The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-10 in the NFL...

1. Why is it when Brett Favre puts up 446-yards in an overtime victory he's the ultimate tough guy...And when he throws for 170-yards with 3-interceptions and a fumble he's playing hurt? It's fitting injury and excuse are 6-letter words, because for Favre they've always been linked. I've got another six letter word for him...RETIRE.

2. I know what Vikings owner Zigy Wilf said about not changing head coaches, but I wonder if he'll be more motivated to fire Brad Childress after watching how the Cowboys performed in Jason Garrett's debut.

3. Spoke with a giddy Mike Thomas after his improbable "Hail Mary" catch as time expired gave the Jaguars a 31-24 victory over the Texans. When I asked him if he realistically thought he'd have any chance to make a play there, his response was more than honest, "Not at all. That's one shot in a lifetime. The football gods were looking over us."

4. Down 14 to 12 with 14-seconds remaining, you can't throw a pass out of the end-zone on the 2-point conversion attempt Shaun Hill. That's 25-straight road losses and counting for the Lions.

5. Anyone out there still calling the Giants the best team in the NFL? How about the NFC? Don't know about you, but I'm still waiting for them to get a win against a quality opponent before I take them more seriously.

6. File this under the heading of sometimes bad things happen to good people. In his return as a starter, Chad Pennington lasted all of 2-plays before suffering yet another right shoulder injury, this one likely a career ender. Pennington has been a terrific player during his 11-year career, but he's only made it through the full 16-game season two times.

7. Randy Moss has now played twice in Miami this season for two different teams, the Patriots and Titans. His combined numbers in those games...1-reception for 26-yards.

8. The 49ers appear to have the right Smith playing quarterback, and it's not Alex. Troy Smith threw for 356-yards and a late game tying touchdown Sunday in the Niners 23-20 overtime victory against the Rams. Compare that to Alex Smith who's never thrown for over 310-yards, and has only reached the 300-yard passing mark twice since 2005.

9. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Kerry Collins. Before leaving with a calf injury, the Titans QB completed only 9 of 20-passes for 51-yards. Collins, who's known for his strong arm, averaged a pathetic 2.6-yards per pass attempt.

10. It only took until week-10 for Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow to throw his first career pass, a 3-yard TD to Spencer Larsen. Tebow now has exactly as many pass attempts this season as former Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall, who threw an incompletion Sunday for the Dolphins. At least Tebow can say he has a better QB rating.

11. You know the drill...two more overtimes yesterday, and neither one of them was decided on the first possession. That's 13-times we've had a game go to the extra session this season. In 12 of those games, both teams got their hands on the ball. If they can make other rule changes on the fly, why can't the NFL eliminate the OT rule change for the post-season?

12. Speaking of overtime, the Jets are the first team in league history to win back to back games in OT on the road. And it's time to start giving Mark Sanchez a little bit more credit here. His combined numbers in their overtime victories against the Lions and Browns...9 of 14-passing for 169-yards with 1-TD and 1-INT.

13. Caught up with Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick yesterday following Buffalo's first win of the season, and I found it interesting that he emphasized the importance of playing at their real home. "I can't say how much the crowd helped. There's definitely a difference in terms of atmosphere." You get that Ralph Wilson? I don't care how much they're paying you to play in Toronto. It's not worth it to your team. Here's a novel concept...win games and the fans will show.

14. Don't know if you've been paying attention, but the Buccaneers are fast developing their own big three. Between QB Josh Freeman, WR Mike Williams and RB LeGarrette Blount, Tampa has a talented core to build around offensively. Blount is the oldest of bunch at 23, and the biggest question mark due to his attitude/temper. Sunday, he ran for 91-yards and a touchdown, Freeman threw for 2-scores, and Williams led the team in receiving yards. If Blount can refrain from throwing any more punches, the Bucs may really have something here.

15. In their 39-26 win over Pittsburgh, the Patriots Rob Gronkowski became just the sixth rookie tight-end since 1960 with 3-TD receptions in a game. The last player to accomplish the feat before Gronkowski actually played for the Steelers...Eric Green back in 1990.