Mark Craig's Sunday Insider: Red-zone D sends up red flag

Michael Vick's potential MVP season is concealing a serious defensive flaw that could limit the Eagles' ability to hang around long in the playoffs, if they even make it that far.

Opponents have scored 26 touchdowns in 33 trips inside Philadelphia's 20-yard line this season. That's a 78.8 percent rate of failure that's worst in the league. No other defense in the league is worse than 66.7 percent.

"It's too much," said Eagles coach Andy Reid when asked about his team's red-zone defense. "[Defensive coordinator] Sean [McDermott] is beating himself up over that."

Fortunately for the Eagles, the red-zone woes haven't prevented them from winning. They're 4-1 in their past five games despite allowing teams to score 14 touchdowns in 17 trips into the red zone.

Part of the problem is a lack of experience on defense. Five regulars, including rookies Nate Allen at safety and Brandon Graham at end, have 12 or fewer NFL starts.

If the Eagles' red-zone woes continue at this rate, it would be the worst in the league in the past 22 years. It also would suggest a quick playoff exit or worse since no team in the past 12 years has reached a conference title game with a defensive red-zone rate worse than 70 percent.

Quote of the week I"Hey, enough's enough." -- Redskins coach Mike Shanahan after suspending pain-in-the-neck defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth for the remainder of the season.

The 11th overall draft pick in 2009, Maybin fell behind Moats and Antonio Coleman, an undrafted rookie who has since been placed on injured reserve. In the past seven weeks, Maybin has been inactive five times, played three snaps against Pittsburgh and seven snaps against the Vikings.

A noted Big Ten pass rusher, Maybin still hasn't had a sack in the NFL. Meanwhile, the linebackers taken after him include Washington's Brian Orakpo (13th), Houston's Brian Cushing (15th) and Green Bay's Clay Matthews (26th). Orakpo and Matthews have a combined 20 sacks this season alone.

Sign of improvement?The Lions are 2-4 at home, but have outscored the opposition 177-158. Overall, Detroit's point differential is minus-28. Considering the Lions' point differential was minus-249 in 2008 (32nd) and minus-232 in 2009 (31st), there is a sign that Detroit is at least putting up a fight in 2010.

Quote of the week II"Things can turn around in a hurry. Minnesota, one year they're playing in the NFC championship and halfway through the next year, they've got a new coach. You see a lot of that in the National Football League these days. I'm not sure that I fully support all that, but those aren't my decisions." -- Patriots coach Bill Belichick, speaking after former Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels became the third NFL head coach to be fired in 2010.

Falcons' Weems a special playerAtlanta receiver Eric Weems is making a case that he's the best special teams player in the league.