With a 26-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Minnesota Vikings dropped to 11-3, one game above the 10-4 Philadelphia Eagles.  The end result of all this could mean that the Vikings will be fighting for a first-round bye in their season finale, week 17 against the Giants.

Many people had hoped that the Vikings would return the Giants’ favor from last year and rest their starters during their week 17 game,  giving Big Blue an easy win.  However, it is now looking like the Vikings could need to beat the Giants to clinch the number two seed.

Then again, after watching the Panthers absolutely dismantle the Vikings, maybe we should be more concerned with the week 16 battle against the Panthers, who looked like one of the better teams in the league, even without star running back DeAngelo Williams.  Over the last three weeks, the Vikings have looked like the more beatable team.

But all of this is meaningless if the Giants lose tonight.  So while it’s fun for us to look ahead at possible playoff scenarios, hopefully the Giants players are focused only on beating the Washington Redskins.

Matt Mosley, who runs the ESPN NFC East blog, takes a look at how the East’s Quarterbacks rank against the blitz. Heres how they stack up.

Tony Romo 10th in the league with a 98.9 passer rating.

Eli Manning 19th in the league with a 85.1 passer rating.

Jason Campbell 23rd in the league with a 77.9 passer rating

Donovan McNabb 30th in the league with a 39.6 passer rating

As Mosely points out if it weren’t for Derek Anderson and Jake Delhomme, McNabb would be dead last. Still, a 39.6 rating is putrid and should give defensive coordinator all he needs to know for this week, blitz and blitz often. Sheridan promised to ramp up the pressure last week against the Cardinals, and while the Giants had only two sacks they held Warner to 231 yards passing and a mere 72.8 passer rating. The Giants are doing there best to protect a depleted secondary but after watching the Saints and Cardinals game it seems the only way to cover for the unit is by sticking to the Giant philosophy of getting home. While it leaves the secondary in precarious situations it is clear adding extra db’s, dropping linebackers into coverage and running zones is not the answer.

Another interesting note in Mosley’s article is the fact that Eli has been blitzed more then any other Quarterback in the league, 96 times, except for Tom Brady (98 times). Manning has thrown more TD’s against the blitz then any Quarterback  in the league with 7, although without the numbers in front of me I do not know the percentages, so the stat may be meaningless. Two things strike me about Brady and Eli being blitzed more then any Qb’s in the league: 1) The Giants gave the league a blueprint for trying to stop the Patriots in 07  and the copycat league has responded. 2) The Eagles gave the copycat league a blueprint for beating the Giants, 8 in the box and stuff the run, send safeties up as much as possible. The Giants have lost 2 in a row, but still sit both the Pats and the Giants are 5-2, so the blueprint hasn’t been all that effective. This week the Giants host the makers of their defensive blueprint, you can bet they will be prepared for the blitz.

Update 1pm ET – After coming home from a show in LA (I live there now) where I sat next to Mindy Kaling, who you know as Kelly from “The Office,” I was eating some In and Out Burger, listening to ESPN radio. That first line was thrown in for name dropping purposes and a jealousy factor, c’mon you know you would love some In and Out on the east coast.

But I digress, the host, who i believe to be Jason Smith was emphatic about Torry Holt’s ability to still be a franchise player. This got me thinking, Holt did have a down year, but as I said, the team was collapsing around him. He is 3 years younger then TO, at 32, he has had only 2 years of less then 80 receptions and 1000 yards. Smith then goes on to say Holt would be worth a first day draft pick or, if he gets released, a 3 year 30 million dollar deal. I think Smith is overestimating Holts value at this point in his career, but it begs the question, can Holt still be a number 1?

Many fans keep saying the Giants need a receiver of Plaxico’s stature, for those fans, please leave me a list of 10 players in the NFL who have Plax’s stature and skill set. To me the only 2 guys who are out there and  who match Plaxico is Braylon Edwards and Terrell Owens and I want Owens as much as I want hoof and mouth (which actually seems quite fun -just googled it – can’t get it, as I am not an equine – still I don’t want Owens)

Original Post – According to the St-Louis Dispatch 7 time pro bowler Torry Holt has asked for his release. Holt is due a 1.25 million dollar bonus on March 17th so there is a good chance his request is met.The Rams were hoping to get a draft pick for Holt but with his bonus looming Holt might just hit the open market. Holt is 32 years old and would be hitting a free agent class that is fairly sparce when it comes to wideouts.

Yes Holt is 32, yes he is slowing down, but last year he had 64 receptions, 796 yards, 12.4 yards per catch and 3 td’s. Those statistics are better then any other Giants reciever in 08, although Plaxico was gone before he even got started. Holt also put up these stats as a coach was fired, a QB was benched and the rams suffered a total offensive meltdown. I think he still has life left in him  but can he still be a number 1? Probably not, and at 6′0” 192 pound he does not have Plaxico’s stature, but as I have stated many times, who does?

So, for the right price, Holt anyone?

- Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones no longer wants people to refer to him as Pacman, in an attempt to move away from his storied past. He simply wants to be known as Adam from now on. [Pro Football Talk]

- John Clayton reports that Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson will have arthroscopic surgery on both ankles today. He is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. [ESPN]

- Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker was robbed and left unconscious early Monday on a street near the Las Vegas Strip. He has since been released from the hospital and is recovering from facial injuries and a concussion. [Associated Press]

- The San Francisco 49ers are undecided about their starting quarterback. 2005 first overall pick Alex Smith, Shaun Hill and J.T. O’Sullivan will each compete for the opportunity to start in the bay. [San Francisco Chronicle]

- Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn has told the team that he would prefer to be released rather than sign an injury waiver. [Dallas Morning News]

- Arizona Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. [WRAL]

- The Atlanta Falcons released 2006 second-round pick safety Jimmy Williams.

Here’s a rundown of activity around the NFL today…

• Safety Tank Williams has joined the Patriots.
• [ Boston Herald ]
• The Packers are looking at QB Mark Brunell to back up Aaron Rodgers [ Green Bay Press ]
• The Vikings are looking to meet The Freak, but he seems to be leaning towards the Titans right now.
• [ Minneapolis Star-Tribune ]
• The Texans are interested in RB Warrick Dunn, who I think would be a nice one-two punch with Joseph Addai in Indy. [ Houston Chronicle ]
• DJ Hackett could be heading back to Seattle.
• [ Seattle News Tribune ]
• Pro Football Talk thinks Brady Quinn or his agent will ask for a trade to Green Bay in wake of Derek Anderson’s new deal with the Browns. [ Pro Football Talk ]
• Jets sign fullback Tony Richardson. [ Jets Central ]