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Somebody asked me on Twitter what the Washington Redskins offered safety LaRon Landry to try and keep him. I was a little bit surprised by the question, because there's no reason to believe the Redskins offered Landry anything. When I visited the Redskins in December, it was clear the team had grown tired of wondering from week to week whether Landry was going to play and that they didn't plan to offer him any real guaranteed money. Once it became clear there was a market for his services, it also became clear that the Redskins were fine with letting him leave.

Leave he did, agreeing to terms with the Jets on a one-year, $4 million deal, which doesn't sound like very much, especially if not all of that money is guaranteed. So the Redskins surely could have brought him back if they'd wanted to. But the key thing for Redskins fans to understand is that they didn't. Landry is an injured player. He's not "a player with a history of injuries." He's not "a player who comes with injury concerns." He is a player that his currently injured.

The same Achilles tendon injury has, for the past two years, been restricting not just his playing time but also his effectiveness in the rare games in which he does play. For the second straight offseason, in spite of it not working last year, Landry has refused to get the doctor-recommended surgery to fix the injury. Everybody remembers how great Landry was as a fearsome hitter early in his career. This is a guy who was the sixth pick in the draft just five years ago, for goodness' sake. His talent is not in question. What is in question is his ability to actually suit up and play every week, and the Redskins were tired of having to keep asking the question.

ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini, in the above link, puts it very well, calling Landry "a once-feared defensive player trying to revitalize his career on a once-feared defense." Jets coach Rex Ryan and GM Mike Tannenbaum have a track record of falling in love with big names, so it's no surprise that that's where Landry ended up. And for the Jets, the chance that Landry magically gets healthy and plays at something close to his early-career level is probably worth the risk. The Redskins had decided that it wasn't anymore. And they decided it long before today.

Since Peyton Manning's departure from the Colts is the news of the day in the NFL, it's worth looking back to mid-January, and an interview that New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning gave with ESPN 1050 radio in New York. Toward the end of the interview, host Michael Kay asked Eli what he'd think about the New York Jets signing Peyton -- an arrangement that would result in the Manning brothers playing pro football in the same city. The audio is here, but Eli's first reaction is a laugh and some jokes:

"It would be fun. We could probably commute to work, maybe, come home, eat dinner together, have the kids be playing with each other. Have twin beds, we could share notes on opponents and watch some film together. I don't know what's going to happen with that situation. Would it be fun? Yeah. I think it'd be interesting to have your brother in the same city playing football together. I don't think we would see each other that often just because of our schedules being a whole lot different, probably just talk on the phone a whole lot more than see each other during the season. But it would be interesting. I'm not saying it's going to happen or I want it to happen, but to have your brother that close to you and playing in New York would be very unique."

People like to speculate about what's in the minds and the hearts of these players they don't know personally. People say things like, "Peyton would never go to Washington and play against his brother twice a year," or "Peyton would never go to New York for fear of outshining Eli." Blah, blah, blah. First of all, we don't know what these guys really think and feel about each other. They appear to have a very close and loving relationship. And second of all, any worries big brother Peyton may have had seven or eight years ago about casting a shadow over his brother would have to be gone by now, wouldn't you think? I mean, now that Eli has more Super Bowl rings?

Like Eli, I have no idea if Peyton Manning will end up with the Jets or the Redskins or in any other situation that might put the two brothers in more direct competition with each other. But I feel pretty confident saying that, if it did happen, it wouldn't bother Eli one bit. After all, nothing else seems to.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know what I think about New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs. This is a guy who likes to yap and yap and yap when things are going well and hides when things aren't. A classic bully who compensates for his own shortcomings by attacking others only when he's 100 percent sure he has nothing to lose by doing so.

That Brandon Jacobs showed up again Saturday.

Jacobs got into a confrontation with Jets coach Rex Ryan as the Giants completed their victory over the Jets. Jacobs described the confrontation as he'd seen it, saying "the coach approached him, used an expletive and said, 'Wait till we win the Super Bowl.'

Added Jacobs: "And I told him I'll punch him in the face. I told him out of all these Giants players on this team you're talking to the wrong one. And that was that."

Ryan acknowledged that he and Jacobs "had a private conversation. He doesn't like me; I respect him."

I'll give Jacobs this: He's the wrong Giants player for an opposing coach to get into a shouting match with. Because it's just not worth it. Jacobs is the worst kind of modern athlete -- one who can't shut up when things are going well and is nowhere to be found when they're not. He and the rest of the Giants were doing plenty of well-deserved crowing when Saturday's game ended. The Jets came after them with the trash talk and the Giants won the game. But Jacobs has been in the middle of too many off-field controversies and too few big plays over the past couple of years for him to be worth the time of someone like Ryan.

Don't get me wrong here: An opposing coach has no business confronting an opposing player on the field. Ryan should have played the part of the grown-up instead of getting down in the mud and messing with a player who is clearly not. But for Jacobs, coming into the press conference and acting the tough guy was classic bully behavior. I've been around the Giants when they've lost and Jacobs has been a big part of the reason why. And on those days, he has almost nothing to say for himself -- or to anyone affiliated with the other team.

Giants safety Antrel Rolle -- never one to shy away from the microphones -- was told after the game that Ryan had admitted he was wrong when he'd said earlier in the week that the Jets were the better team.

"The thing about Rex is, he's a man," Rolle said.

He's a man who shouldn't have bothered with Brandon Jacobs, who's only a man when he's looked both ways and made sure it's safe to cross the big-mouth street.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With his team reeling, his defense getting pummeled week in and week out and a storm of negativity swirling around his team in the final two weeks of the season, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin gathered his charges this past Tuesday and woke them up. This isn't so bad, he told his players. Sure, we've lost five of our past six games and our defense is giving up third-down conversions as if they were candy canes. But we have two games left, and if we win them both, we're division champs.

"I don't know if it was anything we said; I think they realized the circumstances we're in," a giddy Coughlin said after the Giants' 29-14 victory over the Jets on Saturday. "These are young men. They're talented. They've got the world by the tail. It's a great time of year. There's a lot to feel good about. If you'd said before the season that, with two games to go we could still determine our fate, we'd have signed up for that."

And now, the same is true with one game to go. The Giants' victory over the Jets sets up a one-game showdown, right back here, next Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. If the Giants win, they're NFC East champs. If they don't, the Cowboys win the division and the Giants' season is over. In spite of all of the injuries, all of the losses and all of the blown coverages along the way, the Giants have pushed their season to the final week and they still have a chance.

"What better time to be playing your best football?" asked Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty, whose sack of Mark Sanchez in the end zone with 2:24 left in the game produced the safety that put the game on ice. "December in the NFL, that's what it's all about. We still have the opportunity to accomplish everything we set out to accomplish, and that's a good feeling."

Coughlin's message really hit home with the defense, which turned in perhaps its finest all-around effort of the season. It was another down game for quarterback Eli Manning and the passing offense (save for Victor Cruz's electrifying, game-turning 99-yard touchdown catch a couple of minutes before halftime). But unlike last week, when they lost to the Redskins, the defense bailed them out this time. After allowing opponents to convert 54 percent of their third downs over the previous five weeks, the Giants held Sanchez and the Jets to 4-for-21 on third downs.

"I think our defense played lights-out football for four quarters," Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. "And I think we had more fans in the stands than they did, here at Giants Stadium -- a.k.a. MetLife Stadium."

It was a chippy week between these two rivals. The Jets, as is their wont, did a lot of talking and boasting. The Giants fired back a few times, but generally the Jets' chatter bothers them more than they care to admit. There's little doubt they drew extra motivation from what was going on in the week leading up to the game, and after the game the big boss admitted as much.

"Given all of the talk that was coming from Florham Park [where the Jets practice], this means a little bit more," Giants owner John Mara said in the locker room.

But while the Giants definitely play better when they can get themselves motivated, the key to this game was the toughening up of a defense that had been the league's plaything for the better part of two months. The Jets decided to attack a Giants secondary that had been giving up tons of yardage, and while Sanchez threw 59 passes, he completed only 30 for 258 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

"When he throws the ball 60 times and he doesn't get 300 yards, that's definitely a win in our book," Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. "They made a couple of comments in the paper about our secondary, so we knew that was probably how they were going to attack us."

Cornerbacks Corey Webster and Aaron Ross did a great job of keeping the Jets' receivers in check. Webster and safety Kenny Phillips had the interceptions. The Giants' secondary was almost unrecognizable for the tight, effective, smothering way it played. And up front, on the defensive line, there was Justin Tuck, playing like his old, All-Pro self for the first time this season.

"He changed his outlook and his demeanor this week," Coughlin said of Tuck. "He got very positive. He decided not to be concerned about the little nicks he had that have been bothering him, and instead to just ignore them and play through them."

Tuck said Coughlin approached him early in the week and challenged him to be a leader at this crucial time. He also said that Rolle's postgame comments last week about guys not practicing because of nagging injuries, but showing up on Sunday to play, caught his attention. Whatever it was, Tuck looked like a new man, helping the Giants' pass rush look like its old scary self as he and Jason Pierre-Paul hunted Sanchez from opposite sides.

"We came out and played relentless against the pass and against the run," Rolle said. "We had a game plan, and our defensive coordinator stuck with it 120 percent."

This is a newly fired-up bunch of Giants, and there can be little doubt they'll come out fired up again next Sunday against the Cowboys. The Giants are scary when motivated. And with a division title on the line, what more motivation could they possibly need?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the New York Giants' potentially season-saving 29-14 victory over the New York Jets on Saturday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

What it means: A couple of things. First, it means next Sunday's game between the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys here at MetLife will decide the NFC East. The winner advances to the playoffs as division champ. The Cowboys could theoretically still make it as a wild card if they beat the Eagles this afternoon, but the Giants' only way in is to win the game and the division. This Giants win also means that the Philadelphia Eagles are, at long last, eliminated from contention for this year's postseason.

Toughening up: In their previous five games, the Giants had allowed opponents to convert 54 percent of their third downs. But in this game, the Jets were a miserable 4-for-21 on third down. The Giants' coverage in the secondary was drastically improved in this game, and they were able to generate enough pressure to rattle Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and disrupt a surprisingly pass-heavy Jets offensive game plan. The offense played its second straight shaky game, but this time the defense was able to bail it out by making a few big stops.

The big play: The Jets were manhandling the Giants on defense in the first half, but with a little more than two minutes left before halftime, Eli Manning completed a 99-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz that put the Giants on top 10-7. It was the play of the game and possibly, as it turns out, the Giants' season, as it sent the Jets into the halftime locker room demoralized and apparently determined to throw the ball to make up for it.

Touchy at the end: The Giants appeared to have the game locked up when they recovered a fumble in the end zone at the end of a long Jets drive. But even though they were up 20-7, they came out throwing, and Manning threw an interception on the first play that the Jets would later convert into a touchdown. The Jets got the ball back at their own eight-yard line with 2:24 left, but the Chris Canty sacked Sanchez in the end zone for the safety that sealed the Giants' win.

What's next: The Giants host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday here at MetLife Stadium in the game that will decide the division title.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Well, I'd be lying to you if I said the New York Giants have looked good. In most significant ways, they have been dominated by the Jets in the first half of their crucial Week 16 game here at MetLife Stadium. But no matter what happens, the Giants can always count on their passing game to save them. And so, with 2:27 left in the first half, facing a third-and-10 from his own 1-yard line, Eli Manning found Victor Cruz just past the first-down marker. Cruz juked two Jets defenders and was gone, 99 yards for what may turn out to be the most significant Giants touchdown of the year.

Of the 182 yards the Giants gained on offense in the first half, 99 came on one play. Other than that play, they have struggled to do anything against the Jets' defense. They have six rushing yards, and their efforts to pick on Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis with Hakeem Nicks have resulted in frustration. Revis broke up a would-be touchdown pass on third down earlier in the game and the Giants had to settle for a field goal.

But when Cruz caught that ball at the 12-yard line, he found himself between Kyle Wilson and Antonio Cromartie, and neither could bring him down. So the Giants took a 10-7 lead shortly before halftime.

They were able to hold it because their defense has been getting stops today, and got a big one toward the end of the half. Each of the Giants' past five opponents has converted at least 50 percent of its third downs. But the Jets are just 2-for-8 on third down Saturday, and Jason Pierre-Paul's 7-yard sack of Mark Sanchez just before halftime may have pushed Nick Folk out of field-goal range. Folk missed the kick that would have tied the game with time ticking off the clock.

All in all, the Giants have to be ecstatic with the way things have gone. They haven't been able to do anything on offense other than one play. They have allowed the Jets 185 yards but only seven points. And they are leading at halftime. If they can continue to play this bend-but-don't-break defense and get one or two more big plays on offense, then a couple of hours from now they may well leave here knowing for sure that they'll still have a chance to win the division next week.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham, who has been struggling throughout the second half of this season with a knee injury, is not healthy enough to play Saturday against the Jets and is listed among the inactive players for the game. Also inactive is tight end Jake Ballard, who was announced as out earlier in the week due to his own knee injury. The injuries deprive Giants quarterback Eli Manning of two important receiving options for the game, and you can probably look for Ramses Barden and Travis Beckum to pick up the slack if anyone does.

Defensive end Osi Umenyiora will miss his fourth straight game with an ankle injury, but center David Baas returns to the starting lineup after missing three straight games with head and neck injuries. Baas will start at center while Kevin Boothe, who had been replacing him, moves back over to left guard and Mitch Petrus, who started the last three games at left guard, moves back to the bench.

I'm here at MetLife Stadium and will have updates for you throughout the game here and on Twitter.

The complete list of inactives:

GIANTS

WR Mario Manningham
TE Jake Ballard
DE Osi Umenyiora
LB Mark Herzlich
OL Jim Cordle
DT Jimmy Kennedy
OL James Brewer

JETS

QB Kevin O'Connell
WR Eron Riley
CB Marquice Cole
S Gerald Alexander
T Austin Howard
DE Ropati Pitoitua
DT Kenrick Ellis

As you get ready for this afternoon's "road" game against the Jets, here's one reason for New York Giants fans to feel good and one reason for concern.

Feeling good: The Giants are at their best when they can draw some sort of external motivation. They're a big "Nobody believed in us" bunch. And they're not great fans of the way the Jets have carried themselves since Rex Ryan took over as Jets head coach three years ago. The Giants believe their more conservative, buttoned-up, just-play-the-game style is a better way to approach their business than the Jets' boisterous swagger. The Giants have taken joy in beating the Jets in preseason games during the Ryan era. So there's little doubt that, coming off of last week's flop against the Redskins, the Giants will be fired up to beat the Jets in the stadium the two teams share. There should be little doubt about the Giants' ability to get "up" for this game.

Cause for concern: Well, the Giants' own defense remains their biggest cause for concern. Unless it's going to look completely different than it has at any point over the past six weeks, the Giants are going to continue to struggle on third downs and continue to give up points. Mark Sanchez's offense isn't nearly as explosive as some of the offenses that have taken apart the Giants during their current 1-5 stretch, but neither was the Redskins offense that did whatever it wanted to do against them last week. The Giants' best hope is to win a shootout, and the problem there is the trouble their receivers could have with very good Jets cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. If Eli Manning can hit some big plays down the field early against those guys, it could set an encouraging tone for the Giants. If not, it could portend a long day.

For the past three years, as boisterous Rex Ryan has repeatedly let the world know how good he believes his New York Jets to be, the New York Giants have adopted a team policy of rolling their eyes. They may share a stadium with the Jets, but the Giants tend to take pride in having nothing else in common with their green-and-white rivals. While the Jets have established a loud, loose reputation, the Giants have taken some pride in remaining buttoned-up, even looking down on the braggadocious way the Jets have decided to do business in the Ryan era.

So when Ryan started boasting in advance of Saturday's Jets-Giants game about how he thought his team was better and how he didn't come to town to be anyone's little brother, you kind of figured all the noise would come from Florham Park this week and that the gang in East Rutherford would just offer the usual, boring, "We'll let them talk" types of responses.

Not so, per Ralph Vacchiano:

But as far as the Giants are concerned, this one game won’t determine who owns the town.

"They're going to need a hell of a lot more than this game to make that happen," Jacobs said.

Jacobs, not surprisingly, fired first, taking aim at the chirpy Jets and their blustery head coach. Asked why they talk so much, Jacobs said "I think they're trying to put something in people that may not be there. Sometimes I say things like 'Man, maybe this won't happen, but I'm going to make myself believe it.' He's trying to put something in people's minds that might not really be there."

It's one thing for Jacobs to talk. But it seemed a lot stranger when wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz started talking about Darrell Revis, the Jets' star cornerback:

When Hakeem Nicks was asked if he thought Revis was the best cornerback in football, he had a long, dramatic pause, looked away, and then said "He's decent."

He did later call him "great," but insisted their battle would be "even". And it will be a battle, because the Giants have no intention of avoiding Revis just because of his talent and reputation.

"Teams aren’t really scared (of him) anymore," Cruz said. "He’s got to earn his money this year. Teams aren’t really backing down. I feel like we’re going to do the same thing. We’re going to go out. Until he physically stops us we’re going to throw the ball on him."

I don't know. I guess I can give these guys the benefit of the doubt and say this is kind of mild for "trash talk." I wouldn't expect Nicks to say Revis is going to get the better of him, and Cruz's point may well just be that teams are throwing in Revis' direction more this year than they have in the past, which is true. It just feels so un-Giant-like for these guys to be saying anything at all. Usually, they leave it to the Jets, who are doing plenty of the trash talking on their own. Check out this from Jets receiver Santonio Holmes, one of the goats of the Jets' Sunday loss to the Eagles, on the Giants' beleaguered secondary. From Jenny Vrentas:

They’ve given up big plays," he said. "They are poor tackling guys. We know plays can be made over their head, we’ve just got to be willing to take advantage of them and make them count."

Again, it all may be true. But why does everybody insist on making all of this advance noise? Does it really do any good? And just because this is the way the Jets operate, is it wise for the Giants to engage them? I guess we'll find out come Saturday.

As you get ready for this afternoon's home game against the New York Jets, here's one reason for Philadelphia Eagles fans to feel good and one reason for concern:

Feeling good: The Jets' offensive line is not their strength, and Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is not at his best when under pressure. The Eagles are second in the league in sacks. They should be able to get to Sanchez and rattle him, and if they do that they will have a chance to take advantage of some Jets mistakes. As long as the Eagles limit their own turnovers, they have shown the ability to be in any game they play. Forcing the Jets into a few of their own would give them the opportunity to pull the upset.

Cause for concern: The Jets love this time of year, and they're playing well coming in. They ran the ball for 149 yards last week against the Chiefs, and if they can continue to run the ball effectively and make their offense multi-dimensional, they'll cause problems for an Eagles defense that does live off its ability to pressure the quarterback. The Jets are very good at limiting big plays on defense, so the Eagles will have to make sure and limit them as well. It's not likely to be a shootout, so the Eagles will have to make sure and account for Shonn Greene and the Jets ground game enough to limit the scoring.

It is Thursday of Week 15, and that means it won't be long now until all of our mock playoff scenarios get a little bit simpler. Heck, one of our teams is even playing a Saturday night game this week, so eager is this thing to get going. But we take it one day at a time, and each day begins with its links.

New York Giants

Without great speed or scrambling ability, how does Eli Manning escape from all the pressure he's under and still manage to make the clutch throws he's been making all year for the Giants? Let Sam Borden of the New York Times explain.

Mitch Petrus is learning on the job, pressed into duty as the starting left guard after injuries to Will Beatty and David Baas forced the Giants to shuffle their offensive line. Fortunately for Petrus, the lessons are constant and varied. He talked to Mike Garafolo about what he learned from his holding penalty against Jay Ratliff on Sunday and other things.

Dallas Cowboys

Jean-Jacques Taylor writes that these final three games, which didn't have to mean as much as they do but for the Cowboys' collapses in the fourth quarter the past two weeks, are a critical early test in the head-coaching career of Jason Garrett. And it is true. He's in no danger of losing his job, but he'd much rather have this particular line on his résumé reflect a playoff appearance than a collapse that let the Giants in.

And Tim MacMahon says one of the most important things that can happen for the Cowboys the rest of the way is that DeMarcus Ware have three great games. Ware has not been himself lately, and has been dealing with a neck stinger that may be limiting him. We're used to Ware as one of the very best players in the entire league. Some even have called him the league's best defensive player. That's the guy he needs to be the rest of the way.

Philadelphia Eagles

One of the big challenges facing the Eagles this week -- in addition to a hot Jets team with a tough defense -- is playing at home, where they're 1-5 this year and where, Phil Sheridan says, the boobirds await.

Nnamdi Asomugha says he was very close to joining the Jets in free agency, but that in spite of the Eagles' poor record, he has no regrets about his decision. A few months ago, this Eagles-Jets game would have been billed as a matchup featuring the league's top two cornerbacks. But while the Jets' Darrelle Revis remains highly regarded, this season has been a disappointing one for Asomugha, who was the league's most coveted free agent.

Washington Redskins

Thomas Boswell writes that Mike Shanahan is engineering a complete change in the Redskins' team-building philosophy -- to a draft-focused one. Building through the draft has been a very successful plan in a great number of NFL cities, but it takes time and patience. Shanahan knows this, and it's possible Redskins fans are coming around on it too.

One of the reasons Rex Grossman and the Redskins' passing game have been so much more successful lately is the work of rookie running back Roy Helu, who has opened things up for the passing attack, writes Rich Campbell. Of all the disappointing things the Redskins' offense was during its midseason doldrums, "one-dimensional" may have been the worst. When they weren't even trying to run they had to throw, and they couldn't.

Some thoughts on the Philadelphia' Eagles impressive 26-10 victory against the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday afternoon:

What it means: Well, I mean, I guess, technically you've got to say the Eagles are still alive. The victory moves them to 5-8 for the season, and if they can somehow find a way to play this well on defense the rest of the way and win their final three games, they could theoretically still win the NFC East at 8-8. It's a long shot, and it would require the Giants and the Cowboys to do a lot of losing. But this year in the NFC East, no one's very good. And as bad as the Eagles have been, you just can't put that little "x" next to them in the standings just yet.

Defensive clinic: It looked bad early for the defense, as Matt Moore beat Nnamdi Asomugha with a perfectly thrown 16-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall. But the Eagles' defense locked in after that. It got to Moore and eventually knocked him out of the game. Linebackers Casey Matthews and Brian Rolle made plays. Asante Samuel made a tackle and forced a fumble. It looked a lot like the way the Eagles had hoped they'd be able to play defense all season. And jeez, they went into the fourth quarter with a lead and never even looked as though they'd give it up. The defense had nine sacks, allowed 204 total yards, held the Dolphins to 3-for-15 on third downs and forced three turnovers.

Hoping it was rust, not ribs: Eagles quarterback Michael Vick played after missing three games with broken ribs, and he didn't look great. He hooked up with DeSean Jackson for a long touchdown, but ended the day 15-for-30 for 208 yards and an interception to go with the touchdown. It's possible he was rusty, and the Dolphins' defense has played very well lately, but if the ribs are still hurting Vick when he throws, you have to wonder what the Eagles will or even can do about that.

Weird day for Shady: Eagles running back LeSean McCoy entered the day ranked second in the league in rushing yards, but had just 38 yards on 27 carries against that tough Dolphins front. He did get two touchdowns to take him to 17 for the season (14 rushing, three receiving), but he wasn't his usual explosive self, and he lost ground to Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew in the race for the rushing title.

What's next: The Eagles have a tough home game Sunday against the New York Jets, who are 8-5 and making their own playoff push. New York's once-feared defense isn't quite what it used to be, and the Jets' lack of big-time pass-rushers could allow Vick a little bit more time to throw than he often gets, so it's not an impossible game. They'll just need to protect the ball, and they'll have a chance to outscore Mark Sanchez and the Jets' offense.

Some thoughts on the Washington Redskins' home loss to the New York Jets on Sunday:

What it means: The result of this game means the Redskins will not have a winning record this season. They are 4-8 with four games left to play. Other than that, it doesn't mean a whole lot, since any reasonable expectation of a playoff appearance for Washington this year went out the window during its six-game losing streak.

Swan song for Fred and Trent: In what appears as though it will be his final game of the season, Redskins tight end Fred Davis caught six passes for 99 yards. He has been the most reliable and important receiving target for the Redskins this year regardless of which quarterback has been under center. But since he and left tackle Trent Williams have been suspended for drug violations for the final four games of the season, neither will play again in 2011. The Redskins will seriously struggle to score points in the season's final months without their very good second-year left tackle and their breakout fourth-year tight end.

Fourth-quarter collapse: The Redskins took a 16-13 lead with 7:52 left in the game, but things completely fell apart after that. A nice kick return set the Jets up at midfield, and Santonio Holmes got behind the defense for a 30-yard touchdown catch from Mark Sanchez. On the following Redskins possession, Rex Grossman took a third-down sack and fumbled the ball away on his own 9-yard line, and Shonn Greene ran in for a touchdown two plays later. Then, after a Graham Gano field goal cut the lead to 27-19, the Redskins flubbed the onside kick attempt and Greene ran in from 25 yards out for the clincher. All that remained was the obligatory Grossman interception, which came on his last pass of the game and extended his streak to eight straight games with at least one.

What's next: The Redskins play another home game against another AFC East team Sunday, this time against the first-place New England Patriots (9-3), who have won four games in a row and have outscored their opponents by an average of 9.5 points per game this season.

As you get ready for this afternoon's home game against the New York Jets, here's one reason for Washington Redskins fans to feel good and one reason for concern.

Feeling good: The Redskins' outside linebackers should be able to win all day against the Jets' offensive tackles, which will not only put pressure on Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez but will also keep him from escaping the pocket. That's important, since Sanchez is pretty good outside the pocket and not as accurate as he should be while in it. Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan are the keys to the Redskins' defense, and they could be in line for a good game today.

Cause for concern: The Jets were able to run the ball with success against the Bills last week, and defending the run has been a problem for the Redskins for much of the year. If Shonn Greene can get into an early rhythm and stay healthy for the entire game (which has been an issue for him), that's the best way for the Jets to keep the Redskins' pass rush off of Sanchez. If the Jets succeed with it, Washington will have to alter its defensive game plan and won't be able to pressure Sanchez as much as they'd like.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jason Garrett always talks about playing with poise.

It's why he makes his team practice late-game situations. Well, the Cowboys messed up their late-game situations Sunday night, losing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in a 27-24 loss to the New York Jets in the season opener at MetLife Stadium.

The Cowboys should have won this game, but instead Garrett's young team heads home 0-1 and trying to figure out how to win a game like this in the future. It was special night as the last game of the day marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and the crowd was muted for much of the night as the Cowboys controlled the game.

But in the final six minutes of the game, the Cowboys fell apart.

What it means? The Cowboys have played better since Garrett took over as coach, but the key thing for this is finishing games and the Cowboys didn't. Nick Folk, the former Cowboys kicker, made the game-winner, a 50-yarder with 27 seconds left to seal the victory.

Romo fumble costly: As the Cowboys were moving to a potential game-clinching score, quarterback Tony Romo scrambled up the middle and fumbled at the Cowboys 2 with 8:59 to play in the fourth quarter. If the Cowboys had scored at least a field goal, it's a 10-point game. But the fumble kept the game alive.

Sean Lee with solid game: Sean Lee got the start over Keith Brooking on Sunday night and played a wonderful game. He picked off a pass, recovered a fumble and finished with nine combined tackles. If there were any questions about starting Lee, there should be none now after this effort.

Bryant shut out in second half: Dez Bryant finished with just three catches for 71 yards and one touchdown, but he had zero catches in the last three quarters. Romo directed a pass at Bryant late in the game but it was picked off by Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis with 49 seconds to play in the game. Bryant was covered at first by Antonio Cromartie, but Revis took over and held the second-year player with no catches the last three quarters.

Injuries hit cornerbacks: The Cowboys lost both of their starting cornerbacks, Mike Jenkins (shoulder) and Orlando Scandrick (ankle) to injuries. Scandrick went down in the first half and Jenkins left the game in the fourth quarter but did return and made a solid tackle on Burress. Jenkins took a vicious blind-side hit on a pass reception when Plaxico Burress laid a block on a Santonio Holmes reception. The Cowboys were left with Alan Ball and Bryan McCann at corner. Terence Newman, the regular starter, missed the game with a groin injury but could return next week at San Francisco.

What's Next? The Cowboys conclude their two-game road trip by taking on the San Francisco 49ers (1-0).