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Pikesville, MD: Did Sunday's results establish the NFC East as the top division in football? They are undefeated against other divisions, and both Dallas and Philly beat supposed contenders handily. Do the Skins stand any chance in the next two weeks, and after?
Michael Wilbon: You'd have to say the NFC is the best division in the game right now. As you mention, the four teams (Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Commanders) have only lost games to one another, which is very impressive. I think both wild-card teams will come out of the division, even though they'll beat each other to a pulp. Look, I have the Steelers and Jaguars going to the AFC Championship game and the Eagles beat the stuffing out of the Steelers yesterday.
Fayetteville, Ark.: Mr. Wilbon, Lets be honest here (and I know you will). Do you see the Skins actually winning on the road against division foes these next two weeks? Or are we still looking at mediocrity, 2-3?
Michael Wilbon: How about 3-2...Look, 2-3 isn't the worst thing in the world when you look at some of the non-division opponents they have coming up...Nobody's tougher than the Giants/Cowboys/Eagles on their schedule, so what the heck. I think they'll be okay if they're 2-3 or 3-2...and they way they've played the last two weeks what's to say they can't win 3 straight. I wouldn't bet on that, but this seasonn is still evolving.
San Francisco: If the NFC East is the best, which is the worst? There's a lot of BAD football out there, outside the #1 division.
Michael Wilbon: AFC West. Chiefs and Raiders are dreadful. NFC West. Seahawks are decimated and Rams are terrible.
Boulder, CO: Mike...What do you have to say about Jason Campbell at this point? The transformation from potential to results seems to be happening, maybe even a bit faster than we expected. Is he ready to take the next step and throw his name into the Pro Bowl caliber NFC QB hat? I look around and see Brees, Romo, McNabb, Eli, even Rodgers, and wonder if JC is ready to join this list this season.
Thanks...
Michael Wilbon: God, you guys are so funny. Game 1 people want him benched. Two games later he's ready to join the best QBs in the conference? Let's have some perspective and take a step back, which I know is hard for fans of a team. Jason's a work in progress. He's going to have to string together eight, 10 games before I start drawing conclusions. Three games ain't gonna get it for me. There are things he does well (throw the deep ball, for instance) and things he seems to lack to me (commanding presence)...The phrase "we'll see" is still in effect when it comes to Campbell. Anything else is just premature evaluation.
Nebraska: Why do people dislike T.O. so much? I admit he's a little eccentric, but he's a great player and hasn't done anything wrong or illegal, he's just had a few PR problems.
Michael Wilbon: No, he's been a jerk. He was a jerk to Jeff Garcia, a Pro Bowl QB. He was a jerk to Donovan McNabb, a Pro Bowl QB who led his team to the NFC Championship game three times before T.O. arrived in Philly. Look, T.O. is one of the 10-12 greatest receivers of all-time. He's a lock for first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. And he's been a jerk...This isn't PR. It's self-indulgent, egomaniacal behavior. Let's call it what it is.
Washington DC: Interesting response regarding T.O. You used a lot of "was" and "been"? Why do people dislike him TODAY? Or can a person never escape his past?
Michael Wilbon: I don't know that his behavior is "past tense." It's been on sabbatical, at least. He likes Tony Romo, or so it seems. I'm not going to take that to the bank but maybe you and others will. He's behaved much better the last couple of years.
Not quite on the bandwagon yet: So what Washington team is going to show up next week in Dallas. While the last two wins were solid, my sense is that things could get ugly in Texas given the weakness in the Skins secondary.
Michael Wilbon: I think the Commanders will play their best game of the first four weeks in Dallas Sunday. I really do. Don't know if that'll be good enough to get them a W down there. But I think this might go a ways toward answering all the questions people want answered about how good they are in the big picture.
West Falls Church: TO may be a jerk, but it's that edge that makes him better than his peers. It's not something that can be easily turned on or off.
What percentage of the people have you met that are successful in life didn't get there by being shrewd and being a jerk? If they're not jerks, they have great PR people.
Michael Wilbon: Your view of the world and mine differ greatly. You think T.O. is as good as Emmitt Smith was? As Cal Ripken? As Tony Gwynn? As Jerry Rice? As Michael Jordan. As Tiger Woods. T.O., I would remind you, has won nothing. Hmmmm.
Rockville, MD: With all the weapons the Cowboys have the one that worries me the most is Barber. How on earth can the Commanders slow down a punishing runner like Marion Barber.
Michael Wilbon: Hit him in the mouth. I think somebody must have slowed him last year since the Cowboys didn't win a single playoff game even though he played.
Reston, Va.: Was watching games yesterday and wondering who in the NFL today is a sure Hall of Famer right now, without having to play another game. This is my list -- what do you think?
Donovan McNabb
Ladanian Tomlinson
Brett Favre
Tom Brady
Peyton Manning
Marvin Harrison
Terrell Owens?
Randy Moss?
Michael Wilbon: Great question...Great...We'll end with this one...I think all but McNabb are in right now, even if they didn't play another snap. Moss might need another season to atone for what he did in Oakland. And I think if McNabb plays at a high level this year and next, meaning he gets his team to the playoffs, he too will be right on the doorstep. Donovan is 31 and he needs a couple of more seasons since he hasn't won a Super Bowl. But there are plenty of QBs in the Hall who never won a Super Bowl...Well, not plenty, but a few...Warren Moon, Jim Kelly, Fran Tarkenton...a handful...But you've got to put up huge numbers and Donovan still has time to do that...
Washington D.C.: Honestly, does you dislike for T.O. have anything to do with your relationship with McNabb? I know sports writers are supposed to be un-biased but personal feelings have to creep in sometimes.
Michael Wilbon: I wrote that T.O. was a jerk before he even played for Philly, based on the way he treated Jeff Garcia in San Francisco. Look it up.
Norfolk, Va.: Hello Wilbon. I have heard you state many of times so far this year that you believe the Cowboys are overrated and that will be shown again in January. However, with the way they have played the first three weeks do you still feel that way? Also what chance do you give the Skins going down to Big D and coming out with a victory?
Michael Wilbon: I give the Commanders about a 40 percent chance of beating the Cowboys down in Dallas Sunday...Can't wait for that game...If I was ranking teams like they do in college football, I'd have Dallas #1 right now...Okay, we'll have plenty of time to revisit that topic next week...Everybody have a great week and we'll chat Monday...MW
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Spring Valley, Ill.: Looking at the Dallas-Green Bay game I thought Rodgers made better decisions than Romo. He was throwing on the run but he did look better than Romo.
The Packer lines looked small against those seven blocks of granite on the Dallas team. Those guys are huge.
How did you see it?
Mark Maske: I actually thought Romo made pretty good decisions other than the one pass he forced to Witten in the end zone for the interception. The Packers were playing pass first on defense and the Cowboys were very smart to just keep running the ball. The Packers were getting field goals instead of touchdowns and the game could have been much closer if they'd converted their opportunities. Rodgers is playing well and by the end of the season, he will be a very good quarterback. The Cowboys are the better team at this point but the Packers can play with them and if they meet again in the playoffs, Green Bay would have a better chance.
Washington, DC: What is it about Tony Romo, who was an undrafted rookie free agent, that has him playing better than so many first-round busts?
Mark Maske: Romo didn't come into the league with a big contract and huge expectations. He had time to sit and learn and get comfortable without any pressure. By the time he got his chance to play, he was ready to play. A first-round draft pick doesn't get to be brought along slowly like that. Almost any quarterback drafted in the first round is going to get thrown in there and have to play before he's ready. Some succeed. Others don't. But we remember the busts very vividly because they entered the league with so much money and hope invested in them. If an undrafted quarterback fails and goes by the wayside, we don't even notice.
Centreville, Va.: Any chance that Snyder breaks the lease with FedEx Field and builds his own in DC?? I'm sure he is just a tad bit jealous of Jones.
Mark Maske: My guess is that the new stadiums in the Meadowlands and Dallas will create a great desire on the Commanders' part at some point to build a new stadium to keep up with the Joneses (and the Maras). The natural place to put that stadium will be back in the city. We'll see how it plays out over time.
Michael Wilbon: You'd have to say the NFC is the best division in the game right now. As you mention, the four teams (Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Commanders) have only lost games to one another, which is very impressive. I think both wild-card teams will come out of the division, even though they'll beat each other to a pulp. Look, I have the Steelers and Jaguars going to the AFC Championship game and the Eagles beat the stuffing out of the Steelers yesterday.
Fayetteville, Ark.: Mr. Wilbon, Lets be honest here (and I know you will). Do you see the Skins actually winning on the road against division foes these next two weeks? Or are we still looking at mediocrity, 2-3?
Michael Wilbon: How about 3-2...Look, 2-3 isn't the worst thing in the world when you look at some of the non-division opponents they have coming up...Nobody's tougher than the Giants/Cowboys/Eagles on their schedule, so what the heck. I think they'll be okay if they're 2-3 or 3-2...and they way they've played the last two weeks what's to say they can't win 3 straight. I wouldn't bet on that, but this seasonn is still evolving.
San Francisco: If the NFC East is the best, which is the worst? There's a lot of BAD football out there, outside the #1 division.
Michael Wilbon: AFC West. Chiefs and Raiders are dreadful. NFC West. Seahawks are decimated and Rams are terrible.
Boulder, CO: Mike...What do you have to say about Jason Campbell at this point? The transformation from potential to results seems to be happening, maybe even a bit faster than we expected. Is he ready to take the next step and throw his name into the Pro Bowl caliber NFC QB hat? I look around and see Brees, Romo, McNabb, Eli, even Rodgers, and wonder if JC is ready to join this list this season.
Thanks...
Michael Wilbon: God, you guys are so funny. Game 1 people want him benched. Two games later he's ready to join the best QBs in the conference? Let's have some perspective and take a step back, which I know is hard for fans of a team. Jason's a work in progress. He's going to have to string together eight, 10 games before I start drawing conclusions. Three games ain't gonna get it for me. There are things he does well (throw the deep ball, for instance) and things he seems to lack to me (commanding presence)...The phrase "we'll see" is still in effect when it comes to Campbell. Anything else is just premature evaluation.
Nebraska: Why do people dislike T.O. so much? I admit he's a little eccentric, but he's a great player and hasn't done anything wrong or illegal, he's just had a few PR problems.
Michael Wilbon: No, he's been a jerk. He was a jerk to Jeff Garcia, a Pro Bowl QB. He was a jerk to Donovan McNabb, a Pro Bowl QB who led his team to the NFC Championship game three times before T.O. arrived in Philly. Look, T.O. is one of the 10-12 greatest receivers of all-time. He's a lock for first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. And he's been a jerk...This isn't PR. It's self-indulgent, egomaniacal behavior. Let's call it what it is.
Washington DC: Interesting response regarding T.O. You used a lot of "was" and "been"? Why do people dislike him TODAY? Or can a person never escape his past?
Michael Wilbon: I don't know that his behavior is "past tense." It's been on sabbatical, at least. He likes Tony Romo, or so it seems. I'm not going to take that to the bank but maybe you and others will. He's behaved much better the last couple of years.
Not quite on the bandwagon yet: So what Washington team is going to show up next week in Dallas. While the last two wins were solid, my sense is that things could get ugly in Texas given the weakness in the Skins secondary.
Michael Wilbon: I think the Commanders will play their best game of the first four weeks in Dallas Sunday. I really do. Don't know if that'll be good enough to get them a W down there. But I think this might go a ways toward answering all the questions people want answered about how good they are in the big picture.
West Falls Church: TO may be a jerk, but it's that edge that makes him better than his peers. It's not something that can be easily turned on or off.
What percentage of the people have you met that are successful in life didn't get there by being shrewd and being a jerk? If they're not jerks, they have great PR people.
Michael Wilbon: Your view of the world and mine differ greatly. You think T.O. is as good as Emmitt Smith was? As Cal Ripken? As Tony Gwynn? As Jerry Rice? As Michael Jordan. As Tiger Woods. T.O., I would remind you, has won nothing. Hmmmm.
Rockville, MD: With all the weapons the Cowboys have the one that worries me the most is Barber. How on earth can the Commanders slow down a punishing runner like Marion Barber.
Michael Wilbon: Hit him in the mouth. I think somebody must have slowed him last year since the Cowboys didn't win a single playoff game even though he played.
Reston, Va.: Was watching games yesterday and wondering who in the NFL today is a sure Hall of Famer right now, without having to play another game. This is my list -- what do you think?
Donovan McNabb
Ladanian Tomlinson
Brett Favre
Tom Brady
Peyton Manning
Marvin Harrison
Terrell Owens?
Randy Moss?
Michael Wilbon: Great question...Great...We'll end with this one...I think all but McNabb are in right now, even if they didn't play another snap. Moss might need another season to atone for what he did in Oakland. And I think if McNabb plays at a high level this year and next, meaning he gets his team to the playoffs, he too will be right on the doorstep. Donovan is 31 and he needs a couple of more seasons since he hasn't won a Super Bowl. But there are plenty of QBs in the Hall who never won a Super Bowl...Well, not plenty, but a few...Warren Moon, Jim Kelly, Fran Tarkenton...a handful...But you've got to put up huge numbers and Donovan still has time to do that...
Washington D.C.: Honestly, does you dislike for T.O. have anything to do with your relationship with McNabb? I know sports writers are supposed to be un-biased but personal feelings have to creep in sometimes.
Michael Wilbon: I wrote that T.O. was a jerk before he even played for Philly, based on the way he treated Jeff Garcia in San Francisco. Look it up.
Norfolk, Va.: Hello Wilbon. I have heard you state many of times so far this year that you believe the Cowboys are overrated and that will be shown again in January. However, with the way they have played the first three weeks do you still feel that way? Also what chance do you give the Skins going down to Big D and coming out with a victory?
Michael Wilbon: I give the Commanders about a 40 percent chance of beating the Cowboys down in Dallas Sunday...Can't wait for that game...If I was ranking teams like they do in college football, I'd have Dallas #1 right now...Okay, we'll have plenty of time to revisit that topic next week...Everybody have a great week and we'll chat Monday...MW
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Spring Valley, Ill.: Looking at the Dallas-Green Bay game I thought Rodgers made better decisions than Romo. He was throwing on the run but he did look better than Romo.
The Packer lines looked small against those seven blocks of granite on the Dallas team. Those guys are huge.
How did you see it?
Mark Maske: I actually thought Romo made pretty good decisions other than the one pass he forced to Witten in the end zone for the interception. The Packers were playing pass first on defense and the Cowboys were very smart to just keep running the ball. The Packers were getting field goals instead of touchdowns and the game could have been much closer if they'd converted their opportunities. Rodgers is playing well and by the end of the season, he will be a very good quarterback. The Cowboys are the better team at this point but the Packers can play with them and if they meet again in the playoffs, Green Bay would have a better chance.
Washington, DC: What is it about Tony Romo, who was an undrafted rookie free agent, that has him playing better than so many first-round busts?
Mark Maske: Romo didn't come into the league with a big contract and huge expectations. He had time to sit and learn and get comfortable without any pressure. By the time he got his chance to play, he was ready to play. A first-round draft pick doesn't get to be brought along slowly like that. Almost any quarterback drafted in the first round is going to get thrown in there and have to play before he's ready. Some succeed. Others don't. But we remember the busts very vividly because they entered the league with so much money and hope invested in them. If an undrafted quarterback fails and goes by the wayside, we don't even notice.
Centreville, Va.: Any chance that Snyder breaks the lease with FedEx Field and builds his own in DC?? I'm sure he is just a tad bit jealous of Jones.
Mark Maske: My guess is that the new stadiums in the Meadowlands and Dallas will create a great desire on the Commanders' part at some point to build a new stadium to keep up with the Joneses (and the Maras). The natural place to put that stadium will be back in the city. We'll see how it plays out over time.
