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Friday links. You know what to do.

New York Giants

Still even after a full day at the combine, there are almost no Giants links. The newspapers that cover the team regularly seem only to care that the Knicks lost to some Florida team. I have Alex Marvez writing about Brandon Jacobs' potential future in wrestling -- a story that includes quotes from TNA Wrestling president Dixie Carter, which made me wonder if it was the same Dixie Carter who used to be on "Designing Women." But I looked it up and that Dixie Carter died in 2010. This is a different Dixie Carter, and as we've established over and over again, there's a lot of stuff about which I know pretty much nothing. Like why LaRon Landry would take a photo of himself in a mirror with his iPhone when the iPhone camera is reversible. But that's a different story, from a different day.

And Ohm Youngmisuk's got something on the Giants flavor of the coaching staff former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is building in Tampa Bay, including Thursday's news that Schiano was denied permission to talk to Kevin Gilbride Jr., who may be in line for a promotion on the Giants' staff.

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman continues to say upbeat, positive things about DeSean Jackson's future with the team. This either because he believes it or because he doesn't want to tip his hand to potential trade partners or because you're only supposed to use the franchise player designation as a step toward a long-term deal and he wants some quotes in the paper that make it look as though that's his intention. Could be any one of those things, or both of the last two. We'll know somewhat soon, I guess.

Roseman also spoke of the Eagles' need to start getting bigger contributions from some of the defensive players they've drafted in early rounds in recent years. Certainly, if Brandon Graham, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Nate Allen could make significant leaps in production in 2012, the Eagles would benefit a great deal.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have begun speaking with the agent for linebacker Anthony Spencer. The Cowboys' decision on Spencer -- i.e. whether to franchise him, re-sign him or let him walk as a free agent -- is one of the most important they face in the early part of this offseason, and they need to get that decision made sooner rather than later so they can operate the rest of their plan.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett outlined the way the duties of the team's new secondary coaches will be split up, which is nice, but I think probably not as important as the decisions yet to come on who will be playing defensive back in that secondary.

Washington Redskins

The Minnesota Vikings are making no secret of their desire to trade down from the No. 3 pick in the draft, and if there were three stud quarterbacks available in this year's draft, I'm sure the Redskins would be happy to do it. But you have to get up to No. 2 to make sure you get Robert Griffin III, and the Rams are likely to drive a hard bargain for that pick. The Redskins could find themselves dealing with Minnesota at some point, but only if the Rams keep the pick and draft a player at No. 2 on draft night.

The Redskins aren't likely to be in the market for a tight end early in the draft, but Skins fans may get a kick out of knowing that Stanford tight end Coby Fleener's name was inspired by that of former Redskins lineman Joe Jacoby.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- As much fun as this playoff ride is, as thrilling as it may be to watch Eli Manning throw those long touchdown passes every week, as great as it would feel to play in another Super Bowl two weeks from Sunday, something still gnaws at the large men on the New York Giants' offensive line.

"Nobody in our offensive line room is satisfied with the way this has turned out," veteran Giants guard Chris Snee said earlier this week. "We could go on and win the whole thing, and we'd still spend the offseason upset about the running game."

Ah yes. The running game. The Giants' season-long bugaboo. The offensive deficiency that nearly kept them out of the playoffs entirely. The flaw they had to overcome to get to where they are now, preparing to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. The Giants were the worst team in the NFL this year at running the ball. They ranked dead last with 89.2 rush yards per game, and yeah, it bugged the people responsible.

"It was definitely something you were disappointed in as an offensive lineman and as a group," said David Diehl, who played left guard for most of the season but has played left tackle since the end of November. "You understand how important it is as an offense to be able to run the ball. I think the one thing we've done throughout all of it is continue to work to make that a strength -- continue to fight and do whatever it takes to get the job done in the running game."

There is value to patience when trying to run the ball in the NFL, and that patience has paid off for the Giants at the right time. They averaged 82.3 yards per game for their first 11 games of this season. But over the seven they've played since, they're averaging 112.6 yards per game on the ground, including the 172 they rolled up on the sixth-ranked Atlanta Falcons' run defense in their first playoff game.

"I think the key is staying with it," running back Brandon Jacobs said. "I know we haven't been running the ball as great as we have in the past, but I think the best thing we're doing is saying with it -- keeping guys honest. They still come out pressuring us the same way, which helps the wide receivers get off. And lately we've been moving the ball pretty well on the ground, and we expect to keep doing that."

It won't be easy Sunday against a 49ers' defense that ranked first in the league against the run by a healthy margin and only allowed three rushing touchdowns all season. But the Giants' 93 rushing yards in their Week 10 loss in San Francisco was the fourth-highest single-game total the 49ers allowed this season. They were able to do that without Ahmad Bradshaw, who was injured for the game but expects to play Sunday, and behind an offensive line that wasn't opening any holes. The new line configuration that went into effect just after Thanksgiving, with Diehl at left tackle and Kevin Boothe at left guard, has been a more effective run-blocking unit, as the numbers have shown, and the Giants go into this rematch feeling much better about their chances to gain yards on the ground.

"I think there's a residual work ethic or character about that group," Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said of the veterans on his offensive line, naming Snee specifically. "That rubs off on everybody, and I think that becomes characteristic of the group that's in there. I think there's a work ethic that defines them, and I think it's rubbed off on a lot of the younger guys. I think if there's one quality that has been the catalyst for those guys, with all of the changing parts, it's probably that one."

Gilbride admits to being a pass-loving coach, and the Giants' strength on offense right now is unquestionably Manning and his brilliant receivers. But they need to keep the run alive as a legitimate threat. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Manning had a 52.5 completion percentage, 8.1 yards per attempt, five touchdowns and five interceptions when passing off of play-action during the regular season. In his two postseason games, he's got an 81.8 completion percentage, 15.6 yards per attempt, three touchdowns and no interceptions on play-action. And as everyone knows, play-action only works if the defense believes you will and can run. So especially against a team like San Francisco, it's important to establish that threat even if you're not having great success with it.

"It's a team where, if you're not getting 10-yard runs, let's at least get three- or four-year runs a pop and set up better third-down conditions," Manning said. "You don't want to be stuck in 3rd-and-10, 3rd-and-11 all day. We just try to be consistent, to not have the negative runs. Last time we played them, we were pretty good about not losing yards on runs, getting three or four yards a pop, and at least that keeps you in a good rhythm."

That's the playoff formula for the Giants -- stick to the run, trust that things have gotten better and that they can have success where they weren't in September and October. It will always stick in the craw of the offensive line that this is a team that finished last in the league in rushing, but if they can patch it together enough to get to win the Super Bowl, those numbers might be a little bit easier to swallow.

The Friday links require no introduction.

New York Giants

The Giants do not know what has gotten into Brandon Jacobs the past two games, and they do not care as long as he keeps it up. The Giants have the worst rush offense in the league this year, but it has looked revitalized the past two weeks as Jacobs has been running like the punishing back he was when he was younger and the beaten-up offensive line has been blocking better than the healthy one was. Sometimes, these things are tough to explain.

Regarding that offensive line, backup Kevin Boothe has been "outstanding" filling in at center for David Baas, according to offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. But the team is concerned about one aspect of his game that's pretty important for a center to have down -- snapping the ball. Some of Boothe's snaps are now drawing comparisons to former Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, and in case you don't remember what was going on in Yankee baseball 10 years ago: That's not good.

Dallas Cowboys

The folks who covered the Cowboys when Sam Hurd was on the team didn't recognize the guy they were reading about Thursday in a government affidavit. Hurd, who played five seasons for the Cowboys before signing with the Bears prior to this year, is facing serious federal drug trafficking charges, and it was apparently a hot topic Thursday around his former team.

The Cowboys' offense came to life earlier this season when rookie running back DeMarco Murray became its focal point. But quarterback Tony Romo says he's not feeling any additional pressure to carry the offense now that Murray is out for the season with an ankle injury. The Cowboys likely can still run the ball with Felix Jones for a few games, but Murray helped them put away late leads -- something with which they've struggled this season -- and it's going to be on Romo and the defense to figure out how to do that now.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeff McLane writes that these final three games of the season are important for DeSean Jackson, who will still want a new contract when this terribly disappointing season is over and can use this time as an audition to convince the Eagles or some other team that he's worth the money he seeks. Teams will pay for talent in this league, and Jackson just turned 25 years old.

The Eagles' playoff hopes took an expected hit Thursday when the Falcons won, leaving only one wild-card spot even potentially available to them. If the Lions win Sunday, the Eagles will be unable to claim a wild-card spot even if they win out. And if the Cowboys win Saturday and the Giants win Sunday, the Eagles are eliminated from the division race no matter what they do. But there remains a slim chance so they'll still need to win Sunday's game, and Les Bowen says to do that they'll need to solve an old problem -- their red zone defense.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins' 2011 plan on defense hinged, in large part, on the idea that they would have one of the best safety pairings in the league in LaRon Landry and O.J. Atogwe. But plans don't always work out, as we know, and injuries have kept those two off the field way too much. Landry's season ended Thursday when the team announced he needed surgery on his ankle and put him on injured reserve.

Santana Moss says he would "love to ruin" the Giants' season with a win Sunday. The Redskins started off this season by beating the Giants in Washington, and the Giants were extremely angry about that loss. This isn't the same Redskins team they trotted out in Week 1, but it does seem to be a proud bunch capable of more than people expect. I don't believe they'll make it easy on the Giants. Of course, predictions come out in a few hours.

One game in the books already this week in the NFC East, and it has shaken up the standings. Well, not really. Just pushed the preseason favorite to the bottom, which is where you'll find them in Friday's links.

Dallas Cowboys (7-4)

Tim MacMahon thinks the Cowboys would be unwise to claim Donovan McNabb on waivers. It was one thing last week to claim Kyle Orton, a 29-year-old with experience in their system, because they're looking for a veteran backup for Tony Romo with Jon Kitna hurt. But as Tim points out, the last thing the Cowboys need as they gear up for a run at the division title and the playoffs is a circus atmosphere brought on by a backup quarterback who can't play anymore.

Jerry Jones is getting a different vibe from this year's team than he did from last year's. He says this year's team doesn't have "a bad case of that flu, which is the flu that we had last year, which said when the ball is snapped, something bad's going to happen." They seemed to be suffering the lingering effects of that flu in some fourth quarters earlier this season, but the mojo's been a lot more positive lately, for sure.

New York Giants (6-5)

Matt Ehalt writes that the Giants have gone four straight games without scoring a touchdown in the first half, which I find so inconceivable I had to go check it and risk making the links late. But it's true, and it's upsetting offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. They haven't had one in the first quarter since the Buffalo game on Oct. 16.

If they do get a first-half touchdown Sunday against the Packers, it doesn't sound as though it'll come from Mario Manningham, whose status is in doubt and he thinks he might need to have surgery on his knee.

Washington Redskins (4-7)

Dan Daly doesn't think it'd necessarily be a bad idea for the Redskins to let LaRon Landry leave after this season is over. The way he plays -- and the way a strong safety of his talent is expected to play these days -- he's not going to suddenly find himself able to avoid all of the injuries that have held him back so far.

Rick Maese takes a look at the impact that outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, and their ever-increasing comfort level, have had on the emergence this year of the Redskins' defense. This was the plan, of course, when the Redskins picked Kerrigan in the first round -- to key the defense around a couple of sack specialists on the outside.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-8)

DeSean Jackson's 25th birthday was not a happy one. He came up with four catches for 34 yards in the Eagles' loss to the Seahawks on Thursday night. Cameras followed him all over the field and the sidelines, chronicling a series of moves that led Jeff McLane to write that the talented wideout has "checked out mentally."

Evan Mathis says in this Rich Hofmann column that the Eagles "didn't give up." Mathis plays offense, and I actually think that, outside of maybe Jackson, this was the case. But the only way you can convince me that the Eagles' defense didn't give up on that game last night is if you convince me they weren't actually there. ESPN Stats & Information says the Eagles had eight or more defenders in the box on 17 of Marshawn Lynch's 22 attempts but that he nonetheless got 123 of his 174 rushing yards in those situations. Total system failure, folks.

We'll have more on the Eagles as the day goes along. They're the miserable blog gift that keeps on giving.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Of all the questions I had after the New York Giants' season-opening loss to the Redskins last week, the one that kept coming back to me was, "Why didn't they run more?" When I went to their practice Friday, I learned that many of the Giants themselves had the same question.

"We're definitely at our best when we're running," left guard David Diehl said.

Yet in Week 1, they ran the ball 20 times -- 13 carries for Ahmad Bradshaw, six for Brandon Jacobs and one for quarterback Eli Manning. And sure, they were behind in the second half, but they weren't behind the whole game. The key to running the ball in the NFL is to commit to running it, even when it doesn't seem to be working, and the Giants sometimes seem too willing to stray from that commitment.

"We ran the ball early and established it and then got away from it because the defense saw that we ran the ball early and they were more in tune to stopping the run rather than the pass," Bradshaw said. "We just have to get better running the ball and blocking stuff up and finishing our blocks as well. We have to get better at keeping the seventh or eighth man out of the box and passing a whole lot better."

Maybe, but I don't think it's as simple as teams stacking eight-man fronts to keep the Giants from running. The Giants have a quarterback who's thrown for more than 4,000 yards in each of the past two seasons. They have talented receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham who can get open quickly enough to burn defenses that are stacked against the run. Although their lack of a reliable slot receiver and tight end might enable teams to lock in on the run more, it's hard to believe the 2011 game plan for stopping the Giants' offense is really going to be "Let Eli Manning chuck it."

The problem the Giants have had on offense for the past couple of years, as Manning and the passing game have emerged, is an inability to establish an identity. They clearly want to run. Only six teams in the league had more rush attempts than the Giants did in 2010. But they don't seem to do it with confidence or consistency. They have two great and very different weapons in Bradshaw and Jacobs, yet they don't seem to have consistent, definite ideas about how to employ them. Running the smaller, speedier Bradshaw in third-and-one and fourth-and-one situations in the second half last Sunday rather than the bigger, more powerful Jacobs, raised eyebrows. And the coaching staff didn't have much of an explanation for it.

"The staff and head coach's philosophy is to find the run that gives you the best chance to be successful and attack them accordingly," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "That depends on what they are doing and what we are doing and what have you. That particular play, we thought they would load up inside and they did load up inside. We should have had that play easily, but we didn't block it as well as we should have and we didn’t get it."

The Giants obviously are having a lot of issues right now. Head coach Tom Coughlin pointed earlier in the week to Victor Cruz's third-down drop on the first drive of the game, and certainly if that had been a catch, it could have opened up more opportunities to run. They brought in veteran slot receiver Brandon Stokley later in the week to help shore things up in the passing game, and they hope he becomes the trustworthy option into which Cruz and Domenik Hixon have yet to transform.

Although that would help, the Giants would do better to trust the strengths they already had on offense. Bradshaw and Jacobs are a monster tandem the likes of which very few NFL teams can imitate or defend. The Giants are at their best when they run the ball, and they're equipped to run it a lot and run it effectively. They need to establish a plan for how to run it, and they need to stick to that plan even when it doesn't work right away. The injuries and free-agent losses they've had have thinned out the roster to the point where the Giants need to lock in and lean hard on the more reliable areas of their roster. Right now, Jacobs and Bradshaw represent one of those areas, and the Giants won't be the Giants unless they realize that and start taking advantage of it.

This edition of the NFC East video mailbag takes a question about Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and whether his playcalling is more to blame for the Giants' recent second-half collapses than is head coach Tom Coughlin.

Dallas Cowboys

ESPNDallas.com reporters Bryan Broaddus and Tim MacMahon look at Temple defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson in their latest Draft Watch post.

Draft prospects to visit the Cowboys next week include Colorado tackle Nate Solder, Florida center-guard Mike Pouncey and Louisville running back Bilal Powell, reports the Dallas Morning News' Gerry Fraley.

New York Giants

Giants receiver Steve Smith "feels like [he] can run, but will take it slow" writes the NY Daily News' Ebenezer Samuel.

Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield will consider asking for a trade or holding out if he has to play under a restricted free agent one-year tender again, reports ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk.

Also from Youngmisuk: Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride talks the draft and quarterback Eli Manning.

Michael Strahan on the lockout: It's not going well.

Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Network's Charley Casserly told PhiladelphiaEagles.com he would draft the Eagles' Kevin Kolb "100 times out of 100" over first-round prospect Cam Newton.

Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith visited the Eagles this week. Philly.com's Sheil Kapadia calls the prospect "inconsistent."

Washington Redskins

The NFL lockout won't stop the Redskins from holding their annual draft party at FedEx field, writes the Washington Post's Mike Jones.

» 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.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 15

The Giants feel really good about their game plan for Michael Vick. A lot of teams fear Vick, but the Giants seem to relish the opportunity to play against him. Vick didn't account for a passing touchdown the last time they played, and the Giants battered him and caused him to fumble twice, losing one. Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell learned from that experience and he's added some new wrinkles to his approach. Look for safety Deon Grant to play a large role in Fewell's blitz packages. The Giants have the ability to generate pressure without the blitz, but Fewell will bring a safety or a cornerback at times. The Giants have been excellent against the run (see Adrian Peterson), so I think LeSean McCoy will have most of his success in the passing game. He has 70 receptions and the Eagles love the screen game.

Will the Cowboys be able to slow down Rex Grossman? The stunning news came down Friday morning that a healthy Donovan McNabb would once again be benched. The Cowboys have prepared for McNabb, but I don't think the prospect of facing Grossman is all that intimidating. At this point, it almost seems like the Shanahans get a kick out of shaking things up. I believe that Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has always been more comfortable with Grossman than McNabb. There have been reports that Kyle wanted to make this move about 13 weeks ago. Now his father will finally give him the chance. So much for that lucrative contract extension for McNabb. At this rate, it's hard to imagine his starting for the Redskins again. And while the Eagles respect McNabb too much to laugh about this, they certainly have to feel good about their decision. I sat down and watched a few plays from that loss to the Bucs. McNabb did have some awful throws that short-hopped receivers. He can normally play through those bad stretches, but the Shanahans are tired of waiting for him.

Eli Manning has to find someone he trusts on third down. Manning has been really bad on third down this season, and a lot of that has to do with Steve Smith's being out with injuries. Since Smith's now been placed on injured reserve, Manning has to figure something out. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham will need to concentrate more than ever because Manning can't afford any more deflections. (He's making enough mistakes on his own). This would be a good time for Derek Hagan to become a reliable third-down receiver. He's shown signs of being that player, but he's no Steve Smith. To me, Smith and the Eagles' Jason Avant are two of the best third-down receivers in the league.

Brian Orakpo loves playing against the Cowboys. The Washington Redskins' outside linebacker and former University of Texas star grew up in Houston hating the Cowboys. He's the player who drew the infamous holding penalty on the Cowboys' Alex Barron in the season opener. As former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus points out on ESPNDallas.com, Orakpo does a really nice job of not allowing much of a hitting surface to offensive tackles. The Skins had the good sense to move Orakpo to the left side to face Barron last time. There's a good chance they'll do the same thing against right tackle Marc Colombo. Orakpo draws a lot of holding calls, and the Redskins basically count those as sacks. He causes offensive tackles to panic, and that's about the highest compliment you can pay a pass-rusher.

The Giants will try to exploit Eagles rookie middle linebacker Jamar Chaney. With Stewart Bradley out for the rest of the regular season with a dislocated elbow, Chaney becomes the starter. He's a talented player, but you know that Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride will try to work him over.

You'll be able to tell early in this game how Chaney's going to play. It's a matchup the Giants will be looking at all afternoon. And if the Eagles' linebackers don't stay in their lanes against Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, they'll be in for a long day.

Update: Wow, thanks for all the comments regarding Chaney. I went off the rails for a minute. Appreciate the feedback.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 14.

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

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

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

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

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

The New York Giants have been able to stay afloat while starting wide receivers Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks have missed a few weeks. But now it looks like Smith (pectoral muscle) and Nicks (lower left leg) could both play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Smith, who took a lot of reps in practice Wednesday, is almost certain to play. The Giants will be a little more cautious with Nicks following surgery on his leg.

Smith wasn't pleased with his progress last week, although he told me Sunday that he planned to play against the Vikings. But after Wednesday's practice, he had a brighter outlook. In fact, Smith told reporters Wednesday was "the best day of my life football-wise." It sounds like he and Nicks gained a deeper appreciation for the game when it was taken away from them for a few weeks.

You'll recall that Eli Manning invited Nicks to his family's passing academy this past offseason and the two of them developed a great chemistry in the first half of this season. Manning and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride placed a huge emphasis on completing more deep balls this season, and they were on a pretty good pace before Smith and Nicks were injured. But over the past two weeks, Manning has only thrown four passes that traveled 20 yards or more, and only one of them was caught.

If both Smith and Nicks are on the field Sunday, Manning will have a much larger field to survey. When Mario Manningham is the only deep threat, he can be pretty easy to defend. With all three players on the field, the Giants have one of the most dangerous groups in the league.

"The coaches are going to implement [the deep ball] in the game plan now,” Smith said, "just because Hakeem’s coming back."

The good news is that it looks like the Giants and Eagles could be at full strength for that monster rematch in the Meadowlands on Dec. 19. But they both have to survive tough road tests first.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Some quick thoughts on the New York Giants' dominating win over the Washington Redskins. This one was over by halftime.

What it means: The Giants did what you have to do against an inferior opponent: break their spirit early. Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride talked last week about how he likes to get a feel for what defenses are doing on the first drive of the game. But against the Redskins, the Giants were determined to set the tone early. They scored a touchdown on their first possession for the first time this season on the strength of running back Brandon Jacobs. He had a 39-yard gain on the second play from scrimmage and then finished off the drive with an 8-yard run. The Redskins were playing without their highly paid defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who is battling an undisclosed illness. But I don't think it would've mattered. Between Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, the Giants rolled up 139 rushing yards in the first half.

Devin Thomas' revenge: Let me start this by saying that the Redskins had plenty of reasons to finally release their former second-round draft pick this season. But it looks like the Giants picked up the wide receiver at the right time. He downed a punt deep in Redskins territory, had a big hit on Brandon Banks on a kickoff return and then he tipped a Hunter Smith punt that traveled 4 yards. And that's why I have to call it a "tip" instead of a "block." It wouldn't surprise me if Giants coach Tom Coughlin gave Thomas a game ball.

A fast start: Safety Antrel Rolle was upset about his team being booed by Giants fans at halftime last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But there wasn't much to boo about a 21-0 halftime lead that should've been 28-0 if not for a ridiculous interception by quarterback Eli Manning. But about the fast start, the Giants scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and ended any hopes of a competitive game. Even against the lowly Redskins defense, it was impressive to see this offensive line take over the game.

Poor Donovan McNabb: I know the man received a lucrative contract extension a few weeks ago, but you still had to feel for him as he watched his teammates drop all those passes. Chris Cooley and fullback Mike Sellers dropped perfect passes in the first half, and tight end Fred Davis got involved later in the game. McNabb did throw one awful interception in the end zone after the Skins had trimmed the lead to 28-7. Terrell Thomas had the easiest interception of his career when McNabb forced a ball into heavy coverage for no apparent reason. I lost count at one point, but I believe the Redskins had six turnovers in the game.

What's next? The Giants travel to Minneapolis next Sunday to play a Vikings team that has won two consecutive games under interim coach Leslie Frazier. If the Giants can win that one, they'll be 9-4 when the Eagles come to town. The Eagles will have to get past the Dallas Cowboys to have an identical record. But with Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks returning to the lineup soon, the Giants are poised to get on a roll. The Redskins don't have any hope of making the playoffs after today's loss. Breaking news, there.

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Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 13.

Cowboys left tackle Doug Free needs to have his best game of the season. Most left tackles need some help against Colts All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney, but I don't think Free will have that luxury. Right tackle Marc Colombo will need a lot of help against Robert Mathis on the other side. I actually think Free's up to the task. He'll have to get out of his stance quickly and get an immediate punch with his arms to force Freeney to re-start. As most of you know, Freeney will try to get to the outside and turn the corner on Free. He's been the Cowboys' best offensive lineman this season and I think he'll have a strong performance against Freeney. Is that a stone-cold lock of a prediction? Absolutely not.

It's time for the Giants to actually do something with their opening possession. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride spent a lot of time this week talking about how he likes to get a feel for defenses on the first series of games. The Giants finally scored on their first possession against the Jaguars, but it was only a field goal. The Eagles scored on their first three possessions against the Texans, but the Giants almost always wait until the second half to get going. They've been dominated in the second quarter. The defense has given up 82 points, and the offense hasn't always responded in the first half. With a beat-up team like the Redskins, you can't let them hang around. Just look at what almost happened to the Eagles on Thursday night. Gilbride needs to spend less time setting things up and more time dictating the action. I realize it's tough without Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith in the lineup, but the Giants have enough weapons to get things done, as they showed in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars. Maybe they can get Kevin Boss going a little bit earlier in this game.

The Redskins have to unleash the pass-rush on Eli Manning early in this game. If Washington can bring some pressure up the middle and get in Manning's face, it will cause problems. Mario Manningham's really the only wide receiver he has faith in, and I think DeAngelo Hall has a chance to lock him down. But if Manningham gets the ball on a quick screen, the Redskins have to run everyone to the ball. Manningham has deceptive speed and he's good at making defenders miss. This is also a game where the Skins have to get back to creating takeaways. They were on a torrid pace early in the season, but things have tailed off. Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo has to be thinking about the strip because Manning has some ball-security issues at times.

The Cowboys' safeties will be under a lot of pressure against the Colts. Peyton Manning looks for Pierre Garcon on a lot of vertical routes, but Reggie Wayne will look to get loose across the middle. It's important for Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh to be more disciplined than ever. The Colts are looking for a safety to take one false step. If that happens, they're ready to pounce. And I had a chance to watch tight end Jacob Tamme in person against the Eagles. He doesn't have the speed of Dallas Clark, but he's a sure-handed receiver who can break tackles if the Cowboys aren't careful. Manning's like most quarterbacks in that he hates having anyone in his face. If nose tackle Jay Ratliff and defensive end Stephen Bowen can collapse the pocket in the pass rush, I think they can cause some mistakes. Manning took way too many hits against the San Diego Chargers. In Sunday's game, the Cowboys need to use a similar approach. If you allow Manning to find a rhythm, it could be a long day. But without any semblance of a running game, it makes him a little bit easier to defend.

Can McNabb continue his dominance of the Giants? McNabb is 11-7 lifetime against the Giants, but he was wearing a different uniform all those years. He's won four consecutive games over the Giants while throwing to quality receivers such as DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin (in '09). I think McNabb has a comfort level against the Giants' personnel, but defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has changed things up. I think he'll throw a lot of different looks at McNabb, and I'd look for him to send Deon Grant and Antrel Rolle on some safety blitzes early in this game. If the Skins can block it up, McNabb will have a chance to make plays downfield. He needs Santana Moss to come up big for him, but I think Terrell Thomas will be ready for the challenge at cornerback. Without a running game, McNabb's a sitting duck. Maybe "sitting" isn't fair because of his mobility, but you get the picture. The Giants will try to make the Skins one-dimensional early in this game.

As most of you know, New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith strained his pectoral muscle during practice Thursday and his status for Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys is up in the air. Mario Manningham will obviously replace him in the starting lineup, but it will be tough to make up for his production. Smith has killed the Cowboys over the past two seasons.

It looks like Ramses Barden will be the third receiver if Smith's not ready to go. As coach Tom Coughlin pointed out earlier today, it will be a huge opportunity for Barden, a player who's long on potential but has been short on production. With the way Mike Jenkins has played cornerback for the Cowboys, this might be a good week for Barden to get a look. Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride didn't sound hopeful that Smith would be on the field Sunday.

"He's the most polished receiver we have," Gilbride said. "He's a guy who has really earned the respect of the defense to such a point that so many of the things they do are designed to stop him. I think people basically have said it's hard to cover him one-on-one inside so people have committed other people and additional resources ... so that either opens up running opportunities for us or passing opportunities for other people. It's a huge loss, but we'll make do."

If Smith's only out for a game or two, I think the Giants will be fine. But if this is an extended absence, it could eventually hurt this offense. Hakeem Nicks has become the Giants' home-run threat, but Smith's still one of the big-time clutch receivers in the league. On third down, Eli Manning's almost always looking for Smith.

I guess at this point we shouldn't doubt the Giants' ability to compensate for injured players, though. We've seen what they've done in Mathias Kiwanuka's absence. Now, it's time to see if the offense can flourish without a Pro Bowl wide receiver.

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Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 9:

The Eagles have to account for Dwight Freeney at all times. The Indianapolis Colts' All-Pro defensive end can absolutely take over a game, and that's why Eagles coach Andy Reid better make sure left tackle Jason Peters has some help a lot of the time. Peters has been a major disappointment for the Eagles the past two seasons, but maybe he'll display all that talent that he's rumored to have in this game. Scout-teamer Pannel Egboh has been playing the role of Freeney in practices this week. Left guard Todd Herremans told me Thursday that Egboh had really worked hard to pick up some of Freeney's moves, but it's a little difficult because he's 5 inches taller than the Colts' defensive end.

The Giants are looking for some noise reduction in Seattle. I'm told the architecture at Qwest Field matched with the enthusiasm of the home crowd is what has caused a league-leading 99 false starts since 2005. The Giants have worked on silent counts this week and they know how important it is to be successful on first down in this environment. They are the top team in the NFC on first down with 6.47 yards per play. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has done everything possible to script himself a touchdown on the first drive Sunday. If the Giants score first, I think the crowd won't be as much of a factor. The Giants let the Lions hang around too long at home. If they have a chance to bury the Seahawks, they better get it done.

Will the nation get to meet Tashard Choice on Sunday night? The Cowboys' third-string running back has been told to "get ready" for this game against the Packers, according to various reports. Choice has been quite forthcoming about the Cowboys' plans to get him involved in the running game early against the Packers. I know Felix Jones is going to play, but don't be surprised if Choice gets at least 10 touches against the Packers. And in Jason Garrett's pass-happy offense, that would qualify as quite a workload.

Michael Vick needs to make plays while protecting himself in this game. I don't think Peters is going to play a clean game against Freeney, so Vick may be on the move from the jump. But he has to be wise about scrambling. If he has to slide instead of diving forward to get a first down, so be it. This guy is a huge injury risk based on the way he plays the game. Vick will take off and run at some point, but he has to know when to call it quits. I'm also anxious to see how DeSean Jackson performs after returning from a concussion. I would not put him back on punt returns in this game, although Reid said he has been working back there in practice this week.

Giants need to pound Charlie Whitehurst into submission early. The Seahawks' backup quarterback will face a defense that has been very opportunistic in recent games. Osi Umenyiora was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October and I think he's poised to have a big game. The Giants also need Jason Pierre-Paul to continue his progress on defense and special teams. He needs to do some of the things that Mathias Kiwanuka (out for season) was able to do. I think the Giants will win this game handily because Perry Fewell's defense is poised to have a great effort against a young quarterback who isn't aided by a top running back.