- Vince Young threw some ugly passes in the Eagles’ 38-20 loss to the Patriots, none bigger than his “touch” pass to Brent Celek in the back of the end zone on fourth down midway through the third quarter when the score was still relatively close. But he also deserved a better fate in the end. He threw for 400 yards and one touchdown, and should have had two more scores had DeSean Jackson not dropped two passes in the end zone. For a guy who is so concerned about his contract, Jackson isn’t playing with much concentration, focus, or drive right now. He was also benched by Andy Reid late in the fourth quarter, which signals that he’s just as likely to get the boot in Philly than a new deal.

- Matt Leinart admitted following the Texans’ 20-13 win over the Jaguars that his season is likely over. Dude waits two years to get another shot to start in the NFL and when he does, he breaks his collarbone in his second quarter back. That’s a tough break, both literally and figuratively. Now Houston’s playoff hopes ride on fifth-round rookie T.J. Yates, although it’s not like the Texans were pinning their hopes on great quarterback play from here on out anyway. If they win, it’ll be because of their running game and defense – not Leinart, Yates, or whomever they find while dumpster diving next week.

- I loved how CBS kept showing Tim Tebow sitting on the bench as the Chargers marched down the field in overtime trying to get into field goal range for a game-winning score. As if Tebow was going to summon some magical higher power to help Denver’s defense stuff Mike Tolbert on a 4-yard loss on 3rd-and-6 and force the Chargers to attempt a 53-yard-field goal instead of a 49-yarder. And then magically lead the Broncos down the field, get into field goal range and then win in come-from-behind fashion once again. I mean, let’s get real…….say again? That’s exactly what happened? For Tebow’s sake, are you serious? That CBS is genius…

- …in all seriousness, Denver’s defense deserves most, if not all of the credit for the team’s sudden turnaround. Tebow is 5-1 and has been incredibly clutch in the fourth quarter and in overtime, but without the Broncos’ defense holding opponents to 13 points or less he may not win a game. Von Miller is something special and John Fox has done wonders for Denver’s entire defense.

- Their mismanagement of Blaine Gabbert has made the front office and coaching staff in Jacksonville look like a bunch of clowns. Gabbert clearly wasn’t ready for NFL action when the Jaguars drafted him with the 10th overall pick last April, which was fine because David Garrard was still the starter. Gabbert could have held a clipboard in his first year before taking over next season or in 2013 when he was ready. But instead, the front office released Garrard and the Jaguars shoehorned Gabbert into the starting role right away. Then, because he’s been so ineffective over the past two months, the team had to bench him today against Houston in favor of Luke McCown. Had the Jags remained patient from the start this situation could have been avoided. But now Gabbert’s confidence has likely taken a huge hit and GM Gene Smith may lose his job for his poor decision-making this offseason.

- The Chargers are done and you wonder whether or not Norv Turner’s time in San Diego is up. If it is, maybe he should give serious consideration to staying an offensive coordinator. Stripped from all of his head-coaching responsibilities, I think the guy could win multiple Super Bowls again just calling plays. Granted, the Chargers only scored 13 points today but Turner’s version of the Air Coryell offense can often be very explosive. He just lacks whatever guys like Mike Tomlin have in order to inspire a football team. I don’t want to say what’s best for Turner because only he knows that. But as an outsider, I don’t think it would be such a bad thing if he finishes his coaching career up in the booth calling plays. (If the Chargers end his tenure in San Diego, that is.)

- Only Mark Sanchez could throw for four touchdowns and still leave people doubting his abilities. I watched a good portion of the Jets’ 28-24 win over the Bills on Sunday and while Sanchez certainly executed in the red zone, he was shaky against a miserable Buffalo defense (which should have finished with more than just one interception). But at least New York picked up the win, which was big given New England’s victory against Philadelphia late on Sunday.

- I know it was only Minnesota but the Falcons’ offense is finally starting to resemble the unit that everyone thought it would at the beginning of the year. Matt Ryan went his second-straight game without turning the ball over and threw three touchdown passes, while Roddy White had his second straight 100-yard performance and made a sweet catch in the back of the end zone for his lone score during Atlanta’s 24-14 win. After two months of wasting his talent, OC Mike Mularkey has also finally figured out what a weapon Harry Douglas is in the slot. The next thing Mularkey has to do is stop using Julio Jones as just a complementary piece in the offense. Once that happens, the Falcons will really be firing on all cylinders.

- Speaking of firing on all cylinders, I give you the New England Patriots. Wes Welker: Eight catches, 115 yards, two touchdowns. Deion Branch (from my fantasy bench): Six catches and 125 yards. Aaron Hernandez: Six catches and 62 yards. Rob Gronkowski: A very quiet four catches for 59 yards and one 24-yard touchdown catch. Tom Brady topped everything off with 361 yards threw the air and three touchdowns. The Patriots are at their best when they get everybody involved a la the Saints and Packers. That was a very sound performance out of New England, which never panicked even though it was down 10-0 early to the Eagles.

- If Beanie Wells could only stay healthy he could be one of the league’s premier backs. The Rams don’t have the greatest of defenses but Wells looked explosive while rushing for a record 228 yards on 27 carries in the Cardinals’ 23-20 win. He and Patrick Peterson (who returned his fourth punt return for touchdown this season) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat (other wise known as John Skelton).

- Outside of Chris Johnson’s 190 rushing yards, it wasn’t a great effort by the Titans in their 23-17 win over the Bucs. But all wins are huge for Tennessee from here on out. The Titans only trail the Texans by two games in the AFC South and now that Houston is down to T.J. Yates at quarterback, Tennessee has a very realistic shot of catching Houston down the stretch. For Tennessee, it’s “Just win baby” from here on out.

- The Browns are something else. They find new ways to lose every week. They managed to catch the Bengals sleepwalking today in Cincinnati but they squandered a 17-7 halftime lead and a 20-10 third-quarter lead to lose 23-20 on a last-second field goal. Joe Haden (who is a star in the making) was stuck to A.J. Green like Velcro for 58 minutes and the one big play Green makes goes for 51 yards to set up the Bengals’ game-winning field goal. Unreal. And Colt McCoy does just enough not to win every week. The kid threw two touchdown passes but he his average pass went for 4.4 yards. Four-point-four yards! The Browns need a little more out of McCoy than that.

- Want to know how bad things are right now for the Vikings? Percy Harvin had a 107-yard kickoff return today and still didn’t score a touchdown. That’s tough to do.

- You have to love Mike Shanahan. Five days ago he basically said that Roy Helu wasn’t ready to be the Redskins’ full-time back and then handed the rookie 30 touches in the team’s 23-17 win over the Seahawks on Sunday. Helu finished with 108 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards, with one touchdown and seven receptions to boot. I’m sure Evan Royster will start and receive the same opportunities next week as Shanahan continues to ruin fantasy football owners’ lives.

- While the Seahawks remain a highly perplexing team, Marshawn Lynch continues to be one of the steadiest backs in the league. For the third time in his last four games, Lynch rushed for over 100 yards and for the seventh straight week, he found the end zone. It came in a losing effort but he’s a free agent at the end of the year and if he continues to run like he has, he’ll be earning a long-term contract next offseason.

Word has it that the Eagles loaded up this offseason. BIG TIME.

They added Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin, Ronnie Brown, Anthony Hargrove and Vince Young to a roster that already included Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and Asante Samuel. In other words: CHAMPIONSHIP!

Following their huge offseason, there’s no doubt that the Eagles should be favored to win the NFC East, but let’s pump the breaks for a second and play devil’s advocate. Just like any team at this point of the year, they have question marks. Below are three factors I believe could make Philly fail to live up to the hype.

(For those wondering why I didn’t include DeSean Jackson’s contract situation: I fully believe that the Eagles will pay D-JAX at some point, which is why I chose to focus on other factors.)

1. Michael Vick
Last season, Vick compiled career-highs in completion percentage, touchdowns and QB-rating, while posting a career-low in interceptions and interception percentage. Now let’s see if he can do it again. Talent has never been the issue with Vick – consistency has. When he set a then career-high for completion percentage in ‘04 with Atlanta, he regressed as a passer in ‘05 and ‘06. He’s also injury-prone and has a habit of forcing the action when his team is trailing in the fourth quarter and counting on him to make a play. (One example of this came in last year’s playoffs against the Packers in which he was picked off in the end zone on the Eagles’ final drive.)

There’s no doubt Vick has matured as a player and a person. Prison and not being coddled by an owner (Arthur Blank) and head coach (Jim Mora) will do that for an athlete. But let’s see if Vick can put together back-to-back successful seasons before we anoint him a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. He has a habit of getting complacent in his situation, especially when he has nobody behind him to push him. Granted, Andy Reid is 10-times the coach Mora was, but it remains to be seen whether or not Vick will stay hungry for 16-plus games. Remember, he’s 2-3 as a starter in the playoffs and 0-3 in postseason games in Philly.

2. Juan Castillo
Juan Castillo is a fine coach and I believe in his abilities Monday through Saturday. I’m pro-Andy Reid and despite what many people believe, I don’t think his hiring of Castillo was simply one of his “I’m smarter than everyone and I’ll prove it” decisions.

But the fact remains that Castillo has zero experience as a defensive coordinator. When you look at his resume, the only experience he has on the defensive side of the ball came at Texas A&M University-Kingsville in the early 80s, where he was a defensive line/linebackers coach, and at Kingsville High School in the late 80s when he was a linebackers coach/defensive coordinator. Thus, it’ll be interesting to see how Castillo performs in-game. Thanks to his personnel and the fact that the Eagles will probably be playing with the lead more times than not, he should be fine. But what happens when his unit is playing from behind? What happens when it gives up a big-play or conversely, when it needs to make something happen?

Again, it’s not a matter of if Castillo can put together a game plan, react to what an offense is doing, or get his players to buy into his philosophy. It’s whether or not he can make the right decisions on Sunday. No matter how you slice it, he’s a big question mark heading into the season.

3. Lofty Expectations
Expectations are a bitch. They’re a bitch in any profession, especially in those that garner as much media attention as sports do. How will this team react going into the season as the favorites to win the NFC East and potentially even the Super Bowl? Nobody knew what to expect from the Eagles last year with Kevin Kolb taking over for Donovan McNabb and they wound up winning 10 games thanks in large part to Vick. But heading into this year, Andy Reid and Co. will have a massive bulls-eye on their backs. Opponents will want to down the “Dream Team” and it’s not like the Giants and Cowboys are going to just hand the division over either. Dallas should be much improved with the return of Tony Romo and the Giants won’t be pushovers thanks to Tom Coughlin.

Thanks to their offseason additions, the Eagles should be favored. There’s no argument there. But how will they play when every single one of their opponents will see them coming?

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Giants’ punter Matt Dodge had himself a rough day last Sunday. First he had to watch his team blow a 21-point fourth-quarter lead to the Eagles and then he helped them lose the game when he punted the ball right at dangerous returner DeSean Jackson (who returned the gift for a game-winning touchdown).

Following the game, Tom Coughlin saw Dodge crying and told him to get out of the locker room, or so says local Philadelphia sports radio loudmouth Howard Eskin via his Twitter page.

After Eagles game learned that NY coach T. Coughlin saw his punter in tears. Told him get out of locker room. No longer on this team.

If the report is true, hopefully Coughlin kicked his defense out of the locker room, too. After they left, hopefully he proceeded to kick out his punt return team, his offense and all of his assistant coaches as well.

Then when he was the only one left standing in his locker room, here’s hoping Tom Coughlin booted himself out. Because it doesn’t take just one man to blow a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter with only eight minutes remaining in the game. Did Dodge screw up? No doubt. It was a bad mistake and he cost his team dearly. But with the way Coughlin and his coaching staff was handling the game at that point, there’s little doubt that the Eagles would have won in overtime anyway.

Maybe the report isn’t true. After all, it did come from Howard Eskin, who isn’t above Tweeting something like that just to rub the Giants noses in a loss to the Eagles. But again, if it is, Coughlin owes Dodge an apology.

Here are six quick-hit observations from the Eagles’ shocking 38-31 come-from-behind victory over the Giants on Sunday.

1. This is the biggest choke-job of the season.
There’s just no other way to put it: the Giants choked. They were up 24-3 at halftime and 31-10 with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter and they still found a way to blow it. After Andy Reid didn’t challenge that DeSean Jackson fumble in the fourth quarter that led to an 8-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss, the game should have been over. But one Michael Vick 65-yard touchdown pass, a successful onsides kick, a 35-yard Vick scramble, a couple of Giants’ stalled drives and a 65-yard Jackson punt return later and the Eagles emerged victorious. Absolutely amazing. In a game the Giants had to have if they wanted to keep pace in the NFC East, they blew a 21-point lead in eight minutes. This was the worst collapse of the year given the magnitude of the game.

2. Why, why, WHY Matt Dodge?
Seriously, Matt Dodge? Your instructions were to kick the ball out of bounds so you boom a line drive right at Jackson, who is easily one of the most feared return men in the game? What the hell were you thinking? The Giants didn’t solely lose this game because of Dodge’s ho-ho horrendous punt with 14 seconds remaining and for Tom Coughlin’s sake, why didn’t anyone tackle Jackson after he spent a minute kicking the ball around the turf? But what terrible timing to have a brain fart. That kick should have been six rows up in the stands and instead Dodge did the only thing he absolutely couldn’t do, which was send a pea-rocket right at Jackson so that he had a chance to return it. I wouldn’t want to be Dodge in the film room when that play comes on the screen come Monday.

3. I’m thoroughly convinced coaches have no idea when to use the challenge flag.
Andy Reid blew it in the fourth quarter by not challenging Jackson’s fumble, which would have allowed the Eagles to keep possession in a crucial point in the game. Jackson coughed up the ball but replays showed that he was touched on the way to the ground, which would have meant the Eagles would have maintained possession…had Reid challenged, that is. But he didn’t, and the Giants wound up scoring a touchdown on their next possession. How many times do we see a head coach challenge a play that he clearly has no business challenging? How many times do we see a head coach challenge the spot of the ball even though everyone and their cousin knows it’s useless (Pete Carroll did this against the Falcons on Sunday and lost and I’m sure there were other coaches who attempted it, too)? But yet, Reid stuffs the red flag in his pocket on a play like Jackson’s. Amazing.

4. If it weren’t for Tom Brady, Vick would have a case for MVP.
Brady already has the MVP wrapped up, so there’s really no point in discussing the other candidates. But if Brady were only playing half as good as he is now, Vick would definitely have a case for the league’s highest honor. Perry Fewell’s defense flustered him in the first half but he was incredible with the game on the line. He engineered three scoring drives in the fourth quarter to tie the game and finished as the Eagles’ leading rusher with 130 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown. He was simply electrifying and who else gets the sense that he’s going to wind up facing his former team at the Georgia Dome come playoff time? What a story that would be.

5. The Giants are still in good position.
Even after choking against the Eagles, the Giants are in good position to make the playoffs because the fluke Bucs lost to the Lions at home on Sunday. The Giants still have control of their destiny, although they have to go on the road in the final two weeks of the season. They’re at Lambeau next week and then play the Redskins in Week 17. The Bucs, meanwhile, host the Seahawks but then have to travel to New Orleans in Week 17. But this game on Sunday against the Packers is huge. It’s essentially both Green Bay and New York’s season.

6. The Eagles can still earn a first round bye.
This win allows the Eagles to possibly earn a first round bye. If the playoffs were to start today, the Falcons (who are currently playing the Seahawks) would have the top seed and the Eagles would have the No. 2 spot. But the Bears (who are 9-4) hold the head-to-head advantage against Philly and they play the Joe Webb-led Vikings on Monday night. Assuming the Bears beat Minnesota, Philadelphia would have to win out and hope that Chicago losses one of their remaining two games (vs. Jets; at Green Bay). Either that, or the Eagles would be helped dramatically if the Falcons lose two of their last three games because Philly has already beaten Atlanta this season. The dynamics in the NFC playoff picture could change dramatically over these next two weeks.

Here are a six-pack of observations on the Eagles’ slim 30-27 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday night.

1. Michael Vick is still taking too many shots.
I don’t know who asked the question, but Cris Collinsworth relayed a comment by Vick that was interesting. Vick said that if he was defending himself, he would do what the Texans and Cowboys did the past two weeks: keep hitting him. Even he knows the best way to stop him is for the defense to deliver as many clean shots whether he’s in or out of the pocket. While he went on to complete 16 of his 26 pass attempts for 270 yards and two touchdowns, he threw two interceptions (one wasn’t his fault as the catchable pass went off his receiver’s hands and into the arms of a defender) and 151 of those 270 yards came on two plays (a 60-yard reception to DeSean Jackson on the first play of the game and a 91-yard touchdown to Jackson at the start of the fourth quarter). On a whole, Vick wasn’t spectacular and you have to wonder if the pounding he’s been taking is starting to add up. His sizzling numbers in the middle of the season were bound to drop, but he’s looking mortal with each passing week. Andy Reid did a better job of getting LeSean McCoy more involved on Sunday night. But he and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg still have work to do when it comes to figuring out a way to protect Vick.

2. Jackson is electric but he needs to mature.
DeSean Jackson once again showed how incredible a player he is by racking up 210 yards and one touchdown on just four catches. As previously mentioned, two of his catches went for 151 yards and the play he made in the fourth quarter on his 91-yard touchdown reception was thrilling. But once again, he flashed his immaturity. On the 91-yard touchdown, he stopped inches short of the goal line, put his back to the end zone and as defenders were closing in, he laid back with his arms outstretched and fell backwards into the end zone. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth debated whether or not he should have been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct (he was), but it really doesn’t matter. The gesture was unnecessary and while I know the kid is just having fun, what’s the harm in racing into the end zone, flipping the ball to the ref and celebrating with your teammates sans the penalty? This is the third time since high school where he’s played around at the goal line and with the playoffs coming up, it would be nice to see DeSean kick this nasty habit. He’s such a good player; I would hate to see his antics at the goal line take away from his talent.

3. “Shady” McCoy is developing into a nice player.
For only the third time all season, McCoy rushed for over 100 yards on Sunday night. He carried the ball 16 times for 149 yards and also caught three passes for four yards. He continues to be a double-threat and Vick often looks for him when he’s flushed out of the pocket. McCoy flashed excellent vision on a couple of plays tonight and is getting better at becoming a one-cut-and-get-up-field runner. He was the perfect choice to replace Brian Westbrook in Reid’s offense and if he stays healthy, he’s going to be a player for the Eagles for years to come.

4. Inexperienced corners hold their own for Eagles.
With Asante Samuel once again out of the lineup due to a knee injury, the Eagles were susceptible to giving up big yardage through the air. But corners Joselio Hanson and Dimitri Patterson held their own against the Cowboys’ passing attack. Patterson had a huge interception off Jon Kitna after the Eagles scored to make it 27-20 early in the fourth. Philly turned the turnover into three points and that field goal provided huge with the final scoring being, 30-27. The Eagles are going to need Samuel back for the final three weeks and heading into the playoffs, but Reid had to be pleased with the performance he got from his cornerback duo after they were abused the past two weeks.

5. I think Jerry Jones will eventually drop the interim tag from Garrett’s title.
Keep in mind that I’m the guy who predicted Josh McDaniels would get one more year in Denver just hours before the Broncos fired him, but I have a gut feeling Jason Garrett will win the Cowboys’ head-coaching job. Even though the Cowboys aren’t winning every week, Jones has to be impressed with how his team has responded with Garrett as their leader. Dallas has been competitive with Jon Kitna under center and that’s due in large part to Garrett’s game plans and playcalling. I’m sure Jones will go through the interview process (why wouldn’t he?) this offseason and if Bill Cowher is seriously interested in the position, then all bets are off. But if the candidates are ho-hum, then Garrett should be brought back. One thing to keep in mind is that Jones doesn’t want to see the coach he handpicked succeed elsewhere.

6. Where is Miles Austin?
Where’s the guy that racked up 81 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns last year? One season and a few dates with Kim Kardashian later and Austin has turned into a marginal player. I know Tony Romo has been out, but Kitna has more than held his own in the passing game. Austin caught just two passes for 22 yards against the Eagles’ banged up secondary and hasn’t caught more than four passes since a seven-catch, 117-yard performance against the Jaguars all the way back in Week 8. I’m sure I speak for all fantasy owners when I ask: Where did this guy go?

Eagles coach Andy Reid wasn’t too happy with the way DeSean Jackson went through pregame drills before Sunday’s contest against the Bears and according to beat writer Geoff Mosher, Reid let the receiver have it in front of the entire team following the game.

Multiple team sources told The News Journal that Jackson was chewed out by coach Andy Reid in front of the entire team after the game. Jackson, one source said, had irritated Reid by having a loose demeanor before the game and not taking pre-game drills seriously.

Another source said that Reid wouldn’t have reacted so angrily if the Eagles had won. Reid was more terse than usual with reporters in his post-game press conference.

It’s also possible that Vick was disappointed by Jackson’s alligator arms on a first-and-10 pass to the left side at the Chicago 10-yard-line midway through the fourth quarter. The Eagles eventually settled for a David Akers field goal that pulled them to 31-19.

There’s nothing wrong with a head coach or a quarterback getting on a receiver for, what’s preceived to be, a lack of effort. Jackson has had some maturity issues in the past and if Reid felt as though his receiver needed a wake up call, then so be it. The Eagles haven’t won anything yet – nobody should be loafing.

That said, this shouldn’t affect Jackson’s playing time. The Eagles play the Texans on Thursday and Houston has the worst pass defense in the league. D-Jax will be out there and hopefully this time, he’ll take pre-game drills a little more seriously.