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Lovely day here at Milwaukee's General Mitchell Airport, though it was kind of sad listening to the Packers fans on the sports talk radio this morning on the drive here from Green Bay. Honestly, if you've ever been to Green Bay, you need to wonder: what do those people do now?

What we do now is look ahead to Sunday's NFC Championship Game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. It's going to be a different kind of game for the Giants. The 49ers don't have the array of passing-game weapons that recent Giants opponents such as the Packers, Falcons and Cowboys have. They will attack the Giants differently, and the best thing the 49ers have going for them is a defense that looked fast, tough and terrifying for most of the game against the Saints on Saturday night.

San Francisco finished fourth in the league in total defense, allowing just 308.1 yards per game, and first in rush defense by a mile, allowing just 77.3 yards per game. That would seem to bode ill for a Giants team that finished last in the league in rush offense. But the numbers from the head-to-head matchup between these teams in San Francisco in Week 10, even though the Giants lost it, offer some hope for the Giants.

The 395 yards of total offense the Giants had against the 49ers was the fourth-highest total any team posted against San Francisco all season. Only the Eagles (513 in a Week 4 loss), Cowboys (472 in a Week 2 overtime victory) and Saints (472 in Saturday's playoff loss) had more yards in a game against the Niners this season.

Even more encouraging, the Giants had 93 rush yards in that game, which is the fourth-highest total of rush yards any team had in a game against the Niners this season. Marshawn Lynch's Seahawks had 124 in Week 16, Steven Jackson's Rams had 111 in Week 17 and LeSean McCoy's Eagles had 108 in that Week 4 game in Philadelphia. All of those games were victories for the 49ers, but the Giants have run the ball considerably better over the past seven weeks, and in the Week 10 game in San Francisco they did not have running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who was out with a foot injury at the time. Brandon Jacobs had 55 yards on 18 carries, and D.J. Ware kicked in 34 yards on nine carries.

A healthy Bradshaw on Sunday, plus the drastic improvements the Giants have made in run blocking over the past two months, plus the film they can watch of their offense having success against this very tough 49ers defense, are all assets for the Giants as they prepare for the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers likely aren't going to miss as many tackles as the Packers did Sunday, but the Giants have proof that they can move the ball against them anyway. The key, as it always is, will be to avoid the turnovers. The Giants outgained the 49ers by 90 yards in Week 10, but Eli Manning threw two interceptions, and they lost by seven points.

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.

The Philadelphia Eagles are 4-7, all but out of the playoff hunt in a year that carried the highest of hopes and expectations. It is the worst record the team has had after 11 games since they started 3-8 in Andy Reid's first season as their coach. They are, for the third week in a row, without their starting quarterback and top wide receiver. It has been just four days since they were completely dismantled at home by the New England Patriots. And on Thursday night, they will attempt to beat the Seahawks in Seattle to keep alive their chances of at least having a winning season. Let's look at what they need to do to make that happen.

Run the ball with LeSean McCoy. In McCoy, the Eagles have the league's leading rusher. And yet, to the frustration of their fans, they seem determined to gear each week's game plan around the pass. That hasn't stopped since Vince Young took over at quarterback for the injured Michael Vick, and in Sunday's loss to the Patriots the Eagles ran the ball just 17 times. ESPN Stats & Information informs us that the Eagles are 0-6-1 in the last seven games in which they did not have at least 20 rushing attempts. Now, you'll chicken-and-egg me on this, pointing out that teams that are behind don't run the ball as much and generally lose. But I would put it to you that the Washington Redskins, just four days ago in this same building against these same Seahawks, stuck with the run even though they were behind and managed to come back and win once their determination to stick with the run paid off. If Roy Helu can do it, then so can McCoy.

Wrap up Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks' running back is on a roll, having rushed for more than 100 yards in three of his past four games and scored a touchdown in each of his last seven. During those past four games, Stats & Info says, Lynch has amassed a league-leading 212 rush yards after contact. He is big and forceful and tough to bring down, but the Eagles must make a commitment to doing that, or else he's capable of busting a big one. Philadelphia should be able to commit all of its energy to stopping Lynch, since Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is (a) banged up, (b) Tarvaris Jackson and (c) without his best receiver, Sidney Rice, who's out for the year because of a concussion.

Get DeSean Jackson's mind right. Here's a recap of Jackson's past three games: Week 10, listed as inactive and told to stay home from the Arizona game after missing a team meeting the day before; Week 11, played well but mixed in an inexcusable post-catch taunting penalty that cost him a 50-yard reception; Week 12, dropped two touchdown passes, including a short one on which he appeared to pull up short because he was afraid of getting hit, and was benched in the fourth quarter for poor performance. We all know Jackson's unhappy about and distracted by his contract situation. He's admitted it. But he and the Eagles need to find a way to get his head in the game. Without the injured Jeremy Maclin, Jackson is absolutely vital to the downfield passing game. And as important as it is for them to use McCoy, they are going to get some shots downfield against that Seattle secondary. Jackson needs to cash them in.

Rattle the Hawks. The Eagles were super-feisty two weeks ago, getting in the faces of Giants players, trash-talking before and after plays and baiting some of the Giants into foolish retaliation penalties. They like to do that against the Giants, since they believe they've been able to get into the Giants' heads over the past couple of years and beat them as a result. They might want to take a page out of that playbook against the Seahawks, who lead the league with 129 penalties and can be baited as well. Of course, the Eagles will have to watch their own penalties, particularly false starts in one of the loudest outdoor stadiums in the league.

Get along! Assistant coaches Marty Mornhinweg and Jim Washburn got into a visible spat on the sideline Sunday against the Patriots. Everybody says it's all copacetic at this point, but the Eagles need to stick together if they're going to figure out a way to win games down the stretch. Save it for the locker room, fellas!

A couple of thoughts on the win in Seattle that broke the Washington Redskins' six-game losing streak.

What it means: Redskins fans, your long national nightmare is over. And I think it means a lot. Certainly not to this season, which is lost to them, but to the confidence of a group of players that have been grinding it out under the weight of mounting negativity. The Redskins' players -- especially the defensive ones -- deserved to know what it felt like to win a game again, and the players who are part of the long-term rebuilding project and will be in Washington next year and beyond will benefit from knowing what it's like to win.

Run, Roy, run: First on the list of praiseworthy performances was that of rookie running back Roy Helu, who banged away and banged away at a very tough Seattle run defense before finally cashing in an acrobatic 28-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to three points early in the fourth quarter. If ever a coach wanted to show his players an example of the importance of sticking with the run even when it doesn't seem to be working, he could show them video of Helu's day. The rookie got the start and showed an ability to handle a full workload. That doesn't mean he'll continue to get them the rest of the way, of course. This is Mike Shanahan, after all. I'm sure he will want to see Evan Royster and doesn't want to get Helu killed if he's part of next year's plans. But the Redskins may have found something special in the run game with Helu.

Great game for Grossman: Yeah, he threw the two interceptions. And yeah, they cost the team points. But that's who Rex Grossman is. You can't have Grossman as your quarterback and not accept the fact that he's going to throw interceptions. His final numbers say he was 26-for-35 for 314 yards and two touchdowns, and if that comes with the two interceptions every week, at this point, I'd say the Redskins would be happy to take it.

Defense, take a bow: You might sit there and say there's no great glory in limiting Tarvaris Jackson. And you might point out that Marshawn Lynch ran for tough yards all day against the middle of the Redskins' defense. But this is a defense that has played well all season, that made the plays Sunday when it needed to make them -- right up until the DeAngelo Hall interception that sealed the victory. One of the touchdowns they gave up came on a short field after a Grossman pick, and other than that they were as tough as they've been and should get more than a few of the game balls.

What's next: On Sunday at FedEx Field, the Redskins will host the New York Jets, who are in playoff mode right now and at one point this year had one of the best defenses in the whole league, though they haven't been playing like it lately.

So, what are we to make of these New York Giants? Are they the team that showed so much heart and toughness and poise in the fourth-quarter comebacks in Philadelphia and Arizona? Or are they the team that turned the ball over five times and fell asleep on Sunday's game-deciding touchdown pass by the Seahawks' backup quarterback? What's the reality here?

Well, how about all of it?

This is what this year's Giants are -- for better or for worse. They're an inconsistent team and will remain so, because the construction of their roster mandates it. They're either too thin or too injured or too green at too many key spots to just hum along week t0 week like the Packers and the Patriots and the league's elite teams do. It doesn't mean they're bad, but it will keep them from being consistent. And being inconsistent will keep them from being great.

Sunday's game was an amalgamation of worst-case scenarios. When you're thin at wide receiver, you end up relying on someone like Victor Cruz, who has the raw athletic talent to make brilliant touchdown catches in the NFL but isn't yet a complete enough NFL receiver to avoid costly drops. When you're thin at tight end, you have to deal with the growing pains of a Jake Ballard, who's emerged as a capable end-zone target but also misses blocks that lead to safeties. When you're down a starting cornerback and a starting middle linebacker, you end up having communication issues at the back end of the defense, and out of nowhere Doug Baldwin is running uncovered for the game-winning score.

The offensive line has issues, as we knew it would. There's talent there, and it's capable of a great game. But games like Sunday's remind us that Will Beatty's still a young player, and that David Diehl, for all his past contributions, is now a flawed one. With center David Baas out and mainstay right guard Chris Snee suffering a concussion, uncertainty was the order of the day on the line, and the Giants can't afford that.

Eli Manning? You know what he is. He's tough and good enough to lead the fourth-quarter comebacks in Weeks 3 and 4, but he's not immune to mistakes, and the team he has around him simply isn't good enough to absorb them when they happen. They will win when they play error-free. They will struggle to win when they don't.

I'd rather have the Giants' problems than the Eagles' problems right now, and not just because of the difference in the records. The Giants have shown they have the requisite pride and toughness to overcome their issues, even if it's for just a week or two, and win games when things aren't going well. Their coaching staff makes it clear that it doesn't tolerate mistakes, and has shown the ability to correct and fix them from one week to the next. The Eagles have not shown pride or toughness, and have instead shown the ability to lose games when things are going well. The Eagles' coaching staff doesn't appear to have any idea how to correct mistakes from one week to the next.

That said, these Giants retain some fundamental flaws. They have not, to this point, shown an ability to run the ball or to stop the other team from doing so. Those aspects of the roster appeared to be strengths on paper before the season started, but they haven't shown up as such. If you can't run the ball or stop the run, you're inviting inconsistency. The Giants need to figure out a way to grind out yards and stop second-tier backs like Marshawn Lynch from doing it with such ease against them.

These Giants are not a bad team by any stretch, but they're not a great one. They should remain in contention all year in what's shaping up as a messy division race that lacks a dominant team, and they have as good a chance as anyone has to win it. But if you're not going to be surprised when their veteran's toughness delivers wins like the ones in Philly and Arizona, you shouldn't be surprised when their flaws rise up and cost them a game against the Seahawks. Those flaws are real, and they're there, and they're going to be there all year. The Giants' season will rise and fall on how many times they're able to conceal and overcome them. So far, it's three out of five, which is not bad at all.

Thanks for your prolific letter-writing campaign over the past few weeks. I've read your thoughtful e-mails/threats and I'm prepared to respond in a meaningful way. Let's start on this important journey together:

One of our Canadian readers, Anton, has a question regarding the Cowboys' defensive line: Hey Matt, I just had a thought about the Cowboys: Since they have at least four quality defensive ends (Olshansky, Spears, Hatcher and Bowen) but have little depth behind Jay Ratliff at nose tackle, why don't they move one of those players to defensive tackle?

Mosley: Anton, it takes a unique player to fill the nose tackle spot in the Wade Phillips 3-4. Jay Ratliff has such a high motor that he rarely comes off the field. In some of the sub-packages, Bowen and Hatcher can move inside. But I agree that the Cowboys could use more depth at the position. Be interesting to see what happens if Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick makes it to No. 27 in the first round. Pretty versatile player and the Cowboys certainly like him.

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Hunter in Anchorage has a Skins trade proposal: I'm surprised that the Redskins haven't talked to the Bills about a trade scenario that includes Jason Campbell for Marshawn Lynch. Wouldn't he be a lot better option for RB than the Skins most recent pickups of Larry Johnson and Willie Parker?

Mosley: Lynch is younger and more talented than Johnson and Parker, but he also carries some baggage. I think Mike Shanahan really has to watch who he brings into this locker room. I still wonder if bringing the petulant Johnson into the fold was the right move. If a trade's completed with the Bills for Campbell, I think it will involve a draft pick. Watch what happens at No. 9 for the Bills. If they take Jimmy Clausen, we'll have our answer. That would eliminate a potential landing spot for Campbell. I still think the Panthers would be wise to trade for Campbell, but apparently they're going to ride this out with Matt Moore.

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Constantine from London wonders if the Giants might be interested in Albert Haynesworth: Big BIG fan of the blog, read it EVERYDAY! Huge Giants fan from the UK and would like your opinion on something. Reportedly the Redskins want a second-round pick for Haynesworth now that they've paid his bonus. With the Giants being interested in him during free agency last year, would they spend a second on him? I think they should. We'll cover our most pressing need (MLB) in the first round, and since getting Rolle and Grant in free agency, we need a big defensive tackle -- especially as Jay Alford is coming off a torn ACL. Your thoughts?

Mosley: First of all, love your use of the CAPS button. Second, I'm afraid the Donovan McNabb trade has skewed the way we look at everything in the Beast. Now it seems possible that a team might trade a former All-Pro defensive tackle to a division rival for a second-round pick. And by the way, I have not seen a report with anything as specific as what you're suggesting. I've written that I think the Redskins might settle for a second-rounder for Haynesworth, but that's more of a gut feeling. And despite Mike Shanahan's apparent disgust with Haynesworth, I don't think he wants him playing for the Giants. I think he would immediately make the Giants better on the defensive line. If you're Giants general manager Jerry Reese, you make that deal in a heartbeat.

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Robert in Austin has the final word on our "owners gone wild" segment: Really, the owner of an NFL team seen mocking a former NFL head coaching legend? As a child, the Cowboys were seen as one of the classiest organizations in the NFL. Great ownership (Clint Murchison), management (Tex Schramm) and coaching (Tom Landry). Oh no more, as Jerry Jones in his short stint as owner has made the Cowboys a laughingstock from an ownership and management standpoint. The tone at the top for the Cowboys is horrible. An owner who drove out one coach because he could find "500 coaches to coach this team to a Super Bowl," and now mocking one of the great NFL coaches in the league who resurrected the football team? This incident makes me envious of the Steelers, a truly class organization.

Mosley: Hmm... It's an interesting time for a Cowboys fan to be envious of the Steelers. I didn't get the feeling that Art Rooney II felt particularly proud while delivering that public rebuke of Ben Roethlisberger on Thursday. And by the way, Jones has owned the Cowboys for 22 years now. That's not exactly a "short stint." I've been highly critical of him over the years, but I don't see this whole video incident as that big a deal. Jones likes Bill Parcells and I didn't hear anything in that video to make me think otherwise. He's made some awful moves over the past two decades (Roy Williams, Joey Galloway come to mind), but to say he's turned the organization into a "laughingstock" seems a bit harsh. OK, I'm getting tired of defending the man. Let's put this story to bed.

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Patrick from Arkansas has an Eagles question: Hey, with the draft picks the Eagles have gotten in recent trades, do you think it's possible that they trade up to get someone like Eric Berry? They have already worked him out. Your thoughts?

Mosley: Berry's a rare talent at safety. The Eagles would have to sacrifice much of their draft to move up that far. In fact, I'm not sure the No. 24 and No. 37 would get you close enough to Berry. (I'm scrambling for my trade chart as we speak.) It's much more likely the Eagles stay right there at No. 24 and select a cornerback such as Boise State's Kyle Wilson. I also think USC's Taylor Mays will be available, but there are a lot of concerns about his ability to make plays on the ball. OK, let's do this again soon. You guys have been on fire lately.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Since the Eagles have plenty of wiggle room with the salary cap and a bevy of draft picks, fans are wondering when (or if) the club will make a move for a wide receiver or an offensive tackle. Much of the focus has been at receiver, but Bills Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters' name keeps coming up.

On Friday, AFC East blogger Tim Graham reported that a potential Peters trade seems unlikely at this point. Graham thinks the Peters issue is more important than anything T.O. and Marshawn Lynch have to offer this offseason. He also quotes an AFC general manager questioning Peters' work ethic.

"Once you give him the money, I'm not so sure he plays up to it," said the general manager.

The Eagles and Bills haven't had preliminary talks about a Peters trade. Graham says the jumping off point for the Bills would be a first-and a third-round pick. I don't think the Bills want to deal with Peters anymore, so it behooves the Eagles to at least explore trade possibilities. You line Peters up at left tackle next to guard Todd Herremans -- and you'd be in business.

Peters thinks of himself as the best left tackle in the league. But from what I'm hearing, the Eagles don't share that opinion. That's why I'd be surprised if something gets done in the next couple of weeks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

• Tim Graham of ESPN.com says T.O.-Evans could be the second coming of Lofton-Reed. Graham also takes a look at T.O.'s previous quarterbacks.
• Bucky Brooks of SI.com thinks T.O. will open up the running game for Marshawn Lynch.
• Gary Myers of the New York Daily News believes T.O. will flame out in Buffalo.
• Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Stephen Jones lobbied hard for T.O.'s release.
• Jen Engel writes that most of T.O.'s defenders came from the defense.
• Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News says T.O.'s departure opens the door for Miles Austin.
• Barry Horn of the DMN says it's a buyer's market for T.O.
• Jean-Jacques Taylor says the hopes of the organization rest on Roy Williams' shoulders.
• Larry Felser's a little off on his T.O. math, but who's counting?
• Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News loves this move.
• So Ann Killion of the San Jose Mercury News doesn't think a Stanford grad can relate to T.O.? Hmmm.
• Sam Farmer, one of the best in the business, provides a report on the T.O. signing.
• William Rhoden of the New York Times normally offers a thoughtful point of view, but ripping the Jets for not taking T.O. is off the mark.
• The Canadian Press has responses from former Bills head coach Marv Levy and the great Thurman Thomas.
• Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports thinks a one-year deal could work for both sides.