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Sal Paolantonio has a column up that asks a very good question: "Why has the Philadelphia Eagles' front office -- general manager Howie Roseman, team president Joe Banner and team owner Jeff Lurie -- been silent in the face of such overwhelming public disenchantment with head coach Andy Reid?" Been wondering this a bit myself, and I agree with Sal's conclusion that it means one of two things:

1. Either they don't feel it's necessary to show Reid support because they've offered it privately and/or don't feel the need to legitimize the hysterical fan reaction to a season in which they're all surely at least as disappointed as the fans are.

2. They haven't decided yet what they're going to do.

All along, I have believed that it was the first thing. And it still may be. Reid has two years left on his contract, an outstanding record prior to this year and deserves a chance to come back in 2012 and try to right the 2011 wrongs. Look at the way a similar situation was handled last year a little further up I-95. Moments after the New York Giants' season ended last year, team owner John Mara told reporters that of course coach Tom Coughlin would be back. He'd told Coughlin the same thing weeks earlier, but nobody knew. Most times, these teams would rather we didn't know everything they're up to.

But as Sal writes, in Reid's case:

The level of public vitriol begs for response. Any business entity can't be happy when the public agenda is being dictated by outsiders with a constant drumbeat of anger and disapproval. It's PR 101: Don't let somebody else drive the message. Any politician will tell you that. Define yourself, or you will be defined.

Which is why option No. 2 can't be completely discounted. One-quarter of the season remains, and if the Eagles embarrass themselves four straight times the way they did in their most recent game, 10 days ago in Seattle, even a front office inclined to keep Reid might find itself re-thinking matters. Sal wonders what would happen if they did:

Would Reid find another head-coaching job elsewhere? Perhaps San Diego, if Norv Turner is dismissed as expected. Reid has a home in Los Angeles. His agent, Bob LaMonte, is based in the Bay Area and knows the California football market as well as anybody.

Would Reid move into the Eagles' front office and hire one of LaMonte's clients -- Jon Gruden -- to become the new head coach?

It's all speculation at this point, because the Eagles haven't told anybody anything. Either they think all of this anger directed at the winningest coach in their history is foolish and unworthy of a response, or they're listening and thinking about what to do. Either way, this is the dominant storyline of the remainder of this Eagles' season, which continues this afternoon in Miami.

A little trip through the mailbag turned up a question from Joe M. in Haltom City, Texas. Joe is watching what's going on in San Diego, where it appears Norv Turner will be fired as the Chargers' head coach at the end of the season, and wants to know whether Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Jason Garrett would consider bringing Turner to Dallas as offensive coordinator.

Well, Joe, this is a somewhat popular question these days, but there are a number of reasons I doubt it would happen. I think Turner would be in high demand as an offensive coordinator -- a job he performed brilliantly with the Cowboys from 1991-93 and later with the Chargers, Dolphins and 49ers. But Jones has said several times that he likes the idea of Garrett doing both jobs -- head coach and offensive coordinator -- as opposed to having what he calls a "walk-around head coach."

Garrett is still in just his first full season as a head coach, and if there are times when it's looked as though the dual responsibility might be too much for him, I would submit that that's understandable. Everybody goes through a learning process, and the Cowboys' 7-4 record (plus the 5-3 mark they posted last year with Garrett as head coach for the second half of the season) indicates that he's doing just fine in the big picture. It was Garrett's performance as an offensive coordinator that made Garrett a head-coaching candidate in the first place, and the impression I get is that Jones likes Garrett's offensive mind and ideas and is fine allowing him to grow. So I'm not sure the Cowboys will hire an offensive coordinator at all, let alone one who worked for them 20 years ago and had aspirations to be their head coach at that time.

Another interesting, division-related Turner item can be found on Bill Williamson's AFC West blog, where Bill wrote Friday that Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid would be a strong and good candidate for the head-coaching job in San Diego if Turner and Reid were fired:

Reid is an upper-echelon coach. Don't be swayed by the Eagles' poor season. If Turner is fired and Reid is available, he should be a top candidate.

I think he would be a fit in San Diego if general manager A.J. Smith stays or if he is let go. Reid has worked with general managers in Philadelphia and he doesn't seem like he'd have a problem having a football boss.

He'd be a good fit with quarterback Philip Rivers, and I think he could do nice things with the Chargers' offense. Reid, 53, is one of the more respected coaches in the NFL, thus, he'd likely be able to attract a strong coaching staff.

This is a key factor for Eagles fans to consider as they clamor for Reid's firing. Philadelphia fans keep telling me that the "national media" do not understand the inside-Philly perception of Reid and the reasons behind it. But do you know who else doesn't understand it? The NFL decision-makers who hire and fire coaches. Reid would be the hottest name on the coaching market -- hotter than Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden or any of those popular names fans keep throwing around -- if the Eagles were to let him go, and the Chargers wouldn't be the only team likely to make an aggressive move for him.

I still don't think Reid's getting fired unless the Eagles lose all of their remaining games in humiliating fashion akin to the way they lost Thursday. And even then, I don't think it's a sure thing that the Eagles let him go. But if they did, you can guarantee that there'd be at least one team out there thankful that the Eagles made that decision and gave them a chance to bring Reid in to coach their team.

The Dallas Cowboys have agreed in principle to send veteran wide receiver Patrick Crayton to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for a late-round draft choice, according to Crayton's agent, Fred Lyles. The trade is somewhat surprising since the Cowboys were likely to release Crayton and his $2 million 2010 salary Saturday afternoon.

It probably speaks to how much respect that Chargers coach Norv Turner has for Crayton. The Chargers are definitely the winners in this trade. The Cowboys will save some money, but they'll lose a proven wide receiver. Crayton has been more productive than No. 2 receiver Roy Williams, and Dez Bryant didn't get a snap in the preseason.

"Patrick is thrilled with this," Lyles told the NFC East blog. "I don't think there was a better situation out there."

Lyles was given permission by the Cowboys to help facilitate the trade, and he immediately focused on the Chargers. With Vincent Jackson in a contract holdout and suspended for the first three games, Crayton should immediately be among the Chargers' top three receivers. Turner still has a lot of friends in the Cowboys organization (see Jason Garrett), so I'm sure he got a good read on Crayton's ability.

I'm afraid initial reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would give head coach Wade Phillips a three-year contract extension have skewed our opinions on the deal. When Jones announced Thursday that he was giving Phillips a two-year extension, he made it known that he didn't want anyone to get too comfortable.

And that's why Phillips still has fewer years left on his contract than any of the other head coaches in the NFC East. Dallas Morning News columnist Jacques Taylor thinks that Jones didn't show enough faith in Phillips with the two-year extension.

"If Jerry was just going to pick up the option, the least he should've done considering the season the Cowboys had, then he should've given Wade a three-year deal," writes Taylor. "That's what San Diego gave Norv Turner as soon as its season ended and despite Turner's embarrassing home playoff loss to the Jets."

I wouldn't have necessarily opposed a three-year extension for Phillips, but let's not keep acting as if Phillips and Turner have had the same amount of success. Turner led the Chargers to the AFC Championship game in 2007 and he has won three playoff games and lost three. Phillips is 1-2 in the playoffs, losing twice in divisional round games.

Is it that hard to understand why Turner might deserve one more year in his new contract? I don't think so.

Let's take a quick look at the NFC East's biggest storylines this morning:

Cowboys

• Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News has been keeping a close eye on Tony Romo's leadership moments this season.

• Matt Gelb of the Philly Inquirer talks about Romo's improvement this December.

• Jerry Jones called Wade Phillips the "MVP" of the defense Wednesday.

• David Moore writes that Roy Williams hasn't lost confidence in his ability.

• ESPN's Ed Werder thinks Williams should've gotten the message a long time ago.

• Esteemed NBA writer Jan Hubbard has more on the Williams saga.

Eagles

• Les Bowen from the Daily News takes a look at Nick Cole replacing Jamaal Jackson at center.

• Max Jean-Gilles will fill in at right guard. Bowen has more on this development.
• Sheldon Brown isn't taking his Pro Bowl snub personally, according to The Morning Call.

• Bob Brookover of the Inquirer thinks Donovan McNabb has the big-game advantage.

• Paul Domowitch of the Daily News has an early look ahead at Sunday's game.

• Macho Harris has been fined $7,500 for the block he put on Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler.

• Jason Peters didn't seem all that excited about his Pro Bowl bid.

Giants

• Vinny DiTrani from the Bergen County Record has the latest on the Osi Umenyiora controversy.

• Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News also chimes in on the Umenyiora saga.

• Brandon Jacobs is done for the season because of a knee injury.

• DiTrani thinks the Giants need big changes on defense.

Redskins

• Stephon Heyer has shown a lot of toughness this season, according to the Times' David Elfin.

• Jason Campbell is preparing for an uncertain future, Rick Maese of the Post writes.

• Jim Zorn thinks Campbell could excel in the right situation.

• The Redskins could have their 12th starting offensive lineman of the season against the Chargers.

• Very interesting conference call with former Redskins coach Norv Turner on Wednesday. Dan Steinberg has the transcript.

The worst-kept secret in the NFL right now is that the Washington Redskins intend to make Mike Shanahan their next head coach. Players not named Albert Haynesworth have tried to remain respectful to the current Redskins coaching staff in public, but they've made no secret of their admiration for Shanahan and what he could bring to the organization.

When I asked Jason Campbell about Shanahan on Wednesday, he said that friends from around the league had called and texted him about Shanahan's reputation for taking quarterbacks to the next level. He knows that Shanahan has worked with Hall of Famers Steve Young and John Elway -- and both of those players give Shanahan a lot of credit for their success.

But now there's a report on ESPNChicago.com indicating that Shanahan might also have an interest in the Bears' head-coaching position -- if Lovie Smith is fired. Here's what a "close friend" of Shanahan's told Melissa Isaacson:

"The job is really attractive to Mike," the friend said. "It's home [with relatives of his, including his dad, in the Chicago area, and wife Peggy's family still in the Bloomington area]. It's a great challenge because that roster needs to be made over, and the one guy there to build the team around is the one guy he has already built a team around and with whom he has a tremendous comfort level, Jay Cutler."

It's not like Cutler has given coaches much reason to covet his services with his awful performance this season, but obviously he and Shanahan had a solid rapport in Denver. Most head coaches will tell you that inheriting a good quarterback makes all the difference. Just ask Norv Turner about that in San Diego. Cutler put up impressive numbers while working with Shanahan in Denver.

And I hadn't really given the whole Shanahan family angle a lot of thought before reading Isaacson's story. SI.com's Peter King also mentioned that Shanahan might have an interest in the Bears job in his most recent "Monday Morning Quarterback."

I think Shanahan is probably using the Bears' situation as a way to drive up his price tag in Washington. A little leverage never hurt anyone. But in the end, I think Redskins owner Dan Snyder will still get his man. Sorry, Cowboys and Bears fans.

As some of you know, I now write a weekly column called Obstructed View that is exclusive to ESPNDallas.com. This column has been universally embraced and celebrated by the sports fans of Dallas-Fort Worth and surrounding counties.

In this week's Obstructed View, I took a look at the head-coaching candidates that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones let get away three years ago. Three of those former candidates -- Tony Sparano, Norv Turner and Jim Caldwell -- have combined to go 19-0 in the month of December. But then, who's really counting?

The stunning visual complement to this column was brought to you by ESPNDallas.com's Scott Noll, a man who truly appreciates the work of Howard Schnellenberger. Thanks for making us a part of your afternoon.

Let's answer four questions on four teams. You guys have been as prolific as ever. Keep up the good work.

Omar from Oakland, Calif., has some concerns with my recent column suggesting the Cowboys should have hired Norv Turner instead of Wade Phillips: Listen, the Cowboys did not make the wrong decision with Phillips over Turner. Record comparison is comparable with Turner 28-16 and Phillips 30-14. Of course, Turner has won three playoff games to Wade's zero. But here's the thing. Tony Romo is a good quarterback and not a great one. Philips Rivers is the best quarterback in the leauge this side of Manning and Brees. Believe me, the Chargers are winning in spite of Turner. He is a great offensive coordinator and Wade is great defensive coordinator. Neither are great head coaches and never will be, although because of Rivers, Turner may get to a Super Bowl this year while the Cowboys are the fourth or fifth best team at best in the NFC. Bottom line, Turner has Rivers and Wade has Romo. Simply put, no comparison.

Mosley: Could we at least give Turner a little credit for his work with making Rivers one of the top quarterbacks in the league? Turner's recognized as one of the best quarterback gurus (Troy Aikman anyone?) in the game and I think he would've done an unbelievable job with Romo. When you simply talk about skill level, I don't think Rivers is far ahead of Romo -- if at all. But yes, Rivers has three more playoff wins than Romo. Turner has taken quarterbacks such as Brad Johnson and Alex Smith and led them to excellent seasons. Let's not act like he just lucked into a good quarterback. I think Turner's a huge part of Rivers' success and I can't help but think that he would've already helped Romo get at least one playoff win.

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Yatin from Los Angeles has a question about Kevin Kolb: Hey Matt, I've tried asking this several times in the chats, but no luck. So I'm giving your mailbag a shot. What do you think Eagles management should do with Kevin Kolb? It's not too different from Favre-Rodgers in that there's a veteran quarterback in Donovan McNabb who is still playing at a high level, but a young talent in Kolb who is not going to be happy sitting forever. While I love Donovan and don't think we should release him, I'm worried we're going to lose our potential quarterback of the future in Kolb.

Mosley: The good thing for the Eagles is that they've now seen that Kolb can perform well in a regular-season game. It wasn't fair to judge the guy on the second half against the Ravens last year. In two games this season, Kolb put up solid numbers and proved that he's a capable backup. My thought is that McNabb will be the starter in 2010 for sure. After that, who knows what will happen? If there's a team out there that thinks of Kolb like the Texans thought of Matt Schaub when he played for the Falcons, then the Eagles will be all ears. But for now, I think Andy Reid still believes that Kolb is the heir apparent to McNabb.

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Amari H. from Richmond, Va., doesn't think London Fletcher deserves your Pro Bowl vote: I'm sorry but I couldn't disagree with you more. Although London Fletcher is a really good player, he obviously hasn't stood out enough to be considered a Pro Bowl player. There is no way you can compare his numbers to Ray Lewis'. He may get a similar number of tackles, but if you want to go to the Pro Bowl then you have to be a dynamic linebacker. Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher and Patrick Willis not only make tackles but they make interceptions, cause fumbles, get sacks, and score touchdowns. They make dynamic plays for their football team. Only two of these guys can get on the Pro Bowl squad and clearly Fletcher hasn't seperated from the pack enough to warrant consideration. This story comes up literally every year and yet still no results. Are you really asking for a handout on behalf of London Fletcher? Right now I got Willis, A.J. Hawk and Keith Brooking ahead of him. And if you can give me any reason to put him ahead of those guys, I am all ears. But can this please be the last time this story comes up. I know he won Super Bowl, I know he's started so many games and I know that he always makes a lot of tackles. But these Redskins players are whining about the Pro Bowl too much.

Mosley: I don't think Peter King would've placed London Fletcher on his all-decade team if he didn't have a little something. No one's looking for handouts, but it is a tremendous slap in the face that Fletcher's never made a Pro Bowl. You brought up forced fumbles and sacks. Well, he's right up there with Lewis in those categories over the past decade. He's also the ultimate leader. I've watched him completely take over football games, so I don't know how you can argue that he's not a dynamic player. He's having another brilliant season at linebacker. This is not some lifetime achievement award we're talking about. He's earned a Pro Bowl trip this season, just like he has for the past six or seven.

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Jonathan from Boulder, Colo. has a question about the Giants' O-line: You keep saying in chats and columns that you expect the Giants to change up their O-line in the offseason. After all the success they had last year, what is the difference this year? Who's the weak link and who do you expect to be gone?

Mosley: Last year the offensive line did a nice job of protecting Eli Manning the first 12 or 13 games of the season. This year, the line has given up too many sacks and hasn't done a good job opening up holes in the running game. There are still good players up front -- right guard Chris Snee is one of the best in the league -- but I do think there are changes on the way. For starters, I think David Diehl's days at left tackle are numbered. I think he'd be more effective at left guard. I could also see third-round draft pick Will Beatty pushing Kareem McKenzie at right tackle. It would not surprise me at all to see some of those changes take place this offseason. The Giants' offensive line has had remarkable continuity dating back to the Super Bowl season, but I think changes are on the way.

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had a tough choice to make three years ago. And unless the Cowboys experience their first playoff success in more than a decade, it's a choice that will continue to haunt Jones.

After Bill Parcells walked away following the 2006 season, Jones worked through a list of replacements that included future NFL head coaches Tony Sparano, Todd Haley and Mike Singletary. But Jones wanted someone who had experience as a head coach and that's why Wade Phillips and Norv Turner were the finalists.

Of course, Jones had a close relationship with Turner because the coach had helped guide the Cowboys to two Super Bowls as the offensive coordinator in the '90s. The eventual Hall of Fame quarterback on those teams, Troy Aikman, attributes much of his success to Turner and he lobbied Jones on behalf of his close friend.

I remember seeing Turner, Aikman, Jason Garrett and Jones together at the Super Bowl in Miami three years ago and thinking that it would be difficult for Phillips to prevail. We all know what happened next. Jones had invested heavily on the defensive side of the ball while converting to Parcells' favored 3-4 scheme and he thought Phillips would be the better fit.

Jones already had hired Garrett from the Dolphins to be his offensive coordinator and that's the decision that ultimately doomed Turner's candidacy. Jones gambled that the cerebral Garrett eventually would be able to do for Tony Romo what Turner once did for Aikman. With Garrett in place, hiring Turner seemed like overkill to Jones.

Plus, Jones realized how valuable offensive line coach/playcaller Sparano was to his staff and knew that he could mentor the Ivy Leaguer. And you have to admit that the decision seemed pretty sound when Phillips led the Cowboys to a 13-3 regular-season record in his first season. Then came Romo's infamous Cabo trip and the subsequent playoff loss to the Giants. Sparano left to become the coach of the Dolphins and Jones committed $3 million per year to Garrett to keep him from taking offers from Baltimore and Atlanta.

Turner, who has been reluctant to talk about Jones' decision this week, replaced Marty Schottenheimer as the coach of the Chargers in '07 and he has gone 10-0 in December and 3-2 in the playoffs. If you don't think he wants to stick it to his former boss at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday, you haven't spent much time around the man. Turner comes across as mild-mannered in public, but he has a fiery side that many of his players have seen over the years. Turner has been able to rewrite his legacy as a head coach over the past three seasons. Every year, the Chargers stumble out of the gates, but they're at their best when the stakes are highest.

Could Turner have had the same playoff success in Dallas that he has had in San Diego? It's difficult to say. Coaches face more scrutiny in Dallas because it's a larger media market and there are more expectations from the organization's national fan base. Turner has faced plenty of criticism in San Diego, but I don't think it rises to the level of what Phillips has encountered in Dallas.

But I think the biggest difference is that Turner would've been the perfect choice for Romo. Parcells always said that Romo was the type of quarterback you needed to coach "all the way through a game." What he meant is that Romo's penchant for going rogue needed to be monitored closely. It always bothered Parcells that Romo liked to give advice to the officials, coaches and anyone else within earshot.

Turner had admired Romo's immense talent from afar and I think he would've known how to help the quarterback strike a balance between protecting the football and using his rare improvisational skills to make big plays. It now looks like Romo's finding that balance, but it has been a painful process to watch at times.

Turner was diplomatic when asked how disappointed he was not to land the Cowboys job three years ago. I know for a fact that he wanted to back out of the process at one point because he didn't like how things were going, but a family member convinced him to see it through.

"Again, when you're in the middle of one of those things, I think you get a sense, a feel, for what's happening," Turner said on a conference call Wednesday. "I wasn't surprised. When you're not surprised, I think the disappointment is different."

I realize that Turner coaches in a weaker division than the NFC East, but it's hard to argue with what he's accomplished. He attributes his late-season success to tweaking the Chargers' practice schedule and changing up drills. He thinks it breaks up the monotony of a long season and keeps his players fresh. It also helps to have a quarterback who seems to flourish late in the season.

Both Phillips and Turner inherited talented, young quarterbacks and excellent defenses. It's ironic that Phillips basically built the defense in San Diego.

Phillips still has a chance to change his legacy, one that he defends vehemently when challenged. But deep down he must know that coaches' reputations are forged by how their teams perform in the playoffs.

And by that measure, it's pretty obvious the Cowboys made the wrong decision.

IRVING, Texas -- The NFC East blog had an opportunity to check in with Chargers coach Norv Turner today via conference call and we discussed several topics. I wanted to talk to him about being a finalist for the Cowboys' head-coaching position following the '06 season, but he wanted to stay away from that. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had a choice to make at that point: Turner's history with quarterbacks or Wade Phillips' history with the 3-4 defense. Obviously, we know what happened next.

I think a lot of Cowboys fans would agree that Jones made the wrong choice -- especially given Turner's record in December (10-0) and in the playoffs (4-2). Phillips is 3-6 in December and 0-1 in the playoffs. I remember Turner telling me about a year ago that he came close to pulling his name from consideration from the Cowboys' coaching search, but a family member talked him into continuing in the process.

Of course, Turner's loss was the Chargers' gain. He has helped make Philip Rivers one of the best quarterbacks in the league and his teams perform their best at the most critical times of the season. When I pressed Turner for details today, he said he tried to tweak things with his practice schedule and certain drills in order to keep his team focused. It was suggested by another reporter that Turner's teams seem to have a swagger down the stretch.

“Our team has that anyway, because we do have a lot of good players,” Turner said. “There is a sense of confidence. I think one of the things, too, obviously to win games like that in December, like any other time of year, you have to win close games and you have to win games in the fourth quarter. We’ve been able to do that.”

SAN DIEGO -- After Eagles punter Sav Rocca shanked a punt, the Chargers had great field position. On the touchdown, coach Norv Turner did a nice job of putting fullback Mike Tolbert in a one-on-one situation with Eagles middle linebacker Chris Gocong, who is playing out of position.

Gocong, who hasn't played middle linebacker since high school, allowed Tolbert to cross his face and the fullback had an easy touchdown. Early on, the Chargers were getting the ball to tight end Antonio Gates with ease. The Eagles can't handle tight ends -- and that's not lost on Turner.

The Eagles have already thrown two passes to Reggie Brown, who's barely on this roster. Why would you try to dial up Brown deep when you have Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson? I can't answer that. Eagles have the Chargers pinned deep in their own territory now. LaDainian Tomlinson looks slow to me -- and I realize that I'm not breaking news with that stunning observation.

The Chargers had Tomlinson's replacement ready to go in the form of Michael Turner. He's now a star running back for the Atlanta Falcons.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

If you've watched ESPNEWS at all Monday, you've seen the footage of Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall on the Falcons' sideline surrounded by players and coaches during a confrontation. Hall, who says he arrived on the sideline to help teammate LaRon Landry, has accused Falcons coach Mike Smith of coming "over there to put his hands on [Hall] in a harmful way."

Hall

Smith

The NFL is reviewing the altercation and I'm sure we'll be hearing about some fines this week. It all started when Landry was flagged for hitting quarterback Matt Ryan out of bounds. In a matter of moments, Hall arrived on the sideline and was surrounded by Falcons. After the game, he told reporters that he intended to contact NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to tell his side of the story.

On Monday, Redskins coach Jim Zorn had Hall's back, saying the video footage seemed to back up the cornerback's version of the events.

"I read what he said, and it looked to me on video it's exactly what happened," Zorn said. "We were penalized, and what he was trying to do was get LaRon off the sideline and LaRon was going and he got grabbed. I think there was emotion involved because their player just got hit out of bounds, the quarterback. That's a tough deal in itself. The emotion rose, and he was the only guy in there. I was really actually proud of DeAngelo for keeping his composure."

This Redskins team has been surrounded by controversy throughout the season. At least this gives them something to talk about other than their 2-6 record. I watched most of the first half of the Falcons game Sunday and that's as poorly as I've seen an offensive line play. Good for offensive line coach Joe Bugel for getting in his players' faces at halftime and inspiring them to have a better second half. It would've been easy to roll over in the second half, but the Redskins actually made a game of it.

It was a heroic effort by banged-up quarterback Jason Campbell, who's basically auditioning for other teams right now. I can't help but wonder how good Campbell could be if he worked under someone such as the Falcons' Mike Mularkey or the Chargers' Norv Turner.

	Matthew Emmons/US PRESSWIRE
	Once one of the most in-demand assistants in the league, Jason Garrett may be on the hot seat if the Cowboys don't make a run in the playoffs this season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

In the aftermath of the Cowboys' 13-3 season in 2007, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was one of the hottest coaches on the market. He reportedly could've had the top jobs in Atlanta and Baltimore, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones paid him $3 million to stay at Valley Ranch.

Panthers-Cowboys Coverage • Yasinskas: Must win for Panthers • Mosley: Garrett better get money's worth • Scouts Inc.: 10 observations • More: MNF HQ

Based on the '08 season, you'd have to say that both sides made a mistake. In one season, Garrett went from boy genius to a punching dummy for quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Terrell Owens. Early in the season, Garrett inexplicably kept home-run threat Felix Jones on ice in a loss to Washington, in part, because he was seemingly so busy trying to appease T.O.

In 2007, Garrett leaned on offensive line coach Tony Sparano, who had been the playcaller under Bill Parcells in '06. Sparano left to become head coach with the Dolphins following the '07 season and Garrett was on his own. He had the misfortune of losing Romo for three games midway through the season, which forced famed check-down artist Brad Johnson into action.

I don't think most people know how angry Jones was as he watched Johnson flail around for those three games -- and most of that anger was aimed at Garrett, who had convinced him that the team was set at the backup spot.

When the Cowboys ended the season with a humiliating 44-6 loss to the Eagles, Romo pointed the finger squarely at Garrett -- and he wasn't the only one. I still believe that Jones would've fired both Wade Phillips and Garrett if not for the fact that he may have ended up paying them a combined $6 million to sit out the '09 season. Yes, it sounds ridiculous to say that a man who coughed up roughly $700 million of his own money to build a new stadium would quibble over $6 million, but I think that's exactly what happened. He delivered a message of continuity in the wake of the Eagles loss, but quite honestly there really wasn't anything worth continuing.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Anyone who thinks Jim Zorn's job is safe until the end of the season hasn't spent much time around Redskins owner Dan Snyder. He's a Jerry Jones protege, only without the Lombardi trophies. And quite honestly, Jones has a lot more patience than Snyder -- as evidenced by Wade Phillips still roaming the sidelines.

Snyder happens to own an ESPN radio affiliate in the D.C. area and one of his hosts, Kevin Sheehan, asked the following question of Zorn this week: "Is Sunday a game that could affect your job security?"

Zorn, normally a patient man, shot back: "I won't even answer that question. I'm trying to get ready for Detroit. I'm not worried about my job."

And while I've been a firm supporter of the Zorn administration, it's true that his fate could be decided over the next four games. With a favorable schedule, there's no reason the Redskins couldn't be 4-2 heading into a big divisional game against the Eagles. But as Mike Wise points out this morning in the Post, a 3-3 record might cause Snyder to make an in-season move. That's not something his hero, Jones, would do but it's certainly in Snyder's playbook. He fired Norv Turner in Dec. 2000, when the Redskins had a 7-6 record. And speaking of impatience, Snyder fired Marty Schottenheimer despite the fact the Redskins won eight of their final 11 games in 2001. The ol' ball coach was too good to pass up at that point.

I personally think it would be crazy to fire the guy who calls the plays and manages the quarterbacks midway through the season, but don't put it past Snyder to make a move. Right now, it's not looking good for Zorn and quarterback Jason Campbell. But I do recall a certain NFC East coach who barely held onto his job following the '06 season -- and he went on to win a Super Bowl.

I'm just sayin' ...