Aftermath: Holmes had recovered from his injuries enough to play in Week One. But the line never really jelled during training camp. The holdout of OT L.J. Shelton also contributed to the OL problems. Directly related was the lack of a running game, and then the woes of QB Jake Plummer, who was playing poorly before breaking a finger.

Aftermath: The Cowboys are searching for balance in the passing game. Right now, without Irvin, Dallas has Raghib Ismail and not much else. Without Irvin, the Cowboys are missing their bread-and-butter guy in certain situations. They have been hoping someone would step up to take over that role, but no one has yet.

Aftermath: While Brown wasn’t exactly dominant in the three games in which he appeared, he was the best threat the team had on the ground. Now, the Giants don’t have an effective running game, which has a negative impact on the entire offense. The Giants are hoping that Tiki Barber will help the Giants on the ground and that maybe Joe Montgomery will contribute once he returns from a broken foot.

Aftermath: The Eagles have been playing with the likes of Jed Weaver and Luther Broughton at tight end. But neither has been able to fill the role the Eagles had in mind for Asher.

Aftermath: It’s too early to tell. But sitting at 6-3 would have been much more comfortable for a team that started so fast and had dreams of doing big things in the postseason.