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NEW ORLEANS -- A couple of thoughts on the overmatched New York Giants' third loss in a row:

What it means: The Giants are playing uphill now. They're a full game behind the first-place Cowboys with a couple of very tough games left on their schedule. The two remaining head-to-head matchups against Dallas mean they'll have a chance no matter what happens next week, but they've given away their division lead quickly, and the confidence and momentum they had three weeks ago after their big win in New England has faded.

No answers: The problem the Giants had on defense in this game had nothing to do with scheme or effort or energy or any of the things people usually like to jump on. This was all about personnel -- namely, the Giants' not having enough of it to compete with the Saints and all of their offensive weapons. With the weaknesses they have at linebacker and in the secondary, there's simply no way the Giants could cover Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston and Lance Moore and Darren Sproles and ... well, you get the picture. And when the Saints got close to the goal line in the second half and the receivers were covered, Drew Brees just ran the ball into the end zone himself. This was a mismatch from the start. There aren't a lot of defenses in the league that can handle the Saints' offense even when they're at full strength. The Giants' defense is not and hasn't been since training camp, and it showed up big time Monday night.

Manning can't do it all: Once again, the Giants could do absolutely nothing in the run game. They are, statistically, the worst running team in the league, and they did nothing to change that Monday. The offensive line is opening no holes, Brandon Jacobs can't get yards around the edge anymore and Ahmad Bradshaw is still out with his foot injury. The complete absence of a run game has forced quarterback Eli Manning to carry the Giants' offense, and while he's done a good job of that for most of this season, they can't keep asking him to do everything. Manning hurt himself with an interception in the end zone in the first quarter. But while the Giants were able to move the ball for most of the night, and Manning did finally connect with Victor Cruz for a 72-yard touchdown once the game was out of hand, the Saints were able to get the stops they needed to get because they always knew Manning was going to have to throw.

Bright spots? Sure. There were a couple. Cruz has emerged as a remarkably serious threat at the wide receiver position. He had a monster game even aside from the long touchdown catch -- finishing the night with nine catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Jason Pierre-Paul's tackle of Graham just short of the first-down marker on the Saints' early fake field goal was a brilliantly athletic play. And Jacobs did flash his old form on one play -- his 8-yard touchdown run, on which he barreled through defenders the way he used to. Not a good game for Jacobs overall, though.

Where's the pass rush? People keep asking why the Giants don't blitz more, but I think it's because they don't trust their coverage units to play short-handed. So they need to get pressure with their front four to have a chance to run their defense the way they want to run it. Lately, that front four hasn't been getting to the quarterback the way it was earlier in the season. And when Osi Umenyiora left this game with an ankle injury, things got worse. The Giants' defense needs to get sacks in order to stop anyone.

What's next: There's really only one way next week's game could be tougher than this one was, and that's if it were against the 11-0 Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately for the Giants, it is. The good news for them is that at least they'll be home for that game, which is Sunday afternoon.

NEW ORLEANS -- Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints’ 49-24 win against the New York Giants on Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

What it means: The Saints are 8-3 and still alone at the top of the NFC South. They also have the city of New Orleans rocking as the season comes down to crunch time. When teams have to come into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for prime-time games late in the season, the Saints have a huge home-field edge. They’ve got the Lions coming in for a prime-time game Sunday, and the Falcons come to New Orleans the night after Christmas. If the Saints win the NFC South and get the No. 3 seed, they’re pretty much guaranteed a trip to the NFC Championship Game, which could be a return trip to Lambeau Field, where the Saints started the season with a close loss to the Packers. But, hey, I'm thinking anything is possible for the Saints right now. This season is starting to remind me a lot more of 2009 than 2010.

The streak is over: The Saints had lost the coin toss in each of their first 10 games. That ended Monday night as they won the toss and elected to receive.

What I liked: Everything on offense. The Saints have so many weapons, and coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees use them all so well, it’s almost unfair for a defense to have to put only 11 players on the field. It might have been a little hard to notice because of Brees' ridiculous passing numbers, but the Saints also ran the ball pretty well.

The confidence factor: I wasn't crazy about it at the time when Payton went with a fake field goal on the first drive. It didn't work. But he basically was saying, "I don't care if we score here or not. This offense is going to put up so many points that it won't matter if we get seven, three or zero points here." He was right.

What I didn’t like: New Orleans’ defense gave up way too many yards. Then again, it didn’t really matter because there was no way a depleted New York defense was going to stop Brees and the New Orleans offense. But New Orleans still needs some improvement on defense, or that might come back to bite the Saints in the postseason.

Unsung hero: Linebacker Will Herring was hurt much of the early part of the season, and we haven’t seen much of him since he’s been healthy. But Herring showed up big, intercepting Eli Manning in the first quarter.

What’s next: The Saints host the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.

SAN DIEGO -- A look at an overtime thriller on an 80-plus degree day by the sea, where the Denver Broncos beat the San Diego Chargers 16-13:

What it means: Denver is now 6-5 and has won five of Tim Tebow's six starts. It trails Oakland by one game. San Diego has lost six straight games and is 4-7. Cue the Norv Turner-gets-fired talk. It will probably happen at the end of the season.

Tomorrow’s talker: What do you think? Tebow’s second NFL overtime game ends in victory. The kid got better as the game went on and once again he proved he gives this team a chance to win. The NFL’s wildest, unlikeliest story continues.

Miller (and Doom) time: Denver pass-rushers Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller are continuing to be a nasty duo now that Dumervil is healthy. Dumervil had two sacks and Miller had one Sunday. Dumervil has all 5.5 of his sacks in the past four games. Miller now has 10.5 sacks this season. He is four sacks off of Jevon Kearse's NFL rookie sack record.

Philip Rivers' protection caves in: The Chargers are playing without six offensive linemen. Think about that. That’s mind-boggling. They did a solid job last week at Chicago and for parts of Sunday’s game, but the protection did collapse late.

Third-down conversion: Denver football leader John Elway said he wants to see Tebow improve on third down. Denver improved some, but it wasn’t great. It was 5-of-16.

Mathews comes on strong: San Diego running back Ryan Mathews played well -- and he didn’t fumble, which was has been a problem. He had 137 yards on 22 carries. He played winning football Sunday.

What’s next: San Diego plays at Jacksonville on “Monday Night Football” and Denver plays at Minnesota. Both are very winnable roadies.

PHILADELPHIA -- Rapid reaction from the Patriots’ 38-20 win over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field:

What it means: The blowout win improves the Patriots to 8-3 and has them keeping pace atop the AFC standings with Baltimore and Houston. This is important when it comes to competing for a potential No. 1 playoff seed. The rest of the Patriots’ season looks like this -- vs. Indianapolis; at Washington; at Denver; vs. Miami; vs. Buffalo. They are positioned to finish 13-3 and are playing solid football at the right time.

Mental toughness shines through: This was a tough spot for the Patriots, hitting the road to face a talented, desperate 4-6 team that couldn’t afford another loss if it hoped to make the playoffs. The Eagles were coming off a solid win over the Giants and jumped out to a 10-0 first-quarter lead, and that’s the type of situation that can sink teams on the road. But not the Patriots. If we’ve learned anything about them this season, it’s that they’re mentally tough; if you’re going to knock them out, they’re going to make you earn it. This is a solid team that deserves a tip of the cap as it plays without some of its best talent because of injuries. One key in the win over the Eagles was dominating defensively on third down.

Tom Terrific once again: Quarterback Tom Brady was surgical (24-of-34 for 361 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs). He eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark for the seventh time this year, and the 41^st time of his career. The Eagles struggled to generate pressure, giving Brady time to pick the Eagles’ defense apart. He made it look easy. Backup Brian Hoyer entered the game with 6:54 remaining, replacing Brady for the first time this year. Brady's favorite targets were receivers Wes Welker (8 catches, 115 yards, 2 TDs) and Deion Branch (6 catches, 125 yards). The Patriots trailed 10-7 after the first quarter before pulling away, an impressive hurry-up attack at the start of the third quarter driving the final nail in the Eagles' coffin.

Vollmer an injury to monitor: On the injury front, the top situation to monitor for the Patriots is with starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer. He had his foot looked at by medical personnel at the end of the second quarter and never returned. The other player to leave the game and not return was cornerback Antwaun Molden, and that came in the fourth quarter.

Following up on the Ochocinco story: One of the storylines to follow coming into the game was who would fill Chad Ochocinco’s role as the third receiver, and those looking forward to seeing 2010 third-round pick Taylor Price left disappointed. He didn’t play a snap. Tiquan Underwood, signed this week, played over Price, as did Julian Edelman. Not a good sign for Price.

Fans in Philly fired up: It’s long been said that Philadelphia is a tough sports town and the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field expressed its displeasure by starting a chant that urged the firing of coach Andy Reid. As ESPN.com national football columnist Ashley Fox noted on Twitter, “I've heard a lot of things at the Linc over the years. A ‘Fire Andy’ chant is not one of them.”

What’s next: The Patriots return home to host the winless Colts in a game that was supposed to be a prime-time affair, but was flexed back to 1 p.m. ET. The Eagles travel to Seattle.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- What looked like a debacle in the making turned out to be a hard-fought contest Sunday with the Bears' five-game winning streak coming to an end by virtue of a 25-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

No need to over-analyze this one. Undoubtedly, the three interceptions thrown by Caleb Hanie made the difference.

Despite the turnovers, Hanie displayed enough moxie to give the Bears at least a small level of comfort regarding his ability to lead them to wins in the absence of starting quarterback Jay Cutler.

Still, there will be questions about Hanie, the play calling, the running game and everything else.

We’ll cover a couple of those, in addition to pointing out some positives:

What it means: Chicago appears to have opened the door to the other contenders fighting for the two NFC wildcard playoff spots with the loss against the Raiders. The Bears own tiebreakers against the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons -- both 7-4 -- but they missed out on an opportunity to solidify their standing. The New York Giants (6-4) face the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, and also have a shot at getting into the picture.

In addition, a victory in Hanie’s first start would have gone a long way toward the team building confidence he can get it done over the next few weeks with Cutler out with a broken thumb. Despite Hanie’s gutsy attempt to rally the Bears in the fourth quarter, it’s likely there are questions within the staff and locker room about the quarterback’s ability to carry them into the postseason.

Obviously the schedule sets up well with a home game Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, followed by matchups with the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings to close out the regular season. The expectation within the staff is that Cutler will be back for one of the two last regular-season contests.

So the team needs to know Hanie can carry them until that time.

Three in a row: Starting his second consecutive outing at nickel corner in place of D.J. Moore, who missed the game with an ankle injury, Corey Graham picked off his third pass in as many games in the first half.

Safety Brandon Meriweather tipped a Carson Palmer pass intended for Chaz Schilens with Graham coming up with the loose ball. The play only demonstrates that Graham -- one of the team’s best special teams players -- is also capable of stepping into a major role on defense.

Graham is playing on a one-year deal so it will be interesting to see what kinds of overtures the team will make to bring back Graham for 2012.

Penalties costly: Officials flagged the Bears four times for 40 yards in the first eight minutes of the game.

A holding penalty by Craig Steltz forced Chicago to start its first possession of the game on the 18. The Bears started their third drive of the contest on their own 16 as a result of a Zach Bowman holding penalty.

Once that drive started, a personal foul by Tyler Clutts killed a 17-yard scramble by Hanie. On the very next play, a J’Marcus Webb false-start penalty pushed the team back to its own 14.

The lost field position proved valuable because after the Webb penalty, Stanford Routt picked off a Hanie pass intended for Matt Forte. The Raiders gained a net of 2 yards on the ensuing drive with Sebastian Janikowski kicking a 47-yard field goal to help his team to a 6-0 lead.

Interestingly, the Raiders came into Sunday’s game as the league’s most penalized team. With 10 minutes left to play, the Bears had been flagged six times for 51 yards, while the Raiders committed just four penalties for 29 yards.

Catch it Jennings: It’s often said that defensive backs are failed receivers, and Bears cornerback Tim Jennings demonstrated why against the Eagles.

Jennings dropped at least two interceptions that could have led to Bears points.

What’s next: The Bears host the Chiefs on Sunday at Soldier Field.

SEATTLE -- Thoughts on the Seattle Seahawks' 23-17 defeat to the Washington Redskins at CenturyLink Field in Week 12:

What it means: The Seahawks missed a chance at their first three-game winning streak since the 2007 season. Continuing problems with penalties and surprising troubles on defense dropped their record to 3-7. Seattle remains mathematically alive in the NFC West race, but those chances will end with the Seahawks' next defeat or the San Francisco 49ers' next victory.

What I liked: Marshawn Lynch continued to produce as a runner and receiver. This was his seventh consecutive game with a touchdown, not counting when he was a last-minute scratch from the lineup and did not play against Cleveland in Week 7. Right guard Paul McQuistan, a starter since rookie John Moffitt landed on injured reserve, spring Lynch's 20-yard scoring reception with an impressive open-field block on Redskins safety LaRon Landry. The Seahawks downed Jon Ryan's punt at the 2 before halftime, preventing the Redskins from attempting a scoring drive. Leon Washington changed field position with strong kickoff returns, including a 51-yarder. Both starting cornerbacks, Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman, picked off passes.

What I didn't like: The Seahawks' defense could not get off the field, especially early in the game. The Redskins nearly doubled up the Seahawks in first-half time of possession (19:42 to 10:18). They too often appeared helpless while Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman completed 16 of 19 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Washington finished with 417 yards. The Seahawks allowed a rushing touchdown for the first time since a Week 4 game against Atlanta. Seattle continued to struggle with penalties. Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was too often inaccurate. When he did place the ball correctly, his receivers did not catch it consistently enough. Mike Williams dropped passes and could have done more to position himself for a deep ball that fell incomplete in the end zone. The Seahawks reached double figures in penalties (counting declined ones). Their chances ended when Jackson held the ball and took a sack on fourth down in the final minutes.

Bryant's blocks: Seahawks defensive end Red Bryant blocked a field-goal try for the third time this season, this one when the game was tied in the second quarter. The block was key because the Redskins were dominating time of possession and had little to show for it. Bryant blocked an extra-point try after a Redskins touchdown put Washington ahead, 20-17, with 6:18 remaining.

Injury concerns: Sidney Rice entered this game with knee soreness. He appeared shaken up early in the game and later appeared wobbly after striking his helmet on the turf following an incomplete pass. Team medical personnel helped Rice off the field. Seahawks linebacker David Hawthorne also left the game in the third quarter. Hawthorne, who limped off the field, has had knee trouble. He did return to the game. Starting defensive tackle Alan Branch was named inactive with an ankle injury. Left tackle Russell Okung stayed in the game after McQuistan flew into his legs while committing what officials flagged as a chop block.

Questionable calls: Officials flagged Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson for a 44-yard interference penalty after Williams dropped the ball. This call appeared questionable in real time and on replay, in my view. Later, officials flagged Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright for an illegal high hit on Grossman. Wright shoved Grossman with his hands in the upper chest. Wright's hand might have touched Grossman's facemask, but this hardly appeared to be an egregious foul. Finally, there was no call when Redskins safety LaRon Landry made contact with receiver Doug Baldwin on a deep third-down pass in the final five minutes. Seattle punted.

What's next: The Seahawks are home against Philadelphia on Thursday night.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Here are some initial thoughts on the New York Jets' 28-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills:

What it means: The Jets kept their playoff hopes alive with a crucial victory to improve to 6-5. The win for New York also snapped a two-game losing streak. The Bills played well for three-and-a-half quarters. But for all intents and purposes, Buffalo (5-6) was knocked out of the wild-card race with its fourth consecutive loss.

Sanchez comes through: New York starting quarterback Mark Sanchez struggled most of the game but came through when it mattered most. Sanchez led a key, 82-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter that put the Jets ahead for good. He threw a 16-yard touchdown to receiver Santonio Holmes to close the game. Sanchez received a lot of jeers throughout the game for his struggles. He completed 17 of 35 passes for 180 yards. But Sanchez also had four touchdown passes.

Johnson's TD celebration: The most controversial play of the day came in the second quarter when Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson scored a touchdown over Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. Johnson, after scoring, did a touchdown dance and pretended to shoot himself in the leg, mocking Jets receiver Plaxico Burress. Johnson was flagged 15 yards for excessive celebration. But the move also wasn't in good taste, considering Burress spent years in prison for the incident. Johnson could be hearing from the league office this week.

Happy return: Former Jets receiver Brad Smith made his first return to New York since singing a free-agent contract with the Bills and had his best game of the season. Smith recorded a team-high 77 yards receiving on four receptions, including a 36-yard touchdown catch.

What’s next: The Jets will travel to play the Washington Redskins next week in another must-win game. The Bills will host the Tennessee Titans at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo hasn't played a home game since Nov. 6.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Thoughts on the Texans’ 20-13 win against the Jaguars at EverBank Field:

What it means: The Texans moved to 8-3 with the win and remain in complete control of the AFC South. But in his first game replacing Matt Schaub, Matt Leinart didn’t make it into the third quarter, suffering a left shoulder injury that knocked him out of the game and meant rookie T.J. Yates was operating the offense. Is Leinart out for an extended period of time? Are the Texans being run by a rookie? We have to see what they say when we talk to them in a bit.

What I liked: The Texans played with complete confidence that they were better than the Jaguars, which they are. But Leinart didn’t really throw anything of length and when Yates took over, the rest of the team simply stuck with the main ingredients. The run game was good enough, as was the defense, particularly after halftime.

What I didn’t like: Even as they strung together some big plays, the Jags simply couldn’t score. No, we shouldn’t put too much on one play. But after what might have been the Jaguars’ most effective drive of the season, with plays of 31, 25 and 14 yards, tight end Marcedes Lewis dropped an easy TD pass and the Jaguars only pulled ahead 10-7 early in the second quarter. Not exactly a confidence builder for the home team.

What I want to know: What was the Jaguars’ rationale for pulling Blaine Gabbert in favor of Luke McCown with the score at 20-10 with about 7 minutes left in the game? There have been plenty of moments when a quarterback change may have been an option for the Jaguars. Why did coach Jack Del Rio and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter pull the trigger this time?

What’s worthy of applause: Houston’s Andre Johnson just became the second-fastest player to reach 700 catches in NFL history. Marvin Harrison needed 114 games to reach the mark for Indianapolis, and Johnson needed 120.

What’s next: The Texans host Atlanta while the Jaguars welcome "Monday Night Football" for the second time this season, this time for San Diego.

BALTIMORE -- Thoughts on the Baltimore Ravens-San Francisco 49ers game:

What it means: Winning the Harbaugh Bowl means more than just bragging rights for John Harbaugh over his brother Jim. The Ravens improved to an AFC-best 8-3 and can make the case for being the best team in the conference. Baltimore once again plays its best against the best, ending the eight-game winning streak of the 49ers, who hadn't lost since Sept. 18. This was the Ravens' eighth straight win at M&T Bank Stadium, which is currently the second-longest home streak among NFL teams.

Sack attack: The Ravens continually crashed the pocket, sacking Alex Smith nine times. That ties the Ravens' single-game record. With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Smith had 12 completions and the Ravens had eight sacks. Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (three sacks) and defensive end Cory Redding (2.5) led the sack parade. Smith had been sacked 10 times in his previous seven games.

Decisive drive: With the game tied at 6-6, Joe Flacco marched the Ravens 76 yards on 16 plays, capping the drive with an 8-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown pass to tight end Dennis Pitta. On third downs in that possession, Flacco was 4-for-4 for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Not missing Ray Lewis: Without Lewis (toe injury) and his backup Dannell Ellerbe (thigh), Baltimore was still strong against the run. 49ers running back Frank Gore, who has had five 100-yard rushing games this season, was held to 39 yards on 14 carries, a 2.8-yard average.

What's next: The Ravens have 10 days off before playing at the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 4. Baltimore is 3-0 in the AFC North.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- When it was over, Jason Garrett hugged Rob Ryan. Jerry Jones raised both arms.

The Cowboys got a scare from a team that is better than what its record shows. But it was ugly. Dan Bailey's 28-yard field goal, his 26th consecutive made kick of the season, as time expired gave the Cowboys a 20-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving Day.

What it means: The Cowboys have won four consecutive games, their longest streak since 2009. The victory puts the Cowboys in sole possession of first place in the NFC East. This could change again if the New York Giants win Sunday.

The magic of Romo: Well, there was bad Tony Romo: two first-half interceptions. And there was good Tony Romo: He avoided two sacks to complete risky passes to Jason Witten and DeMarco Murray. On the go-ahead drive, Romo competed passes of 23 and 6 yards to Witten. Romo moved to 19-2 in November in his career.

Somebody scores TD vs. the Dolphins: The Dolphins hadn't allowed a touchdown over the past three games -- a total of 231 snaps. But the Cowboys scored when Laurent Robinson caught a 5-yard pass with 55 seconds left in the first half, giving Dallas a 10-3 lead.

Murray's day: Murray closed the show, which included a nifty run near the sideline, staying inbounds to keep the clock going, in the closing seconds of the game. Murray rushed 22 times for 87 yards and was the only running back to carry the ball. Felix Jones didn't get a carry and was relegated to kickoff returns.

Sensabaugh plays hurt: Starting free safety Gerald Sensabaugh missed the three days of available practices and still played with a sprained foot. Sensabaugh wore a walking boot all week.

What's next: The Cowboys get 10 days off before meeting Arizona.

DETROIT -- A few thoughts after a physical and revealing Thanksgiving game at Ford Field:

What it means: As many thought, the Detroit Lions did indeed provide the Green Bay Packers a tough matchup and proved a legitimate threat to hand them their first loss of the season. But the Packers managed to keep their poise amid the Lions' shenanigans and pulled away in the second half. (James Bond beat Rambo, in other words.) They're now 11-0 for the first time in team history and have won 17 consecutive games, dating back to last year and including the playoffs.

SuhWatch: It's fair to wonder whether NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will suspend Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh after his well-deserved third-quarter ejection. I've already made my thoughts known on the topic, but there is no defending the way Suh kicked Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith and pounded his head into the ground.

RodgersWatch: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers finished with a passer rating of 120.2. He has now had at least a 110 rating in all 11 games this season, tying the NFL record set by Steve Young in 1994.

Injury report: These division rivals went after each other all game long, and the injury list got long enough that the Lions ended the game with receiver/special teams ace Rashied Davis reprising his role as a cornerback. For the Lions, running back Kevin Smith (leg), safety Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee) couldn't finish the game. For the Packers, linebacker Desmond Bishop (calf), guard Josh Sitton (knee) and linebacker AJ. Hawk (calf) all finished the game on the sideline. The Packers finished the game with Robert Francois and rookie D.J. Smith manning the inside linebacker positions.

What's next: Both teams will have a long weekend to recover from this game. The Packers will play Dec. 3 at the New York Giants. The Lions will play that night at the New Orleans Saints.