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We were promised Jeremy Maclin news Tuesday and didn't get it. As of this morning, neither Maclin nor the Philadelphia Eagles have issued any kind of statement on the mysterious medical condition that has kept the star wide receiver from practicing in training camp. You won't get speculation here, and if I had any real information on it I'd tell you. But the longer this goes, the more it puts Maclin in jeopardy of missing the start of the season. And while his status as a football player obviously isn't as important as his personal health, we don't know anything about the latter except that it's not good enough to allow him to play. So that's all we can write about right now.

More Eagles

Rich Hoffman says protecting Michael Vick's blind side is the key to the Eagles' season. Right tackle Winston Justice is still hurt. Ryan Harris, his apparent replacement, is hurt. King Dunlap, one of the largest human beings I've ever seen, is slated to start there in Thursday night's preseason game. And they have a rookie, first-round draft pick Danny Watkins, in line to start at right guard. Hoffman's right. These are questions they need to answer.

Hall of Fame Eagles receiver Pete Pihos died Tuesday at the age of 87 after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease. The story of Pihos' final years is an achingly familiar one we've read before about the later lives of former NFL players. Dementia. Swindled out of a bunch of money. These guys get old and forgotten and suffer for having played NFL football. It's why retired players groups were working so hard to make sure they were taken care of in the recent labor negotiations.

Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones says that if Felix Jones has a good year, so will the Cowboys. With those other backs hurt, and based on a creeping suspicion, I was already sliding ol' Felix up my fantasy draft board a bit. Hope Jerry didn't let the secret out. What's that? He says this every year? Oh, right.

Igor Olshansky says he doesn't care whether he starts or not, which could be a good thing, since it looks as though he might not. The Cowboys believe they have a lot of defensive end depth now with Kenyon Coleman having joined the mix and Jason Hatcher freed from his elevator prison.

New York Giants

The Giants signed Rhys Lloyd, who's a kicker who only kicks off and never kicks field goals. My first thought was that they only did this because Lawrence Tynes has that thigh injury and they need someone who can kick off in their preseason game Monday night. Then I read that they tried to sign Lloyd last year, so I thought maybe there was more to it. Then I remembered that nobody's going to need a kickoff-only kicker anymore because every kicker in the league is going to be able to drill the ball through the back of the end zone now that kickoffs have been moved up to the 35-yard line. So I'm back to thinking it's that first thing I said.

Mike Vaccaro says the return of Osi Umenyiora isn't the only reason to feel good about the Giants' defense going into this year. Man, the narrative on the Giants has shifted in just one week, hasn't it?

Washington Redskins

Kevin Barnes is a guy who could play a big role in the Redskins' secondary this year. With Phillip Buchanon suspended for the first four games, Barnes will get a lot of chances to play, even if it's only as the nickel corner with DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson as the starters. Stephen Whyno takes a look at Barnes and what he's up to as he prepares for the season.

Roy Helu tells Brian Tinsman that he learned a lot in his first NFL preseason game and is looking forward to putting those lessons into practice in the next one. He also says Tim Hightower has been great working with the younger backs on the roster, which I found kind of funny because Hightower is only 25 years old. I mean, it's great he's working with the less experienced guys and all, but a veteran at 25? Gives you an idea why they were fired up to be able to get him.

Enjoy the day, folks. I'll have a few things up before my flight to Dallas. And who knows? Maybe we get that Maclin news ...

All right. I didn't forget you guys. Been a busy day what with the chat and some video stuff we've been working on for the site. But I have been here at Redskins Park, where some things are happening. Let's take a little spin through some of them.

Item No. 1: Rex Grossman returns.

Mike Shanahan said in his morning news conference that Grossman would "be here tonight," which is something about which many people have been asking me and for which I now have an answer. Grossman was a free agent and is re-signed to enter the quarterback competition along with John Beck, who's taken so many first-team reps that, Shanahan says, his "arm was a little sore today" and "He didn't have the zip on it that he normally has."

The other thing everybody's asking is how Beck looks, since it sounds like Shanahan favors him as the starter. I wish I had better news for you guys. Beck has not looked good the two days I've been here. His throws are consistently behind receivers, his deep passes wobble and he looks jittery when he sees extra rushers (who aren't even allowed to hit him, by the way). It's only Aug. 2, so it's unfair to judge a guy based on the way he looks right now. But you guys are asking how he looks, so there it is, with those caveats.

What do I think they'll do at quarterback? I think they'll decide between Beck and Grossman, depending on how each looks in camp and maybe even switch it back and forth during the season depending on how they play. I do not think they'll bring anyone else in, and I think the quarterback spot will be a glaring weak spot that costs them a chance to contend in 2011. I believe their offseason moves have been good ones, but I think that because this is a team building for the future, not a 2011 playoff team.

Item No. 2: Phillip Buchanon is back ... sort of.

The Redskins re-signed the cornerback Monday, and Tuesday Shanahan revealed that Buchanon would be suspended for the first four games of the season. Didn't say why, but four games does tend to mean a second violation of the substance abuse policy. (A first violation gets a warning that's not made public.) Buchanon will be here and eligible to practice Thursday and throughout camp but will miss the first four games. And no, I don't expect them to bring in another corner for those four games. Could be a chance for a guy like Kevin Barnes to show something.

Item No. 3: Ryan Kerrigan still hurt.

Shanahan said the team's first-round pick would miss "another two or three days" of work because of the bone bruise on his knee. Said they don't want to rush the kid, who hasn't had injury problems in the past. What long-term effect this has is a good question. Kerrigan will be a rookie who didn't have minicamps, and every day of training-camp practice he misses is a day lost in learning the new techniques he must learn to play 3-4 outside linebacker as opposed to the 4-3 defensive end spot he played in college. That could explain why they are, as has been reported, looking for inside linebacker help. They tried on Nick Barnett before he signed with Buffalo, and Lofa Tatupu was supposed to be in for a visit today. Bringing in help there could allow them to keep Lorenzo Alexander at the outside linebacker spot opposite Brian Orakpo in the event that Kerrigan isn't ready to take all the starter snaps beginning in Week 1. Alexander's versatility is critical here. He lined up in several different linebacker spots this morning, and they could use him in a variety of ways regardless of Kerrigan's status.

Item No. 4: Jarvis Jenkins

The defensive line was one of the most impressive-looking things about the Redskins in morning drills, and Jenkins stood out, particularly in his ability to create pressure up the middle against the run and the pass. "You can tell he likes to work," Shanahan said of his second-round pick. "All the things you look for in a guy, I believe he has." Jenkins will have an opportunity for playing time on the line even once Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen are able to practice.

The Redskins have a walk-through in a little while and we'll get some more interviews, so I'll keep you posted if anything else happens or anybody says anything especially interesting. But hopefully these here give you something to chew on in the meantime. If you need me, you know you can find me on Twitter.

Good morning, all. Yes, in spite of the hang-wringing and incredulous impatience of last night, I really believe today is the day. I think the players didn't like the way the NFL handled things last night, don't want to be forced into re-establishing their union if they don't want one and honestly felt they needed time to look over the deal the owners handed them before agreeing to it. I think all of this is reasonable. And from all I've been told, I have no reason to think any of it will hold up the deal beyond today. Could the players vote no and surprise me? Sure. But I think (a) this is a really nice deal for them and (b) they all want to get back to work. So, in the spirit of justified optimism, we link:

Dallas Cowboys

Skip Bayless and Chris Broussard debated on "First Take" on Thursday whether this is a "make or break" season for Tony Romo in Dallas. Skip says it is. Chris says he's nuts. Chris is right. If Romo throws for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns and the defense gives up the second-most points in the league again and they miss the playoffs, how exactly would that be Romo's fault? Said it before, say it again: Romo is the least of the Cowboys' problems.

Calvin Watkins' "Old School" series checks in with Nate Newton, who thinks, among other things, that the Cowboys should have designated Doug Free as their franchise player before the lockout began.

New York Giants

Mike Garafolo listened to Ahmad Bradshaw do an interview with a Miami radio station and couldn't figure out which way he was leaning -- Giants or Dolphins. On the heels of Drew Rosenhaus' comments about Bradshaw and the Dolphins earlier this week, Bradshaw sounds like a guy who wants and expects to be back with the Giants but is trying to use the Dolphins' potential interest as leverage for the best possible deal. Of course, the Dolphins really could use him and could make an offer to lure him away. It was Dolphins versus Giants last year for Antrel Rolle, and Miami was upset to lose out. Revenge?

Giants.com asks who was the Giants' best free-agent signing of the past 15 years -- Kerry Collins, Michael Barrow, Shaun O'Hara, Antonio Pierce, Kareem McKenzie or Plaxico Burress? Honestly, given where they were at quarterback before he signed, I might go with Collins here.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are ready to begin training camp next week if the players sign off on the deal, and they still expect to have it at Lehigh.

And we have this latest entry on why it would be better for the Eagles to sign a cornerback who's not as good as Nnamdi Asomugha than it would be for them to sign Asomugha himself. It's twisted logic every time I read it, and yet it's become something of a consensus. Fine. You guys want Ike Taylor, go get him. You just won't be as good as you could have been. I mean, jeez. If Asomugha doesn't fit into the defense you're planning to run, but you can afford him and he wants to sign with you ... maybe you should be running a different defense.

Washington Redskins

Jason Reid says the Redskins will be one of the teams most affected, in a negative way, by the lost offseason: "The accelerated schedule poses problems for ballclubs relying on inexperienced quarterbacks and those envisioning significant roster turnover, both of which describe the Washington Redskins' situation." I'll add that I also think they're hurt because this second year of Jim Haslett's 3-4 is a critical one in that transition, and they really didn't get to have the offseason I'm sure Haslett wanted to have with it.

Mike Jones lists Kevin Barnes, Keiland Williams, Graham Gano, Perry Riley, Anthony Armstrong and LaRon Landry as potential "breakout" players for the Redskins in 2011. Mike has written on Barnes a lot this offseason, wondering if the Redskins will indeed make him a starting cornerback and address other free-agent needs instead. Worth watching.

All right. More later. It's Friday, so you know we have plenty. But right now I have to go vote on a proposed bowl of cereal, pending the addition of a glass of orange juice.

Wow. Good morning everybody. Sorry if I'm a little out of it today. I was waiting up all night in the comments from Monday's Snee post for teamdirtstar to get back to me on that Eagles draft thing. Still waiting, but at least now, while I wait, I can link ...

Dallas Cowboys

In a radio interview, DeMarco Murray said he's looking forward to helping return kicks. He also spoke about his time at Oklahoma playing behind Adrian Peterson and said he's trying to put on 5 to 8 pounds. I have some tips for him on that last one if he wants.

Roy Williams believes the lockout has been a good thing, in a way, for veteran players, because it's given some of them critical time to heal from injuries. But he fears it's costing the Cowboys the time they need "to jell as a team."

New York Giants

If people keep raving about this Tiki Barber interview on HBO tonight, I may actually end up watching it. Nah, just kidding. But for those of you who still consider Tiki worth your time, Peter King says he might end up in Pittsburgh.

Steve Smith posted a video on his Facebook page. Not a lot of scintillating new information or anything, but if you're a Steve Smith fan and you want to watch and listen to him for about three minutes on a couple of different topics, here you go.

Philadelphia Eagles

Todd Herremans, like teammate DeSean Jackson, is working to help kids deal with bullying.

And at the other end of the use-of-lockout-idle-time spectrum, Akeem Jordan has been arrested and charged with assault in Virginia.

Washington Redskins

This was a worthwhile look at five Redskins who could come up with breakout performances in 2011, and unless Washington gets a CB in free agency, sure, Kevin Barnes will have an opportunity. But as Redskins.com continues to insist that the current NFL climate doesn't prohibit rookie receivers like Leonard Hankerson from making an impact without an adjustment period, I continue to counter with the dismal presumption that the Redskins' QB situation probably will.

Speaking of that QB situation, John Beck recently told The Washington Post there was no bad blood between him and Rex Grossman even though each has been vocal about his desire to win the starting QB job in Washington.

Don't forget ... it's chat day. Noon ET. Don't miss it.

When I woke up this morning, I knew I was going to lead the links with something on Andy Robustelli, the New York Giants legend who died Tuesday at the age of 85. So I immediately thought of Jerry Izenberg, the New Jersey newspaper legend with whom it was my great honor to work during the last decade at The Star-Ledger. As I expected, Jerry's Robustelli story is the one to read. It tells the story of how Robustelli's wife's pregnancy and the hard-headedness of Rams coach Sid Gillman made Robustelli a Giant and helped change the history of one of the league's signature franchises:

"It brought a new marching song to a storied franchise. Its cadence hung on the frosty air of November in the Bronx with a rolling thunder that chanted:

'Defense ... defense ... defense.'

On Mondays, in what then were the city’s sports restaurants like Shor’s and Manuche’s, the expense-account lunch crowds sat at their tables moving salt and pepper shakers around to re-create what their heroes had done up at Yankee Stadium 24 hours earlier.

And the name you most heard over those two martini lunches was Andy Robustelli ... the defensive captain ... the defensive leader and the fellow of whom the coach, Jim Lee Howell, would tell reporters:

'He’s our fireball. When he hollers they hear him no matter how loud the crowd because they are waiting for him to take charge.'"

Robustelli's is a classic football story -- that of an undersized defensive end whose skill, drive and work ethic elevated him to the level of a champion and a Hall of Famer. If you're into the history of the NFL and/or the Giants, read Jerry's piece, and think today about the loss of a link to some glory days.

More Giants

It's been tougher than expected for the Jets and Giants to find a naming-rights sponsor for their new stadium, but a report indicates they're getting closer. I'm curious to see if this is the kind of thing that really could get done during a lockout. If it does, it sure won't help the owners' case.

Dallas Cowboys

Apparently, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee is taking the time to do a survey and figure out how many people have attended each of the informal workouts players on each team have been organizing. And according to this survey, the Cowboys apparently have had some of the best-attended workouts. Maybe they all wanted to make sure they got their Romo wedding invitations.

Cowboys.com looks at five players affected in some way by the lockout, including Dez Bryant (because he's coming off an injury) and Sean Lee (because he's playing a key position in a new defense).

Philadelphia Eagles

Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News has interesting stuff this morning on new Eagles offensive line coach Howard Mudd, including a long personal profile that deals with Mudd's survival of motorcycle accidents ("It's a miracle he's here," wife Shirley says) and a shorter item on Mudd's plans to simplify things along the offensive line.

LeSean McCoy joined the Eagles player workouts Tuesday, and Mike Kafka, who hopes to be Michael Vick's backup QB this year, did the throwing. Vick has said he's working out on his own with a personal trainer and that he showed up when the receivers were all there but won't be at every session. I don't have anything funny or interesting to say about any of this, but you know...the Eagles are working out together, so there you go.

Washington Redskins

Kevin Barnes tells Mike Jones he'd like to be a starting cornerback if Carlos Rogers leaves via free agency. Thinking this is a bit like Kafka's situation, referenced above. We can't always get what we want. If it's not that Nnamdi guy, my guess is the Redskins bring in some veteran to play opposite DeAngelo Hall. Too many question marks back there otherwise.

If you were wondering about the viability of Rex Grossman as the Redskins' starting quarterback, Russ Lande of The Sporting News blows that to smithereens. Oh, Lande gets into detail, sure. But the headline says it all: "Grossman's toughness doesn't make up for a lack of talent." Sadly, it rarely does...

That's all for the links today, but I will mention one non-football thing, since many of you were talking about it on the blog Tuesday against my better judgment: I saw nothing last night to make me think the Mavericks have a shot to win a game in an NBA finals that, sadly, looks like it's been a foregone conclusion since last July.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: draft rewind -- examining the past five drafts.

Dallas Cowboys

Best choice: Mike Jenkins, CB, first round (2008). The Cowboys have selected 40 players over the past five drafts. Jenkins is the only one to earn Pro Bowl honors. Check back in a couple seasons to see whether receiver Dez Bryant has joined him. Doug Free, a fourth-rounder in 2007, made a run at this distinction after emerging as a solid starting left tackle in 2010. Jenkins suffered through a down season and needs to bounce back.

Worst choice: Bobby Carpenter, LB, first round (2006). The Cowboys got very little from Carpenter and their 2006 class overall. Carpenter started three games for Dallas in four seasons with the team. The Cowboys traded him to St. Louis before the 2010 season in a deal that brought them penalty-prone tackle Alex Barron.

On the bubble: Felix Jones, RB, first round (2008). By bubble, we’re not talking about job security, but rather about Jones’ status as a player seeking to realize more of his potential. The weight Jones added last season might have slowed him. He has the talent to take the next step. Improved play from the offensive line would help.

Washington Redskins

Best choice: Brian Orakpo, OLB, first round (2009). Two Pro Bowl appearances in two seasons make Orakpo the clear choice for Washington among the 33 players drafted since 2006. Some of the others are productive, of course, but none has earned Pro Bowl honors.

Worst choice: Chad Rinehart, G, third round (2008). Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly made this a three-way race. The Redskins have used only nine choices in the first three rounds of the past five drafts. I wasn’t going to single out later-round picks as disappointments. Rinehart suffered a broken fibula during his second season. He had a DUI arrest shortly after Mike Shanahan arrived as head coach. The Redskins released Rinehart before last season.

On the bubble: Kevin Barnes, CB, third round (2009). Barnes has only two starts, but he finished strong last season after getting a look at safety. Barnes picked off a pass against Jacksonville to set up the winning field goal in overtime. A sign of things to come?

Philadelphia Eagles

Best choice: DeSean Jackson, WR, second round (2008). Jackson is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Making two Pro Bowls in three seasons is particularly impressive for a receiver. Lots of receivers put up good numbers, but few can match Jackson in the big-play department. He is a game-changer.

Worst choice: Tony Hunt, RB, third round (2007). Hunt was a curious selection because he didn’t seem to fit the Eagles’ offense. The team tried Hunt at fullback before releasing him during the 2008 season. Hunt has recently resurfaced in an Austrian league. Seriously.

On the bubble: Kevin Kolb, QB, second round (2007). Kolb enters a crossroads season with the Eagles after losing the starting job to Michael Vick. It was nothing personal -- Vick simply outplayed him. Will the Eagles trade Kolb or keep him around?

New York Giants

Best choice: Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, seventh round (2007). Bradshaw broke out with 1,235 yards and eight touchdowns last season. That was terrific production for any back, let alone one selected with the 250^th overall choice. Bradshaw lost five fumbles in the first 10 games of the season, however, and lost his starting job.

Worst choice: Sinorice Moss, WR, second round (2006). Moss started only two games and caught three touchdown passes during four seasons with the Giants. A hernia injury sidelined Moss last season, and the team released him. He has not played in a game since 2009. The Eagles signed Moss earlier this offseason.

On the bubble: Aaron Ross, CB, first round (2007). Ross has only two starts with no interceptions over the past two seasons, a sharp downturn from his first two seasons. Injuries have played a leading role in Ross’ diminished production. A hamstring injury bothered him in 2009. Plantar fasciitis was a problem last season. He needs to get healthy.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 17:


Are the New York Giants playing for Tom Coughlin's job Sunday against the Washington Redskins? If the Giants somehow lose this game at FedEx, there will be immense pressure on co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch to fire Coughlin. And even a win doesn't guarantee Coughlin will return. The Giants dominated the Redskins at the line of scrimmage in their last meeting and Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw both had big days running the ball. The Skins have shown a lot more pride on defense in recent weeks, though, so I don't expect another blowout. Coughlin has asked his players to show more intensity early in this game. He was embarrassed by how his team was physically whipped by Green Bay last Sunday. If that happens against the Redskins, we could be reporting about a coaching search next week.

This is a golden opportunity for Dallas Cowboys third-string quarterback Stephen McGee. If McGee can back up his nice performance against the Arizona Cardinals by leading the Cowboys to a win, he'll have the inside track on being Tony Romo's backup next season. Once McGee got comfortable against the Cardinals, he used his legs to create plays. He even had a Romo-like shovel pass when things broke down in the pocket. If McGee protects the ball, he'll have a great chance to get a win. The Eagles aren't going to do anything that exotic on defense as they prepare for a wild-card playoff game. Interim coach Jason Garrett, on the other hand, will pull out all the Ivy League stops to get a win and impress owner Jerry Jones.

Could this be Kevin Kolb's last start with the Eagles? We all thought Kolb was the heir apparent to Donovan McNabb, but that was before Michael Vick began his MVP campaign. Kolb will have an opportunity to put some more work on film for the teams that are desperate for quarterback help. I think Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will keep things pretty vanilla with this game plan against the Cowboys, but Kolb will still take a couple of shots downfield against Dallas' cornerbacks. If the Eagles can get a first-round pick for Kolb, they'd have to think about moving him. And if you're the Cardinals or the Vikings, I think Kolb might be a better option than some of the rookies in this draft. And it's not like he'd break the bank since he's already earned the bulk of his money from the Eagles.

I'll be watching the interior of the Cowboys' offensive line Sunday. There are several players -- Kyle Kosier, Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo -- who could be replaced up front this offseason. If the Eagles let defensive tackle Antonio Dixon play for at least the first half, he'll pose a great test for Kosier and center Andre Gurode. Dixon took over as the starter in Week 5 and Brodrick Bunkley's not been able to regain his spot. The Cowboys' interior linemen have had trouble moving their feet and creating any push in the running game this season. Dixon's tough to move and I could see him being a difficult matchup for Kosier.

This is an important game for Mike Shanahan because of the evaluation process. Shanahan loves the fact that New York is still fighting for a playoff spot. He wanted the chance to have one last true evaluation of quarterback Rex Grossman heading into the offseason. Giants coordinator Perry Fewell will bring pressure from a lot of different areas, so Shanahan will see how Grossman responds. It's hard to imagine the Skins heading into 2011 with Grossman as the starter, but for now, that's still a possibility. I also think this game will give the Redskins a chance to see how young players such as outside linebacker Rob Jackson and safety Kevin Barnes build on last week's game against the Jaguars. Starting outside linebacker Brian Orakpo will likely return to the lineup, but Jackson will receive plenty of reps. Barnes made a big play against the Jaguars in overtime, but Shanahan wants to see him improve in other areas. He has to do a better job of tackling in the open field.

» NFC High Energy: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A look at a player who gave his team a significant boost in Week 16.

OK, I realize Washington Redskins "safety" Kevin Barnes made a couple of (glaring) mistakes against the Jaguars, but he fought through that and made the interception that set up the game-winning field goal in a 20-17 win. Barnes was a third-round pick by the Redskins in the 2009 draft and he really hasn't done much to distinguish himself. But with the Skins in bad shape at safety because of injuries, Barnes moved over from cornerback.

His teammates have bragged on the way he performs at cornerback in practice, but we haven't seen much evidence on the field. When Jags quarterback David Garrard dropped back to pass against a heavy rush, he tried to slip the ball to his talented tight end Marcedes Lewis. Barnes read the play all the way and was able to get inside position before making the grab.

Barnes later told reporters that he'd practiced against that play all week, so he knew exactly what to do. A guy like Barnes, who wasn't drafted by the Mike Shanahan regime, is playing for a roster spot next season. And I'd have to say he took a major step in the right direction this past Sunday.

The former Maryland star has always had the potential, but he wasn't really able to take it to the field. On Sunday, he displayed the ability to forget about his mistakes and stay focused with the game hanging in the balance. I started to go ahead and give the award to Michael Vick in anticipation of what he's going to do to the Vikings tonight, but Barnes seemed like the right choice.

Vick's had three NFC Offensive Player of the Week awards and a phone call from President Obama, so I think he needs a breather.

Let's take a quick look at how the Redskins won their sixth game of the season in Jacksonville:

What it means: If the Washington Redskins could just take every game to overtime, they'd be in good shape this season. The Redskins (6-9) hurt the Jaguars' playoff hopes with a 20-17 win. It was the Skins' fourth overtime game this season, and they've won three of them. Quarterback Rex Grossman made some important throws, but you have to give the defense a ton of the credit. Washington was missing 13 of its 22 opening day starters. They had to start Kevin Barnes and Macho Harris at safety, and it was Barnes who made the interception that set up Graham Gano's game-winning field goal in overtime. The Redskins have lost all four coin flips heading into overtime, but they've managed to hold their own.

The backups: Coach Mike Shanahan has been criticized for how he's handled a couple of high-profile players, and he's deserved almost all of it. But give Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett credit for putting together a game plan that caused so many issues for the Jaguars. Outside linebacker Rob Jackson made the first start of his career for an injured Brian Orakpo, and he had a sack and forced a fumble. Barnes missed a tackle on David Garrard's game-tying touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but he bounced back with the huge interception.

What's up with Cooley? Redskins tight end Chris Cooley should be Grossman's best friend these days, but he dropped four passes, including a certain touchdown, in the first half alone. It's remarkable that Washington was able to overcome such an uneven performance from one of its best players.

Moss is The Man: Santana Moss continues to be the most consistent playmaker on this team. He's now surpassed 1,000 yards. He had five catches for 85 yards. Kyle Shanahan has done a nice job of putting him in motion and lining him up in different spots. Moss never cares what the Skins' record is during the season. He played his heart out last season, and he's doing the same for the Shanahans now.

What's next? The Redskins will host a New York Giants team that will likely be fighting for a playoff spot considering the way things are going Sunday in Green Bay. Everyone knew the Jags had more to play for than the Skins, but a lot of reserves went out and played an excellent game. Those players gave Shanahan something to build on as he prepares for the final game of the season. If the Redskins could upset the Giants, it could set the tone for the offseason.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 16 games:

Can the Giants shake off last Sunday's devastating loss to the Eagles? Giants quarterback Eli Manning requested time alone with his teammates Monday, and coach Tom Coughlin was happy to oblige. His speech was short, but it grabbed everyone's attention. Defensive tackle Barry Cofield told me Thursday that he couldn't believe how much energy he saw in the locker room this week. The Giants have done a nice job of recognizing their obvious failure late in last Sunday's game and then moving on to Green Bay. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has tried to get his unit to come out with a sense of urgency in recent weeks, and I think you'll see that against the Packers on Sunday afternoon. New York will want to take the crowd out of the game as soon as possible.

Can Eagles cornerback Dimitri Patterson bounce back from an embarrassing performance against the Giants? Patterson has played well at times this season, but the Giants' wide receivers made him look silly in the first half. The Vikings still have firepower at receiver, so it will be interesting to see what happens if Patterson gets matched up with Sidney Rice. "I'm looking forward to it," Patterson said Friday. "As far as I'm concerned, that was two quarters, three plays, however you want to look at it. I finished that game, I came back in the second half. And I will finish the rest of the season." I think Patterson will do a lot better this week because the Eagles will likely have a better pass rush against the Vikings' offensive line.

Jason Garrett needs this win to finalize his campaign to become permanent head coach. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted last week that a loss to the Washington Redskins would've given him pause about Garrett's future. But the Cowboys pulled out a 33-30 win with a late field goal, so Jones didn't have to worry about that. Dallas should dominate the Cardinals, who are playing with a rookie quarterback. If the Cardinals somehow pull off a Christmas miracle and beat the Cowboys, fans will call for Jon Gruden and Jeff Fisher as the next head coach. But I'd be really surprised if the Cowboys found a way to lose this game.

Eli Manning needs to have a big-time game in Green Bay. As I wrote in Thursday's column, Manning has struggled in December throughout much of his career (14-16). He played well against the Eagles last week, but still has a good shot at leading the league in interceptions. The good news for Giants fans is that Manning has wonderful memories of Lambeau Field. He's said that he actually enjoyed winning the '07 NFC Championship Game (played in Jan. '08) more than the Super Bowl. Those wins helped define his career, and I think he'll draw on that experience from three seasons ago in beating the Packers on Sunday.

Can Mike Shanahan get something accomplished in Jacksonville? We learned Friday that Pro Bowl outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (hamstring, groin) will miss a game for the first time in his NFL career. Orakpo will be replaced by Rob Jackson, who will make the first start of his career. And there's also a chance that Kevin Barnes and Macho Harris could be the starting safeties. Reed Doughty is out with a concussion and Kareem Moore will be a game-time decision. I don't know if the Skins have much hope of winning, but Shanahan will have a chance to evaluate some young players. And it will be interesting to see how Rex Grossman performs following his excellent second half against the Dallas Cowboys. Shanahan will make massive roster changes this offseason, but a few players could help their cause with strong performances against Jacksonville.

LANDOVER, Md. -- Obviously, everyone in the press box has been consumed with the news of Donovan McNabb's five-year, $78 million contract extension. But I'm told there's still a game to play.

As we already knew, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis (groin) will sit out tonight's game. Here are the rest of the Skins' inactives: John Beck, Kevin Barnes, Portis, Chad Simpson, Perry Riley, Derrick Dockery, Anthony Bryant and Jeremy Jarmon

No surprises for the Philadelphia Eagles: Mike Kafka, Chad Hall, Nate Allen, Ellis Hobbs, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, King Dunlap, Reggie Wells, Garrett Mills.

OK, it looks like McNabb's agent Fletcher Smith is about to address reporters, so I'm off to visit with him.

Let's take a quick spin around the division to see what's going on this morning:

Cowboys

• Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Tony Romo was not consulted before Flozell Adams was dumped.
• Ray Buck from the Star-T talked to several former Cowboys about their favorite memories of Texas Stadium.
• Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com has a really nice draft preview on Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant. Make sure you read what OSU's WRs coach had to say.
• Jerry Jones had tears in his eyes while watching the demolition of Texas Stadium, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
• The folks at DallasNews.com have provided a transcript of our conversation with Tony Romo on ESPN 103.3's "Galloway and Company" show in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
• Todd Archer, senior columnist for DallasNews.com, wonders if the restricted free agency market could finally get rolling this week.
• Right tackle Marc Colombo tells Archer that he probably should have thought twice about returning so quickly from a leg injury.

Eagles

• Mike Mayock, the main draft expert for the NFL Network, previews the quarterbacks for the Daily News.
• Sheldon Brown appeared to be calling out Asante Samuel in some recent radio interviews.
• Moving the Chains blog takes a look at the offensive tackle positions in this draft.
• Here's that blog entry about Jeff Garcia that we referenced this morning.
• The folks at the New York Times' Fifth Down Blog wonder if Kevin Kolb's ready for prime time.

Giants

• New Meadowlands Stadium will not be rushed into finding a naming rights partner. (But before the season might be nice).
• Former Steelers guard Darnell Stapleton visited the Giants last week.
• Judy Battista of the New York Times says the new three-day draft will change the way teams approach the second round.

Redskins

• Jason Campbell is still thinking things through, according to the Post.
• Jason Reid of the Post doesn't think Albert Haynesworth's willing to buy his way out of town.
• Watch Ellen Degeneres' mother taunt Kevin Barnes. And thanks to Matt Terl of Redskins Blog fame for continuing to monitor Ellen's show on a daily basis.

LANDOVER, Md. -- Giants cornerback Aaron Ross is out for tonight's game against the Redskins. We knew starting cornerback Corey Webster (knee) wasn't going to play but the Giants were holding out hope Ross (hamstring) would be able to go.

With Webster out, either Bruce Johnson or Kevin Dockery will start at cornerback opposite Terrell Thomas. Michael Johnson and Aaron Rouse will be the starting safeties. Here are the Giants' other inactives: Ramses Barden, D.J. Ware, Adam Koets, Kareem McKenzie, Sinorice Moss and Darcy Johnson.

The biggest surprise for the Skins is that defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin is inactive. That makes room for offensive tackle William Robinson to be active. Here are the rest of the Redskins' inactives: Emergency QB Richard Bartel, Kevin Barnes, Edwin Williams, Alvin Bowen, Curtis Gatewood, Paul Fanaika and Marko Mitchell.

We've been hearing it all morning, but the Redskins have made it official that defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth will not play today against the Cowboys. It's obviously a huge blow for a team that depends on Haynesworth to be a disruptive force in the middle of the defense.

Haynesworth will be replaced at defensive tackle by Kedric Golston. But here's the one silver lining: A former NFL scout just informed me that he thinks the Cowboys will be able to play a "pocket-controlled" game, which means they'll have a better opportunity to keep Tony Romo from extending plays with his feet.

The thought is that Haynesworth is so disruptive that he would force Romo to constantly leave the pocket. But that's about the only positive news I can offer Redskins fans right now.

In other news, Fred Smoot will start in place of Carlos Rogers at cornerback for the Redskins. Rogers was pulled for a series last week against the Broncos and he was pretty vocal about it.

Here are the other inactives:

Cowboys: QB Stephen McGee (emergency), S Ken Hamlin, CB Allen Rossum, LB Jason Williams, G Montrae Holland, C/G Duke Preston, T Marc Colombo, LB Curtis Johnson

Redskins: CB Kevin Barnes, RB Clinton Portis, FB Eddie Williams, TE Chris Cooley, LB Robert Henson, T Mike Williams, DT Albert Haynesworth, DE Renaldo Wynn

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

LANDOVER, Md. -- Greetings from the biggest NFC East game of the evening. I've just been handed tonight's incactives, so let me pass them along:

Redskins: Kevin Barnes, Quinton Ganther, Robert Henson, Chris Samuels, Chad Rinehart, Marko Mitchell, Anthony Montgomery, Renaldo Wynn

Eagles: Kevin Kolb (third quarterback), Dimitri Patterson, Joe Mays, Mike McGlynn, Max Jean-Gilles, Kevin Curtis, Victor Abiamiri, Omar Gaither

Eagles coach Andy Reid obviously has a lot of faith that left guard Todd Herremans is fully recovered. I'll be interested to see if Stacy Andrews gets any reps at right guard. Something tells me that we won't see tonight.