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RENTON, Wash. -- Thoughts and observations after watching the Seattle Seahawks open their rookie camp Friday:

• First-round pick Bruce Irvin impressed coaches with his ability to grasp defensive concepts. That can be a concern for any rookie and particularly for one with Irvin's unusual background (out of football for two years while living on the streets). Irvin practiced with intensity. He did not get great results immediately and it was easy to see why. Alex Barron, who has practiced against Leonard Little and DeMarcus Ware over the years, was one of the few veterans in camp. While Barron's career has faltered, he remains a first-round talent and it showed in the first practice. The Seahawks are giving him a tryout. Barron, a first-round pick for St. Louis in 2005, is 29 years old and spent last season on injured reserve with New Orleans. He looked healthy and was obviously more talented than the free-agent offensive linemen in camp.
• Coach Pete Carroll raved about running back Robert Turbin. He loved Turbin's quickness and feel for the zone running game. Turbin has huge biceps, but his lower body looks like it belongs to a smaller man.
• Third-round quarterback Russell Wilson took twice as many snaps as any rookie and made a resoundingly positive first impression. Wilson threaded perfect passes all over the field, hitting receivers and tight ends in stride. Height, not talent, is the concern for the 5-foot-11 Wilson. He did have three passes tipped near the line of scrimmage, by my count. A couple deep balls failed to find their targets, Carroll noted. Wilson is going to get the attention of the veteran quarterbacks, it looks like.
• Fourth-round pick Jaye Howard, a defensive tackle from Florida, impressed Carroll with his quickness.
• The Seahawks invited draft choices' families to watch practice. All 10 picks had family in attendance on a spectacularly sunny day on the shores of Lake Washington.
• Linebacker Korey Toomer, a fifth-round pick from Idaho, appeared athletic. He picked off a batted pass and headed for the end zone with it.
• The Seahawks fared well with undrafted receiver Doug Baldwin last season. Phil Bates from Ohio was the undrafted receiver I noticed the most during this practice. He made a leaping grab on a deep ball. He also made a one-handed grab in traffic. He also dropped a pass later in practice. Overall, though, he looked good. Bates is 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds.

Players were wearing helmets, but no pads. It's tough to make lasting judgments from a camp such as this one. First impressions will have to suffice.

First, the franchise tag took several top-rated safeties off the board for the needy New York Jets. Now, the Cincinnati Bengals dished out the latest blow over the weekend by re-signing starting safety Reggie Nelson.

The Jets reportedly made an offer to Nelson, who agreed with the Bengals following a two-day visit in New York. The Jets options at safety are getting thin this offseason.

New York still needs to find two starting safeties. Jim Leonhard is an unrestricted free agent who had a season-ending knee injury in December and probably won't be ready when camp opens. Eric Smith struggled mightily last season and was beat on plenty of plays.

It's getting more and more difficult for the Jets to find replacements in free agency. It looks like New York's choices are now limited to former Washington Redskins safety LaRon Landry and/or the draft. Alabama's Mark Barron is a possibility with the Jets' pick at No. 16. Barron has a lot of physical traits the Jets would like.

The New York Daily also reports the Jets recently expressed interest in O.J. Atogwe. But he's on the downside of his career, and I don’t think he's a good fit for what the Jets need.

METAIRIE, La. -- Jonathan Vilma grabbed the question and treated it much the same way he would a running back.

He grabbed it forcefully and drove it straight to the proper destination.

“It’s really very, very simple,’’ the middle linebacker for the New Orleans Saints said. “If we want to get back to being the Super Bowl champions, we have to play defense the way we played it in 2009, not the way we did in 2010. We have to go out there and start making turnovers happen again.’’

It's not as though the 2010 season was a complete disaster for the Saints. They went 11-5 and made the playoffs. But they went out to Seattle for the first round of the postseason and got upset by a team that didn’t even have a winning record. That ended New Orleans’ defense of its first Super Bowl championship, and Vilma puts the reason for that squarely on the defense.

“Look, we still had [quarterback] Drew Brees and all sorts of weapons on the other side of the ball,’’ Vilma said. “Last year’s problem wasn’t our offense. It was our defense. We just didn’t make things happen the way we did in 2009. We played well at times, but we also left a lot of big plays on the field because, for whatever reason, we just didn’t make the same plays we did the year before.’’

Vilma points to one statistic to demonstrate his point. In 2009, the Saints were +11 in turnover ratio. In 2010, they were -6.

They have the personnel to reverse that trend, and Vilma said a little more help from the defense could be all it takes to get back to the Super Bowl.

“You think of McDonald’s and you think of Burger King, you know what you’re going to get across the world,’’ Vilma said. “So we want people to think of Saints defense, you know what you’re going to get. You’re going to get takeaways, hitting, relentlessness, running to the ball. I think we’re starting to build that brand, we are still working toward it, and one thing we won’t do is take a step back.”

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Can the defense really get back to 2009 form? Yes, it’s very possible. Gregg Williams is one of the league’s best and most aggressive defensive coordinators. When I visited camp recently, the defensive players were picking up every loose ball, even well after plays were done. That’s something Williams brought when he arrived in 2009. It didn’t really stop in 2010. But you can tell the Saints are approaching loose balls with much more gusto in this camp.

That’s great, but just taking that mental approach won’t be enough. The Saints have made some personnel moves that should make the overall defense better and that should help produce turnovers. The Saints added defensive tackles Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin and suddenly are much bigger on the defensive line. Rotate Rogers and Franklin with a healthy Sedrick Ellis, and the Saints suddenly could be much stronger than they’ve been in the middle of the line in recent years.

That should help the pass rush, particularly Will Smith, Alex Brown and rookie Cameron Jordan. Smith and Brown didn’t get as much pressure on opposing quarterbacks as the coaches would have liked last season. Pressure is the key to a Williams defense. If the Saints can get pressure, the turnovers will come naturally.

2. Is the defense really to blame for last year? Not quite as much as Vilma claims. He’s right that the defense wasn’t the turnover machine it was in 2009. But the offense wasn’t exactly the perfectly tuned machine it was in the Super Bowl season. The Saints scored 64 touchdowns in 2009 (and five of those came on interception returns by the defense), but that number dropped to 44 last season. Maybe the defense could have helped a bit more with field position, but this offense had some flaws.

It’s tough to criticize Brees, who has carried the Saints since his arrival in 2006. But numbers don’t lie, and they’ll tell you Brees had an off year last season. His passing yardage and touchdowns were similar to 2009, but the huge difference was interceptions.

Brees threw only 11 interceptions in 2009 but had a career-high 22 last season. He never missed any playing time or complained about it, but Brees never seemed to be quite the same after injuring his knee in a Week 3 game with Atlanta. That might have had more to do with his "slump'' than we'll ever know.

But Brees has had a whole offseason to recover, and I expect him to bounce back. His cast of receivers remains largely the same, and replacing center Jonathan Goodwin with Olin Kreutz should not hurt an offensive line that already is very good.

3. How will the Saints use their running backs? Whether you loved him or not, Reggie Bush is gone and that’s going to have an impact. Although he never put up huge numbers, Bush was the kind of player who made defenses account for him every time he was on the field.

It’s easy to say the Saints will try to replace Bush by committee and, to some degree, that’s true. They brought in Darren Sproles to do a lot of what Bush did -- run outside, catch passes out of the backfield and work as a return man. They also have Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory, who are pretty solid all-around backs.

But the biggest offensive move the Saints made this offseason was drafting Mark Ingram. He’s a running back who can do everything well, and he'll probably be used the way Deuce McAllister was in the early years of coach Sean Payton’s tenure. Sproles will inherit the packages Bush was in on, but Ingram’s going to get most of the playing time -- and carries.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Nobody got very excited when the Saints added Will Herring. That’s understandable, because he spent four seasons in Seattle as a backup linebacker and special-teams player. Herring has only seven career starts, but a coaching staff and front office that’s been known to find some steals might have another one. Herring has been getting most of the first-team work on the strong side in training camp, and the coaches have been raving about him. He’s quick and he’s smart, and the change of scenery apparently has him playing better than ever.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

When he’s healthy and on the field, Tracy Porter is a solid cornerback. But Porter hasn’t been on the field this training camp. He’s been walking around the sidelines with his left knee wrapped as he recovers from offseason surgery. There’s hope that Porter will be ready for the regular season, and there is even higher hope that he’ll be motivated to have a huge year because he can become a free agent after the season.

But there’s also some skepticism, because this isn’t the first injury for Porter. He missed four games last year and four the year before. Fellow starter Jabari Greer also has a history of injury problems. If Porter and Greer have more problems, the Saints could be thin at cornerback. They signed veteran Fabian Washington, but he’s missed some camp time with an injury.

The upside is that the absence of Porter and Washington has given second-year pro Patrick Robinson and rookie Johnny Patrick more work. Williams has been praising both of them. If either or both continue to impress and Porter’s recovery lingers, we could see a change in the lineup. That also wouldn't help Porter's chances of earning a big contract and staying with the Saints next season.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Wide receiver Robert Meachem was a close runner-up for the biggest-surprise category above. Meachem is coming off ankle surgery for an injury that slowed him last year, and he's having an excellent camp. He’s caught just about every pass thrown his way and seems to be moving much better than a year ago. Meachem was a force as a deep threat in 2009, and it looks like he might be returning to that form.
• Herring has been working on the strong side and Scott Shanle on the weak side. But nothing’s settled yet. Herring appears headed for a starting job, but Shanle is aging. The Saints have liked what they’ve seen from Clint Ingram and Jonathan Casillas, and they know what they have in Jo-Lonn Dunbar. They’ll probably go through several preseason games before deciding firmly on their starting linebackers. Even then, they could still rotate linebackers because the coaches view all of them as pretty close to equal.
• One linebacker who is struggling a bit is third-round pick Martez Wilson. You can see he has good athleticism, but he looks lost at times during team drills. The Saints aren’t anywhere close to being ready to give up on him because he has lots of upside. But a lot of fans thought he’d be an instant starter. That’s not going to happen.
• The Saints never have been afraid to take a shot on a reclamation project, and that’s what they did with Rogers at defensive tackle. He came into the league with a lot of hype back in 2001 but had spent his career stuck with some pretty bad teams in Detroit and Cleveland. Rogers even lost his starting job with the Browns last year, and there have been questions about his conditioning and attitude throughout his career. But this might be a perfect fit. Rogers is on a good team for perhaps the first time in his career, and Williams is a master motivator. Even if Rogers doesn’t work out, I like how the Saints hedged their bet by bringing in Franklin.
• The Saints also took a shot on another former first-round pick. That’s offensive tackle Alex Barron. But he’s not off to a great start. He’s been sidelined by injury, and unless he comes back soon and makes a big impression, he probably won’t make the roster.
• Since entering the league in 2009, punter Thomas Morstead has been known as a guy with a big leg. That hasn’t changed. But Morstead put in a lot of work on his directional punting in the offseason, and you can see the results in practice. That should help the defense with field position.

In recent years, the New Orleans Saints have become a haven for players who have had their careers stall elsewhere. Bringing in guys like Jonathan Vilma and Anthony Hargrove worked quite nicely.

Maybe that’s why the Saints went out and added a couple of offensive tackles, who, once upon a time, were first-round draft picks. The Saints have brought in Alex Barron and George Foster.

Barron was the 19th overall pick by St. Louis in 2005. With the Rams, Barron became notorious for false-start and holding penalties. He was traded to Dallas last year, but that didn’t do much to revive his career.

Foster was the 20th overall pick by Denver in 2003. He went to the Detroit Lions in 2007 and lasted their through 2008. In 2009, he went through training camp with Cleveland, but didn’t make the regular-season roster. Most recently, he was with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.

“We want to take a peek at these guys and see how they do while they are here,’’ coach Sean Payton told the media. “Both of these guys are veteran players that we think can compete and compete for a job and that’s why they are here.’’

The Saints aren’t in horrible shape at either tackle position, but they also aren’t loaded. Jermon Bushrod has been the starting left tackle the past two seasons, but has been far from dominant. The Saints drafted Charles Brown last season, but he might not be ready for significant playing time.

Right tackle Jon Stinchcomb made the Pro Bowl in the 2009 season, but played with an injured quad muscle last season and struggled at times. There are no guarantees Foster or Barron will make the roster. But one or both could stick around and provide depth.

Then, there’s the long-shot scenario that one, or both, ends up starting. It’s a very long shot. But, like I said at the top, the Saints have had some luck in the past with reclamation projects.

Some around here thought John Greco was more than ready to assume a starting role on the St. Louis Rams' offensive line.

"John Greco is much better than anyone realizes and will be a starting-caliber guard if they give him a chance," Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said during a May discussion. "They should be excited about him. He doesn't have a discernible trait where he is a real masher or a wonderful technician or a great athlete, but he is good at all of the above and he really has a nasty streak to him. He is somebody to keep an eye on."

I don't think the Rams saw that nasty streak.

After landing Harvey Dahl in free agency and finding a way to keep Jacob Bell amid salary concerns, the team traded Greco to the Cleveland Browns. Adam Goldberg, the starting right guard in 2010, could still return in a backup role. But with Dahl in and Greco out, the line has undergone a massive overhaul since Steve Spagnuolo's arrival as head coach for the 2009 season.

Orlando Pace, Goldberg, Brett Romberg, Greco and Alex Barron were the starters in the final game before Spagnuolo's hiring. Cory Withrow and Roy Schuening were backups in that game. Bell, Richie Incognito and Anthony Davis were listed among inactive players. Bell is the only one of those 10 players still with the team.

The projected starting five this season -- Rodger Saffold, Bell, Jason Brown, Dahl and Jason Smith -- each started all 16 regular-season games last season (Dahl was with Atlanta).

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

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: draft rewind -- examining the past five drafts.

Dallas Cowboys

Best choice: Mike Jenkins, CB, first round (2008). The Cowboys have selected 40 players over the past five drafts. Jenkins is the only one to earn Pro Bowl honors. Check back in a couple seasons to see whether receiver Dez Bryant has joined him. Doug Free, a fourth-rounder in 2007, made a run at this distinction after emerging as a solid starting left tackle in 2010. Jenkins suffered through a down season and needs to bounce back.

Worst choice: Bobby Carpenter, LB, first round (2006). The Cowboys got very little from Carpenter and their 2006 class overall. Carpenter started three games for Dallas in four seasons with the team. The Cowboys traded him to St. Louis before the 2010 season in a deal that brought them penalty-prone tackle Alex Barron.

On the bubble: Felix Jones, RB, first round (2008). By bubble, we’re not talking about job security, but rather about Jones’ status as a player seeking to realize more of his potential. The weight Jones added last season might have slowed him. He has the talent to take the next step. Improved play from the offensive line would help.

Washington Redskins

Best choice: Brian Orakpo, OLB, first round (2009). Two Pro Bowl appearances in two seasons make Orakpo the clear choice for Washington among the 33 players drafted since 2006. Some of the others are productive, of course, but none has earned Pro Bowl honors.

Worst choice: Chad Rinehart, G, third round (2008). Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly made this a three-way race. The Redskins have used only nine choices in the first three rounds of the past five drafts. I wasn’t going to single out later-round picks as disappointments. Rinehart suffered a broken fibula during his second season. He had a DUI arrest shortly after Mike Shanahan arrived as head coach. The Redskins released Rinehart before last season.

On the bubble: Kevin Barnes, CB, third round (2009). Barnes has only two starts, but he finished strong last season after getting a look at safety. Barnes picked off a pass against Jacksonville to set up the winning field goal in overtime. A sign of things to come?

Philadelphia Eagles

Best choice: DeSean Jackson, WR, second round (2008). Jackson is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Making two Pro Bowls in three seasons is particularly impressive for a receiver. Lots of receivers put up good numbers, but few can match Jackson in the big-play department. He is a game-changer.

Worst choice: Tony Hunt, RB, third round (2007). Hunt was a curious selection because he didn’t seem to fit the Eagles’ offense. The team tried Hunt at fullback before releasing him during the 2008 season. Hunt has recently resurfaced in an Austrian league. Seriously.

On the bubble: Kevin Kolb, QB, second round (2007). Kolb enters a crossroads season with the Eagles after losing the starting job to Michael Vick. It was nothing personal -- Vick simply outplayed him. Will the Eagles trade Kolb or keep him around?

New York Giants

Best choice: Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, seventh round (2007). Bradshaw broke out with 1,235 yards and eight touchdowns last season. That was terrific production for any back, let alone one selected with the 250^th overall choice. Bradshaw lost five fumbles in the first 10 games of the season, however, and lost his starting job.

Worst choice: Sinorice Moss, WR, second round (2006). Moss started only two games and caught three touchdown passes during four seasons with the Giants. A hernia injury sidelined Moss last season, and the team released him. He has not played in a game since 2009. The Eagles signed Moss earlier this offseason.

On the bubble: Aaron Ross, CB, first round (2007). Ross has only two starts with no interceptions over the past two seasons, a sharp downturn from his first two seasons. Injuries have played a leading role in Ross’ diminished production. A hamstring injury bothered him in 2009. Plantar fasciitis was a problem last season. He needs to get healthy.

DALLAS -- Every Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass and playoff victory makes the San Francisco 49ers look worse for drafting Alex Smith over Rodgers back in 2005.

A victory for Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 45 would only sanction additional mutilation of this rotting equine carcass.

Some criticism is justified, obviously, but with Rodgers and key Packers scheduled to make their Super Bowl media debuts Monday afternoon, another line of thinking occurred to me. The 49ers weren't the only ones to bypass Rodgers and other key players in this Super Bowl. Why should they absorb such a disproportionate amount of the blame?

The Green Bay players making Super Bowl media appearances Monday -- Rodgers, Donald Driver, A.J. Hawk, Greg Jennings, Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson -- all qualify for analysis and reflection.

Let's take a look at them through NFC West lenses, beginning in chronological order:

1998 Draft: Charles Woodson, CB, Michigan

Round: First (fourth overall, by Oakland)

NFC West spin: The Cardinals passed over Woodson to select defensive end Andre Wadsworth third overall. The decision seemed defensible at the time. Wadsworth was a freakish talent at a premium position, but chronic knee injuries prevented him from approaching his potential. Wadsworth underwent microfracture knee surgery after only his third NFL season. He never played again, despite a 2007 comeback attempt.

First-round selections in the division:

• Cardinals (third overall): Wadsworth, DE, Florida State
• Rams (sixth overall): Grant Wistrom, DE, Nebraska
• Seahawks (15th overall): Anthony Simmons, LB, Clemson
• 49ers (28th overall): R.W. McQuarters, CB, Oklahoma State

1999 Draft: Donald Driver, WR, Alcorn State

Round: Seventh (213th overall, by Green Bay)

NFC West spin: Good for the Packers. They found a steal in the seventh round. Driver developed into a full-time starter in 2002, his fourth season. He has 698 career receptions. Driver reflects well on the Packers, but not negatively on anyone in the NFC West.

Seventh-round selections in the division (Seahawks did not have a pick):

• 49ers (234th overall): Kory Minor, OLB, Notre Dame
• Cardinals (239th overall): Chris Greisen, QB, Northwest Missouri
• Rams (252nd overall): Rodney Williams, P, Georgia Tech

2005 Draft: Aaron Rodgers, QB, California

Round: First (24th overall, by Green Bay)

NFC West spin: Only the Seahawks, who held the 26th choice that year, escape second-guessing for this one. To be fair, however, the Rams' Marc Bulger was coming off a breakout 2004 season in which he had thrown 21 touchdown passes while leading St. Louis to the playoffs. There was no reason for the Rams to target a quarterback in the 2005 first round. Rodgers might have wilted in St. Louis while the organization crumbled around him (a fate that might have awaited him in San Francisco as well). The Cardinals could have used a young quarterback to build around, but they signed Kurt Warner to a free-agent contract that offseason. Warner went 2-8 as a starter in 2005, but the Cardinals eventually went to the Super Bowl with him under center. Warner even edged Rodgers in the playoffs following the 2009 season.

First-round selections in the division:

• 49ers (first overall): Alex Smith, QB, Utah
• Cardinals (eighth overall): Antrel Rolle, DB, Miami
• Rams (19th overall): Alex Barron, T, Florida State
• Seahawks (26th overall): Chris Spencer, C, Mississippi

2006 Draft: A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State

Round: First (fifth overall, by Green Bay)

NFC West spin: The 49ers in particular were monitoring this choice closely. They were picking sixth overall that year and trying to find weapons for their second-year quarterback. Tight end Vernon Davis, chosen sixth overall, is becoming a perennial Pro Bowl choice. Hawk was an all-rookie selection, but he has not played well enough overall to cause much second-guessing in NFC West circles. The Cardinals ultimately whiffed on a quarterback that year, but no one is telling them they should have drafted Hawk instead.

First-round selections in the division:

• 49ers (sixth overall): Davis, TE, Maryland
• Cardinals (10th overall): Matt Leinart, QB, USC
• Rams (15th overall): Tye Hill, CB, Clemson
• 49ers (22nd overall): Manny Lawson, OLB, North Carolina State
• Seahawks (31st overall): Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami

2006 Draft: Greg Jennings, WR, Western Michigan

Round: Second (52nd overall, by Green Bay)

NFC West spin: The Cardinals and Rams passed on Jennings in the second round, but that was understandable. Both teams were already strong at receiver. Looking back, however, the Rams certainly would have gone in another direction. They whiffed on tight end Joe Klopfenstein six spots before the Packers took Jennings.

Second-round selections in the division (49ers traded their pick):

• Cardinals (41st overall): Deuce Lutui, G, USC
• Rams (46th overall): Klopfenstein, TE, Colorado
• Seahawks (63rd overall): Darryl Tapp, DE, Virginia Tech

2009 Draft: Clay Matthews, OLB, USC

Round: First (26th overall, to Green Bay)

NFC West spin: This draft hurts. Surely the Seahawks and Rams could have put Matthews' pass-rush ability to use even if he didn't fit their schemes precisely at the time. Both teams passed on him. Worse, the Packers used an additional 2009 first-round choice, this one ninth overall, for another key contributor, B.J. Raji.

First-round selections in the division:

• Rams (second overall): Jason Smith, T, Baylor
• Seahawks (fourth overall): Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
• 49ers (10th overall): Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
• Cardinals (31st overall): Beanie Wells, RB, Ohio State

Hope you enjoyed the exercise. I'll be heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers' media session in the not-too-distant future, with plans to check back at the next opportunity.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Last week, the Dallas Cowboys lost their starting quarterback. On Sunday, they simply lost their dignity in front of an alleged sellout crowd at Cowboys Stadium.

If the 35-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars isn't the bottom, I'm not sure where this free fall ends. But at least we can dismiss this notion of the players rallying around backup quarterback Jon Kitna in Tony Romo's absence. Kitna threw for 379 yards, but he was undermined by teammates who performed tip drills on behalf of the Jaguars, who had four interceptions.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips looked more befuddled than usual following this loss -- and that's saying something. I honestly think Phillips would've fired himself Sunday -- if he had that type of authority in the organization. His defense was repeatedly embarrassed by Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard and wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker, who jump-started his Pro Bowl campaign with eight catches for 153 yards and a touchdown.

The Cowboys were helpless against the NFL's 25th-ranked offense. Sims-Walker turned short passes into big gains and tight end Marcedes Lewis had two catches, both resulting in touchdowns. Players seemed sincere when they said Phillips hasn't lost the locker room, but the man in question wasn't as convincing.

"Well, I hope not," said Phillips with a blank expression. "We fought all the way the other games, but this game just got away from us and we couldn't get it back. ... I look at a lot defensively, a lot of the basic things that we've worked on, they scored on and that's what bothers me."

If Jerry Jones is thinking about changing his philosophy of not sacking head coaches during the season, now would be the time. Phillips has never been quality head-coaching material, but his credentials as a defensive coordinator have always been solid. But watching Garrard shred the Cowboys' secondary on his way to a near-perfect passer rating (157.8), it's hard to imagine how Phillips is still employed. Even the club's chairman of continuity, Jones, didn't exactly rush to Phillips' defense.

"There’s no way that the result and the way we played tonight, there’s no way that I can rest, sleep, figuratively speaking eat well with a diet of that right there," Jones told reporters. "There’s no way. And if you look at it, if you look at what we’re about -- our team, our stadium, the pride I have in this franchise -- you’d know it doesn’t digest. It doesn’t go down. We’ve got to do something that changes this on the field."

It's never a good sign when an owner makes a passionate apology to fans seven games into the season. This is a man who realistically thought he'd put a team together that had a chance of playing in the North Texas Super Bowl. Just the thought of that seems like a bad joke in light of Sunday's performance and the Cowboys' 1-6 record.

"I’m very, very, very sorry to our fans," said Jones, who's well aware that his Rangers neighbors were set to host Game 4 of the World Series. "You should have better than this."

But all Jones must do is look in the mirror as he grasps for answers. It's not like Phillips had a track record of prolonged success at his previous stops. Jones soothed his own ego two weeks ago by suggesting the Cowboys had beaten themselves and that a 1-4 record (at the time) wasn't indicative of how they'd played. But in losses to the Giants and Jaguars, the Cowboys have simply been overwhelmed on both sides of the ball.

The Cowboys once had a coaching staff stocked with head-coaching candidates -- Sean Payton, Tony Sparano, Todd Haley -- but Jones didn't realize it at the time. His hand-picked successor for Phillips, Jason Garrett, no longer shows up on anyone's short list. After witnessing Sunday's performance in person, I subscribe to the change for the sake of change theory. Let Garrett or special teams coach Joe DeCamillis have a crack at this thing for nine games because this team's no longer performing for Phillips.

The Cowboys' ineptitude was on full display late in the first half when they had a third-and-goal at the Jaguars' 1-yard line with 15 seconds left. After Marion Barber was stoned for no gain, the Cowboys went with a similar play on fourth down. Left tackle Doug Free was blown up at the point of attack and tackle-eligible Alex Barron staggered toward the line of scrimmage, tripped near the goal line and failed to make contact with a defender.

Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman and defensive end Marcus Spears both had their head coach's back in the postgame locker room, but it doesn't really matter at this point. Even Phillips couldn't put a positive spin on this one.

"Everybody knows we have a lot of talented players, and that's the problem," said Phillips. "I have talented players and I'm not getting them to play well enough. To me, that's the root of the problem."

Well, at least someone's willing to admit it.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Let's recap another shameful performance by the Dallas Cowboys in a 35-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Someone forgot to send the memo that Jacksonville was capable of this type of dominance.

What it means: If the Cowboys (1-6) aren't the worst team in the NFL, tell me who is. The Cowboys had hoped to rally around backup quarterback Jon Kitna, but he was undermined by dropped balls that ended up in the arms of Jaguars defensive backs and tackles. The Cowboys might not be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but they certainly waved the white flag Sunday.

Pathetic showing by Wade Phillips' defense: I'm sure Phillips will brag about his players' "effort" following this game, but his defense was once again an embarrassment. The Cowboys' secondary did its best to get Jags wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker into the Pro Bowl based on his eight catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Pro Bowl cornerback Mike Jenkins and his sidekick Orlando Scandrick were no match for Sims-Walker, who turned short catches into big yardage. The demise of Jaguars' quarterback David Garrard has been greatly exaggerated, to borrow one of Phillips' favorite Twainisms. Garrard was lethal in completing 17 of 21 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns.

Where do the Cowboys go from here? Time to warm up the NFL draft talk because the Cowboys might have a top-five pick. The Cowboys had one last chance to climb back into the game late in the first half, but Marion Barber was stoned at the 1-yard line. Left tackle Doug Free was obliterated on the play and tackle-eligible Alex Barron staggered and fell down at the point of attack, which is a decent description of the Cowboys' 2010 season.

Positives: Strong day for Cowboys punter Mat McBriar.

What's next? The league will not allow the Cowboys to forfeit their final nine games, so this sad march will continue into Green Bay -- on national television, I might add. This team has lost its star quarterback and on Sunday, its pride became the latest victim.The final indignity was seeing Kitna kneel to end the game.

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

FALLING

1. Alex Barron, Dallas Cowboys right tackle: OK, this is starting to feel like piling on, but then, how do you leave this man off the list? If he simply gets one punch on Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo, there's a chance he could've knocked him off stride. Instead, he was beaten off the snap and had to put his arm around the linebacker's neck. In normal circumstances, you'd rather see an offensive tackle take a holding penalty if it means protecting your quarterback from a clean shot. But on the final play of a game, it's probably best to let Orakpo race on by and see if Romo can still make a play.

2. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator: He took full responsibility for that clueless call at the end of the first half while talking to reporters Wednesday at Valley Ranch. On Monday, coach Wade Phillips had attempted to take the blame. But Jerry Jones' decision to pretty much let these men operate independently is going to cause problems from time to time, and you saw that in dramatic form Sunday night. Garrett also failed to stick with a running game that appeared to have some potential in Sunday's game. Just a really bad night for Garrett all the way around.

3. Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback: Even before he suffered a concussion, he just didn't play with a lot of confidence. This was supposed to be his big debut, but he was shaky from the start. And Michael Vick's nice relief effort is causing a quarterback controversy this week. I still think Kolb will be a decent starter in this league, but he didn't help himself in that first quarter at all. And it's not like coach Andy Reid put him in the best situations either.

RISING

1. Perry Fewell, New York Giants defensive coordinator: Someone give this man a raise. He's changed the mindset of this defense and the players have responded to him in a big way. Chris Canty looked like a beast at defensive tackle and the defensive ends had a big day. Mathias Kiwanuka may be coming off the bench, but he still managed two sacks. All this petty stuff that was happening last season and into the offseason seems to have vanished. I also love what Fewell's done with the back end of this defense.

2. Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins outside linebacker: He grew up in Houston, Texas, hating the Cowboys and he made them pay with a dominating performance Sunday night. Drawing a holding penalty is just as good as a sack in a lot of coaches' minds, so Orakpo had a big night. He's just too strong for most offensive tackles to handle. And then he turns on the speed out of nowhere. In a division of elite pass-rushers, Orakpo's definitely on the rise.

3. LaRon Landry, Washington Redskins safety: We've spent the past couple years bashing Landry for his lack of coverage skills. But on Sunday night he finished with 17 tackles and he looked pretty solid in coverage. He was one of the most confident players on the field and he told me a lot of it had to do with being closer to the line of scrimmage. The days of him lining up 20 yards off the ball are over. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett has done a nice job putting Landry in position to succeed.

Let's be real here.

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster and Arizona Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson are not going to win MVP honors in the NFL this season.

Both appear on the MVP Watch list following Week 1 because they produced so exceptionally well for their teams. The Chicago Bears' Matt Forte and others deserved some consideration, too, but the list would have felt incomplete without including more legitimate longer-term candidates coming off less-spectacular opening weeks (Brett Favre among them).

Someone had to be left off the list, and Forte had company. Tony Romo dropped off the list from last week, but I think he'll be back, Alex Barron permitting.

Former Cowboys and Eagles scout Bryan Broaddus does a weekly report for ESPNDallas.com called Scout's Eye that is full of helpful information. If you wondered whether right tackle Alex Barron was supposed to receive help against outside linebacker Brian Orakpo in Sunday's Cowboys-Redskins game, check out Broaddus' analysis of the play:

"On the last play of the game, Orakpo had a plan to rush [Barron] as hard as he could to the outside and see if he could get home. It was a three-man rush with Leonard Davis, Marion Barber and Barron handling the right side. Both Davis and Barber were checking for rushers inside; you can see their heads turned that way.

"When Barber sees that he is clear from assignment, he releases between Davis and Barron to the flat. If Orakpo takes an inside charge, he runs right into Barber. Davis sees what is happening to Barron but it’s too late. Orakpo is on Barron’s right shoulder so fast, he doesn’t have time to do anything but grab him. If Barron had been able to get a hand on Orakpo, he might have been able to ride him up the field, which is the strength of his game.

Reading that explanation leads you to believe that Barber wasn't responsible for helping Barron on the play. And I'm sure Cowboys fans across the country are asking a collective, "Why not?"

You knew it was coming. Every Tuesday until eternity or the end of the NFL season, the ESPN.com Power Rankings show up to stir the national debate. In the past, the NFC East has been a dominant presence in the "Rankings," a word that is always capitalized for fear of readers not realizing its significance in their lives.

As expected, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles both dropped a few spots, causing Alex Barron to once again give Roy Williams an apologetic dap. Thanks to panelist Mike Sando, the voting process is no longer shrouded in secrecy. We're hopefully moving toward a time of unprecedented transparency when readers will have John Clayton's cellphone number so they can leave thoughtful messages such as, "What's your fascination with the Redskins this season, John?"

Now let's have a look at the damage:

No. 8 Dallas Cowboys: Clayton had been bullish on the Cowboys for much of the offseason, but he docked them severely for a 13-7 loss to the Redskins on Sunday night with a No. 11 vote. Perhaps factoring in the Cowboys' missing starters on the offensive line, AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky had the Cowboys at 7.

No. 14 Washington Redskins: The Skins moved up three spots in no small part because Clayton had them eighth in the league. Seriously. He moved Washington ahead of the Vikings and Chargers on his ballot. Kuharsky and Sando didn't overreact to one game and left the Skins in a holding pattern at 16.

No. 16 New York Giants: The Giants also moved up three spots in the Rankings thanks to the help of AFC North blogger James Walker, who is new to the panel this season. Walker loved the win over the Panthers so much that he moved the Giants to 13. Sando and Kuharsky again took a wait-and-see approach with a No. 17 vote on their ballots, which are tabulated by a private accounting firm in Farmington, Conn.

No. 18 Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles dropped three spots because Sando showed no mercy following that 27-20 loss to the Packers. Kuharsky's 14 vote kept the Eagles in the hunt. After that debacle to open the season, I think the voters were actually kind to the Eagles. Perhaps it's the excitement over Michael Vick that prevented the Eagles from going into a free fall.

Regrettably, the AFC South has moved past the Beast in the rankings this week. Our self-appointed review panel (Tim Graham and myself) will continue to keep a close eye on Kuharsky's voting habits. He had the Jaguars ranked at least three spots higher than any other voter this week, which has caused us to arch our eyebrows slightly. It's worth pointing out, though, that he gave the Texans their lowest ranking after the big win over the Colts.

» NFC Decisive Moments: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

New York Giants safety Kenny Phillips didn't exactly ease his way back into the starting lineup Sunday after a grueling 11 months of rehabilitation from microfracture surgery. The former Miami Hurricane was incredibly active and I thought he made a play on the Panthers' third possession that changed the course of New York's 31-18 victory.

Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams appeared to have a clear path to the end zone when Phillips dove at his feet and made a shoestring tackle to prevent the touchdown. The Panthers settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead. I thought that play set the tone for the rest of the game. Yes, I know Deon Grant's interception at the goal line on the previous possession was big, but Phillips' tackle prevented what appeared to be a walk-in touchdown.

"I grabbed his legs, but he’s a big, strong runner," Phillips told reporters after the game. "It takes a little bit more than that. But he fell down before the [first] down."

The Giants were held hostage by the safety position in 2009 but the arrival of Antrel Rolle and Grant has fortified that group. And with Phillips returning, the position has become a major strength for the Giants. There were a lot of decisive moments in the Beast in Week 1 (Alex Barron, anyone?), but Phillips' tackle really stood out.

Four of the seven highest-ranked teams in the most recent ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings lost their regular-season openers.

The sixth-ranked Baltimore Ravens could join the list if the New York Jets beat them Monday night.

It's too early in the season to drastically change rankings, but it's also reasonable to acknowledge the only on-field evidence collected.

The New Orleans Saints, ranked second last week despite earning No. 1 votes from three of four panelists, should overtake Indianapolis for the top spot when the next rankings come out Tuesday. The Saints' victory against the fifth-ranked Minnesota Vikings wasn't convincing, but the top-ranked Indianapolis Colts lost by 10 points at Houston and that should drop them.

The chart shows how ESPN's four voters -- me, John Clayton, Paul Kuharsky and James Walker -- ranked teams last week. Red lettering reveals which teams lost in Week 1.

The reckoning: Six games featured lower-ranked teams beating higher-ranked teams:

• (30) Tampa Bay 17, (29) Cleveland 14. Wondering how many times Mike Holmgren looked at his watch during this one.
• (26) Seattle 31 , (13) San Francisco 6. Niners have converted twice in their past 28 third-down chances at Seattle.
• (25) Jacksonville 24, (22) Denver 17. Not much of an upset at all.
• (18) Pittsburgh 15, (7) Atlanta 9. Every victory without Ben Roethlisberger a bonus for the Steelers.
• (17) Washington 13, (4) Dallas 7. Alex Barron's third holding penalty was the killer -- and his 22nd since 2005.
• (14) Houston 34, (1) Indianapolis 24. Colts had beaten Texans by total of 21 points in previous four meetings.

Still to play: "Monday Night Football" doubleheader featuring the Baltimore Ravens at the New York Jets, and the San Diego Chargers at the Kansas City Chiefs.

Injury alerts: Quarterbacks Matthew Stafford, Kevin Kolb and Matt Moore were among those suffering injuries Sunday.

My early favorite for the No. 1 spot: New Orleans. Let's see if the Saints get their offense going against the 49ers next week.