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What will you remember most about Vince Young's time as the Philadelphia Eagles' backup quarterback?

Will you remember him coming in for an injured Michael Vick in Week 6 in Washington and throwing just one pass, which was intercepted?

How about the Seattle game, in which he threw four interceptions and fumbled once in the loss that ensured that the Eagles could not have a winning 2011 season?

Or the New England game the week before that, in which he passed for 400 yards, rushed for 40, threw only one interception, and yet somehow the Eagles managed to lose by 18 points?

Perhaps you're the glass-half-full sort, and you'll remember that Young somehow overcame three interceptions to lead a fourth-quarter drive and beat the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Come on. Who are we kidding? You might or might not remember any or all of those games, but we all know what you and everyone else will forever remember about Young with the Eagles -- the indelible imprint he left on the glum history of Philadelphia sports. Years from now, when you are reminded that Young did in fact play for the Eagles, you'll remember that, in his introductory news conference, when he was asked what he thought of all of the free-agent signings the team was making, he replied, "Dream Team," opening a too-easy avenue for ridicule of an Eagles team that would ultimately fail to meet any of its preseason expectations. That's what you'll remember about Young. He was the guy who said "Dream Team."

Anyway, it's a slow day, and Young signed with the Bills, which are the two reasons I wrote this post. I hope you enjoyed it.

Have you heard? The Philadelphia Eagles are having a great offseason. Yeah, again. They settled the DeSean Jackson contract mess, extended deals for a few key veterans, stole middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans from the Texans and, according to many analysts, may have had the best draft of any team in the league. If the season were starting today, I guarantee they'd be the most popular pick to win the NFC East, ahead of the Super Bowl champion Giants and everyone else.

But me, I'm not so sure. I need to see it from the quarterback.

Michael Vick will enter the 2012 season under more pressure than any other quarterback in the NFL. The Eagles have told anyone who'll listen that they believe last year's team was too talented to go 8-8, that it got better as the year went along and that the four-game winning streak that closed their season can have a carryover effect into 2012. But no matter how true any of those assertions turn out to be, it's still going to be up to Vick to cash them in.

The defense took a lot of the heat for the Eagles' 2011 disappointment, and early on it did struggle to come together. But it finished eighth in the league in fewest yards allowed and tied for the league lead in sacks. If the defense does that again, it's going to be tough to blame whatever goes wrong on that side of the ball.

It was on the offensive side that Vick turned the ball over 14 times during last year's 3-6 start, coughed up the Arizona game by playing with broken ribs and not telling anyone and then missed three games during which backup Vince Young threw enough interceptions to make Vick look like the world champion of darts. Vick was as responsible for the Eagles' flop of a season as anyone else was, and it's worth making a point of that as the Eagles look ahead to 2012 with high hopes. Because that word -- "responsible" -- is the one the Eagles would most like Vick to keep in mind.

The Eagles don't need Vick to be the dazzling, electrified, high-speed wonder he was in 2010. It'd be nice, but no one expects him to repeat that once-in-a-lifetime performance and no one ever did. What the Eagles wanted from Vick in 2011 was to evolve a bit as a top-level quarterback -- to assume more responsibility for the offense, not to mention the ball and his own body. Vick has undeniable athletic talent of a sort no one else in the league could ever dream. But what he has yet to do is take that critical next step that transforms quarterback talent into quarterback success.

The quarterbacks who become great in the NFL are the ones who treat the position as a craft to be perpetually honed and refined. Vick had that opportunity in 2011 as a clear starter on a team that surrounded him with brilliant weapons. At the urging of new offensive line coach Howard Mudd, who prefers things to work this way, Vick was for the first time in his Eagles career given the responsibility of calling the protection at the line of scrimmage -- of reading the defense before the snap and calling out the assignments for the linemen based on what he saw. At the beginning of the year, it caused confusion, as one might expect. But even as the year went on, Vick struggled to get in sync with his line.

Part of that is the style with which he plays -- running around behind the line, determined to keep plays alive past a point at which most quarterbacks would have thrown the ball out of bounds. But that's part of this responsibility theme, too. Part of Vick's maturation as a quarterback needs to include knowing what he should and shouldn't try -- and when. If he becomes more responsible about knowing the right and wrong times to take chances, that'll help his protection, his turnovers and his health.

And he has to take care of those last two things above all else. No team can afford to turn the ball over as much as the Eagles in did in 2011, and the Eagles can't afford to play without Vick. As proud as they are of their draft, last year's free agency and the depth of talent on their roster, they're not a contender if Mike Kafka or Nick Foles or Trent Edwards is the guy taking the snaps for an extended period of time. Just as they weren't a contender last year when Young was under center. The Eagles' offense is built around Vick and must run through him or it's not going to operate on the level required of a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

So the pressure on Vick isn't just to win -- it's to be responsible. To think more carefully about his throws and his other on-field decisions. To keep the big picture in mind. If he can do this -- if he can take these next critical steps in his development as a quarterback, even at the age of 32, Vick is good enough to cash in his opportunity. He's good enough to pilot an offense that has Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy to playoff glory. He's good enough to come up with that signature game-winning fourth-quarter drive his résumé still lacks. He's got the talent and he's got everything in place around him to help him succeed. But once the curtain goes up on this 2012 season, it's going to be on Vick himself to make sure he does. It may well be the best and last chance he ever gets.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are one of nine teams opening rookie minicamps Friday, and the occasion gave Calvin Watkins reason to remember Dez Bryant's rookie minicamp from two years ago -- and to write this post about the big things the Cowboys are expecting from Bryant in this, his third NFL season.

David Moore believes that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has quietly been allowing his son, Stephen Jones, more and more control of the team's day-to-day operations for a number of years now -- mainly because Jerry was so preoccupied with the building of the new stadium for some of those years -- and that Stephen and Jason Garrett are now in charge of most of the football decisions. I can't speak to the Jerry vs. Stephen dynamic as well as David can, but I do think the past two offseasons reflect an increasing level of control for Garrett over roster and coaching staff decisions.

New York Giants

The Giants' rookie camp isn't until next week, but Ohm Youngmisuk's already taking a look at the rookies, beginning with this snapshot of first-round running back David Wilson. The Giants likely have higher hopes for Wilson than do these Scouts Inc. reports, but he'll have to separate himself from that Da'Rel Scott/D.J. Ware mix in the offseason in order to have a role befitting a first-round pick.

Clark Judge thinks the Ravens should call the Giants and do a deal for Osi Umenyiora in the wake of the Terrell Suggs injury. I'm sure they will make that call, and I do believe Umenyiora could play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. But the Giants can and will ask for a lot in return for Umenyiora, whom they control cheaply for next year. They don't fear any distraction he and his contract dispute might bring. They're not desperate to move him. The Ravens are going to need to come strong (possibly with a first-round or second-round pick) if they want to pry him away. Especially because the Giants know they're desperate.

Philadelphia Eagles

Forget last year, Nick Fierro writes. This Eagles' offseason has been so good that the result is a roster that appears to be in better shape than any in memory.

Vince Young -- who spent a weird 2011 season as Michael Vick's backup, started three games while Vick was hurt, and will forever be remembered for foolishly saying the words "dream team" when asked about the Eagles' 2011 run of free-agent signings -- impressed some people in a recent workout for the Buffalo Bills. It's true. I'm told Young didn't throw one single interception during his workout in Buffalo.

Washington Redskins

As the Redskins begin their rookie minicamp Friday, Mark Maske of the Washington Post looks at what type of contract the team will end up giving to first-round draft pick Robert Griffin III, given the CBA's new restrictions on rookie contracts.

In John Keim's latest email report, he checks in with SMU coach June Jones, who says he thought offensive lineman Josh LeRibeus would go in the second round, not the third, where the Redskins picked him. Some people felt the pick was a reach, but due to their zone-blocking scheme the Redskins evaluate linemen a little differently and targeted LeRibeus.

Friday links. Friday the 13th links. Careful with these. Could be bad luck. We'll do them in reverse order today, to try and ward off curses.

Washington Redskins

John Keim was determined not to write about Robert Griffin III for a change, and so he went hunting for names of tackles and running backs the Redskins might be able to find in the middle rounds of the draft. He has actual names. Read it.

Whatever Madieu Williams is able to contribute on the field, Redskins fans can feel good about the person they're rooting for. Check out this on Williams' charitable work, which earned him the 2010 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Philadelphia Eagles

Wow, did Andy Reid find a way to make Vince Young feel good about being told goodbye. Young says Reid told him he'd have loved to bring him back, but that Young is "not a backup." I mean, it's nice that Young's confidence has been spared here, but I fail to see what he did in 2011 that makes him not a backup now if he was one then.

The performance of safety Nate Allen is likely to be a key factor in the success of the Eagles' defense in 2012. The team is counting on him to take a big step forward, and it sounds as though he's aware of the opportunity in front of him.

New York Giants

Just when it seemed things between Osi Umenyiora and the Giants had mellowed, the defensive end is once again making noises of discontent. He wouldn't say whether he'd be at the facility when voluntary workouts began Monday, he doesn't like "being a backup," and that while he wants a contract extension and to stay with the Giants, the idea that he could be traded has indeed crossed his mind. I don't think they're trading him, though I do think he's at peak value right now and from that standpoint this would be the wisest possible time to trade him if they did want to do it.

Keith Rivers, the newest member of the Giants' defense, is hoping the injury problems he's had the past couple of years are a thing of the past. The team's official release announcing the trade identified Rivers as a weak side linebacker and pointed out that Michael Boley plays that position. It did not go into detail about how the Giants were planning to align their linebackers in 2012. Methinks they're waiting to see how the draft shakes out.

Dallas Cowboys

New dad Tony Romo says he won't be satisfied with his career unless he finds a way to win a Super Bowl title. That's good for Cowboys fans to hear, because they generally feel the same way about Romo's career. The difference seems to be that Romo hasn't given up hope.

Bradie James signed with the Texans, which isn't any kind of big shock, since the Texans just traded an inside linebacker to the Eagles and the Cowboys had long ago decided not to bring back James. Todd Archer looks back on what was a pretty good career for James in Dallas.

» AFC Free-Agency Primer: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Free agency begins Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET

Dallas Cowboys

Key free agents: WR Laurent Robinson, S Abram Elam, LB Keith Brooking, LB Anthony Spencer (franchise)

Where they stand: Dallas needs serious help in the secondary and will have to decide whether it wants Elam back at safety while it pursues at least one cornerback. The Cowboys are expected to release Terence Newman, and they could look to add depth at that position and a new starter. Franchising Spencer indicates that while they would like to improve their pass rush, they won't be players in the Mario Williams market. Expect their free-agent focus to be on defensive backs and possibly some upgrades on the interior of the offensive line. They would like Robinson back as their No. 3 receiver, but if he's going to get No. 2 receiver-type offers, they'll likely let him walk.

What to expect: The top two cornerback targets are likely Kansas City's Brandon Carr and Tennessee's Cortland Finnegan. You can't rule out Dallas making a play for Saints guard Carl Nicks, who'd be a huge help to their offensive line. But someone like Baltimore's Ben Grubbs is likely to be more attainable financially. What the Cowboys really need on the line is a center, but it's not a great market for those unless they can get their hands on Houston's Chris Myers. The Cowboys likely will hunt for some second-tier safeties and inside linebackers to add depth, then target defensive back again early in the draft.

New York Giants

Key free agents: WR Mario Manningham, OT Kareem McKenzie, CB Aaron Ross, CB Terrell Thomas, LB Jonathan Goff, P Steve Weatherford (franchise).

Where they stand: The Super Bowl champs must get their own cap situation in order first, as they project to be about $7.25 million over the projected cap. That may mean tough cuts of people like Brandon Jacobs or David Diehl, or it may just mean some contract restructuring (like the big one they apparently just did with Eli Manning). Regardless, don't expect the Giants to spend big to keep Manningham or Ross. They're likely to bring back Thomas on a team-favorable deal as a result of the knee injury that cost him the entire 2011 season, and they'll probably let McKenzie walk and try to replace him internally (which favors Diehl's chances of sticking around).

What to expect: Just like last year, don't expect the Giants to be big-game hunters. They like to grow their own replacements. If Manningham leaves, they won't go after the top wide receivers but might try to find a bargain or two to supplement the young players from whom they're expecting more production next season. They could find a midlevel safety if they don't bring back Deon Grant, and if Jacobs leaves they'll probably bring in a veteran running back or two to compete in training camp with their youngsters. They liked Ronnie Brown last year as a possible Ahmad Bradshaw replacement when Bradshaw was a pending free agent, so there's a name to watch for if you want one.

Philadelphia Eagles

Key free agents: G Evan Mathis, DT Trevor Laws, DT Antonio Dixon (restricted), WR DeSean Jackson (franchise), QB Vince Young

Where they stand: Other than Mathis, whom they're working to try and re-sign before he his the market, the Eagles don't have many internal free-agent issues to worry about. They franchised Jackson because they're not ready to give him a long-term deal just yet. He's a candidate for a trade, but it would have to be a very nice offer. If they traded him, they'd hunt for a wide receiver, but they may do so anyway -- just at a lower level (think Plaxico Burress). The interior of the defensive line is in fairly good hands with Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson as starters, but they could stand to add depth to that rotation. And while they signed Trent Edwards a couple of weeks ago, they'll keep looking for a better veteran backup quarterback option with Young sure to be gone.

What to expect: Do not -- I repeat, do not -- expect the Eagles to be the same kind of player they were in free agency a year ago. Andy Reid made it very clear several times during the 2011 offseason and season that last year was unique, and the Eagles don't like to do business that way in general. They do need linebackers, and they have the cap room to play on guys like Stephen Tulloch or Curtis Lofton or even, if they wanted to get really nutty, London Fletcher. But while you can expect them to add a veteran or two at the position, don't be surprised if they sit out the higher-priced auctions this time around.

Washington Redskins

Key free agents: S LaRon Landry, LB London Fletcher, DE Adam Carriker, TE Fred Davis (franchise), QB Rex Grossman

Where they stand: Mike Shanahan said in December that Fletcher was a priority, but he remains unsigned with less than a week to go before free agency. Presumably, they'd still like to lock him up before he hits the market. If they can't, they'll have to replace a major on-field and off-field presence. Carriker is likely to be back, but the Fletcher situation has to be settled first. Landry likely is gone unless he wants to take a low-base, high-incentive deal to stay. The Redskins are sick of not knowing whether he'll be able to take the field from week to week. Grossman could return, but only as a backup to whatever quarterback upgrade they find.

What to expect: The Redskins could have more than $40 million in cap room with which to maneuver in free agency, and they're going to need it. They need a quarterback, of course, and if they can't make the trade with the Rams to move up to No. 2 in the draft and pick Robert Griffin III, they'll look at Peyton Manning and Kyle Orton and possibly Matt Flynn, though he doesn't appear to be high on their list. What Shanahan really wants is a true playmaking No. 1 wide receiver, which is why the Redskins have their eyes on Vincent Jackson and Marques Colston, who are at the very top end of that market. They'll be able to outbid almost anyone for those guys if they want to, but they may have to get quarterback figured out first if they want to persuade one of them to take their offer over similar ones. They'll also hunt for help on the offensive line and in the secondary, as they need depth in both places.

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to sign former Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards for a backup quarterback role, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday. This almost certainly means that Vince Young's contributions as an Eagle will come out to three 2011 starts, nine interceptions, two losses, one somewhat inexplicable victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants and the historically unfortunate decision to utter the words "dream team" when asked last summer how he would describe the Eagles' slew of free-agent signings.

Edwards is to compete with Mike Kafka for the job of No. 2 quarterback behind Michael Vick. This is not an insignificant thing, because Vick generally does not make it through an entire year without missing at least some games due to injury. Edwards worked out for the Eagles recently, has some experience running a West Coast offense and fits the description of experienced veteran unlikely to fall completely apart if he finds himself thrust into the role of starting NFL quarterback for a couple of weeks.

Edwards is 28 years old. He did not play in the NFL last year. He started two games for the Bills and one for the Jaguars in 2010. He was Buffalo's starting quarterback for most of 2007 and 2008. If he has to play a significant number of games in 2012, the Eagles are probably toast. But he's a backup quarterback, and they needed one. They weren't going to go with Young again. He becomes a free agent.

Three days until the conference championship games. Is it raining in San Francisco yet? Let's have some links while we check.

New York Giants

Johnette Howard writes that the Giants are the most complete team left in this playoff field. I can buy that. The 49ers have a better defense but not a lot of offense. The Patriots have a better offense but absolutely nothing on defense. The Ravens are fine at both, but certainly not as explosive on offense as the Giants are. So I'm with Johnette on this. Curious to see whether it helps overcome that Niner defense on the road, is all.

Tara Sullivan takes a look at how breakout star Victor Cruz's life and outlook have changed since becoming a father a week and a half ago. "Turns out I'm a natural," Cruz says. "My hands are big, so she just fits right in."

Philadelphia Eagles

This notebook tells us Eagles linebacker Jamar Chaney had surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck, and that former Bills quarterback Trent Edwards recently worked out for the Eagles, who are exploring backup quarterback options in case they decide Vince Young wasn't the answer there.

Jonathan Tamari takes up the question of what Andy Reid would do for an offensive coordinator if Marty Mornhinweg were to get one of the head coaching jobs with which he's recently been connected. Mornhinweg and Reid do appear to have worked quite well together and to share a lot of the same beliefs and philosophies. And I still think the Eagles, after what they went through this past year, will be loath to impose major scheme and philosophy changes this offseason.

Dallas Cowboys

Todd Archer takes his turn today at "Fixing the Cowboys" as ESPNDallas.com continues that fine series. Todd believes Dallas' priorities should be the pass rush and the pass protection, as this is a passing league and the Cowboys already have a passer. Some have suggested cornerback as a priority, but Todd is of the opinion that cornerbacks can be found in many places and the important thing is to be smart about which one you get. He'd break the bank for a pass-rusher or two and some offensive line help.

Blogging the Boys feels similarly and goes as far as to say the Cowboys need to look to the NFC East team still playing as a model of how to build their team. Even if they feel dirty saying such a thing.

Washington Redskins

John Keim took a spin through the Pro Football Focus rankings of the Redskins' pending free agents and found out that Adam Carriker and Will Montgomery didn't grade out very well while London Fletcher, not surprisingly, did. We know they're working hard to keep Fletcher, but it'll be interesting to see what they do on the offensive and defensive lines, where they believe they can get better.

The Redskins have lost another assistant coach, as linebackers coach Lou Spanos is off to become Jim Mora's defensive coordinator at UCLA. Spanos deserves credit for his work with the linebackers, which were a strength of the Redskins' team this past year and look as though they'll continue to be a strength into the future.

What happens when an easily stoppable force meets an easily movable object? If Saturday's game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys is close in the fourth quarter, we might find out.

Dallas and Philadelphia have been two of the worst fourth-quarter teams in the NFL this season. The Cowboys have led in the fourth quarter in five of their six losses, and in three of those games the fourth-quarter lead was at least 12 points. The Eagles have held fourth-quarter leads in five of their eight losses -- tough, close defeats at the hands of the Falcons, 49ers, Giants, Bears and Cardinals that have pushed their season into its current dire circumstances.

Their inability to hold fourth-quarter leads is the main reason one or both of these teams didn't lock up a playoff berth weeks ago. Each one is an extremely talented club that has shown ability to hang in games with some of the best teams in the NFL. But each is also adept, it would seem, at gakking away a game at the very end.

The Eagles made this a non-issue the first time these teams played, blowing the Cowboys out of the water in Week 8 in Philadelphia. And the way the Eagles have played the past two weeks, that could very well happen again. But if this game is close at the end, believe it or not, it's the Cowboys who are the better bet to pull it out. Although neither team can make a fourth-quarter stop, the Cowboys have at least shown the ability to score some fourth-quarter points.

With the help of the invaluable ESPN Stats & Information Group, we find that it's not just our imaginations. These teams are two of the worst fourth-quarter defensive teams in the league. The Eagles are allowing 100.6 yards per game in the fourth quarter this season, which ranks 26th in the league. The Cowboys rank 27th, allowing 101.9. Philadelphia has allowed 13 fourth-quarter touchdowns and Dallas has allowed 10. Both numbers rank near the bottom of the league. Opposing teams are averaging 75.1 passing yards per game in the fourth quarter against the Eagles, which ranks 24th in the league. The Cowboys are even worse, ranking 30th with 80.8 fourth-quarter passing yards allowed.

So yeah, I know, you're going to have a bunch of family over and the kids will be bouncing off the walls and looking out the window for Santa Claus, but the Stats & Info Group and I are here to tell you: Don't turn that television off in the fourth quarter.

The thing is, although both teams have been abysmal defensively in fourth quarters this season, the Cowboys have actually been a pretty good offensive team. Dallas is fourth in the league with an average of 109.6 yards of offense and third in the league with an average of 80.3 passing yards per fourth quarter. Their 11 fourth-quarter touchdowns are tied for eighth.

Tony Romo should be able to beat the Eagles' secondary with deep throws late if the Cowboys can keep the game close. In the first three quarters of games this season, the Eagles limit opponents to a 24.1 completion percentage, 8.8 yards per attempt and a league-low Total QBR of 46.1 on throws of 21 or more yards downfield. In the fourth quarter, those numbers go through the roof -- a 56.3 completion percentage, 20.1 yards per attempt and a Total QBR of 100.0, which is the highest possible Total QBR.

To recap: For three quarters, the Eagles' defense takes the big play away almost completely. But in the fourth quarter, it's all yours whenever you want it. As long as the Cowboys don't get destroyed the way they did early in the Week 8 game, they will have a chance to come back and win.

So will the Eagles, of course, but the difference is that Michael Vick & Co. aren't as good at actually doing it. The Eagles average 84.6 yards per game in the fourth quarter this season, which ranks 21st in the league. They average 52.4 passing yards per fourth quarter, which ranks 24th. And their seven fourth-quarter touchdowns represent the seventh-lowest such figure in the NFL. It is Vick's chief failure as a member of the Eagles that he has been unable to orchestrate a signature game-winning drive -- to bring the Eagles back from behind and win a game in the fourth quarter. The Eagles have done it once this season, and it was backup quarterback Vince Young who did it to the Giants.

Vick could get his chance Saturday. The way the Cowboys have been playing, there's every reason to expect this game to be close and high-scoring into and right on through the fourth quarter. But assuming it is, Romo's a better bet than Vick is to find a way to win it.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Antrel Rolle didn't like my question. It was about the consistently permissive play of the New York Giants' secondary this season, and Rolle responded by asking me how many passing yards Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman had in Sunday's 23-10 Redskins victory. When someone else told him it was 185, he laughed and shook his head, indicating that the number had rendered my question foolish.

Whatever. I don't love being talked down to by football players, but it's hardly the first time and I can take it. What I dispute is not Rolle's understandable attitude but rather his flawed premise. Just because Grossman didn't throw for 350 yards doesn't mean the Giants played a good defensive game. Grossman is not Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers or Tony Romo -- the three guys who picked apart the Giants' defense the past three weeks. I guess if you want to get technical, he's not even Vince Young, who got 258 against them the last time they lost a home game to a division opponent they should have handled without any trouble.

Grossman is the quarterback of the Redskins. And when the Redskins' offense is at its best, it's not throwing for tons of yards. It's running and controlling the clock and converting every third down in sight with a smart, not spectacular, throw. Grossman got picked off twice early in the game on deep throws and then he and the Redskins' coaches made the very smart decision to cut those out. And thereafter, the Redskins did absolutely everything they wanted to do on offense the rest of the game. They dominated the Giants, and just because they were low-key about it doesn't mean Rolle and his defensive teammates shouldn't be ashamed of themselves.

The Giants (7-7) had the chance Sunday to step up and win an important game -- they're now a game behind Dallas (8-6) in the NFC East with two to play -- and they failed because they are insufficiently equipped and inconsistently motivated. What's even more maddening about these Giants than their inability to stop opposing offenses is their inability to figure out why they can't.

"They just kind of started bleeding us a little bit," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "I don't know how to tell you what went wrong. We just didn't make enough plays, I guess. That was our Achilles' heel all day. We didn't keep them off the football field."

The Redskins played exactly the game they wanted to play, and the Giants could do nothing to stop them. They can do nothing, right now, to stop anyone. Their defense is a sieve, and their only hope of winning a game right now, no matter the opponent, is for Eli Manning and the offense to go absolutely bonkers. On Sunday, Manning threw three interceptions, Hakeem Nicks dropped a sure touchdown pass and the Giants couldn't make one of Manning's patented comebacks. Bad game for the Giants' quarterback? Sure. But everybody's entitled to one, and you'd like to think that, when it happens, the other parts of your team will pick you up. Right now, there's no other aspect of the Giants capable of doing that, and when Manning doesn't play great, they have no chance.

"You just keep working at it and keep trying," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said when asked about the problems in pass coverage. "We keep maneuvering around and changing coverages and trying to get people in the best possible spots. We're trying to understand what the opponent will try and do to us. That continues."

But there continue to be no answers. The Giants have been running rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara out there for significant numbers of key snaps. He continues to play like a rookie who missed the first half of the season with a foot injury, still working to learn the communication nuances that are vital to his ability to do his job. And opposing teams are targeting him relentlessly -- enough that Coughlin stuck him on the bench for much of the second half.

"It seemed like they threw the ball in that direction and we were not having a lot of success," Coughlin said. "But it wasn't just him. It wasn't just Prince."

Which is the problem. The Giants could carry a rookie at the No. 3 cornerback spot if starting corners Corey Webster and Aaron Ross were covering better. Or if Rolle and Deon Grant were making plays at the safety position. Or if they had anything at all at linebacker. Or if their pass rush was at full strength. But because of injuries and an initial lack of depth, the defense is too shorthanded at too many places. And the starters who are playing (such as Rolle) seem concerned about the wrong things. Who cares how many yards Grossman had if he was 7-for-10 on third down?

"I don't think they did anything special today," said Rolle, who claimed after the Week 1 loss in Washington that the Giants would beat the Redskins 99 times if they played them 100. "We could have made things a lot more difficult for them than we did."

That right there is the point, Rolle. The Giants' defense is making it too easy for the opposing offense and the opposing quarterback, no matter who it is, every single week. Just because Sunday's game wasn't some epic shootout doesn't make that any less true than it was against the Saints or the Packers or the Cowboys. When the Giants need to make a stop, they can't. And while they still have a chance to win the division by winning their final two games, at some point the fact that they're a very bad defense is going to cost them.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who played Sunday's game after missing three straight with broken ribs, did not practice with the Eagles on Wednesday, according to multiple eyewitness reports. Tim McManus reports that Eagles coach Andy Reid said Vick was sore, but that he did throw some during the morning walkthrough and that Reid expects Vick to play Sunday against the Jets. Tim also reports that wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who missed those same three games with a hamstring injury and was unable to finish Sunday's game, practiced with the team Wednesday.

What to make of the Vick thing? Well, it's not a step forward in his recovery, that's for sure, since he took every first-team practice snap last week. But he hadn't played in a game the Sunday before, so it's entirely possible this is just something like one of those late-season Wednesdays off that veterans get this time of year. If Vick doesn't practice Thursday, then it's worth sounding an alarm bell or two. But it's perfectly conceivable he was just getting this day off to help him rest and recover. Vick said Tuesday he still wasn't back to 100 percent, yet.

If Vick couldn't go, the Eagles likely would turn back to Vince Young, who threw four interceptions in a loss to Seattle in the last game Vick missed. But for now, it doesn't seem worth worrying about that. Vick has said he's determined to play and help the Eagles win their last three games, which is the only chance they have at making the playoffs.

The Eagles could be eliminated from the NFC East race before they even take the field at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, since the Cowboys play Saturday night and the Giants play early Sunday. If the Cowboys and Giants both win, the Eagles are out of the division race. If that happens and the Falcons and Lions also both win, the Eagles would be eliminated from playoff contention entirely, whether they win their last three games or not.

As you get ready for this afternoon's game against the Dolphins in Miami, here's one reason for Philadelphia Eagles fans to be feeling good and one reason for concern:

Feeling good: Well, you get your quarterback back. After three games of Vince Young, Interception Machine (yeah, he even threw three in the game he won), Michael Vick returns from his broken ribs to see if he can't salvage something -- if only self-respect -- out of the final four games of the Eagles' season. There was some thought that wide receiver Jeremy Maclin would be back, too, but he was downgraded from probable to questionable on Saturday and now looks like a game-time decision with that hamstring injury. Regardless, the return of Vick will help the offense run better, might help get DeSean Jackson re-engaged and is the Eagles' best chance to win their last four games and give them even an outside chance at the playoffs.

Cause for concern: These are not September and October's Dolphins. Miami has won four of five since it's 0-7 start and has outscored opponents 139-54 over that stretch. The defense is playing inspired and getting to the quarterback. The offense is clicking as quarterback Matt Moore is getting the ball to Brandon Marshall and tight end Anthony Fasano and Reggie Bush is leading the run game. This may have looked like a pushover second-half game a few weeks back, but (a) so did Seattle and (b) these Dolphins are playing some of the best all-around football of any team in the league right now. The Eagles will have to play their absolute best -- something we've seen them do for a full game maybe twice all season.

Wednesday links. The perfect appetizer for a day of injury updates and look-aheads to this week's games. Any big ones this week in the NFC East? Hmmm ...

Dallas Cowboys

Tim MacMahon credits Rob Ryan for taking a Cowboys defense that was one of the league's worst last year and turning it into an above-average one. But as talk has begun to swirl about Ryan's head-coaching future, Tim thought it was worth taking a step back and pointing out that Ryan still has work to do to turn this Dallas defense into a championship-level one. It certainly played that way early in the year, but the recent success that mediocre quarterbacks have had against it calls into question whether Ryan's work here is actually done.

Blogging the Boys looked at the five sacks of Tony Romo in Sunday's game and concluded that two of them were directly Romo's fault, two were the fault of the protection (though he could have checked out of one) and one was the fault of both equally. In the end, BTB believes it's a good thing that the Cowboys won't see another 3-4 defense this year, since they seem to struggle for whatever reason in pass protection against those looks.

New York Giants

Justin Tuck says he's struggling to understand why the Giants' passion and sense of urgency seem to fade in and out from week to week -- i.e., why so flat against the Eagles and Saints but so focused and intense against the 49ers and Packers. My personal theory is that the Giants are weak in a couple of the areas (rush offense, rush defense, pass coverage) that can help teams control games. You can win games with a strong passing attack and pass rush, but it's easier to control games when you can run the ball, stop the run and cover receivers consistently. So a team that struggles in those areas, to me, shouldn't be surprised to find itself showing up as inconsistent from week to week. Just my theory.

If it really is about passion and urgency, though, the Giants seem to believe the return of running back Ahmad Bradshaw from his foot injury helped on Sunday and will continue to help going forward. Bradshaw helps in a lot of ways, but the quotes in this story seem to indicate he helps a lot with the team's on-field attitude and seriousness.

Philadelphia Eagles

Phil Sheridan writes that Vince Young played poorly enough to make Michael Vick look good. But Phil's not buying it. Not buying that Vick is the long-term answer at quarterback, not buying that the team's commitment to Vick should spare Andy Reid's job ... basically, Phil's fed up and thinks everybody's awful and should go. Hey, he's not the only one in Philly who thinks that way these days.

And for those dreaming of a post-Reid time in Philadelphia, Paul Domowitch offers a list of seven potential replacements. The list includes the three usual suspects plus former Falcons and Seahawks coach Jim Mora, current Cincinnati and San Francisco defensive coordinators Mike Zimmer and Vic Fangio and Cardinals offensive line coach Russ Grimm.

Washington Redskins

On Tuesday evening, the NFL officially announced the four-game suspensions for left tackle Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis for violations of the league's substance abuse policy. The next time you'll see Williams and Davis in a game is 2012, and it's not going to be easy for the Redskins to score points down the stretch this season without them.

That's going to put even more pressure on the Redskins' defense, which has been among the league leaders in sacks this season but, Ryan Kerrigan says, was "disappointed" not to get any Sunday against the Jets and Mark Sanchez. I was a little surprised about that, too, given the pass-protection issues the Jets have had this season. (Former Redskin Andre Carter sacked Sanchez 4.5 times in one game.) It's not out of the question that a Redskins defense of which so much has been asked might be slowing down in the season's final weeks.

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FALLING

1. Jason Garrett, Cowboys coach. Garrett is under fire this week after basically blowing the game against the Cardinals with poor clock management in the final minute. He should have called a timeout but didn't. Then he shouldn't have but did. And in the end, his rookie kicker, who thought he'd made the game-winning kick, missed it and no one could stop LaRod Stephens-Howling in overtime and now everybody thinks Garrett's a clown who's in over his head. Fact is, Garrett's a young coach who's still finding his way and has done a very good job so far. But his Week 13 gaffe cost the Cowboys a chance to take a commanding two-game division lead into the final four weeks. He can of course make up for it by beating the Giants on Sunday.

2. Trent Williams and Fred Davis: Williams, the Washington Redskins' starting left tackle, and Davis, their breakout tight end, have seen their seasons go up in smoke, as they will miss the final four games while serving suspensions for repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy. It's a tough blow for a Redskins offense that wasn't exactly lighting up the scoreboard to begin with. These two guys ignored repeated warnings about their behavior, and have left their team in a tough situation.

3. Juan Castillo, Eagles defensive coordinator: After the latest egg laid by the Philadelphia Eagles' defense, it's becoming increasingly clear that their first-year defensive coordinator can't return in the same role in 2012. Some have speculated that Andy Reid would need to fire or at least demote Castillo in order to save his own job. And that's surely possible. But even if it weren't the case, it's hard to imagine bringing back Castillo as defensive coordinator and asking the players on the defense to buy in when they clearly haven't done so this year.

RISING

1. New York Giants' passing game. The Saints, Patriots and Packers are the only teams in the NFL this year with more passing yards than the Giants, whose air attack remains one of the more underrated units in the league because of persistent (and largely unjustified) negative perceptions of quarterback Eli Manning. Victor Cruz has emerged as a top wide receiver, and Hakeem Nicks showed several times Sunday why he's one of the elite wideouts in the league, dominating his matchups in the second half as the Giants hung in with the unbeaten Packers. Manning, Cruz and Nicks are good enough to keep the Giants in any game as long as the defense doesn't completely melt down the way it did against New Orleans in Week 12.

2. Michael Vick, Eagles quarterback. Well, it appears as though he'll be back this week, and not a moment too soon for the Eagles, who are surely sick of watching Vince Young throw the ball to the other team. As long as he stays healthy, Vick will be the Eagles' starting quarterback for the rest of the season. And whether they have a realistic chance or not, the way Vick plays over the final four games will have an effect on the way he's perceived by fans, teammates, coaches and the organization going into what looks like a critical 2012 season.

3. Cowboys offense. Fullback Tony Fiammetta appears set to return from his mystery illness and play Sunday against the Giants. This is great news for the Cowboys. Rookie tailback DeMarco Murray has held up fine in Fiammetta's absence, but the Dallas run game has lacked the explosiveness it had when Fiammetta was in there blocking for him. With Miles Austin also likely to return from his second hamstring injury of the year, the Cowboys should be at full strength on offense for Sunday's divisional showdown, and that could be trouble for a Giants team that had a hard time handling the wide array of weapons the Saints and Packers threw at it the past two weeks.

Tuesday morning in the East, which means we look ahead to a day of chatting, Stock-Watching and Power-Ranking. But it always starts with the links.

Dallas Cowboys

Jason Garrett said he wouldn't do anything differently about the end of Sunday's game if he had it to do again. My guess is that this is false, and meant as a way of expressing confidence in rookie kicker Dan Bailey. But if it's actually true, it's worth keeping an eye on just how stubborn a young coach Garrett intends to be. Anyway, Tim MacMahon thinks it would help Garrett if the team brought in someone else to call offensive plays.

Good news on the injury front for the Cowboys. In addition to perpetually injured wide receiver Miles Austin, it appears as though fullback Tony Fiammetta is recovered from whatever illness was keeping him out of action and should return for Sunday's critical division game against the Giants. The run game hasn't worked as well without Fiammetta as it did when he was in there blocking for DeMarco Murray, and Fiammetta's return should make the Cowboys an especially formidable run team against the Giants' below-average run defense.

New York Giants

That Giants' run defense will suffer from the absence of injured safety Kenny Phillips, who appears as though he'll miss the game with a sprained knee ligament. While the Giants have some depth in the secondary and can cover the Phillips injury from a manpower standpoint, he's been a consistent bright spot on their defense and one of the best safeties in the league this year -- especially helpful in run support with the Giants' relative weaknesses at linebacker.

On the offensive side, however, the Giants have more reason than they've had all year to feel good about their own run game. The return of Ahmad Bradshaw seemed to spark everyone from Brandon Jacobs to the patchwork offensive line, which had one of its best run-blocking games of the season in Sunday's loss to the Packers.

Philadelphia Eagles

Bob Ford thinks the Eagles should release Vince Young and sign Donovan McNabb to be their backup quarterback for the final four games of this season. I understand that McNabb is well remembered in Philadelphia, but the fact is Young -- interceptions and all -- has shown a great deal more effectiveness as a quarterback over the past two years than has McNabb, who appears finished and went unclaimed when put on waivers last week by the Vikings. I'd agree with Bob if this were the McNabb of even two years ago. But it's not.

Meantime, Andy Reid appears to be playing the "youth" card, as he pointed out on a radio appearance that he has the youngest team in the league and building a winner takes time. Fans will hate this, of course, but he's saying it either because he wants the front office and ownership to understand it or because he and the front office already have discussed it and it's to become the going-forward narrative about what went wrong in Philly this year.

Washington Redskins

Rich Campbell brings you the bright side of the Trent Williams and Fred Davis suspensions, which is potential playing-time opportunities for guys like Willie Smith and Sean Locklear at tackle and Logan Paulsen at tight end. No offense to any of those guys -- or to Rich for his silver-lining hunt -- but the upshot of all of this is that the Redskins are going to find it very difficult to score any points over the final four games.

One of the guys who will find the going tougher as a result of the behavior of those two knuckleheads is rookie running back Roy Helu, who willingly acknowledges that he still has plenty to work on. Helu says he knows he has to become a better pass-blocker, for instance, and had a great quote for Mike Jones about where he is in his development: "Complacency is one of my enemies."

In his day-after news conference following the Philadelphia Eagles' embarrassing loss in Seattle, coach Andy Reid took issue with the way wide receiver DeSean Jackson was portrayed on the NFL Network's broadcast of the game. At various times, the broadcast showed Jackson failing to turn around and look for a ball on a deep route, appearing to stare into space and ignore quarterback Vince Young while Young was talking to him on the sideline, and laughing with opponents while teammate Nnamdi Asomugha lay on the ground following a head injury. But Reid said the video was taken out of context and that he believed Jackson's head was in Thursday's game. Per the Philadelphia Daily News:

"You can take a camera and make it look any way you want to make it look." Reid said at his day after news conference. "I am telling you, that kid was all in last night and wanted to win that game as much as anybody."

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Eric Hartline/US PresswireEagles receiver DeSean Jackson has left himself open to criticism with his recent behavior.

At one point, NFL Network cameras showed quarterback Vince Young talking to Jackson and Jackson seemingly not paying much attention. At another point, the NFL Network reported that Jackson was not talking to his teammates on the sideline.

"There was nothing on the sidelines, no commotion with him and Vince," Reid said. "There is nothing there. Nothing."

"I am not sure they know who's talking to who and so on and what the conversation is about," Reid said. "Not knowing the language, I don't know how you are able to go into that stuff ... This is petty stuff."

OK. Fair enough. Reid was on that sideline and we weren't, and it's certainly important to consider every potential side to any story. There's no doubt that the commentators were making presumptions about what was going on, discussing what it looked like, since at the time that's all they could discuss. I'm sure they'd admit that, and it's possible that they and everyone else who was watching and drew similar conclusions were wrong.

For instance, on the deep route where Young was looking for him and he failed to turn around, Reid said Jackson's job was to clear a cornerback. And when asked why Jackson hasn't had many impact games this year, Reid said, "He has people's attention, particularly on the deep balls."

And that's possible, sure. Jackson has played the past three games without Jeremy Maclin on the opposite side of the field, and it's possible defenses can now focus extra attention his way with Maclin out. Jackson also has played the past three games with a backup quarterback, and it's possible that has affected his ability to impact games (though he did drop two touchdown passes from that quarterback Sunday against New England).

Thing is, Larry Fitzgerald manages to impact games without the help of a strong threat on the opposite side of the field. So do Calvin Johnson and Steve Smith and Brandon Marshall. And while Jackson might not be the same kind of player those receivers are, he certainly wanted the Eagles to believe he was when he went into this season asking for a long-term contract extension. If you want to get paid like one of the best receivers in the game, you have to find a way to transcend the obstacles put in your path by such things as increased attention from the defense and injuries to key teammates.

The other thing is, the Eagles are drowning in negativity right now. The atmosphere around the team as it has sunk to 4-8 after such high preseason expectations is one that will foster "petty stuff" and lead people to look for and believe the worst about the players involved. Jackson has made himself a target with his recent behavior -- the Week 10 benching for missing a meeting, the Week 11 taunting penalty, the Week 12 drops and resultant fourth-quarter benching. He's come out and admitted that his contract situation has been bothering and distracting him. When you do all of those things, you're putting yourself in a position to be picked on. People are going to be looking for reasons to criticize you. You need to be flawless and above reproach in your public behavior and the appearance you put forth, or else you're going to find yourself subject to "petty" critiques as well as legitimate ones.

So I don't know whether the criticisms of Jackson, his performance and his body language Thursday night were justified. But I do know they wouldn't have happened but for the way he played and conducted himself in the three weeks prior. Reid, Jackson and the Eagles have had a lousy, underachieving season and invited people to think the worst of them. That's why they find themselves having to defend against such "petty stuff."