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Todd Archer ran some numbers, and his conclusion is that the Dallas Cowboys struggle with the draft. Here's some of his data:

Since 2007, the Cowboys have drafted 47 players and only 18 remain. That’s not good. After a quick perusal of the NFC East, it’s the worst percentage (38.3%) of any team in the division. From 2007-12, Philadelphia has 28 of 59 picks left (47.5%); Washington has 24 of 48 picks (50%) and the New York Giants have 24 of 46 picks left (52%).

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In the last three years, which should be the core of a team, the Cowboys have 15 of 21 picks left. The Eagles are the worst with 23 of 33 picks. Washington is the best at 21 of 27 and the Giants have 16 of 22 picks remaining.

The point of entry for Todd's analysis was a discussion about whether they should have moved down in the 2011 draft, when they stayed put and took Tyron Smith at No. 9 and whether they were wise to move up in 2012, when they used their first-round pick and their second-round pick to draft Morris Claiborne. Todd thinks last year's move and 2011's non-move were mistakes. I agree, as I think most of you know, about last year. Because I think Smith will be a franchise left tackle, I don't hold the 2011 decision against them.

But what I see here is a clue about how the Cowboys play the top of the draft, and it's a discouraging one. It appears to me that Jerry Jones, who ultimately makes these decisions, falls in love with a player and does what he can to get him, the rest of the draft be damned. And a roster as thin with top-level talent as Dallas' has been for the last couple of years needs to make the second, third and fourth rounds more productive than the Cowboys usually have.

They love Claiborne as a keystone piece for the future, and that's fine. But had they held onto that second-round pick, they might have been able to come out of the first two rounds with, for example, Fletcher Cox and Peter Konz. (Yes, they'd have had to move up for Cox, but likely not with a second-rounder in the deal.) Two starting pieces instead of one. This is the approach Dallas needs to take this year -- finding a new starting offensive lineman in the first round and then looking for immediate contributors, on either line or at safety, in Rounds 2 and 3.

When they dealt away their second-round pick last year, a lot of Cowboys' fans said that was OK because they always mess up the second round anyway. But 2011's second-rounder was Bruce Carter and 2010's was Sean Lee. They also got DeMarco Murray in the third round in 2011. These are players on which they're attempting to build their future core, and it would be wise to keep in mind the value those picks (and those that follow them) have when things get hot and heavy tomorrow night and the temptation to grab a player they love overrides the value of the pick or picks needed to get him.

Remember, when we critique a draft in progress on this blog, we're not making predictions about how guys will play, because we can't and neither can anyone else. We're looking at the value of the picks and how they were used -- whether they could have waited until the fifth or sixth round for a guy they took in the fourth, for example. That's what you'll find here Thursday night through Saturday night, and we'll have a close eye on the Cowboys, of course, since this is a gigantic draft for them and they can't mess it up.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced Monday that they have released defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, who was one of the significant free agents they signed in their famous 2011 offseason spending spree. Jenkins was set to cost $5.5 million against the salary cap this year and leaves just $1.5 million in "dead money," so he clears some room for the Eagles under the cap. But the Eagles were already projected to be under the cap, so the move is likely about not wanting to pay a 32-year-old defensive lineman that much money at a time when a new coach and defensive coordinator are coming in and changing the plan drastically on defense.

It is also not likely the last such move the Eagles will make. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who was thought to be the prize of that year's free-agent class, is carrying a huge cap number for 2013 after two mostly disappointing seasons in Philadelphia. If he doesn't agree to a pay cut, Asomugha is likely to be released as well. Whether the Eagles need cap room or not, the Jenkins move shows they're willing to make veteran cuts for other reasons.

Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was acquired via trade that same offseason, is an unrestricted free agent, and it remains to be seen whether the Eagles will try to bring him back. It's unlikely they'll get themselves into a bidding war to keep him if he hits the open market.

Perhaps the least heralded of the 2011 acquisitions has been the best. Guard Evan Mathis, who signed a new free-agent contract with the Eagles last offseason after an superb first season in Philadelphia, was an afterthought amid the big signings and trades in August of '11, but it's entirely possible that when the dust settles on this offseason's moves he'll be the only one left standing. Defensive end Jason Babin was released during the 2012 season.

Jenkins likely could have made the switch from 4-3 defensive tackle to 3-4 defensive end in the scheme the Eagles appear to be installing. He had experience playing in a 3-4 in Green Bay prior to his time in Philadelphia. But the Eagles have other options for those spots, including Mike Patterson and 2012 first-round pick Fletcher Cox, and likely decided Jenkins was a luxury.

Because I know people will ask, yes, I think Jenkins is still a good player who can help someone. And I think he'd be a fine fit for the New York Giants or the Dallas Cowboys, who run 4-3 defenses and could use someone of Jenkins' versatility and pass-rush ability. Whether those teams will agree with me remains to be seen, but, yes, I think he could help either of them.

UPDATE (4:32 pm ET): The Eagles announced later Monday that they also have released Patterson, which saves another $3 million in cap room and obviously eliminates him as a replacement option for Jenkins. The Eagles' starting defensive line at this point projects to be Cox, Cedric Thornton and Antonio Dixon, though they're likely to look for upgrades in free agency and in the draft.

Right? Michael Vick has dominated the news coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles over the past 24 hours, and for good reason, but there's a lot more going on with the Eagles than the quarterback situation. There's the defense, to name one incredibly significant other thing, and new coach Chip Kelly and new defensive coordinator Bill Davis spoke Monday about what that defense might look like:

"I'm not caught up with labels," Kelly said. "Because I don't think it's going to be a ladies-and-gentlemen defense. I think it's hopefully going to be a defense that creates a lot of turnovers and gets the ball back to our offense."

Davis has worked mostly with 3-4 defenses. He said 15 of his 21 years coaching in the NFL were with odd-man fronts. When he was the defensive coordinator in Arizona from 2009-10, Davis ran a 3-4, but it was called a "4-3 under" that implemented some 4-3 principles.

Kelly confirmed that he prefers a 3-4. More NFL teams have been switching to an odd-man front because of its versatility. The fact that Kelly hired inside and outside linebackers coaches suggests that he will have a defense suited more to a 3-4, and one that employs linebackers of a different skill set.

It certainly does, but just as is the case with the Kelly offense, the Eagles and their fans must enter this new arrangement with the hope that Kelly isn't wading in with definitive formulaic ideas and principles. What will determine whether Kelly is a successful NFL head coach is the extent to which he can be nimble and innovative and creative -- whether he can determine and implement the best ways to use the personnel at his disposal. I don't get the sense he plans something like the Mike Shanahan makeover in Washington, where Jim Haslett was brought in to oversee a transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4, and the personnel was overhauled over a two-year period. The Eagles have a lot more good players on their roster right now than the Redskins did then, first of all, and second of all, the point of Kelly is to try something that hasn't been tried before, right?

You don't hire the hot college coach just because he won a bunch of games in college. Winning in the NFL is totally different than winning in college. You hire the hot college coach because you see in him a willingness and ability to do things differently, to implement new ideas and thoughts and mesh them with the old NFL way of doing things. The Eagles want to move their program forward and build something that sets the new trends rather than reacts to them. If they didn't believe Kelly was the man for that job, then they shouldn't, and likely wouldn't, have hired him.

So, I'm eager to watch what unfolds with the defense over the coming months, and whether the Eagles line up with three down lineman more often than four is not the most interesting aspect of it to me. I'm eager to see what they decide to do with Trent Cole and Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox and DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks. I'm eager to see what kinds of defensive backs they get to augment the front. I'm interested to hear and see and report on the fresh, new aspects of the Eagles' defense, because I have to imagine there are going to be plenty of them. If this is just about shoehorning 4-3 personnel into a 3-4 scheme and getting rid of the guys who can't handle it, that's not going to be very interesting or very effective. And I highly doubt it's what the Eagles hired Kelly to do.

So this here is the Eric Edholm article about which you've likely heard, some time in the past 24 hours, if you're a Philadelphia Eagles fan. It's from 2009, when Billy Davis was the Cardinals' linebackers coach, and it features Davis explaining in detail the hybrid defensive alignment the Cardinals were running at the time. Something between a 3-4 and a 4-3 with "under" principles. Davis, who would soon thereafter become the Cardinals' defensive coordinator, has just landed a job as the Eagles' new defensive coordinator under Chip Kelly. And while it's no sure thing that he'll install the exact same defense he was using in Arizona, the story offers some potential clues about the way the Eagles will run their defense with Davis in charge.

The "under" front Davis employed in Arizona, which shifts toward the tight end side, looks like a 3-4. But it doesn't adhere strictly to 3-4 principles, and as you read the details in Eric's story you can start to believe the Eagles' current 4-3 personnel might fit the new defense better than initially thought:

But in the 4-3 'under' front, like the Cardinals use as their base defense which looks similar to the 3-4 to the naked eye, the biggest difference is in the outside linebackers. The strong-side linebacker is still outside the tight end. But the other outside guy -- the Cardinals call this player their "Predator" -- is almost always rushing the passer, although the Cards will occasionally drop him into covers to mix things up. Other differences: The nose tackle shades to the A-gap (in between the center and the guard) on the tight end side, and the end on that side moves between the tackle and tightend.

In this arrangement, the Eagles' "predator" could be either Trent Cole or Brandon Graham. Either one fits the mold as a pure pass-rusher with a great first step and, especially in Graham's case, a high motor. I'm not sure either of those guys translates to the strong-side linebacker role in this scheme, and Mychal Kendricks seems suited to the weak-side linebacker role. They may need to find a more traditional stand-up linebacker and either rotate or decide between Cole and Graham, since you have to think Cullen Jenkins and Fletcher Cox are the ends and the nose tackle is someone not yet on the roster.

Another interesting aspect has to do with veteran middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who would remain an extremely important player in a scheme such as this. It's true that one of the reasons the Texans traded Ryans to the Eagles was that he'd become an imperfect fit once they switched to a 3-4, but that had more to do with Ryans' salary and the emergence of fellow linebacker Brian Cushing as a superior three-down option than it did Ryans' ability to play the scheme. And if Davis runs a system similar to the one he ran in Arizona, Ryans takes on a vital dirty-work role:

The only player in the 4-3 'under' who is left uncovered is the "Mike," or the middle linebacker. In the Cardinals' scheme, that's usually Gerald Hayes. "That's my thumper, more of a thick guy," Davis said, circling the capital M on his piece of paper. "In the 'over' front, when I was in Atlanta [2001 to 2003], we put Keith Brooking -- we were actually playing an even scheme, too -- but we stacked Keith right behind the three [technique] and he got to run and make players and use his athleticism, and he made his first Pro Bowl playing behind the three."

But in this scheme Hayes, listed at 249 pounds ("or a little less than that," he admits with a wink and smile), is the only uncovered linebacker. That means he often will be taking on 300-pound guards head on. On Sunday, it could be Steeler ORG Darnell Stapleton and his 305 pounds that will meet Hayes more than once. "You don't think about," Hayes says, "you just do it. You can't worry about taking those guys on. It comes with the territory."

Ryans is listed at 247 pounds and seems a natural for that role, which would answer one of the big questions about the Eagles' current personnel transitioning to a new alignment.

Again, we will learn more about all of this in the coming months, and the way the Eagles line up on defense this year could look different even from what Davis has run in the past. But this is an interesting look at the new guy and where he comes from philosophically, and I found it interesting. Hope you did, too.

The strong consensus belief is that new coach Chip Kelly wants to change the Philadelphia Eagles to a 3-4 defense from the 4-3 they currently run, and Rich Hofmann has taken a look at what, specifically, that would entail. His conclusion is that the Eagles will ultimately need to find at least seven new starters and that the transformation will take at least two years to work effectively.

This is not sky-is-falling hype. There is ample evidence that the transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 takes two years, and the personnel issue is well outlined here by Rich, who operates on the belief that the Eagles could use four new starters in the secondary regardless of how they decide to align the front seven. With Fletcher Cox (moving to defensive end), linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks and maybe pass-rusher Brandon Graham the only current front-seven players who look like good potential fits in a 3-4, the Eagles would have a lot of work to do. They'd have to find a nose tackle, a second end and at least one outside linebacker depending on whether Graham could transition. They'd have to cut ties with Trent Cole, who just signed a long-term deal last year. The Eagles, under this scenario, likely would spend much of 2013 evaluating their current personnel to decide who fits into the long-term 3-4 plan and then the 2014 offseason hunting players to fill the holes that crop up.

I personally think it's encouraging that Kelly views the repair of the Eagles' defense as a long-range project, because it should be. And if the new coach has been given reason to believe he has enough time to wait out the bumps that go along with this process, that's a good thing. He needs to feel comfortable and empowered to install his program his way. If you're a big-picture Eagles fan, you can embrace the idea of trying to overhaul the defense and re-create it as something new as opposed to patching holes. But it is going to take time, and it is going to look ugly at times in the short term. And I just think it's important that Eagles fans go into this season with that understanding.

Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer has a lot of good background information on the Philadelphia Eagles' hiring of Chip Kelly as their new head coach, including this:

Kelly favors an aggressive, attacking-style defense and will likely change the Eagles' scheme from a 4-3 to a 3-4, a source familiar with the coach's thinking said.

Well, that's interesting, no? And the way the Eagles played defense this year, it's hard to argue against change, even if it's for change's sake. But my first reaction is that I don't think the Eagles have the personnel to make this switch, and that it would require an even more drastic defensive rebuild than the one that faces them now.

Right now, they need to fix the secondary, but they have an excellent, deep, athletic 4-3 defensive line as well as a couple of good linebackers in DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks. If they switch to a 3-4, they need to evaluate what they have at all three levels of the defense, and here's what I think they'd find at the first two:

Defensive line: It's easy to see Fletcher Cox and Cullen Jenkins as good 3-4 defensive ends, but they'd need a nose tackle. It's possible Antonio Dixon could be that, or they could draft Utah's Star Lotulelei with the No. 4 pick, but it would become a significant area of need if the Eagles did in fact make the switch.

Linebackers: Personally, I like the idea of Brandon Graham as a stand-up outside linebacker and I think Kendricks fits the mold of a fly-around inside linebacker in a 3-4, assuming he develops some. But I don't see Trent Cole making the transition to stand-up outside linebacker very smoothly. And Ryans, who was their best defensive player in 2012, was just traded from Houston a year ago because he didn't fit anymore after they switched to a 3-4 and the Eagles saw him as a prototypical middle linebacker in a 4-3.

The problem here, as Scouts, Inc.'s Matt Williamson said when I asked him about this, is that a switch to a 3-4 doesn't really benefit any of the Eagles' current defensive players. Sure, some of them (such as Cox and Graham) could make their transitions, but it's hard to see how any of them would thrive as a result of the change. And if that's the case, that means the Eagles are going to spend this offseason and likely the next one trying to figure out which pieces fit and which spots require them to find replacements. Feels like a major project that would require time and patience, and that's not always something NFL fans and franchises are willing or able to offer.

Who will run it? NFL Network raised the names of Georgia's Todd Grantham and Florida's Dan Quinn as potential Eagles defensive coordinators under Kelly, and Adam Schefter says he's heard both as possibilities. Whoever it is will have a significant responsibility to rescue a defense that flopped more or less completely in 2012, and his ability to do that will go a long way toward determining whether Kelly's tenure in Philadelphia is a success.

» NFC Season Wraps: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five things to know and my 2012 all-division team:

Division MVP: Interesting word, "value." The Washington Redskins decided that fixing their problem at quarterback by drafting Robert Griffin III was worth three first-round picks and a second-round pick. That's the "value" they assigned to Griffin as their short-term and long-term solution at the game's most critical position -- willingly not having another first-round pick until 2015. The first-year result is the current six-game winning streak that has delivered the Redskins' first winning season since 2007 and a shot Sunday night at their first division title since 1999.

A number of things have gone right to help the Redskins to this point, but at the center of it all has been Griffin, who has delivered big plays with his arm and his legs, has thrown just five interceptions and piloted a Redskins offense that has the most rushing yards and the fewest turnovers in the league through 16 weeks. In their wildest dreams, the Redskins couldn't have imagined Griffin performing at this level in his first year, but the fact that he has is the biggest reason they're where they are at this point. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is having a big year, as are Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and Redskins rookie running back Alfred Morris. But the award is for the Most "Valuable" Player, and the upgrade Griffin has provided for the Redskins at the most important position on the field has a value that surpasses anything anyone else in the NFC East has provided this year.

Biggest disappointment: This one isn't hard. The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles were a disappointment. That word isn't strong enough to describe what the 2012 Eagles turned out to be. They went into training camp with Super Bowl expectations and a chip on their collective shoulder after last year's flop, and they out-flopped even themselves. There was promise in their 3-1 start, in spite of the turnovers and the fact that they were barely winning. The defense was playing well, Michael Vick was leading them from behind in the fourth quarter and it made some level of sense to believe that they would play better and start winning more comfortably.

Instead, it went the other way. The eight-game losing streak that followed that 3-1 start doomed the Eagles to a sub-.500 season, and the 11 losses they already have with one game to go ties the most Andy Reid has ever had as a head coach. (He lost 11 in his first season there.) Injuries were a huge part of this, as 10 of the Eagles' Week 1 starters on offense have had to miss at least one game and the offensive line hasn't been together all year. But the problems go much deeper, and center on a poorly constructed roster that failed to adequately address holes at positions such as safety and a dysfunctional coaching staff mismanaged by the man in charge. Reid appears certain to pay with his job for failing to make good on his mulligan, and big changes are around the corner in Philadelphia.

No defense: The NFC East hasn't had a repeat champion since the Eagles won it back-to-back in 2003-04, and it won't have one this year either. The New York Giants opened November with three more wins than any other team in the division, but their collapse following a 6-2 start has eliminated them from the division race with a week to go. The winner of Sunday night's game between the Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys will be division champs. If it's Dallas, it'll be the team's second title in four years and would be the second year in a row (and ever) that the division didn't produce at least one 10-win team. If it's Washington, it'll be its first division title in 13 years and would mean four different division champs in four years. This may not be the dominant, monster, "Beast" division it's been in some years past, but the intensity of the rivalries and the closeness of the quality of the four teams keep it the league's most competitive and entertaining year in and year out.

Each NFC East team had a turn in the spotlight this year. The Cowboys flashed greatness in their nationally televised victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Giants in the season opener. The Eagles got out to that 3-1 start. The Giants at one point stood 6-2, and their victories over San Francisco and Green Bay had folks talking about them as the best team in the league. The Redskins are on a six-game winning streak right now and one of the hottest stories in sports. Say what you will about this division or any of its teams, but you can't say it's not fun.

Better "corner" the market: Looking ahead to the 2013 offseason, expect each of the NFC East's teams to make the secondary a high priority. The Cowboys like their corners, and they may be OK at safety if Barry Church comes back healthy, but they'll probably lose Mike Jenkins to free agency and could look to maintain their depth back there. The Giants need to figure out whether this is just a bad year for Corey Webster or if he's a player in decline, and at safety there are questions about Kenny Phillips' long-term status with the team after his injury-plagued season. The Redskins need all kinds of help in the secondary, where Josh Wilson has been fairly consistent but not great at corner, DeAngelo Hall is clearly in decline and they're getting by with backups at safety. And the Eagles have to figure out whether to keep one, both or neither of their veteran cornerbacks and whether it's time to cut bait with safety Nate Allen.

This division includes the No. 21, No. 28 and No. 30 pass defenses in the NFL, and the only NFC East team in the top half in the league in that category (Philadelphia, No. 11) has major question marks at cornerback and especially safety. Once known for its fearsome pass rushes, the NFC East learned this year that you can't always count on even that to be consistent, and it's time for this division's teams to prioritize their last lines of defense.

The men in charge: You can expect wholesale coaching staff changes in Philadelphia, of course. But what of the division's other three teams, at least one and likely two of which won't make the playoffs? Head coaches Tom Coughlin and Mike Shanahan are clearly safe in New York and Washington, and Jason Garrett appears safe as well in Dallas after a year in which he's admirably led the Cowboys through injury and off-field tragedy into another Week 17 division title game. But that doesn't mean there can't or won't be changes at the coordinator level.

Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan are both whispered about when head-coaching jobs come up, and the success of Griffin and the Redskins' offensive system could make Kyle Shanahan an especially hot candidate this offseason. Would he jump ship, or stay to see things through and possibly succeed his father down the road in D.C.? Redskins fans clamor for the head of defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, and I guess you never know, but I think Haslett's got this Washington defense overachieving, and I've heard nothing to indicate that the team is dissatisfied with the job he's doing. As for the Giants' Kevin Gilbride and Perry Fewell ... Fewell's no longer the head-coaching candidate he used to be for some reason, so it's likely a matter of whether they want to keep those guys around. The Giants tend to value organizational stability, and Gilbride and Fewell were coaching in and winning a Super Bowl less than 11 months ago, so it's hard to imagine they're in trouble. But I think the Giants are surprised at the way the last couple of weeks have gone, and I doubt they've seriously considered yet whether changes on the staff are warranted or necessary.

ALL-DIVISION TEAM

We do this every week, so you're used to a lot of these names in a lot of these places. There are some close calls, including at quarterback, where the Cowboys' Romo is as hot as anyone in the league and has thrown just three interceptions in his past eight games after throwing 13 in his first seven. Romo is third in the league in passing yards, and his responsible play and leadership are central reasons for the Cowboys' second-half surge. And if he beats Griffin and Washington on Sunday night, you can make the argument that he deserves the spot. I think it's that close right now. But Griffin's had the more consistent season and, as detailed above, the more dramatic impact. So he holds the spot.

The only other very tough call is at fullback, where Darrel Young and the Giants' Henry Hynoski are both excellent and worthy. Hynoski, for me, has been the slightly better blocker, but the Giants' recent struggles have hurt his case and Young, who actually touches the ball every now and then, takes the spot away from him. ... Kicker is a good race, as all four have had good seasons. And yes, I know Kai Forbath hasn't missed, but he's kicked barely half as many as Dan Bailey has. ... Philadelphia's Brandon Graham has made a strong case at defensive end with his second-half play, but Jason Hatcher's been a rock all season as a 3-4 end for Dallas. ... Dez Bryant and Alfred Morris are no-brainers as the division's best wide receiver and running back. What kind of odds could you have got on that in early September?

A few thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles' 10th loss of the 2012 season.

What it means: Not a lot, except to those who expected the Tampa Bay victory to catapult Nick Foles to quarterback stardom. The Eagles' rookie quarterback lit up the league's 32nd-ranked pass defense and led the Eagles to a comeback victory Sunday in Tampa, and he looked good leading them back from an early 10-0 deficit to take a halftime lead Thursday night. But he's a rookie, and that means he looks quite shaky at times. Thursday, that meant he fit right in with the rest of his team. His interception was but one of five Eagles turnovers. They also saw a punt blocked and had nine penalties for 76 yards. It was a heinous loss to a Cincinnati team that spent the second and third quarters trying to hand them the game.

More on Foles: I like the way he moves in the pocket. I like that he doesn't let the garbage going on around him get him down -- that he seems to have a short memory and that he maintains a determination to make a play. I think he makes decent decisions. I don't think he always makes good throws. I know he threw 168 passes in a row without being intercepted, but some of those 168 clanged off of defenders' hands, and he hasn't been super-accurate, especially deep. He has a very strong arm, but he needs better accuracy down the field. His lack of fear is the best thing he has going for him right now, and the reason the Eagles can feel confident they're getting a real look at what he can do over these final games.

Brown out: The bloom is off rookie running back Bryce Brown as well, after his fourth fumble in four starts in place of LeSean McCoy. Brown ran extremely well in his first two games, totaling over 300 rush yards. But he barely factored in the game play Sunday, and he had a tough time against the tough Cincinnati defense Thursday. And of course, he fumbled, which is obviously a big problem for him. He's got major talent, but the fact that he didn't play much college football at all is showing up in the cavalier way in which he carries the ball. If it doesn't improve, his future in the game will be short.

For the defense: The pass rush showed up! In the second game since the firing of defensive line coach Jim Washburn, the Eagles came up with six sacks of Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. That raised their total for the season to 28 sacks and elevates them (for the time being) from 29th in the league in that category to 19th. Brandon Graham had 2.5 of the sacks, Fletcher Cox had 1.5 and Trent Cole had one and looked as lively has he has all season. The Eagles will go into the offseason feeling justifiably good about the talent they have on their defensive line.

And of course: The turnovers. Good for the defense for forcing two, upping its season total to 12. But only the Chiefs and Colts have forced fewer, and the Eagles also had those five giveaways. They now lead the league with 34 giveaways, and their minus-22 turnover differential is tied with Kansas City for the worst in the league. You want to get to 4-10, that's a pretty good blueprint for it.

Ridiculous injury note: Left guard Evan Mathis hurt his ankle and stayed in for a while but was eventually replaced by Danny Watkins. If Mathis were to miss next week's game, he'd be the 10th Eagles offensive starter to miss a game due to injury this year, which is to say everyone but fullback Stanley Havili, who also left this game with an injury.

What's next: The Eagles try to continue their spoiler run in their final two games of the season. They will host the Washington Redskins a week from Sunday, and the Sunday after that they will travel to New Jersey to play the New York Giants. The Eagles are no longer in playoff contention, but they still could have a say in the way the NFC East race turns out.

A few thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles' last-second comeback victory Sunday over the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla.

What it means: In the 2012 picture, not a lot for the Eagles, whose season was already lost. But it means the end of an eight-game winning streak, the team's first victory since September and a chance for the Eagles and their fans to feel good for a few days. (They play again Thursday.) It also showed the kind of toughness a lot of people have been accusing the Eagles of not having, as they recovered from a 21-10 deficit in the final four minutes to win.

The kid: This was the chance for rookie quarterback Nick Foles to look his best against the worst pass defense in the league, and Foles looked very good indeed. He was 32-for-51 for 381 yards and two touchdowns, including the last-second game winner to Jeremy Maclin, and he also ran for a 10-yard touchdown. He was sacked six times, but he did not throw an interception, and he looked especially in control in the waning minutes as the team was moving the ball down the field in its comeback effort. As the Eagles use this final month to evaluate Foles as the potential answer for them at quarterback next season and beyond, this game stands as his best tape to date.

The defense: In the first game since the firing of defensive line coach Jim Washburn, the Eagles got sacks from defensive tackles Fletcher Cox and Cullen Jenkins, seemed to ditch the much-maligned "Wide 9" alignment Washburn instituted last year and held Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman to 189 yards on 14-of-34 passing. They didn't create any turnovers, and it was their seventh game in a row without an interception, but the big guys up front and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie did a much better job this week of limiting the opposing team's passing attack. And even once the Bucs appeared to figure things out in the second half, they couldn't get far enough ahead to hold off the comeback.

What's next: The Eagles host the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. Cincinnati's playoff hopes took a hit Sunday with a last-second loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but they come into the game with a 7-6 record and one of the best defenses in the league.

PHILADELPHIA -- Some thoughts from the Philadelphia Eagles' (gulp) seventh loss in a row, this one to the lowly Carolina Panthers in front of a "Monday Night Football" audience.

What it means: That the Eagles are, by a legitimate measure, the worst team in the NFC. Their 3-8 record is the worst in the conference and identical to that of the Panthers, who just beat them head-to-head on their home field. The only teams in the league with worse records are the 2-9 Jacksonville Jaguars and the 1-10 Kansas City Chiefs. This is the Eagles' first seven-game losing streak since 1994, and they are no longer capable of finishing with a better record than last year's 8-8 mark that team owner Jeffrey Lurie termed unacceptable before this season began.

The good and bad of Bryce Brown: Brown, the seventh-round rookie running back who'd been siphoning some LeSean McCoy carries, returning kicks and getting looks at the goal line in the first 10 games of the season, stepped into the starter's role with McCoy out due to a concussion, and he had a statistical debut for the ages. His 65-yard touchdown run in the second quarter announced his presence and fired up a skeptical home crowd, and he finished with 178 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. He also fumbled twice in the second half, which damaged the Eagles' momentum and helped the Panthers take the lead in the fourth quarter, so it was far from a spotless night. But as a runner, when he had the ball in his hands, Brown looks speedy and shifty and capable of handling more of a workload than he'd been given previously.

Coverage problems: The Eagles' pass defense continued its recent struggles early in the game, allowing two easy Cam Newton touchdown passes in the first quarter. And while the coverage seemed to tighten up a bit after that, it would have been difficult for it not to improve, and Carolina receivers didn't have too much trouble getting open when they had to. Newton finished the game 18-for-28 for 306 yards and two touchdown passes. He also added 54 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 13 carries. And over the past five games, since Juan Castillo was fired as defensive coordinator and replaced by Todd Bowles, opposing quarterbacks are 94-for-125 (75.2 percent) for 1,207 yards, 13 touchdown passes and no interceptions against the Eagles.

Rookie QB: Still not much to go on with rookie Nick Foles, who made his second straight start at quarterback due to Michael Vick's concussion. He threw a nice deep ball that drew a key 51-yard pass interference call in the third quarter to set up Brown's second touchdown run, but for the most part he was handing the ball off and throwing screen passes. There were at least three passes he threw in the first half that looked like poor downfield decisions and nearly got intercepted, and it seems clear that the Eagles are not yet asking Foles to do very much.

Injuries: Wide receiver DeSean Jackson left the game in the first quarter with what the team called a sternum injury, and rookie defensive tackle Fletcher Cox left in the second quarter with a tailbone injury. Neither player returned to the game. Left tackle King Dunlap also had to leave the game in the third quarter with an injury of some sort, but he was able to return.

What's next: The Eagles will travel to Dallas and play the Cowboys on Sunday night at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys are 5-6 and trying desperately to stay in the division and wild-card races. Dallas beat the Eagles 38-23 in Philadelphia in Week 10.

PHILADELPHIA -- A Philadelphia Eagles rookie filling in for an offensive star who has a concussion had a big first half of the "Monday Night Football" game against the Carolina Panthers here at Lincoln Financial Field. But it's not the one that immediately jumps to mind.

While quarterback Nick Foles has continued to look rookie-shaky in his second start in place of Michael Vick, rookie running back Bryce Brown has 129 rushing yards on nine carries, including an electrifying 65-yard second-quarter touchdown run, in place of concussed starter LeSean McCoy. As a result, the Eagles have recovered from an early 14-3 deficit and lead the Panthers 15-14 at the half.

Brown, the seventh-round pick who has been used to spell McCoy in certain situations this year, is getting his chance as a starter and looks fast and nimble cutting through holes and outrunning Panthers defenders. It's somewhat reminiscent of the big game Giants running back Andre Brown had against Carolina in Week 3 when he was pressed into starter's duty in place of an injured Ahmad Bradshaw. And yes, the Carolina defense is the common denominator there. But Brown was a well-regarded talent who plummeted in the draft due to off-field issues, and the Eagles may have found themselves a gem who can complement McCoy even when the latter returns.

As for Foles... meh. At least three throws looked as though they could have been intercepted, most of his work is being done in the screen game and he's not making consistently great decisions. But again, it's his second start, the offensive line in front of him is missing four starters (of a possible five), and he's missing wide receivers DeSean Jackson (who left the game in the first quarter with an injury) and Jason Avant (who was inactive due to injury). So it's not necessarily fair to judge Foles, only to point out the facts of the case. He's 11-of-16 for 75 yards.

The Eagles defense had a horrendous start, leaving Carolina receivers Gary Barnidge and Brandon LaFell open for long touchdowns in the first quarter. Philadelphia possessed the ball for 9:17 of that first quarter's 15 minutes and yet still managed to trail 14-3 when it ended. And after the Brown touchdown, Eagles coach Andy Reid made the silly decision to try for a two-point conversion in the second quarter. (They didn't get it.) But for the most part, things seem to have turned in the Eagles' favor, and if the defense can continue to tighten up and make the plays it's been making at and behind the line of scrimmage since the first quarter ended, Philadelphia has a chance to end its six-game losing streak tonight.

Jackson left the game with a sternum injury, and the team says his return is doubtful. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox has a tailbone injury, and the team says his return is questionable. X-rays on both players were negative.

Amid all of the perfectly justified rip jobs and sky-is-falling coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles' latest loss, this short item by Jeff McLane caught my eye. He's got someone with the Eagles telling him Andy Reid's bye-week firing of defensive coordinator Juan Castillo was a "miscalculation." This comes as neither news nor a surprise to anyone who's been tracking the Eagles over the past two seasons, during which it appears "miscalculation" has been the hallmark of the front office's game plan.

Yeah, when you watch the Eagles play, it's easy to get caught up in the on-field, in-game issues. Why don't they run the ball more? Why can't Michael Vick make pre-snap reads? Have they quit on Andy Reid? Stuff like that. But I think if you look back over the past two years, it's easy to see that the flaws with this team are flaws of construction, and that the miscalculations are myriad and extensive. A partial list, in no particular order:

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AP Photo/Brian GarfinkelSigning QB Michael Vick to a $100 million contract appears to be a costly move for the Eagles.
• Deciding on Vick as a $100 million franchise quarterback based on the spectacular aspect of the way he played in 2010, ignoring the likelihood that his issues reading the field, making audibles and adjusting on the fly were too ingrained to overcome in his 30s. And no, it's not that they should have kept Kevin Kolb or that they didn't get great value for him in the trade. It's just that tying so much of their 2011-12 success to Vick is going to set them back as they head into 2013 and beyond. And the bust potential that Vick came with at the time of the contract was high enough to make it a questionable decision at best.
• Signing Nnamdi Asomugha on the presumption that he'd play like a top shutdown cornerback, then playing him in zone coverage for his first year because they didn't have the guts to move Asante Samuel. This resulted in their having to trade Samuel for nearly nothing a year later, and Asomugha has struggled at times this year in one-on-one coverage against speedy wideouts.
• Drafting Danny Watkins in the first round after hiring Howard Mudd to run the offensive line. Mudd found Jason Kelce in the sixth round, identified him as the type of guy who could play his scheme and quickly molded him into a top NFL center. Surely, he could have found a guard in the fifth or seventh that fit his profile and done the same with him, and the Eagles could have used that first-rounder on something more immediately helpful. And no, the Eagles could not have imagined the extent to which injuries would ravage their offensive line this season, but it does seem as though they could have found backup players better suited to adapt quickly to Mudd's blocking schemes. Perhaps if they hadn't been so focused on bringing in high-profile, ultimately useless skill-position backups like Vince Young and Ronnie Brown last year, this could have been more of a point of emphasis.
• Designing a defense predicated on the down linemen selling out for sacks, then failing in 2011 to support the defensive line with anything resembling adequate linebacker play.
• In 2012, after bolstering the linebacker corps, failing to adjust anything about the defensive line scheme even though the whole league knew they'd be selling out for sacks on every play. The extent to which opposing offensive coordinators have appeared to be ahead of Castillo, Todd Bowles, Jim Washburn or whoever's been in charge of setting up the Eagles' defense on a given week this year is staggering.
• Making Castillo the defensive coordinator in the first place, then of course firing him during the bye week just because they felt like they had to do something.

Look, I understand this is an exercise in second-guessing. I fell for it, as did a lot of the people who have been writing about this Eagles team for the past two years. Philadelphia's roster-construction efforts the past two springs and summers looked good as they were going on, and I for one failed to spot the number of flaws that have ultimately manifested themselves. The very good lesson, for those of us who write the NFL, is as usual about waiting for the games to be played before making broad conclusions about how they will go.

As we look back on it now, though, not much the Eagles have done in assembling their roster over the past couple of years has worked. There's the occasional DeMeco Ryans or Fletcher Cox, sure. The DeSean Jackson contract is a good one for them, and I don't think it was necessarily wrong for them to spend resources this past offseason locking up cornerstone pieces like Trent Cole, LeSean McCoy and Todd Herremans for the long-term. But in terms of building a Super Bowl contender in the short term, Reid and the rest of the people who run the Eagles have failed spectacularly. The product they've put on the field simply isn't as good as they believed it to be, and they are likely to pay for their run of miscalculations with their jobs.

There was some talk, after the Philadelphia Eagles' very disappointing loss Sunday to the Detroit Lions, of working through the bye week to correct the issues that won't go away. Eagles coach Andy Reid has routinely given his team the week off when it's had a bye. But there's some thought in Philadelphia today that he should keep them around and practice as usual this week, so deep run their problems, so desperate they are for solutions.

I think that would be a terrible idea. In fact, I think it's exactly the opposite of what these Eagles need.

I think the Eagles need to relax, to get away from the intensity and the negativity and the doubt that has descended once again upon their halting, frustrating season. They need to take a breath. They haven't been able to breathe in quite a while, and Sunday they looked very much like a team that's playing too tight -- maybe even a little worried.

It started in training camp, which Reid made sure was one of the most intense and physical in the league this year. He wanted a tough team that wouldn't fade in the fourth quarter the way last year's team did. He worked his players hard in August because he thought they could take it, and because he thought it would make them better. They liked it, and they seemed to respond.

But then came Week 1 and a sloppy escape against the Browns in Cleveland. A pushover game that looked like a chance to flex their muscles as a much-improved team turned instead into a turnover-filled mess. They had to discuss it as though it had been a loss, to take it as a warning sign of what could happen if they didn't shape up. From the very beginning of the season, the Eagles were in a fight, and it hasn't stopped.

The following week brought a one-point home victory against Baltimore -- still the Ravens' only loss of the season. But it also brought more turnovers and more questions about the viability of such a sloppy style. Week 3 was a 27-6 loss in Arizona, then they came back the next week and beat the Giants at home when a last-second field goal fell just short. A tight, tough loss in Pittsburgh and then Sunday's collapse, and they hit their bye at 3-3. They've played only one game all year that's been decided by more than three points, and they lost it. The Eagles have mixed a couple of very big wins in among their disappointing losses, but the 2012 season so far has afforded them little chance to feel very good about themselves. At worst (today), they feel like failures who can't get out of their own way. At their best, they feel like relieved survivors.

So, yeah, I think what they need now is a break, and I think Reid would be foolish not to give it to them. This is a wound-up bunch right now. The offensive line looks overmatched. The defensive line hasn't had a sack in almost a month. First-round pick Fletcher Cox just got himself thrown out of a game. Michael Vick carried a football around all week in a high-schoolish effort to solve his fumbling problem, then he came out and threw two interceptions against the Lions. This is not a man who appears to be in the best place, psychologically, to succeed.

And honestly, I think the coaching staff could use the break as much as anyone. If what Nnamdi Asomugha says is true about the decision to change the coverage plan on Calvin Johnson in the fourth quarter after it worked all afternoon, this is a coaching staff that's trying too hard, that's coaching worried. The expectations are stratospheric in Philadelphia this year, and they appear to be wearing on everyone.

This Eagles team doesn't trust itself right now. And you can joke all you want about how they shouldn't, but just two weeks ago, all of the talk was about their newfound toughness and how well that would serve them the rest of the way. That didn't disappear in Pittsburgh and in the final few minutes against the Lions. It's all still there, as is the talent the Eagles believe can carry them to big things. They've won some tough games, lost some tough games and generally haven't played as well as they'd like to have played, but this is far from over. And I think what the Eagles need right now is a chance to shake it all off, to reset a little bit and take stock of what's in front of them and the opportunity they have to make something of it.

It stinks for the Eagles that the bye comes after two straight losses and that they must spend two weeks listening to everyone talk about what's wrong with them. But it's entirely possible that this bye is coming at just the right time. Because this looks like a team that could use a break.

AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley and NFC East blogger Dan Graziano discuss the issues surrounding Sunday's game between the Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2):

Jamison Hensley: While there will be plenty of talk this week about Peyton Manning going against Tom Brady, the biggest game of the week is the Philadelphia Eagles at the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's where myself and NFC East blogger extraordinaire Dan Graziano come in. To get you prepared, we decided to provide some "Double Coverage" for this game. A major storyline will be turnovers. The Steelers don't force any, and the Eagles seem to give the ball away like Christmas gifts. Pittsburgh has only three takeaways this season and had a league-low 15 last season. Dan, what's the over-under on Eagles turnovers for this one?

Dan Graziano: Wow, what an introduction, "blogger extraordinaire." I'll take it, even if I do remember being a little punchy myself in that sleep-deprived, new-dad phase way back when. As for turnovers, yeah, the Eagles turned it over 12 times in their first three games, which always looks like a misprint but isn't. They did not turn it over once against the Giants on Sunday night, and it's a good thing, too, since they only won by two points and a few field-goal inches. My sense is that it's easy for these NFC East teams to get and stay focused when they're playing the Giants (as I think the Cowboys showed in Week 1 as well), and that maintaining the newfound responsibility for ball security will be a greater challenge for Michael Vick this week in Pittsburgh. It's encouraging for the Eagles that this year's Steelers haven't been too opportunistic, because I think if the Eagles don't turn the ball over they can beat just about anybody. But I'll set the over/under at 2, and I think if they're under they'll win. What's the latest on linebacker James Harrison and the injury situations on defense in Pittsburgh? That could have a lot to say about this, as Vick is more turnover-prone when pressured.

JH: Injuries have really taken a toll on the Steelers. It's gotten so bad that I have ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell as one of my favorites in my iPhone contact list. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that he’s optimistic that safety Troy Polamalu and Harrison will both play against the Eagles. I see Polamalu starting, but my guess is Harrison will be limited. The Steelers are always smart with their injured players, and they will look to ease Harrison back. He had a setback with his knee last week. That’s why Harrison could be more of a pass-rush specialist Sunday. The return of Polamalu helps the Steelers, because he brings unpredictability. Quarterbacks don't know where he's going to line up, even though it's hard to miss him with that helmet of hair. If Harrison does play, the Steelers have a much better shot at getting to Vick. Without Harrison, Pittsburgh has just five sacks this season. The Steelers also expect to get back running back Rashard Mendenhall, who hasn't played since tearing his ACL in last year's season finale. Pittsburgh ranks 31st in the NFL in running the ball, and the hope is Mendenhall can provide a boost in that area. Is there any chance the Steelers will have success running the ball against the Eagles?

DG: Chance, sure, but this isn't your older brother's Eagles' defense. All the tackling and gap-control problems they had last season that led to allowing big plays in the run game seem to have been shored up with the addition of DeMeco Ryans at middle linebacker and Mychal Kendricks on the strong side. The Eagles have turned the ball over 12 times in four games, scored just 66 points, and are 3-1. Their defense isn't playing well, it's playing great. And I imagine it'll have to continue to do so. Polamalu is a bad matchup for a quarterback like Vick, who doesn't read blitzes or defenses well and doesn't always see all of his available options down the field. I'm thinking this could be a low-scoring game. One thing I'm interested to see is how the Eagles set up their coverages against the Steelers' receivers. Nnamdi Asomugha seems to be having trouble staying with the speedier guys, so Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been taking most of those assignments and handling them very well. Which of the Steelers' great receivers is the burner? Mike Wallace still?

JH: Wallace is still the best deep threat on the team. He didn't attend offseason workouts in the spring or training camp to protest the lack of a new contract, but he kept himself in great shape. Antonio Brown is quick as well, and finds a way to get open on the crossing routes. Generating big plays, though, has been a problem for the Steelers this season. Ben Roethlisberger is averaging 7.5 yards per attempt (12th in the league) and is one of four starting quarterbacks who have yet to complete a pass beyond 40 yards. New offensive coordinator Todd Haley has been stressing a short passing game. I expect the Steelers to take more shots against the Eagles if Roethlisberger has enough time to throw it. And that's a big "if." This is essentially the same offensive line that failed to protect Roethlisberger last season. Should the Steelers be worried about the amount of pressure the Eagles will bring?

DG: They should. The Eagles didn't get a sack Sunday night, and I believe they're annoyed about that. The Giants helped out their tackles by chipping the defensive ends, and most of the pressure the Eagles produced against Eli Manning was from the interior, where Cullen Jenkins and Fletcher Cox had great games. The Eagles believe they're eight-deep with quality defensive linemen. They believe in pressuring the quarterback with the front four, so they don't blitz much. I'm interested to see whether they can contain and wrap up Roethlisberger if and when they get to him, since his reputation is that of a guy who keeps plays alive longer than most, where someone like Manning gets rid of the ball quickly. Different challenge for the Eagles' front this week, but they believe they're deep and talented enough to keep the pressure up for all 60 minutes. This time last season, the Eagles were 1-3 having blown three fourth-quarter leads. This year, the fourth quarter is where they've been at their best. Do you think coming off the bye helps the Steelers against a team built on the idea of outlasting people?

JH: If the Eagles are annoyed about not getting a sack, you can imagine what the Steelers are feeling after failing to hold a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter at Oakland. The Steelers had an extra week to think about how they allowed Carson Palmer and the Raiders to score on all three of their fourth-quarter possessions to pull off the upset. This has been a bad trend for the Steelers this season. In their two losses (at Denver and at Oakland), the Steelers have been outscored 30-6 in the fourth quarter. That being said, Pittsburgh is a different team when playing at Heinz Field. The Steelers have won nine of their past 10 at home. In its win against the Jets, Pittsburgh shut out New York for the final 39 1/2 minutes, which doesn't seem much of an accomplishment after this past weekend. You know their recent fourth-quarter collapses have to be in the back of the Steelers' mind when they're watching film of Vick's late-game heroics. Do you think this game comes down to the final couple minutes?

DG: It probably should. The Eagles' offense hasn't played well enough to think they could run away with a game in a place like Pittsburgh, and the defense has played too well to forecast a blowout in the other direction. What's amazing is what a difference a year makes, and the idea that after what happened last year you might pick Vick and the Eagles to win a game in the final minutes against Roethlisberger and the Steelers. But they did it Sunday against Manning and the Giants, so anything is possible. This season's Eagles are definitely tougher than last season's were. I think it should be a good game, and I look forward to seeing you there Sunday.

Matt Williamson of Scouts, Inc. has his weekly "Rookie Watch" posted, and three of the top 10 players in it are NFC East players. It's an Insider piece, so you have to send me a check if you want to read it, but I can tell you that this is where our division's players rank:

2. Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington Redskins

6. Mychal Kendricks, LB, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins

No other division has more than two in the top 10, and the NFC East also has two guys in the honorable mention list -- Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne and Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. It's a fun time to be a fan of these teams on which young players are making such an impact in their first years, and I'm sure it gives fans plenty of reason to hope for good things to come in the future.

Redskins fans will wonder, of course, why Griffin is No. 2 on the list and not No. 1. It is Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, taken one spot ahead of Griffin at the top of this year's draft, who sits atop Matt's list. Matt has consistently called this a very difficult choice between the two, and he expects that it will remain so for the rest of their careers. Both are obviously excellent young players, and you can probably find as many people who would rate Griffin No. 1 and Luck No. 2 as you can people who would flip the order. Matt's one concern, articulated here, is about the way Mike Shanahan and the Redskins are running the offense in the very early part of Griffin's career without top wideout Pierre Garcon on the field:

Shanahan better quit calling so much option if he wants to keep Griffin upright. That cannot be the foundation of Washington's rushing attack.

A point being brought up by worried Redskins fans all over the DMV this week, and one worth watching. Personally, I think the option stuff is just one of several things Shanahan believes he can do with Griffin. It has been a good idea early without Garcon in the lineup and while Griffin gets used to the speed of the NFL game. I doubt they plan to run this all season, and Morris has shown enough early that they could afford to give him more carries.