New York Giants
What would a week with the Giants be without a little back-and-forth trash talk with or about the other team? This week, the Bengals' A.J. Green said something about the Giants' defense having "a lot of holes in it," and Giants safety Antrel Rolle fired back with some profanities and a bit of a threat. "I'll talk with my pads come Sunday. That's how I approach the game. That's how we always approach the game," Rolle said. "If he sees me, he'd better duck. That's it." We'll miss the chatty Giants next week when they're off, won't we?
Hakeem Nicks says he did not have a setback with his knee and that he'll play Sunday. He also said "stats is for girls" when asked about his disappointing numbers, then later clarified his comments to make sure everybody knew he wasn't being sexist but rather repeating something a youth coach of his used to say about guys who just want to compile stats for the purpose of impressing girls. Nicks is a good, unassuming guy, and I believe that he wasn't trying to be defiant or, certainly, offensive.
Philadelphia Eagles
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie says the rest of the league looks at the Eagles' defense as "pretty," and that the impression other players have is that "y'all guys are talented but y'all don't want to hit nobody." Looks that way the last few weeks, sure. The Eagles' defense was a tough-tackling unit in September but has looked lost lately.
One aspect of the Eagles that's not at risk of being called "pretty" is the offensive line, which is down four starters and a complete mess. But line coach Howard Mudd says the problems can be fixed.
Dallas Cowboys
If the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware can tear through that soft Eagles line on Sunday and get at least one sack, he'll have his seventh straight season with at least 10 sacks. That would put him on a list with Reggie White, John Randle, Bruce Smith and Lawrence Taylor, which if you sack quarterbacks for a living is the kind of list on which you dream to find yourself.
Jason Garrett says he doesn't like the word "desperate" because it suggests that the team might start to do things it's not supposed to do. But Jean-Jacques Taylor writes that the Cowboys' situation is indeed desperate, because the loser of Sunday's game in Philadelphia can kiss its season goodbye.
Washington Redskins
One of the most disappointing aspects of this year's Redskins team for Mike Shanahan has been an excess of penalties. The Redskins have played and lost a lot of close games, and if you're a coach who thought your team would be better than 3-6, that's an obvious place to look.
Brian Burke looks at the numbers during the bye week and concludes that the Redskins do indeed still have a chance to reach this year's playoffs. Certainly, the fact that they have five division games among their final seven offers some degree of opportunity.