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Three different running backs had a total of six 100-yard rushing games for the Washington Redskins in 2011. In spite of being the starting running back for the first four games of the season and five of the first six, Tim Hightower was not one of those three. But assuming he's fully recovered from the knee injury that ended his season in October, Hightower, who has agreed to terms on a contract to return to Washington, is the favorite to be the starting running back when the Redskins open the 2012 season.

I've written this before, and likely will again, but every time I do somebody says, "Nunh-uh. Roy Helu is the guy. And Evan Royster looked good at the end of the year" or something like that. And long-term, Helu might be the guy. And Royster did look good at the end of the year. But I'm telling you -- and I am not just speculating here -- that the guy Mike Shanahan and the Redskins' coaches like as the starting running back, assuming everyone's healthy, is Hightower.

Shanahan sees Hightower as the most complete of the running backs on his roster. He may not be as explosive or dynamic a runner as Helu is, but he's a dirty-work guy who runs it just fine, catches the ball well out of the backfield and excels in pass protection as a blocker. This last point is likely the most important, since I don't know if you heard but the Redskins just spent four very high draft picks on a new rookie quarterback and likely rank his protection among their most important 2012 responsibilities. Shanahan and his coaches think very highly of Helu and Royster and probably rookie Alfred Morris, too, and they'll surely find plenty of carries and catches and responsibilities for all of them as the year goes along. But as long as they're sure Hightower's surgically repaired ligament isn't hindering him, he's the best bet to be running with the first team in August and September.

Now, the disclaimer: As anyone who plays fantasy football can tell you, predicting what Shanahan will do with his running backs from week to week is risky and sometimes foolish work. Part of the issue is Shanahan believes his zone-blocking schemes, when properly executed, have as much to do with his running backs' fine statistics as do the backs themselves. The Redskins tell their new offensive linemen that they can make stars out of running backs, and on a game-to-game basis last year they kind of did. Ryan Torain didn't get a single carry in the first three games of 2011. In Week 4 in St. Louis (granted, against an all-time lousy run defense), he got 19 carries and rushed for 135 yards. He would gain a total of 65 yards on 40 carries over the entire rest of the season.

So the 100-yard games Helu produced in Weeks 12-14, and the two 100-yard games Royster came up with in the final two weeks of the season, look real nice on paper. But Shanahan's not looking at those numbers. He sees a couple of young backs who have more work to do before they're as complete a back as Hightower already is. He sees Hightower as the guy he can plug into that zone-blocking run game and not have to teach him on the fly. There is absolutely nothing to say Helu or Royster or both can't become that kind of a back at some point in the future, or even by the end of this season. But as of right now, assuming full health and all else being equal, the Redskins' starting running back would be Hightower. And if you brought up the 100-yard game thing, I'm sure they'd tell you that Hightower's just as likely to get 100 yards in a game as any of those other backs are in this offense. And that they don't much care about that sort of thing anyway.

Remember back in August, when it looked as though Ryan Torain might be the Washington Redskins' starting running back? Well, Torain got released today by the Redskins, having slipped so far down the depth chart that he couldn't even see the light at the top anymore. The Redskins will enter 2012 with remarkable depth at the running back position, with Roy Helu and Evan Royster each entering his second season and veteran Tim Hightower, who unseated Torain as the starter in training camp, due back from his injury. But Torain doesn't look as though he'll be a part of it. This from the Washington Post:

In the fourth game of the season, with Hightower banged up, Torain rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against the St. Louis Rams. But his production dropped off significantly after that. Following the Week 5 bye, Torain gained only 22 yards on 10 carries against the Eagles, and hasn't had a run longer than six yards since.

Since the Rams game, Torain has produced only 65 yards on 40 carries.

It's going to be hard to remember Torain's one huge 2011 game unless you were, say, able to trade him during his bye week along with Jimmy Graham for Matt Ryan and Brandon Marshall and win your fantasy league as a result of the deal. Not that I necessarily know anybody who pulled off that exact trick or anything. Just using it as one possible example.

As for real life, Torain has indeed showed flashes of relative running back brilliance over the past couple of years. His main problem has been his inability to stay healthy. But he's only 25 and he's got enough talent that he'll surely wind up in someone's camp next summer. Given another opportunity and some better health luck, he could yet make an impact. It just doesn't look as though it'll be with the Redskins.

As you get ready for Sunday afternoon's game against the Seahawks in Seattle, here's one reason for Washington Redskins fans to feel good and one reason for concern:

Feeling good: This is the healthiest the Redskins have been in some time. Their best wide receiver, Santana Moss, looks set to return from his broken hand, and they've missed him as pass-catcher, a blocker and a leader on the field. It also appears as though both of their starting tackles -- Trent Williams and Jammal Brown -- will be healthy enough to play, and that safety LaRon Landry will return from his injury and play Sunday. Injuries aren't the only reason this Redskins' season has fallen apart, but they've been a major underlying factor in this six-game losing streak. Getting back closer to full strength gives the Redskins hope that they might be able to pull out of it.

Cause for concern: The Seahawks present a poor matchup for the Redskins as Washington tries to get back to its ball-control ways from the early part of the season. Seattle is a very difficult team against which to run the ball, and the Redskins would like to run the ball a lot more and a lot better than they have in recent weeks. Look for rookie Evan Royster to get into the mix at running back, since Ryan Torain and Roy Helu haven't been able to elevate the run game to its September heights. But whoever's in there is going to find the going extremely tough against a Seattle defense that allows just 3.5 yards per carry and is among the most physical in the league against between-the-tackles run games.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. This morning's links will be lighter than usual, since we'll all be eating plenty later on. Meantime, know how thankful I am for my wonderful job and for the time I get to spend here online mixing it up with all of you each day. I hope you all enjoy a wonderful holiday with friends and family.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys were one of three teams to put in a claim on quarterback Kyle Orton, which seemed to confuse some people who hadn't read Todd Archer's item in Wednesday morning's links saying they should. Two reasons: First, it seems clear that backup quarterback Jon Kitna has a somewhat serious injury, meaning the Cowboys don't have the reliable veteran backup they like to have behind Tony Romo. And second, they knew the Bears were going to claim him, and the Cowboys could be competing with the Bears for a playoff spot. Doesn't matter. The Chiefs claimed him, too, and they had higher waiver priority than either Dallas or Chicago.

Rob Ryan says the Cowboys' defensive problems are all in the red zone.

New York Giants

I have written many times, here and elsewhere, that I dispute and fail to understand the reasons why fans boo their own favorite team for poor performance. Brandon Jacobs seems to agree with me, which makes me ... well, I don't know how it makes me feel. But the premise that fans would pay all of that money for tickets and parking and then boo a team or a player for not playing well still baffles me. I'd boo if I felt the player or team wasn't putting forth a full effort or really trying their best to win. But I don't think that's the case with Jacobs. In particular, I don't think you can get on a running back for failing to find holes that don't exist. The running game problems for the Giants are all offensive line-related, and there's nothing Jacobs can do about them. However, I was discussing this on Twitter on Wednesday with a follower of mine named Albert Guendi (@albertguendi), and he said the main thing that bothers Giants fans about Jacobs is the number of times over the past few years he has said or done something to indicate a lack of enthusiasm for playing football in general and for the Giants in particular. And so I can kind of understand that Jacobs has eroded his benefit of the doubt with fans. Still don't get why you'd sit there and not want to build up your favorite team or player rather than rip on them for losing. But I can get why Jacobs might not longer be a player about whom Giants fans feel much affection.

And no news to this point on Ahmad Bradshaw and Michael Boley, what with the Giants' practice schedule pushed back due to the fact that they're not playing until Monday night.

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick has been able to throw the ball a little bit this week, according to Andy Reid, though it remains to be seen whether he'll play Sunday. He didn't practice Wednesday, and if he doesn't practice before the weekend I'd personally bet on a second consecutive start for Vince Young. Either way, they're getting a soft Patriots pass defense Sunday and should be able to take advantage, as long as the receivers are healthy. Problem is, they're not. DeSean Jackson missed practice with a foot injury and Jeremy Maclin has shoulder and hamstring problems. The Eagles literally can't afford to lose another game, and so they're going to have to hope they can out-physical opponents up front on the lines the way they did Sunday night against the Giants.

Cullen Jenkins seems to feel bad about the hit that gave Giants running back D.J. Ware a concussion. Says he's "not a mean person."

Washington Redskins

Running back Evan Royster says it was rough, waiting around all year on the practice squad for his shot at actual carries in an actual NFL game. But he's on the active roster now, and if you don't think he's going to get a shot to carry the ball, you haven't paid much attention to the way Mike Shanahan has been using his running backs this year or, really, ever. He obviously doesn't think Ryan Torain can handle every-down duties. He obviously doesn't think Roy Helu is or should be anything more than a change-of-pace guy just yet. So I'll bet you see Royster get a real and serious look at some point -- whether it's this week or sometime in the final five.

Remember Jarvis Jenkins, the Redskins' rookie offensive lineman who was one of the surprise stars of training camp and blew out his knee in preseason? Nathan Fenno checks in on him.

Hey, you know how we do predictions on Fridays? Well, I'm looking at the schedule and it turns out I'm going to have to do at least one of this week's predictions today. Wednesday. Chew on that with your links.

Dallas Cowboys

Todd Archer thinks the Cowboys should put in a waiver claim on recently waived Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton, in part to keep him away from the Bears, with whom they could be competing for a playoff spot, but also for other reasons including depth at the sport's most important position now and into the future.

Tony Romo is 4-0 with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions in his career on Thanksgiving Day games. He missed last year's because of his injury, but he does go in on a roll this year.

New York Giants

I think we're all looking forward to the part of the week when the Giants start looking ahead to the Saints game and stop venting their anger over Sunday's loss to the Eagles. On Tuesday, it was Antrel Rolle's turn to take to the airwaves and talk about how much that loss ticked him off. Just a thought, but if they'd managed to be this angry and annoyed about the Eagles before the game... well, whatever.

The Giants' pass rush says it will be re-focused this week after picking up just five sacks in its past three games. Drew Brees says he's not going to take the Giants' pass rush lightly. The Giants need more of a pass rush than they got Sunday night if they're going to have a chance against Brees on Monday Night.

Philadelphia Eagles

Bob Ford said don't buy the Eagles-are-still-in-the-playoff-hunt narrative, mainly because a team that has shown no propensity to win games when it matters shouldn't be counted on to win five or six of its remaining six. I also kind of like the point Bob raises at the beginning, that the Eagles really weren't playing under pressure Sunday night because the loss to Arizona killed their chances. Anyway, food for thought.

The Patriots say they'll prepare for "all three" Eagles quarterbacks this week and hope that they get some clue later in the week as to which one they'll actually see Sunday. I'm betting it's Vince Young, but I don't know anything more than I did Monday, so stay tuned.

Washington Redskins

So the Tashard Choice Era in Washington didn't last long. The Redskins cut Choice and brought back rookie Evan Royster, leading some to wonder if the only reason they signed Choice in the first place was in case he could tell them secrets about the Cowboys in advance of Sunday's game. Could be.

Don't be surprised if Royster gets into some games. As John Keim discusses in his "five questions," the Redskins need to start finding answers in the run game or else the offense won't work the way it's supposed to. And Ryan Torain as starter and Roy Helu of change-of-pace back aren't making it work right now.

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

FALLING

1. Giants' offensive line. It hasn't really been any good all year, but now it has begun to cost them games. The Giants were absolutely manhandled up front by the Eagles' defense Sunday night, unable to find anything at all in the run game or give Eli Manning enough time to throw. Brandon Jacobs is getting booed by the home fans, but he can't make the holes himself. The Giants look like a team that will continue to be in every game they play, including the tough ones, but it's going to be difficult for them to put together a winning streak against their schedule if they can't win those physical battles in the trenches.

2. Cowboys' secondary. They hung on to beat Washington, but Rex Grossman had a pretty good day against them. They miss cornerback Mike Jenkins, and if the injury to safety Gerald Sensabaugh is serious enough to linger, they'll have a tough time patching it together in time for Thursday's game. The good news for Dallas is that its offense is good enough to outscore teams, and its next two opponents aren't big-time passing teams. But the Cowboys' defense did show some cracks Sunday, especially on the back end.

3. Redskins' running game clarity. Actually, it seems kind of clear to all involved that rookie Roy Helu is the team's best back. But Mike Shanahan keeps giving Ryan Torain the starts and bringing in Helu later. Shanahan said this week that part of the reason for that is not wanting to give the rookie too much too soon -- a strategy that speaks to where Shanahan and the Redskins are right now as a franchise. They're thinking long-term, and they don't want to overload Helu mentally or beat him up physically if he's part of the long-term plans. So while it may feel frustrating right now, it's all designed to make things better in the long run.

RISING

1. Tony Romo, Cowboys quarterback. This was a game in which a number of things that had been going right for the Cowboys did not. They didn't dominate physically in the run game as they have been lately. They didn't make the stops they needed to make on defense. And yet, rather than forcing things the way he was when he was making so many costly mistakes earlier in the season, Romo was smart and efficient and deliberate and made all of the throws he needed to make to deliver a division win. He's in the middle of an excellent season.

2. Vince Young, Eagles quarterback. Man, did he look shaky for the first three quarters. He even looked shaky at times on that game-winning drive. But he made the plays he needed to make to deliver a win. And even if Michael Vick comes back healthy this week and Young doesn't start another game all year, he showed teams he added a win to his record as an NFL quarterback, which now stands at 31-17. That's Young's biggest selling point -- not the relative prettiness of his passes -- and if he wants to go find a starting job somewhere next year, that win is one more thing he can try to sell.

3. Eagles' and Cowboys' offensive lines. Maligned for much of the season as a weak spot, the Eagles' line has actually consistently ranked among the best run-blocking lines in the league. On Sunday night, it also gave Young the time he needed to make plays. Their playoff chances are, at best, on life support, but their physicality up front on both sides of the ball is going to make them a tough team to play the rest of the way. As for Dallas, it is still shaky at center, and Doug Free isn't having a very good year. But the return of Montrae Holland to play left guard has really helped solidify things for them in the middle, and there's reason to think they'll continue to improve as the year progresses.

A few thoughts on the Washington Redskins' fifth loss in a row, this one Sunday afternoon to the Dolphins in Miami:

What it means: The Redskins may be out of ideas on offense, and if they couldn't win this game against a team that hadn't won all year until last week, it's getting hard to look at the schedule and pick out the remaining games you think they even can win. The switch back from John Beck to Rex Grossman succeeded in opening up the offense, and we got a little bit of a look at rookie wide receiver Leonard Hankerson. But the problem with Grossman is the interceptions, and he threw two that were very costly. The Redskins' answer at quarterback is not currently on their roster.

Bright spot. Sort of: Hankerson caught eight passes for 106 yards and looked like a second-half breakout candidate with Grossman able to get the ball downfield to him as Beck couldn't. But since this is the Redskins, there's bad news on that, too. The young man left the game with a hip injury and his status for next week is unknown.

Running back roulette: A week after rookie running back Roy Helu caught 14 passes for 105 yards, the Redskins named Ryan Torain the starting running back for this game. Washington's coaching staff believes Torain is its best runner but likes Helu better in the passing game and probably leaned on him more last week because they knew Beck would be looking to check down. Torain got 20 yards on 11 carries Sunday while Helu got 41 yards on six carries and caught three passes for 13 yards. Helu looks like the better back and should get the ball a lot going forward as the Redskins evaluate what they have for next year.

Kerrigan disrupts: Rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan came up with two sacks and forced two fumbles as the Redskins' defense put on another admirable effort while the offense could do nothing to help.

What's next: The Redskins have a home game Sunday against the division-rival Cowboys, who clobbered the Buffalo Bills on Sunday for their second win in a row and are looking to get on a roll and challenge the Giants for the division title. Washington lost in Dallas 18-16 in Week 3 when things were still going well for them.

So you think Roy Helu's the guy now in the backfield for the Washington Redskins, do you? Feeling good about how you picked him off the waiver wire in your fantasy football league two weeks ago? Sliding him into your starting lineup off his 14-catch game and laughing at the guy who traded for Ryan Torain during the Week 5 bye?

Well, Tashard Choice is here to make you wonder again. The former Dallas Cowboys running back, signed by the Redskins after the Cowboys cut him last month, is feeling healthy and could be playing for Washington as soon as Sunday in Miami. Per Mike Jones:

"It's going down," Choice said on if he expected to play this week. "I'm eager to show people how to make a blessing out of bad breaks. It's going to be fun. These eight games, it's about to be fun. I can't wait. … Absolutely. I'm rolling. I'm rolling this week."

Although now fully healthy, Choice still isn't a complete certainty to play on Sunday. He must demonstrate to coaches that he has a good enough understanding for the offense to be trusted in a game. But so far, coach Mike Shanahan liked what he saw out of the fourth-year Georgia Tech product.

So there you have it. Fact is, it's impossible to predict what Shanahan will do with his running backs Sunday, for the rest of the year or as long as he remains an NFL head coach. If I had to guess, I'd say you'll still see plenty of Helu -- maybe even as the starter, as he was Sunday. The thing they liked about Tim Hightower before his injury was his value in the passing game as a receiver and a blocker. They rate Helu more highly in those areas than they do Torain, which is why you saw so much of him Sunday. But my sense is that they see him more as that change-of-pace guy than a run-between-the-tackles guy.

Choice is a player the Cowboys once thought had a world of ability, and obviously it didn't pan out in Dallas. The fact that Shanahan picked him up indicates he saw something as well, and we'll have to wait and see how he's used before we figure out what that was. He could potentially be that between-the-tackles guy with Helu serving as the third-down back. He could be there strictly for bench depth. Or for goal-line work. Regardless, the Redskins' offense needs a jolt, and if Shanahan thinks Choice can help provide it, don't be surprised to see the coach give him a real chance.

Wednesday links can be tough, because nothing happens on Tuesdays. But you don't want to hear about my problems. You just want your links. I feel ya.

New York Giants

Ohm Youngmisuk's got his midseason report card out, and as you might expect for a 6-2, first-place team, the grades are pretty good. I think he was a little generous to the offensive line and a little hard on the linebackers, and I really believe the run game problems are the line's fault more than they are that of the backs. But overall, lots of A's and B's as the record warrants.

How did Jake Ballard and Victor Cruz emerge as legitimate threats in the passing game for the first-place team in the NFC East? Mike Vorkunov has the story.

Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones says it's too soon to say DeMarco Murray should be the Cowboys' feature back, but then he goes ahead and compares him to Eric Dickerson. Gotta say: If your job is to find fun, colorful quotes about a pro sports team, you've got to love Jerry Jones.

Sean Lee is hoping to practice Wednesday and play Sunday, and if you don't think that matters, you haven't watched the Cowboys try to play defense without him the past two weeks. Lee is a "glue guy" in the Dallas defense, and they miss him.

Philadelphia Eagles

Andy Reid says the Eagles aren't a soft team. I obviously wouldn't expect him to say anything else, but the evidence points in the other direction. They've lost four games in which they've held fourth-quarter leads -- all to teams ahead of them in the NFC playoff race. They have yet to come back and win when down in the fourth quarter. So while I don't expect a coach to call his team soft, in this case I invite his team to prove it's not. Whenever it's ready.

A lot of the Eagles' high hopes this season were based on the premise that Michael Vick was a special, possible transcendent player at the quarterback position. Reuben Frank writes that, to this point, Vick has not been that.

Washington Redskins

It's not showing up on the field right now, but one of the things the Redskins have going for them is the veteran leadership in their locker room. For example, while he rehabs his busted hand and can't play, Santana Moss is making a contribution by tutoring the young receivers the Redskins have. Hey, this stuff matters.

Attitude isn't an issue for the Redskins. Even Ryan Torain, passed over for Roy Helu like Fredo was for Michael, is keeping a positive outlook. We won't see Torain running off and conspiring with Johnny Ola to the point where Helu kisses him on the mouth in a Havana nightclub and says, "I know it was you. You broke my heart. You broke my heart." I mean, that might happen, I guess, but I doubt we'd see it, since it'd be in Cuba and all.

A few thoughts from the Washington Redskins' fourth straight loss, this one at home to the 49ers on Sunday afternoon:

What it means: Well, at least the Redskins scored this week. Heck, they even came up with a late touchdown to keep things respectable. But for much of the game it was more of the same -- an inept, outmanned, overmatched offense that just couldn't get yards when it had to and asked the defense to stay on the field too long and do too much. The worst part is that they're not even doing what they say they want to do. John Beck threw 47 passes in this game and they had only 15 rush attempts. They weren't far enough behind to justify a split like that.

Hello, Helu: In a surprise move, just before the game Mike Shanahan named rookie Roy Helu the starter at running back over Ryan Torain. He also started rookie Leonard Hankerson at wide receiver, and Hankerson played fine. But it was the Helu move that was the eye-opener. The reason Tim Hightower was starting over Torain earlier in the year was that the Redskins liked Hightower better in the passing game -- as a receiver and a blocker. They feel the same way about Helu, and you could see why. Not only did he come up with 41 rushing yards on 10 carries, Helu also caught 14 passes for 105 yards. A Redskins offense that doesn't have many downfield options needs to be able to throw to its backs as well as its tight ends, and while tight end Fred Davis wasn't a factor, Helu showed them that they may have a new dimension on which they can rely going forward.

Beck is a wreck: I'm sure a lot of guys would look jittery playing quarterback behind this offensive line the way it's built right now, but Beck sure isn't the picture of cool confidence back there. It's one thing to know you can make a play with your legs when things break down. It's quite another to be jumping around as soon as you take the snap, ignoring open receivers and making poor choices when the play hasn't yet broken down. Beck could have made more plays than he did in this one. More of this was on him than the last game, in which he got sacked 10 times. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Redskins will make at least one more starting quarterback change before the end of this year. You've not seen the last of Rex Grossman.

The defense doesn't rest: Once again, I thought the defense fought pretty hard, considering it's being asked to win games by itself. Ryan Kerrigan was a disruptive presence in the backfield early, London Fletcher was once again everywhere all at once, LaRon Landry and DeAngelo Hall made some plays. … The Redskins could be in these games if the offense had better players, but all of the key injuries on that side of the ball have crippled them.

What's next: The Redskins travel to Miami on Sunday to take on the red-hot Miami Dolphins, who picked up their first win in a row Sunday to improve to 1-7.

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

FALLING

1. Redskins' offense. The injuries to the left side of the offensive line appear to have rendered the Washington Redskins helpless on offense. They gave up nine sacks Sunday to a Buffalo team that had collected only four sacks -- total -- in its first six games. It's impossible to grade John Beck as the replacement for Rex Grossman at quarterback because it doesn't appear he has enough time to do anything back there. They can't get the run game going with Ryan Torain and Roy Helu, so they picked up former Cowboys running back Tashard Choice this week hoping maybe he could help. The end result of all of this was the first-ever shutout of a Mike Shanahan-coached team and a frightening ongoing situation in which the offensive ineptitude is requiring the defense to be on the field too long. The Redskins have to find a way to sustain drives, or we could see repeats of Sunday's debacle.

2. Rob Ryan. It was a rough week for the Dallas Cowboys' first-year defensive coordinator. His defense was trampled by a Philadelphia Eagles team he'd derided as the "all-hype team." He lost breakout star linebacker Sean Lee to a wrist injury and starting cornerback Mike Jenkins to a hamstring injury. Ryan's defense had a great first half of the season prior to Sunday night, but it appears fresh new challenges await. The Eagles put a lot of informative stuff on tape about how to attack the middle of the Dallas defense without Lee, and even though the Cowboys are heading into the soft second half of their schedule, a 3-4 record leaves them little margin for error going forward.

3. Giants' running game. Rather than build off of Ahmad Bradshaw's first 100-yard game of the season, the Giants' 30th-ranked rushing offense regressed in Sunday's victory over the winless Dolphins. The Giants rushed for 58 yards on 23 carries as Eli Manning had to put the ball in the air 45 times to lead the Giants from behind. The problem appears to be the line, which is getting no push and opening very few holes in the run game. The Giants' line has done well in pass protection this year, but it appears to get pushed around on running downs, and Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are just slamming into large men at the line of scrimmage. The Giants are heading into the tough part of their schedule now and will need to fix this in order to maintain their early-season success.

RISING

1. Manning. The flip side of that last bit is that Manning is playing like an MVP candidate this year, limiting mistakes, making good decisions and acting like the reliable veteran leader the Giants need him to be. One of the things the Giants love about Manning is his consistency. He never misses a game, and perhaps more important, he's always the same guy from game to game and play to play. He doesn't get rattled or upset when his team is, say, way behind one of the worst teams in the league and shooting itself in the foot with red zone penalties. He just brings everybody back to where they need to be, makes plays and finds ways to win. Add in the fact that he seems to have his interception issues fixed this year, and you have -- dare we say it -- an elite NFL quarterback.

2. LeSean McCoy. It's tough to imagine how much more he can "rise," but if anybody didn't think McCoy was a star when this season began, he's answered whatever questions may have been lingering. After carrying the ball 28 times for 126 yards against the Redskins two weeks earlier, McCoy followed up with 185 yards on 30 carries in Sunday night's domination of the Cowboys (who'd come into the game with the best run defense in the league). It remains to be seen whether the Eagles will continue to lean on McCoy that much. To hear Andy Reid and the coaches tell it, there will be games in which it makes more sense to pass all night. But what they know about McCoy after the past two games is that he's the kind of player who doesn't mind taking the ball -- a lot -- and grinding out clock when that's what needs to be done. That should serve the Eagles well as they attempt to climb back into contention.

3. Juan Castillo. The Eagles' much-maligned former offensive line coach and current defensive coordinator is getting a lot of credit this week after the job his defense did against Dallas. Sure, the Cowboys had the ball for only 18 total minutes in the game, but during those 18 minutes we saw a rejuvenated Nnamdi Asomugha making plays all over the field, a fully healthy defensive line shifting up looks to successfully confuse Tony Romo and a suddenly much more comfortable Jamar Chaney solidifying things at the middle linebacker spot. Castillo is saying it only made sense that it would take time for everything to come together on defense with so many new players and new coaches working together to establish a new scheme. If he's right, the Eagles are going to be tough to beat the rest of the way. They'll just have to hope that 1-4 start didn't knock them all the way out.

Tuesday links are in the over and will be ready in 3... 2...

New York Giants

The Giants Tough Guy of the Week Award goes to cornerback Justin Tryon, who apparently broke his arm in the first half of Sunday's game, broke it even more tackling Reggie Bush to prevent a fourth-quarter punt return and is out for the year now after surgery to repair the break Monday. Tryon tweeted the X-rays of his arm pre-surgery. Not for the squeamish.

While the Giants have slugged their way to a 5-2 start, there are underlying issues, not the least of which so far are their inability to run the ball on offense or stop the run on defense, as Mike Mazzeo writes.

Philadelphia Eagles

We heard a lot after Sunday night's game about how much better the Eagles were playing on defense now that they've spent some time in Juan Castillo's scheme. But Sheil Kapadia writes that it goes deeper than that -- that the increased comfort level of the players is allowing Castillo to add more wrinkles to the defense that should benefit it going forward by allowing it to do more to confuse offenses.

As for the offense, the biggest thing the Eagles have going for them right now is the emergence of LeSean McCoy as one of the best running backs in the league, and the wisdom the coaching staff has shown in deciding to take advantage of McCoy's blossoming and unique abilities.

Dallas Cowboys

Monday might have been a worse day for the Cowboys' defense than Sunday was, as the news on a couple of key players came back negative. Inside linebacker Sean Lee has a dislocated left wrist and doesn't know whether or not he'll be able to play Sunday against the Seahawks. Cornerback Mike Jenkins is saying his hamstring injury could cost him 3-to-4 weeks. And to top it all off, punter Mat McBriar has a serious injury to his non-kicking foot that forced him out of Sunday's game and could cost him more time. All serious problems, but Lee's may be the biggest. He and DeMarcus Ware have been the Cowboys' best defensive players this season, and they looked lost without him Sunday night in Philadelphia.

Jean-Jacques Taylor suggests that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan should tone down his act until such time as the Cowboys are once again "an upper-echelon team." I guess that's a worthwhile point of view, but I feel like I've read it before about Rob's brother, Rex, and I just don't think there's much point in hoping for it. These guys are going to do it their way, and if the teams for which they're working don't like it, the Ryan brothers' attitude that is, they're welcome to find somebody else. They both believe themselves to be great at what they do and they're confident enough that they're not going to change the outward manifestations of their personalities just because they stand out from the staid, establishment NFL crowd.

Washington Redskins

Lots of people tweeted at me Monday asking about the job status of Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Here it is in a nutshell: His father is the head coach. And while Mike Wise makes some interesting points (with the help of Bobby Bowden) on the pitfalls of hiring your son to be your offensive coordinator, facts are facts. It's a stone-cold waste of time for anybody right now to wish or wonder about Kyle Shanahan losing his job. Besides, this isn't a coordinator problem, folks. This guy's out of players, and probably didn't have enough good ones to begin with.

The Redskins have apparently decided to replace injured running back Tim Hightower with former Cowboys running back Tashard Choice. Dallas cut Choice over the weekend due to shoulder and leg injuries and their insistence on continuing to carry two kickers once it came time to activate rookie linebacker Bruce Carter. If he can get healthy, Choice should soon find himself part of a weird, unpredictable running back committee with Ryan Torain and Roy Helu in Washington.

Some thoughts on the Washington Redskins' dismal 23-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Toronto:

What it means: Well, the Redskins are in free fall. Since starting the season 3-1, they've now lost three games in a row by a combined score of 76-33. And since the offense looks incapable of doing anything at all at this point, it's tough to imagine things getting better any time soon. Their only hope is that this game -- the first time a Mike Shanahan-coached team has been shut out -- is some sort of bottoming-out point.

Injuries taking their toll: The play of the Redskins' offensive line was critical to their hot start, and the injuries that have deprived them of starting left guard Kory Lichtensteiger and starting left tackle Trent Williams -- not to mention top wide receiver Santana Moss, starting running back Tim Hightower and tight end Chris Cooley -- have rendered their offense more or less incompetent. The Bills had a grand total of four sacks in their first six games, but on Sunday they sacked John Beck nine times. Nine times. That's a number only Ed Rooney, Dean of Students, could love.

Beck is not the answer: Whether it was Beck or Rex Grossman, the key to the Redskins' offense this season was always going to be the group around the quarterback, not the quarterback himself. Beck does some decent things out there, and sometimes he looks like he's freelancing or even goofing off a little. But when you're getting sacked nine times, you're just not going to get very much done.

If they can't run, they're done: Ryan Torain got the start at running back, but once again the Redskins got behind early and weren't able to run their offense the way they wanted to. Remember, this is a team that was leading the NFL in average time of possession through its first four games. On Sunday, the Bills had the ball for nearly 35 minutes. If the Redskins can't establish the run game and chew up the clock, they will not score enough points to win. Against anyone.

For the defense: It gave up 390 total yards, so it's not as though this was a game of which Washington's defense should be proud. But I really don't think the defense is playing all that badly, considering all that's being asked of it. London Fletcher played hurt and had a monster game. Ryan Kerrigan was a force early. And for most of the day, I thought the Redskins actually did a decent job of bottling up Fred Jackson -- at least limiting his ability to beat them with a big play. Eventually, when your defense is on the field for 35 minutes, you're going to give up yards and points, and Jackson did rip off a 43-yard run and a 46-yard catch. But I don't think it's fair to judge this Redskins defense considering how awful the offense is right now.

What's next: The Redskins are back home Sunday to host the San Francisco 49ers, who appear to be on the verge of improving to 6-1 today as they lead the Browns in the fourth quarter. It's not getting any easier for Beck & Co., as the 49ers entered Sunday's action as the second-best scoring defense in the league and the second-best defense in the league against the run.

As you get ready for the Washington Redskins' game against the Buffalo Bills this afternoon in Toronto, here's one reason for Redskins fans to be feeling good and one reason for concern:

Feeling good: The Bills are not a good defense against the run, allowing 136 yards per game on the ground to opponents. The Redskins' offense operates best when it's committed to the run. Even with starting running back Tim Hightower out for the season, they have two backs in Ryan Torain and Roy Helu who should be able to pile up yards and help them control the clock against the Bills.

Cause for concern: Buffalo doesn't yield many sacks, as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is good at getting rid of the ball quickly and Chan Gailey has excelled at designing protections for him. So a Washington defense that's been shaky against the run and relies on getting to the quarterback could struggle if it doesn't find a way to contain star Buffalo running back Fred Jackson. The Redskins are leaning on their defense more than ever now with all of those offensive starters down with injuries. They'll need to limit Buffalo's scoring to have a chance.

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FALLING

1. Redskins' health. They lost two starting offensive linemen -- one for the season -- and valuable tight end Chris Cooley last week. This week, they lost starting running back Tim Hightower for the season and top wide receiver Santana Moss for five to seven weeks. The Redskins were always going to be a team for which everything had to be just right, and things seem to be going very, very wrong all of a sudden. They're liable to be able to fill in at running back with Ryan Torain and Roy Helu, but the injuries on the line are a major concern, as those are likely to show up more as the year goes along than they did in the first week without Trent Williams and Kory Lichtensteiger on the left side.

2. Tashard Choice. For a time, there was an opinion in Dallas that Choice deserved a chance to start -- or at least get more carries -- over Felix Jones. But he's failed to emerge, and his failure to take advantage of an opportunity against the pitiful Rams on Sunday could spell the end of his time with the Cowboys. Rookie DeMarco Murray seized that same opportunity and literally ran with it for a team-record 253 yards. There's no question which back will be featured until Jones is healthy again. The only question now is whether Choice will have a spot on the team once Jones gets back.

3. Redskins' defense. Through four games, Washington was allowing 15.25 points per game. They even did an impressive job in Week 6 against the Eagles, holding Philadelphia scoreless in the second half after giving up 20 in the first. But they allowed 33 points and 407 total yards to Cam Newton and the Panthers on Sunday, and they may be trending the wrong way. Granted, the way the offense is playing, it's asking too much of the defense. But that's not likely to get better any time soon, so the Redskins need to toughen up starting this week against Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and the high-powered offense of the Buffalo Bills.

RISING

1. DeMarco Murray. No, he's not going to get the Rams' defense every week. And scouts will tell you that his falling-forward running style will create a problem for him down the line if he doesn't clean it up. But Murray runs hard and is quick, and his performance showed the Cowboys what can be when they rely on their run game. Once Jones does come back, they would do well -- as some have been saying all along -- to mix up their running backs, not ask too much of any single one and develop a rotation that keeps their running game healthy and dangerous all year long. I don't think Tony Romo would mind the break.

2. Giants' health. What wonders a bye week can work. The Giants got Justin Tuck, Brandon Jacobs, Chris Snee, Prince Amukamara... even perpetually injured receiver Ramses Barden back at practice Monday and should be at something close to full strength for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. Health was a major issue for the Giants at the start of the season, but they've managed to go 4-2 while missing a number of key players. And except for Terrell Thomas and Jonathan Goff and guys who suffered season-ending injuries, it looks as though they may be getting most of their key contributors back on the field in time for their challenging second-half schedule.

3. Ryan Torain. He was a huge Week 6 flop against the Eagles as the Redskins got behind early and only ran the ball 12 times. But with Hightower out of the picture and Helu still a rookie, Torain should get a chance to be the Redskins' feature back this week against Buffalo. We've seen what he can do with that role, and I think you can expect big numbers as long as he stays healthy. I say "I think," because we never know with Mike Shanahan. But he likes the way Torain runs, and I'm expecting that he'll give him a chance.