NFL Notes

Huge win for the Eagles, but a costly one. Tony Hunt, LJ Smith, and Brian Westbrook all were knocked out of the game and could miss additional action. McNabb was banged up but returned to finish. Some thoughts on the game:

• Hank Baskett looks like a legitimate NFL receiver. He's big, has good hands, and seems to run good routes.
  
• Remember when I said this defense had a chance to be dominating? Yeah.
  
• Westbrook to have an MRI today. He left the stadium on crutches, but at least two players said he was 'fine'. To my untrained eye, he looks like he'll hover around questionable for the next three weeks then heal up over the bye. They can win some games without him, but of course they aren't nearly as explosive.
  
• The Eagles are #1 in the NFL in rush defense, after playing Steven Jackson, Marion Barber, and Willie Parker. Giving up just 2.4 yards per carry.
  
• I'm going to Chicago for the Sunday night game...this has all the signs of a letdown performance, coming off two physical, emotional games against powerful teams. Chicago isn't very good, but they have enough talent to take advantage of the Eagles if they come out flat and make mistakes.
  
• Speaking of mistakes, the stupid penalties have to stop.
  

Other thoughts from the NFL after Week 3:

• The NFC East remains undefeated outside the division. For my money, it has the best three teams in football.
  
• Drafting a QB who's never started a college game and staking your season on him: Genius. Letting Asante Samuel walk: Genius. Failing to address an offensive line that was abused in the Super Bowl: Genius. Getting outcoached by Tony Sparano: Absolute Mensa. A 38-13 loss at home to a 1-15 team clearly demonstrates that the Patriots' success has been all about Tom Brady, and not fantastic coaching or personnel moves.
  
• I've called out Marvin Lewis before for costing the Bengals a game, and he did it again yesterday. At the 3-yard line, down by 3 with 4 seconds left, the Bengals kicked a field goal to go to OT. At 0-2, on the road against the Super Bowl champs, be a man and go for it. But worse than that, the Bengals had a timeout left. Bad clock management meant they didn't have enough time to take a shot at the endzone before the FG. And then, in OT, they get the ball and go into a conservative shell. Two runs for a yard, incomplete pass, punt, game over.