broncos tied the score on their next possession.

As he loaded up on Vitamin C, Jones kept repeating the Broncos' record as if that should explain everything. I guess we should've known that the Broncos' wins over the Bengals, Browns and Raiders had placed them among the NFL's elite. Jones even attempted to attribute the loss to the Cowboys' change in philosophy.

"That's part of the plan," he said. "There's more running and less depending on the pass."

And how's that working out for you, Jerry?

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

DENVER -- Broncos coach Josh McDaniels could have tied up the game with a 48-yard field goal, but he decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Cowboys' 30-yard line. Running back Knowshon Moreno tried to slash through the left side of the line, but he was met in the hole by linebacker Keith Brooking.

Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears made the stop on third-and-1 and then Brooking completed what may end up being the biggest play of the game. Brooking still has a lot of power and he filled the hole before anyone could lay a hand on him. Just a huge effort play on his part. Then he head-butted two assistant coaches.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

DENVER -- You get the feeling that the Cowboys could take this game over on the ground, but they keep shooting themselves in the foot with penalties. They would've had a first down midway through the second quarter on the inside handoff to Tashard Choice but Tony Romo was called for delay of game. He was trying to call an audible and took too long.

Right now, Cowboys outside linebacker Anthony Spencer is getting exposed by the Broncos. Josh McDaniels is doing a really nice job of creating mismatches. If Kyle Orton was even decent right now, the Broncos might be in the lead. He's been wildly inaccurate -- even when he has plenty of time. And as I say that, he's starting to get in a little rhythm.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

DENVER -- If you're watching this game on TV, you can see that the Broncos are trying to move their linebackers around quite a bit before the snap. The Cowboys have been using their two-tight end offense, "12," quite a bit in this game, and it looks like the Broncos are leaving Martellus Bennett open.

And finally, a catch by a Cowboys wide receiver not named Sam Hurd. Roy Williams made a nice catch at the 2-yard line, and unlike last week, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett called two consecutive running plays near the goal line. So far, Marion Barber looks pretty strong. The Cowboys are pretty much splitting carries between Tashard Choice and Barber.

It looks like Barber's left quad is holding up pretty well. I'm watching him stretch it right now on the sideline. If Kyle Orton can't start hitting moving targets, the Broncos are in for a long afternoon.

Josh McDaniels can't panic and abandon the run. He's not running the ball on first down -- and that's really hurting this offense.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

DENVER -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told ESPN's Ed Werder before today's game that running back Marion Barber will get the start. As I reported Saturday, I think the Cowboys would like to give Tashard Choice the majority of the carries against the Broncos. But if Choice struggles at all, the Cowboy may be forced to extend Barber and his injured left quad.

We'll keep a close eye on that situation for you. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels told Werder on Saturday that he's planning to constantly disguise his defense in an attempt to confuse Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. McDaniels said that he doesn't want to "show his cards" to Romo.

It's not a bad approach. Last December, Romo appeared very confused by what the Steelers and Ravens were doing to him.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Now that I've provided knee-jerk analysis for all four teams, it's time to take a closer look at the schedules. The New York Giants P.R. staff has done a nice job compiling some schedule nuggets, so I thought you might enjoy some of these:

• The Giants will play seven games against 2008 playoff teams, including five at home: Arizona, San Diego, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Carolina. They will play two postseason teams on the road: the Eagles and Vikings.

• Five of the first eight games are on the road. Last year, five of the first eight were at home. Last year's schedule allowed the Giants to stack up a lot of wins in the first half of the season, which sustained them through a turbulent December.

• The three-game road swing through Dallas, Tampa Bay and Kansas City will be the Giants' first in the regular season since Nov. 21-Dec. 4, 1994, when the Giants swept the Houston Oilers, Redskins and Browns. Tom Coughlin said in a press release this evening that the Giants would have to be "road warriors" again.
  

• Coughlin had three three-game regular season road trips as coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 1997, the Jaguars lost to Dallas and Pittsburgh before winning at Tennessee (later that year, they won their final two regular season games at Buffalo and Oakland before losing at Denver in an AFC Wild Card Game). The following season, Jacksonville lost at Buffalo and Denver before a victory in Baltimore. And in 2001, the Jaguars swept their three-game road trip by winning in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Minnesota. The league tries to avoid three-game road trips, but it doesn't always work out.

• The Giants last played on Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, 1992, when they lost to the Cowboys in Dallas, 30-3. The Giants are 7-6 on Thanksgiving, but have played on the holiday just twice since 1938, including a 13-6 victory over the Lions in Detroit on Nov. 25, 1982. Overall, the Giants are 9-6 on Thursdays. Wait, are we to believe the Giants played 11 Thanksgiving games before 1938? That doesn't sound right to me. I'll look into it.
  

• The Giants are 18-31-1 on Monday nights and 13-15-1 on Sunday nights.

• The Giants will play back-to-back home games twice, though the first set of those games is interrupted by the bye. They host San Diego and Atlanta on Nov. 8 and 22 (the bye is the 15th) and Dallas and Philadelphia on Dec. 6 and 13.
  

• This is the second consecutive year the Giants will play their NFC East opponents in games 13-15. Last year, they won at Washington but lost in Dallas and at home to Philly.

• The Nov. 15 bye is the Giants' latest since 2001, when they were off on Dec. 2.
  

• This is the first time the Giants will open the season against the same opponent (Washington) since 1991-92, when they hosted the San Francisco 49ers in consecutive seasons. They won the first, 16-14, but lost in '92, 31-14. The Redskins have to be wondering what they did to deserve this type treatment.

• The Giants are opening the season against an NFC East opponent for the third consecutive season (including Dallas in 2007), the first time that's happened since 1988-90 (Washington twice and Philadelphia).
  

• This is the first time the Giants will conclude the regular season against the same opponent in back-to-back years since 1993 and '94, when they hosted Dallas in the finale -- losing in overtime in 1993, but winning the following year. The Giants were scheduled to end both the 2001 and 2002 seasons vs. Philadelphia, but after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the NFL moved the Week 2 games to Jan. 6 and the Giants hosted Green Bay to conclude the season.

• When the Giants visit Tampa Bay on Sept. 27, Coughlin will be 63 years, 27 days old and Buccaneers first-year head coach Raheem Morris will be 33 years, 24 days old. The age difference of 30 years, 3 days will be the largest between two head coaches in a regular season game since Nov. 4, 2007 when Eric Mangini (36 years, 289 days) faced Joe Gibbs (66 years, 344 days), a difference of 30 years, 55 days. Wow, who thinks to look this stuff up?

• When the Giants visit Denver on Thanksgiving night, the age difference between Coughlin and Broncos coach Josh McDaniel will be 29 years, 234 days.

 

 

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

If Dan Snyder's unable to pull off a trade for Jay Cutler, then the Redskins will be where the Broncos were at the outset of free agency. Washington would enter the season with a franchise quarterback who has absolutely zero job security and an utter lack of trust in his employer.

Jason Campbell was already heading into the final year of his contract, but at least there was hope of playing himself into a lucrative extension. Now, the Redskins are reportedly trying to shop him for a second-round pick -- and not having much success. When the Washington Post report hit the Internet last night, Snyder lost the element of surprise. Now, his quarterback is being bombarded with questions about his future.

Campbell's already handling his situation much better than Cutler handled his, but it still won't make for a pleasant '09 season if he remains in Washington. That's why Snyder truly needs to close the deal for Cutler. It's fair to call the Redskins the frontrunner in this competition because they have so much experience coveting other teams' players. They are in organization constantly in search of a trophy wife -- and it's obvious that Campbell will eventually be the Ex.

I may be in the minority, but I still think Campbell can be a Pro Bowl quarterback. But the Redskins are the ultimate "grass is always greener" team -- and Cutler's standing on the other side of the fence with those 4,500 yards and 23 touchdowns from last season. The Redskins have invested a lot of time in Campbell since drafting him in the first round in 2005, but Cutler's cannon arm and mobility serve as a huge temptation. Something tells me it wouldn't take long for the Redskins to have buyer's remorse.

They'd be replacing a stand-up guy with someone who said this to FOX's Jay Glazer at a (where else?) UFC event last night:

"I was surprised they decided to trade me this soon," Cutler told Glazer. "I didn't want to get traded. This wasn't me. [The Broncos] had been going back and forth saying things, wanting me to be their quarterback and then they didn't. I really didn't want this. I love Denver. I really like my teammates. I didn't want it to get this far."

If there are any developments, we'll meet back here to talk about it.

I think the Redskins need a team like Cleveland to get involved to make this happen. Don't be surprised if Brady Quinn ends up in Denver. In the end, I think the Redskins will have to accept a third-round pick for Campbell. They won't like it, but they're the ones who decided to go down this road.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

As first reported by the Denver Post, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will interview for the Broncos' head-coaching vacancy sometime next week. Owner Pat Bowlen will be in New York tonight to visit with Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and then in Rhode Island on Sunday to interview Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Garrett has declined the opportunity to interview with the Lions. He turned down job offers from the Ravens and Falcons last offseason, but it seemed unlikely that he would be a popular candidate following the Cowboys' disappointing 2008 finish. The team's offensive numbers weren't that far off last season's, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Quarterback Tony Romo continued to turn the ball over, in part, because Garrett couldn't figure out how to call plays to give him time in the pocket. He also had to deal with complaints from Terrell Owens and the midseason arrival of former Lions receiver Roy Williams.

Garrett was never able to integrate Williams into the offense. That's just one of the reasons people at Valley Ranch are so surprised Garrett's once again in the running for head-coaching position. Don't expect Jerry Jones to put up as much of a fight to keep Garrett this time around. The franchise quarterback called Garrett out twice late in the season, and Romo has a lot more juice in the organization than Garrett.

OK, it's about time to head to Minneapolis. Let's talk about this more when I'm there.