Joselio Hanson

BRANDON Boykin is the Eagles' flavor of the month. A feisty, physical, 5-9 cornerback/return man whom folks have been gushing about ever since he fell into the team's lap in the fourth round of last month's draft. Many already have assumed that when the Eagles open the regular season on Sept. 9 in Cleveland, Boykin will be their No. 3 corner, manning the inside in their nickel package, with Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on the outside. You'll forgive Joselio Hanson if he doesn't go along with that assumption.

AFTER LAST WEEK, I think I might resort to coin- flipping, or maybe placing each team's logo on the floor and seeing which one my dog sniffs first. The Eagles haven't lost back-to-back games this season, but that doesn't mean it's a law or anything. I have zero feel for what the Chargers are up to - they're 5-3, just like the Eagles, and like the Eagles, a little less than what they probably should be. They've beaten the Raiders twice; maybe they could give the Birds some pointers on that.

On the first play of the second half, the Vikings went deep. Joe Webb to wide receiver Percy Harvin for 46 yards, with a declined penalty on Eagles cornerback Dimitri Patterson. It was a bold move by the Vikings. It was a bad sign for the Eagles. Despite playing against a rookie quarterback making his first career start, the Eagles' defensive backs failed to come up with a turnover and surrendered more than their fair share of big passing plays. Webb, a sixth-round pick from Alabama-Birmingham whom the Vikings originally projected as a wide receiver, completed 17 of 26 passes for 195 yards.

ON SATURDAY, sitting at a blackjack table at Caesars in Atlantic City, Joselio Hanson's cellphone rang. It was the Eagles. They had cut him. Hanson, a valuable backup cornerback, didn't sweat it. He went back to the table, recouped his losses and left the casino. "I broke even," Hanson said. "It all worked out. " Indeed it did. Hanson, 30, received only tepid interest from five other teams, the Giants and Rams among them. Neither was willing to sign Hanson this week; signing him this week would mean his contract is guaranteed through the season.

On a night when Sean McDermott's pass defense didn't allow a touchdown for the first time since Week 3, the Eagles' secondary still had significant issues in a 24-14 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night. Cornerback Dimitri Patterson appeared to have the biggest problem covering Vikings receivers and defending against rookie quarterback Joe Webb's passes. A second-half benching in which Joselio Hanson took his place suggested as much. Eagles coach Andy Reid did not have an answer Wednesday as to whether Patterson had lost his job permanently, but there's ample reason to speculate that a change will be made.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The three new free agents hung out on the far left side as the players lined up to watch practice Wednesday. All three are penciled in to start, but they were forced to watch the incumbents they were replacing go through the motions. They were fidgeting on the outside - and probably on the inside, too. Nnamdi Asomugha swung his arms and stared at his feet. Jason Babin played with his fingers behind his back. Cullen Jenkins stretched his hamstrings.

Here are things to look for when the Eagles take on the New York Giants.   VY time The Eagles signed Vince Young exactly for this situation. Can he deliver? Young has taken only three snaps this season: scrambling once, throwing an interception, and handing off. This past week, though, he had a chance to prepare for the job, taking first-team snaps in practice. Can he recapture the magic that made him a star?   DeSean drama He missed a meeting and then a game.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The three new free agents hung out on the far left side as the players lined up to watch practice Wednesday. All three are penciled in to start, but they were forced to watch the incumbents they were replacing go through the motions. They were fidgeting on the outside - and probably on the inside, too. Nnamdi Asomugha swung his arms and stared at his feet. Jason Babin played with his fingers behind his back. Cullen Jenkins stretched his hamstrings.

JOSELIO HANSON is back where he belongs this week, back where he has largely thrived since 2006. Hanson is the Eagles' slot cornerback, now that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is expected to miss at least a few weeks with a high ankle sprain and torn ligaments. When the team started stockpiling Pro Bowl corners in training camp, Hanson was demoted - he was even cut briefly - and he has mostly played in dime situations and on special teams this year, his sixth with the Eagles. "I'm ready to showcase what I've got, again," said Hanson, 30, who can't be sure of a long-term future with the Eagles.

Here are things to look for when the Eagles face the Cowboys on Sunday night.   Cole vs. Free For the first time since his rookie season in 2005, Trent Cole missed a game because of injury. The Eagles defensive end, in fact, missed the last two because of a calf strain. But he's back and raring to go. Cole's chief assignment? To get around Dallas left tackle Doug Free and get after quarterback Tony Romo.   Jackson breakout Since 2008, DeSean Jackson has a league-best 14 touchdowns covering more than 50 yards.

Asante Samuel did not practice with the Eagles for the second straight day, putting his availability for Saturday's game at Dallas very much in question. Eagles coach Andy Reid said that Samuel tried to run on his strained hamstring Tuesday, but that the cornerback felt sore afterward and was held out from Wednesday's and Thursday's sessions. "Asante is still a little sore, and we'll just see how he does here over the next couple days," Reid said. Because of the short workweek, Thursday was the last strenuous practice before the Eagles board a flight Friday afternoon.

HOW IMPORTANT will it be for the Eagles to grab an early lead Saturday against the Cowboys? Well, consider this: In the Eagles' six wins, they outscored their opponents 49-14 in the first quarter and 123-36 in the first half. In their eight losses, they were outscored 49-17 in the first quarter and 117-94 in the first half. They are a team built to play from ahead. Seize the lead, make teams abandon their ground game and then let their pass rush tee off on the quarterback. In their 34-7, late-October win over the Cowboys, they scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and never looked back.

SEATTLE - Eagles special-teams ace Colt Anderson was likely lost for the rest of the season when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee late in the second quarter Thursday night. Playing in front of his family and many of his hometown friends, Anderson was hurt while covering a punt. He immediately went to the locker room. It was especially tough on Anderson and the Eagles because he was a contender for a Pro Bowl spot as a special-teamer. Three plays later, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha went off with an injury.

Nnamdi Asomugha was active for Sunday's game, but the Eagles cornerback, who was questionable because of a hyperextended left knee, did not start and was not on the field for the majority of downs on defense. Brandon Hughes, instead, started at right cornerback as Asomugha filled the role of the sixth defensive back in the Eagles' dime package. New England quarterback Tom Brady torched the secondary, completing 71 percent of his passes, throwing for 361 yards and basically doing whatever he wanted in a 38-20 win over the Eagles.

Here are things to look for when the Eagles take on the New York Giants.   VY time The Eagles signed Vince Young exactly for this situation. Can he deliver? Young has taken only three snaps this season: scrambling once, throwing an interception, and handing off. This past week, though, he had a chance to prepare for the job, taking first-team snaps in practice. Can he recapture the magic that made him a star?   DeSean drama He missed a meeting and then a game.

Now comes the really hard part. The Eagles just had a three-game homestand that featured opponents with a combined record of 14-13. They went 1-2, falling flat on their faces, and will likely turn to Vince Young, a one-time star who is now a backup, to lead a struggling team into a hostile environment. Which doesn't inspire a lot of optimism as the Eagles prepare to face the Giants and then the Patriots, each 6-3 and in command of their divisions. The Eagles will have to find motivation internally because their playoff hopes are realistically finished.

JOSELIO HANSON is back where he belongs this week, back where he has largely thrived since 2006. Hanson is the Eagles' slot cornerback, now that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is expected to miss at least a few weeks with a high ankle sprain and torn ligaments. When the team started stockpiling Pro Bowl corners in training camp, Hanson was demoted - he was even cut briefly - and he has mostly played in dime situations and on special teams this year, his sixth with the Eagles. "I'm ready to showcase what I've got, again," said Hanson, 30, who can't be sure of a long-term future with the Eagles.

Andy Reid's gamble on defense has failed, and it has cost his team its season after just nine games. When Reid promoted Juan Castillo from offensive line coach to defensive coordinator, he admitted it was a strange move, but said it was one that would take the Eagles defense to another level. He was right on both counts, but not in the way he expected. The Eagles defense has gone from subpar last year to awful in 2011, and it has bungled away the team's hopes. Forget all the statistics except this one: The Eagles have blown five fourth-quarter leads, none worse than Sunday's collapse against Cardinals backup quarterback John Skelton.