Matt Moore Suffers Concussion At End Of The Game: It was not a pretty game yesterday for the the Panthers passing attack as starter Matt Moore struggled all game. At the end of the game he suffered a concussion at the hands of the Giants defense, that puts his status in question. While the severity of the concussion is not yet known, it sounds like it could be a little serious. Despite his ineffectiveness I would imagine if healthy the Panthers would still go with Moore. But this injury at least makes you think of the possibility of 2nd round draft pick, Jimmy Clausen starting next week. Personally I think while Moore’s on a much shorter leash, I think if he is healthy you have to play him. The history of playing rookie quarterbacks early is not good, and in many cases seems to almost stunt their growth.

Eagles Suffer A Rash of Injuries: Not only did the Philadelphia Eagles fail to come back yesterday, but they suffered a number of serious injuries. Quarterback Kevin Kolb and linebacker Stewart Bradley both suffered serious concussions. And Center Jamal Jackson and fullback Leonard Weaver will miss the rest of the season due to serious injuries. Jackson is a major blow to the Eagles as he is one of their best offensive linemen, and will likely miss the rest of the way with a torn biceps injury. While they can kick guard Mike McGlynn over to center it weakens them at the guard spot. I would wonder if the Eagles would consider trying to get Kevin Mawae to unretire to have some veteran depth there. Weaver is another major blow, as he is one of the best fullbacks in the league. The Eagles are now scrambling to find a suitable replacement and with both Jackson and Weaver out their interior blocking is in question. It is unclear yet how Bradley’s concussion could affect him going forward, but reports state that he appeared very out of it following the hit. Bradley was supposed to have a big year for the Eagles so even only missing a few games could go a long way to hurting the Eagles. Kolb was the most recognizable name to go down yesterday for the Eagles, but seemingly is the most easily replaceable. Michael Vick had a breakout game yesterday for Philly and almost led the Eagles back after being in a deep hole against the Packers. Vick was successful with both his feet and his arm and will have fans looking to him if Kolb continues to struggle. Kolb will probably be back next week, but beware of the brewing QB controversy in Philadelphia.

Lions Could Lose Stafford For 4-6 Weeks: Stafford who injured his shoulder after being sacked by Julius Peppers, could miss the next month and a half pending tests. Initial reports said it might just be a week or two, but later reports all put his time table at 4-6 weeks. This is a major body blow to the Lions, who despite having zero chance of competing for the playoffs, could have used this season to get their young guns on offense to develop for next year. Losing Stafford for a significant amount of time will set back that timetable and makes the Lions even less competitive. Shaun Hill will take over at quarterback, but the more immediate concern is the offensive line. Stafford got killed last year, and obviously this year they have failed to protect their “Franchise Quarterback”. As if Stafford’s injury wasn’t enough evidence the Lions, behind stud rookie running back Jahvid Best, gained just 20 yards on 21 carries. Likely the Lions will be picking in the top 5 once again in April, and you can probably write down the top offensive tackle next to their name.

Tell me where you have heard this before –  a new Redskins offensive minded head coach trades a premium pick for a former All-Pro, mobile, 33 year-old quarterback? I guess some teams never learn, because the Redskins repeated their past mistakes, by trading a 2nd and a 3rd/4th rounder (2011) for Donovan McNabb. It didn’t work the first time with Mark Brunell (who was only had for a 3rd round pick), and it worries me again that the Redskins motives are unrealistic and shortsighted. Now before I get into the reasons why this move doesn’t make sense or why Campbell is a better bet than McNabb, I want to focus on what the Redskins gave up.

People seem genuinely happy with ‘only’ giving up a 2nd round pick this year and a 3rd or a 4th round pick next year. I on the other hand am pretty much appalled. That is two very high picks, in two extremely strong draft classes, for a 33 year-old quarterback. The Redskins biggest weakness this decade hasn’t been their free agent flops (though they obviously haven’t helped), but rather their inability to value their draft picks properly and consistently trade them away. While it has plagued them all decade, the most fateful decision came when gave up their 3rd round pick for Brunell. Now I realize most people will say, so what it was only a third round pick, but by doing so they are ignoring the bigger picture. Because in that 2004 draft class the Redskins identified a player they liked in the 3rd round, but did not have the pick to acquire him. So instead they traded their 2005 2nd round pick for him. The player they liked was Chris Cooley (had they gone a different route with QB Matt Schaub we wouldn’t even be having this debate), and if it stopped right there it would have been worth giving up the future draft pick.

Unfortunately for the Skins, the exodus of picks was just beginning. After one season it became pretty clear the Redskins weren’t the Championship caliber team we thought they would be, and Mark Brunell wasn’t the long term answer at quarterback (Gee who could have predicted that), so the Redskins decided to invest in the future. The Redskins didn’t trade up into the end of the first round solely for Jason Campbell, but he was at the top of their short list and the rumor was if he was still available the Skins would nab him. Well instead of trading back from 9 and stock piling picks, the Redskins traded up to get Campbell. But instead of packaging their early 2nd round pick (since it was long gone) to move up to the 25th spot in the first round, the Redskins had to get ‘creative’ (i.e. overpay). They traded their 3rd round pick in 2005 as well as their 1st and 4th round picks in 2006, to trade up and get Campbell. The fun didn’t stop there, as in the 2006 draft the Redskins wanted to move up to draft one of the top young linebackers, and had to trade their late 2nd round pick, their 6th round pick and their 2007 2nd round pick to jump up and draft Rocky McIntosh. That single 3rd round pick affected their draft strategy for four straight years, and none of those drafts were as deep and talented as these next two (or as high of a pick).

And those are just the direct correlations from not valuing and keeping your draft picks.  I think you could even argue it further, that by overpaying for the draft picks they wanted, the Redskins are still haunted by these decisions today. The fact that the Redskins were missing out on so many premium picks over a 4-year period meant they couldn’t take developmental talents, which meant the cupboard was bare at the wide receiver position in 2008, leading to the three 2nd round pass catchers being drafted. And today the Redskins biggest need (and why I question the McNabb deal) is along the offensive line, where Washington needs 2-3 top notch starters (as well as some additional youth), but is completely without any prospects.

It would have been one thing if the Redskins were 12-4 last year, and just needed a boost over the hump to challenge for a Super Bowl, but this team (which hasn’t made any major additions) was 4-12 last season, and could use all the young talent possible over the next two seasons. This team has a very suspect running game even with (especially) the veteran additions of Larry Johnson and Willie Parker. Their passing attack should be better with some development of Davis, Thomas and Kelly (and Cooley’s return), but they still rely too much on their two tight ends, and their young receivers haven’t exactly lit the world on fire. (For comparison for as much as people talk about the busted early picks the Eagles had at wideout, both Todd Pinkston and Reggie Brown had much better numbers in their first two years than Thomas or Kelly.)

As for the offensive line, if possible, it is in worse shape then it was last season. Even if they do use their top pick on an offensive tackle, that only fills one  spot along the line, which isn’t nearly enough to proclaim the problem solved. Remember in 2008 Samuels was still pretty much at a Pro Bowl level and the Redskins offense still struggled (not all of that can be blamed on Zorn). McNabb is a win now option, and while I think the new coaches will make the Redskins better, I’m not sure that they wouldn’t have been better served with Campbell at the helm.

You can say all you want about Jason Campbell, but he has had back-to-back productive seasons, including a pretty good year last year. For all the things that went wrong last year, the passing attack wasn’t even in the top 10. And he has become successful with an overrated defense, little running game, few passing weapons and practically no offensive line. Look I love Donovan McNabb, but I don’t think he’s the answer in D.C. For his career I’d take him in a heartbeat, but what matters most is who is the better option for next year, the next three years or even the next 6. Last season with no offensive weapons around him Campbell put up pretty similar numbers to McNabb, and is a safer bet going forward. He doesn’t have the extensive injury history McNabb does, is 5 years younger and more mobile than McNabb. This isn’t vintage McNabb, that can create his own plays by running around, and yet we are putting him behind quite possibly the worst offensive line in football. I just don’t understand how this makes sense, since the Redskins should look to rebuild instead of just trying to bring in stopgap options to be somewhat competitive for the next couple of years. And if they were going to try to contend this season, why not bring in more veterans?

While I didn’t like them at the time for the Skins, because I thought their signing would mean the drafting of Claussen/Bradford, why didn’t the Skins sign some of the offensive tackles they brought in for visits? If they inked either Clifton or Pashos and drafted a bookend tackle early, their line would be in vastly better shape. And if they wanted to make a run for it this year by emphasizing offense, why didn’t they add weapons like Antonio Bryant or Thomas Jones? Either would have been an immediate upgrade and instantly make their offense more dangerous. And if they were going all-in, why not sign an inside linebacker like Larry Foote or Karlos Dansby, freeing up McIntosh to be traded for draft picks. Those would have been the moves you make (as well as a few others) if the goal all along was to set yourself up for the next few years. Now none of their short term or long term needs have really been filled, yet the Redskins are trading away future assets for a marginal upgrade at quarterback (which could be a stretch, if Campbell keeps developing like he has these past two years).

Now I don’t think all hope is lost, but the Redskins will need to do something special to salvage this year, and make this deal make sense. First they need to protect McNabb big time. McNabb is a big play quarterback, but he won’t have the time to throw the ball down field if he is behind their current o-line. I think the Redskins should explore a trade for the Ravens Jared Gaither LT. Gaither just 24-years old, is already developing into a premier offensive tackle. Gaither is a restricted free agent, who is rumored to be on block for as little as an early 2nd round pick. If that is the case the Redskins need to jump on it. Now they did just give up their early 2nd round pick, for McNabb, but with a little luck they might be able to acquire another one by trading Campbell to one of the many teams in need of a quarterback. If the Skins were able to get Gaither, then they could feel pretty confident about trading back a couple times, adding some 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks. That way Washington could draft still a very good tackle in the middle of the first round, but still have their elite tackle on the blind side. The Redskins can then use their extra picks (as well as any they might get for trading someone like Fred Davis, McIntosh, Carlos Rodgers or even Andre Carter) to get younger and bring in some weapons on offense (particularly at running back and some depth at guard), and some good coverage guys on defense.

The Redskins can’t win as they are currently constructed, but hope is not lost (yet). If they are aggressive and prudent with their decisions regarding the draft, then they could rebuild quickly and take advantage of McNabb’s experience. But if they hope that this year’s 1st round pick and next year’s 1st and 2nd round pick will be enough to jump start their team, then they are just making the same mistakes all over again.

Running to Victory:

The Jets and Bengals will meet up for the 2nd straight week, though this time the Bengals will the home team, and will hope for a different result. Last week they got absolutely demolished 37-0. Now the most ardent Bengals fan will tell you that they played a ‘vanilla’ game and they rested their starters in the 2nd half. What they forget to mention is that Carson Palmer has had some bad performances in recent weeks (even if you excuse Sunday night’s debacle) against the Browns, Vikings and Chiefs. Now you can understand Vikings game, they were on the road, and Minnesota is a pretty good team. But struggling against the Browns and Chiefs is a bit more problematic, those are the two worst teams in the AFC this season (they also lost to Oakland earlier this year). What’s more, is it wasn’t just Palmer who has struggled some, their running game has come to a halt of late, and their defense isn’t dominating like it did earlier in the year. The one saving grace for the Bengals is they face the New York Jets and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

One dimensional doesn’t even describe the Jets offense right now, as all they truly do is run the football (the only positive is you know you can run some play-action passes against the Bengals today). While we’ve seen our fair share of run-oriented teams with a strong defense make the playoffs in recent years, and the Ravens, Steelers (in 2005), and Bears all went to the Super Bowl, none of them compare to the Jets this season. Mark Sanchez has a bright future, and may one day end up being a franchise quarterback. That day won’t be today, as the Jets know the more passes Sanchez attempts the lower the teams chances of winning are. And it wouldn’t shock me in the least if Wildcat quarterback Brad Smith dusted off the old arm and put the ball in the air a few times.

The fact is I don’t think the Jets will need to throw the ball too many times, as I see their running game having no problems carrying the load today against the Bengals. The Bengals defense has fallen off as the season has worn on, and the Jets have too many weapons running the ball with Thomas Jones, Shonn Greene, and Brad Smith all figuring to get their share of carries. The Jets also have one of the league’s best offensive lines, who have opened up big holes all season for Jets’ runners. With that kind of ground game, I think the Jets will call a couple play-action passes and a few screens to keep the defense somewhat honest. Outside of that I think New York will keep on running it until the Bengals show they can stop it.

It will be up to the Jets defense to keep the Bengals from scoring and give the offense some short fields to work with. I see their defense having no trouble either task. The Jets were first in the league in points allowed, total yards and passing yards (thank you Darrelle Revis). Their rush defense was 8th and quite a force as well. To see just how dominate the Jets passing defense was, one only needs to look at this stat: The New York Jets had the 31st ranked passing offense (in terms of yards) yet in 10 out of their 16 games had the top passer of the game (Sanchez 9 times, Clemens once). Of the 6 games where they didn’t have the top passer (solely in terms of yards, not interceptions) the QB’s that beat them were Brady twice, Brees, Henne, Garrard and Manning. That is pretty impressive considering only Brady threw for over 300 yards (in the 2nd game) and in the first game against Brady he had bad overall numbers just enough yards over Sanchez. I think the Jets defense puts up another great performance and shuts down the Bengals 24-13.

By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Geoff Nelowet:

Can Tony Romo Finally Win a Playoff Game?

Not only is this an NFC East divisional rivalry, but also this is a rematch of just last week’s meeting. Dallas trounced Philly 24-0 at home days ago, and it culminated in a season sweep over the Eagles. Last weekend’s contest determined the winner of the NFC East, and gave Dallas home field for the opening round of the playoffs.

The Cowboys have been up-and-down this season, and they have been a bit unpredictable, but they are a talented group that has come together at the right time. The Cowboys finished the season beating New Orleans, Washington and then Philly when many people had written them, as they had collapsed late in the season so many times before.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, there is still plenty of time left to collapse, and Tony Romo is still working on his first playoff victory. Should the Cowboys lose, there will be a lot of talk of Romo’s inability to pull out wins in the playoffs, which may be unfair and results-oriented, but that is criticism that comes with being a quarterback.

With that in mind, this is arguably Romo’s biggest game as a pro. He is going up against a team that he has already taken down twice this season. He beat the Eagles only a few days ago, and this playoff game is essentially a replay. The only difference is that it is the first game of the playoff tournament, and anyone that thought Romo was incapable of carrying a team in the playoffs will now have much more ammunition if the Cowboys lose.

If it has not been made clear yet, the Cowboys losing to the Eagles is a definite possibility. The Eagles have one of the most talented offensive teams in the NFL, and when Donovan McNabb connects on his deep plays – mainly to DeSean Jackson – they are virtually unstoppable. The Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, are waiting for the winner of this game, will most likely be rooting against the Eagles because they are team nobody wants to face – even the Cowboys.

The Eagles will avenge both losses earlier this season, and they will hand Dallas yet another devastating and frustrating playoff loss that will re-open the “Romo can’t win in the playoffs” talk. Final score: Philly 30 Dallas 21

A couple of weeks ago it looked as though the Cowboys season maybe was over, they were 3-2, but their three wins were against the Buccaneers, Panthers and Chiefs (all winless at the time). The Cowboys needed overtime and a great play by Miles Austin to survive the Chiefs, and could have easily been 2-3 then. At that time the Giants were 5-0 and the Eagles were 3-1, and it looked as though the Cowboys chances for the East were slowly slipping away. Now four weeks later, the Cowboys are sitting atop the NFC East at 6-2 after beating the Eagles last night 20-16 in Philadelphia. Last night’s game was a good battle between the NFC East rivals, and really could have gone either way, but in the end the Cowboys came up big when it counted. In addition to the two interceptions of McNabb, the Cowboys defense came up huge on a 4th and 1 play at midfield in the 4th quarter. Five plays later the Dallas offense responded to the opportunity in a big way with a 49 yard touchdown strike to Miles Austin, to put the Cowboys up 20-13. The offense also came up big at the end of the game, when after an Eagles field goal, they got the ball back with 4:27 remaining. Dallas got a pair of crucial first downs, that allowed them to keep the ball out of McNabb’s hands, and run out the clock.

The Eagles have now fallen into 2nd place at 5-3 and are facing two straight road games in San Diego and in Chicago, that they will need to split to stay alive in the division. After losing yesterday to the Chargers, the Giants are now 5-4 and have a much needed bye week. When they get back in two weeks their schedule gets pretty tough, but at least they have most of their tough games at home the rest of the season. The Cowboys  have a real oppurtunity here. They now face the Packers in Green Bay, which looks like a tough game, but the Packers just lost to the Buccaneers yesterday and can’t stop a pass rush. Then they come home and face the Redskins, before their Thanksgiving game against the Raiders. After that their schedule gets pretty tough, but if they can sweep these next three games, then they are pretty well assured a playoff spot and will be vying for a first round bye in the playoffs. Four weeks ago you wouldn’t have thought it possible, but the Cowboys are in control of the East and are looking like one of the powerhouses in the NFC.

When this game was originally scheduled for Monday Night Football, I’m sure ESPN thought they were getting an NFC East showdown that would have a lasting impact on the NFC playoff race. I’m sure ESPN was also happy with the return of Michael Vick to an area where almost a decade ago he was considered a hero for returning Virginia Tech to college football prominence. These were going to be the major storylines of the week, and the hype leading up to the game. Neither of these predictions came close to coming true. Vick was supposed to cause a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia, instead the team is already considering ways to cut ties with him after the season. Vick couldn’t even take advantage of a injured/ineffective Donovan McNabb, (who could have a coming out party tonight against the Skins) and overtake him in practice. Vick has been a complete bust anytime he is on the field (which has been getting more and more infrequent).

If anyone has bigger problems right now than Michael Vick, it’s the Washington Redskins. The Redskins were supposed to be a team on the rise, they had a great offseason in free agency and the NFL Draft. In fact the Redskins were so well thought of, that tonight is just the first of three (bad call schedulers) prime time games they have. In their spending and drafting they forgot one crucial issue, the offensive line. They came into the season strong at four of the five offensive line positions, with good veteran starters. The problem with veterans is that collectively they have a lot of years of wear and tear, as well as a pretty extensive injury history. The Redskins needed some competent backups, but didn’t sign any big names or draft any additional lineman. Now the Redskins have their two best offensive lineman out for the year, including Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels.  The scary thing is that even losing two offensive lineman for the year and having no depth to turn to, is not the worst thing about the Washington offensive line. The fifth starter among the original five, Stephon Heyer, (was at right tackle now moved to the blindside) has been absolutely awful. He is dominated by the pass rush, and routinely whiffs at blocks in the open field. Unfortunately he still has a starting position for the Skins and as long as he does the offense will grind to a halt. As bad as some other team’s offensive lines are, I really don’t know if he could start for any other team in this league. Now you can’t blame everything that’s going wrong with this team on roster construction or the offensive line. Lame duck coach Jim Zorn has had some very questionable play calling, especially in the red zone. Also quarterback Jason Campbell, who once showed so much promise, has looked like a shell of his former self (or maybe he’s just shell-shocked). Whatever the reason the Redskins are one of this season’s biggest disappointments, and are headed to an offseason with a lot of overhaul and turmoil. In the meantime the Eagles will feast on the Redskins’ mistakes Stephon Heyer, and come away with a convincing victory 23-13.