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Dallas
Jan. 11, 2008
Nose tackle has become anchor on Cowboys’ defense
A position of conjecture has turned into a position of strength for the Cowboys. In training camp, there were few concerns about NT Jason Ferguson — only that he was backed up by no one proven. Enter Jay Ratliff. After Ferguson’s season-ending torn biceps injury, Ratliff proved to be one of the biggest surprises on the entire defense, playing consistently well against the run and providing nice pressure in passing situations. One skill he has perfected — impressive, given that he's not massive (6-4, 298) for a 3-4 nose tackle — is splitting center-guard double-teams and knifing into the backfield. Even when Tank Johnson was added to the roster, Ratliff kept his starting position and continued to take the majority of the snaps until getting hurt in Week 16. Now, they form a very solid duo and one that could exploit the fact that the Giants likely will have backup C Grey Ruegamer playing in place of an injured Shaun O’Hara.
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NY Giants
Jan. 11, 2008
Bradshaw could represent semi-secret weapon vs. Dallas
In the rare cases of teams meeting three times in a season, nearly all of one's secrets are gone. But the Giants have one player they haven’t really unleashed against the Cowboys in the two prior meetings. RB Ahmad Bradshaw, who played only special teams in the first two games this season, has been something of a revelation as a runner lately. In the Week 16 victory over the Bills that put the Giants into the playoffs, the rookie Bradshaw had his best game as a pro, running for 151 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown. After missing the Patriots game in Week 17 with a calf injury, he rebounded with a solid, consistent effort against the Bucs in the wild-card game, having replaced Brandon Jacobs late in the game. Bradshaw’s success against the Cowboys on kickoffs and — the man Bradshaw replaced — Derrick Ward’s strong work against Dallas suggest he’ll be a factor in Sunday’s game.
View all WWHI for NY Giants
Philadelphia
Jan. 11, 2008
McNabb expresses desire for 'playmakers' on blog
Over the past year, Donovan McNabb’s blog has been a good place to find out what the quarterback is really thinking. It also has been a breeding ground for rumors, misconstrued messages and controversy. Last year, it had to do with comments from McNabb’s mother musing what Eagles fans might think of her son if the team won the Super Bowl with Jeff Garcia, and not her son, at quarterback. The newest controversy has been McNabb’s comments this week that the Eagles need to add “playmakers.” Those remarks caught the attention of head coach Andy Reid, who cautioned that a leader making comments that his teammates don’t possess enough talent might not sit well in the locker room. Team sources speculate that the team is not very likely to splurge on an offensive star in free agency, such as a Randy Moss or a Dallas Clark, although adding a talented pass receiver might free things up for Brian Westbrook and the run game.
View all WWHI for Philadelphia
Washington
Jan. 11, 2008
Patience would serve Snyder well in search for Gibbs' replacement
One of the most revealing statements uttered during Tuesday’s resignation press conference for Joe Gibbs was that of owner Daniel Snyder, who said he drew most from Gibbs “incredible patience.” To anyone who has followed Snyder or the Commanders, the statement came off as absurd, considering Snyder’s burning, at-all-costs desire to field a winner. But team sources say they are not expecting a barnstorming coaching search that includes names of all the rock-and-roll coaches’ names you might expect to go along with Snyder. And that includes Bill Cowher, who continues to insist he’s going to be out of coaching for at least another year and will refuse any offers — even a potentially lucrative one from Snyder — that come across his fax machine. There is a growing sense that the Commanders will not take a precipitous approach, working carefully through the process of finding the right man to replace Gibbs. In the end, though, they might not be able to find anyone better than assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams if they indeed, as Snyder said, want the smoothest possible transition with what they feel is a very talented roster.
View all WWHI for Washington
Jan. 11, 2008
Nose tackle has become anchor on Cowboys’ defense
A position of conjecture has turned into a position of strength for the Cowboys. In training camp, there were few concerns about NT Jason Ferguson — only that he was backed up by no one proven. Enter Jay Ratliff. After Ferguson’s season-ending torn biceps injury, Ratliff proved to be one of the biggest surprises on the entire defense, playing consistently well against the run and providing nice pressure in passing situations. One skill he has perfected — impressive, given that he's not massive (6-4, 298) for a 3-4 nose tackle — is splitting center-guard double-teams and knifing into the backfield. Even when Tank Johnson was added to the roster, Ratliff kept his starting position and continued to take the majority of the snaps until getting hurt in Week 16. Now, they form a very solid duo and one that could exploit the fact that the Giants likely will have backup C Grey Ruegamer playing in place of an injured Shaun O’Hara.
View all WWHI for Dallas
NY Giants
Jan. 11, 2008
Bradshaw could represent semi-secret weapon vs. Dallas
In the rare cases of teams meeting three times in a season, nearly all of one's secrets are gone. But the Giants have one player they haven’t really unleashed against the Cowboys in the two prior meetings. RB Ahmad Bradshaw, who played only special teams in the first two games this season, has been something of a revelation as a runner lately. In the Week 16 victory over the Bills that put the Giants into the playoffs, the rookie Bradshaw had his best game as a pro, running for 151 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown. After missing the Patriots game in Week 17 with a calf injury, he rebounded with a solid, consistent effort against the Bucs in the wild-card game, having replaced Brandon Jacobs late in the game. Bradshaw’s success against the Cowboys on kickoffs and — the man Bradshaw replaced — Derrick Ward’s strong work against Dallas suggest he’ll be a factor in Sunday’s game.
View all WWHI for NY Giants
Philadelphia
Jan. 11, 2008
McNabb expresses desire for 'playmakers' on blog
Over the past year, Donovan McNabb’s blog has been a good place to find out what the quarterback is really thinking. It also has been a breeding ground for rumors, misconstrued messages and controversy. Last year, it had to do with comments from McNabb’s mother musing what Eagles fans might think of her son if the team won the Super Bowl with Jeff Garcia, and not her son, at quarterback. The newest controversy has been McNabb’s comments this week that the Eagles need to add “playmakers.” Those remarks caught the attention of head coach Andy Reid, who cautioned that a leader making comments that his teammates don’t possess enough talent might not sit well in the locker room. Team sources speculate that the team is not very likely to splurge on an offensive star in free agency, such as a Randy Moss or a Dallas Clark, although adding a talented pass receiver might free things up for Brian Westbrook and the run game.
View all WWHI for Philadelphia
Washington
Jan. 11, 2008
Patience would serve Snyder well in search for Gibbs' replacement
One of the most revealing statements uttered during Tuesday’s resignation press conference for Joe Gibbs was that of owner Daniel Snyder, who said he drew most from Gibbs “incredible patience.” To anyone who has followed Snyder or the Commanders, the statement came off as absurd, considering Snyder’s burning, at-all-costs desire to field a winner. But team sources say they are not expecting a barnstorming coaching search that includes names of all the rock-and-roll coaches’ names you might expect to go along with Snyder. And that includes Bill Cowher, who continues to insist he’s going to be out of coaching for at least another year and will refuse any offers — even a potentially lucrative one from Snyder — that come across his fax machine. There is a growing sense that the Commanders will not take a precipitous approach, working carefully through the process of finding the right man to replace Gibbs. In the end, though, they might not be able to find anyone better than assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams if they indeed, as Snyder said, want the smoothest possible transition with what they feel is a very talented roster.
View all WWHI for Washington
