The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-5 in the NFL...

1. On an emotional Sunday for the entire Raiders organization, it was only fitting they paid tribute to owner Al Davis, who died Saturday at the age of 82, with a victory. Davis, an NFL icon who came up with phrases such as "Just win baby" and "Commitment to excellence", would have loved the team's inspired performance in Houston. Running back Darren McFadden told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "We wanted to go out there and do it for Al."

2. The league's biggest disappointment through week-5 is clearly the 1-4 Eagles, who can't seem to get out of their own way. So what's the problem? I could give you a laundry list of issues, but I'll chalk it up to three T's.

Turnovers: Philly is -10 in turnover differential

Tackling: In what has become a weekly occurrence, the Eagles missed 13-tackles against the Bills

Trust: There's plenty of individual talent on this team, but too many guys are trying to do it all by themselves. In other words, they don't feel like they can rely on their teammates to get it done.

3. No coincidence the Eagles latest loss was sealed by yet another unforgivable mental mistake. Trailing by a touchdown with 1:23 remaining, Philly had a chance to get the ball back as Buffalo faced 4th and short at their own 49-yard line. The Bills lined up to go for it, went with a hard count, and got Eagles defensive end Juqua Parker to jump offsides. At the same time, I'm guessing cheese steaks were being hurled at television sets all over Philadelphia. That's a big mess, but then again so are the Eagles.

4. The Bills don't giveth, but they definitely taketh away...And that has as much to do with their success as anything else. Buffalo has a league best 16-takeaways, including 2-games where they picked off the opposing QB 4-times (Michael Vick & Tom Brady).

5. Wonder if Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan still thinks Dallas has better receivers than Calvin Johnson, or if Chris Carter still believes Johnson isn't an elite wide receiver? Johnson now has a league leading 9-TD receptions. That's the most through 5-games for any player since 1940, and he's on pace to break Randy Moss' NFL record of 27-TD catches set in 2007. Johnson has 2-more touchdown grabs than Larry Fitzgerald, Vincent Jackson and Roddy White do combined. If you doubt his ability, I have to doubt your sanity.

6. I'm not buying into Tebow-mania, but I also didn't see any way Broncos head coach John Fox could keep quarterback Tim Tebow out of the starting lineup. Tebow absolutely provided a spark in Denver's 29-24 loss to San Diego. He ran for one 2nd half touchdown, and threw for another to turn a blowout into a nail biter. At 1-4 and with Kyle Orton struggling, it was time to find out what Tebow can do.

7. Speaking of quarterbacks, 49ers first year head coach Jim Harbaugh is fast proving to be a miracle worker. Harbaugh hasn't turned water into wine, but turning Alex Smith into a competent QB is nearly as impressive. Smith came into this season with 51-career TD passes and 53-interceptions. Through 5-games, he's thrown for 7-touchdowns with just 1-INT. Now if Harbaugh can just get Michael Crabtree to consistently catch the ball...One miracle at a time I guess.

8. Rex Ryan can make all the bold proclamations he wants, but not only are the Jets not Super Bowl bound, their once formidable defense isn't scaring anyone. Trailing 27-21 with over 7-minutes to go Sunday, the Jets defense needed a stop to give Mark Sanchez and company an opportunity to win the game. Instead, they allowed the Patriots offense to steamroll right down the field with a 13-play, 69-yard drive that took more than 6-minutes off the clock, and resulted in a field goal. And this wasn't the Tom Brady show either. BenJarvus Green-Ellis inflicted the damage with 10-carries for 59-yards. Forget about a damn snack...Ryan's going to need a 7-course meal to get over this one.

9. That was a cheap shot Roman Harper. I know Panthers receiver Steve Smith slowed down, but he was well into the end zone when Harper, the Saints veteran safety, popped him. It was a late hit, and a dirty play.

10. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Kyle Orton. The Broncos QB completed just 6 of 13-passes for 34-yards with an interception before being pulled in favor of Tim Tebow Sunday...And lost his starting job in the process.

11. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin wasn't kidding when he said: "This is about as miserable a feeling as we've had around here in a long time." Seattle hadn't won a game on the east coast since 2007. Enter the Giants, who played as if they knew that fact and nothing else Sunday. They turned it over 5-times, allowed 20-points in the 4th quarter alone, and watched as the immortal Charlie Whitehurst rallied the Seahawks to a 36-25 victory. With a schedule that turns brutal after week-8, the Giants will wish they had this game back.

12. The best tight end in football this season hasn't been a household name like the Falcons Tony Gonzalez or Cowboys Jason Witten, its been the Saints Jimmy Graham. Through 5-weeks he's hauled in 32-receptions for 496-yards and 3-TD's. That gives him more receiving yards than some of the game's top WR's including Calvin Johnson, Greg Jennings and Larry Fitzgerald.

13. You can call it a tale of two halves when it comes to Colts quarterback Curtis Painter. In the first half he's been good completing 58% of his passes with 3-touchdowns. But over the final 2-quarters, Painter's completion percentage drops to 40% with just 1-TD. And the 0-5 Colts have taken their cue from Painter blowing back to back halftime leads.

14. Matty Ice has been defrosted on more than one occasion this year, and something seems off with the Falcons QB. He's thrown for more than 1-TD in only 1-game, and has 6-interceptions to go along with 3-fumbles. With Ryan struggling, Atlanta has been held to 14-points or less in all 3-losses, including Sunday night's defeat against the Packers when they found the end zone on their first two possessions, but never scored again.

15. In what's been an unpredictable season, the Bengals defense is by far one of the league's biggest surprises. Among teams that have played 5-games, they rank 1st in yards allowed, and are giving up an average of just 18.8-points. All of this despite losing marquee free agent cornerback Jonathan Joseph this off season. Credit defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who has future head coach written all over him.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-4 in the NFL...

1. The "Dream Team" has been anything but a nightmare for the opposition, and the hype surrounding the Eagles hasn't done them any favors. Following the 49ers stunning comeback victory in Philly, Niners running back Frank Gore told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "We've got playmakers just like the dream team" and "There's extra motivation going up against the Eagles."

2. Somebody needs to explain the meaning of ball security to Ronnie Brown. Facing 3rd and goal at the 49ers 1-yard line in the 2nd quarter, the Eagles running back was stopped for a loss, then inexplicably tried to throw the ball with his left hand. The play was correctly ruled a fumble, which San Francisco recovered. When you lose a game by a single point, that kind of careless mistake in the red zone is tough to swallow.

3. I've decided Tony Romo has a split personality, so from now on I'll treat him as such. When he's good, he'll be known as Tony. And Tony was very good in the 1st half of Sunday's game against the Lions completing 19 of 24-passes for 195-yards and 2-touchdowns. When he's bad, he'll be known as Little Anthony. And with a commanding 27 to 3 2nd half lead, Little Anthony showed up. He proceeded to throw 3-interceptions, 2 of which were returned for touchdowns, and the Lions stormed back to beat the Cowboys 34-30. Time for Little Anthony to go to his room now.

4. Caught up with Lions cornerback Chris Houston, who returned one of those 3-INT's for a TD, and he made it clear Romo and the Cowboys started celebrating early: "They kind of got comfortable and cocky, and you could tell he was back there smiling and relaxing."

5. It doesn't get any better than the Texans opening drive against the Steelers Sunday. Houston set the tone with a 19-play 95-yard march that lasted nearly 11-minutes. By my count, they used 12-runs and 7-passes capped off by Matt Schaub's 1-yard TD toss to Owen Daniels. If that's not demoralizing for a defense, I don't know what is.

6. Bears radio play by play man Jeff Joniak only had it partially right when after Devin Hester's 69-yard punt return for a score, he screamed: "You are ridiculous!" Hester is ridiculous. It was his 11th career punt return for a touchdown, which is an NFL record. But what's even more ridiculous is punting him the ball in the first place. Special teams coaches across the league need to check their ego, and learn this simple rule...There is no reason to ever allow Hester to return a punt. No exceptions.

7. Consider yourself lucky Victor Cruz. I don't care what excuse referee Jerome Boger invented, that was a fumble late in the 4th quarter Sunday against the Cardinals. The Giants wide receiver stumbled to the ground following a 29-yard reception, and left the ball there when he got up. Only one problem, he wasn't down by contact. Arizona recovered the fumble, but the Cardinals weren't allowed to keep the ball or challenge, because Boger ruled Cruz had given himself up, and therefore was down. One play later, Eli Manning connected with Hakeem Nicks on what proved to be the game winning touchdown.

8. The NFL should have eliminated the "tuck rule" a long time ago, although I'm sure the Bengals would disagree right now. With Buffalo and Cincinnati tied at 3 in the 2nd quarter, Bengals rookie QB Andy Dalton was sacked and lost the ball at his own 13-yard line. Bills safety Bryan Scott returned the fumble for a touchdown, but after a review, the call was reversed. To me you're either in the act of throwing, or you're not. It shouldn't matter if Dalton was trying to bring the ball back in, because common sense tells you that's a fumble.

9. I know it's not Halloween just yet, but was Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell seeing ghosts in the end zone Sunday? I still can't figure out who he was throwing the ball to when he was intercepted in the 2nd quarter by Patriots safety Patrick Chung. Oakland was trailing 14-10 at the time, and would never get that close again.

10. Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker hasn't just been good of late, he's been phenomenal. In the last 2-weeks, Welker has a combined 25-receptions. Only nine other players in the league have at least 25-catches for the entire season.

11. Nice hand Tony Gonzalez, and I do mean hand. The Falcons veteran tight end has made several spectacular grabs this season, and added another highlight reel play late in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's win against the Seahawks. Gonzalez hauled in a 29-yard reception with only his left hand, while drawing a pass interference call against safety Atari Bigby who was holding his right arm.

12. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to the combination of the Ravens Joe Flacco, and Jets Mark Sanchez. Both quarterbacks helped set offense back to the stone age Sunday night. Their combined numbers...21 of 66-passing for 282-yards with 0-TD's and 2-INT's. Each of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns.

13. It's amazing what happens when Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz decides to actually call a few running plays. Matt Forte had more carries Sunday than he did in the two previous weeks put together.

Weeks-2 and 3: 19-rushes 51-yards

Week-4: 25-rushes 202-yards 1-TD

Not only did the commitment to the ground game spark the offense, but it also saved Jay Cutler from yet another beating. The Bears QB was sacked just once against the Panthers.

14. Think the 1-3 Seahawks wish they brought back Matt Hasselbeck? There's no way the Titans would be 3-1 without the veteran QB. Hasselbeck has now completed over 66% of his passes with 8-touchdowns and 3-interceptions this season.

15. Anybody expecting Green Bay to experience a Super Bowl hangover can forget it. The Packers are 4-0, and easily look like the most complete team in the NFL. When I asked cornerback Charles Woodson how they've been able to avoid a post Super Bowl let down, he simply said: "We don't feel like we're done yet." I guess not.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-3 in the NFL...

1. Don't make a frantic call to the eye doctor, your vision isn't impaired. When you look at the AFC East standings, those are the Buffalo Bills in sole possession of 1st place. The NFL's version of the cardiac kids have now overcome 21-point and 18-point deficits the last 2-weeks. How have they done it? Running back Fred Jackson told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "We had tremendous help from our crowd. They stayed in it. Anytime we can feed off the crowd like that, feed off each other, we'll make some plays."

2. Tom Brady's 4-interceptions Sunday equaled his total from all of last season when he was picked off 4-times in 492-pass attempts.

3. Quit whining Michael Vick. The broken right hand you suffered against the Giants had nothing to do with the officiating. Following Sunday's loss, Vick said: "Every time I throw the ball, I'm on the ground. And I don't understand why I don't get the 15-yard flags like everybody else does." The truth of the matter is Vick takes more hits than other quarterbacks, because of way he plays. He holds onto the ball until the last possible second, and does far more scrambling than every other QB in the NFL. Unless he wants to join a flag football league, Vick better get used to his weekly beatings.

4. The Eagles signed cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha for 60-million over 5-years this off season, but tackling apparently wasn't part of the deal. Asomugha totally whiffed on his attempt to bring down Giants receiver Victor Cruz, and instead ran into safety Kurt Coleman as Cruz raced 74-yards for a 1st quarter touchdown.

5. Along with Cruz, who finished with 3-receptions for 110-yards and 2-TD's, Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith also made an unexpected splash in his first career start. The rookie out of Maryland had gone without a catch in his first 2-games. Sunday, he had touchdown receptions of 74-yards, 41-yards and 18-yards...all in the 1st quarter.

6. Maybe it's time Brett Kern demands to be paid like a top playmaker. The Titans punter had as many rushing yards against the Broncos as Chris Johnson. Kern picked up a bad 2nd quarter snap and ran 21-yards for a 1st down. Johnson finished with 21-yards rushing on 13-carries.

7. I know it's an obscure movie reference, but watching Panthers/Jaguars in that monsoon had me thinking of the 1986 film The Best of Times. No sign of Kurt Russell as gimpy QB Reno Hightower, but nevertheless.

8. So let me get this straight...It's 4th and 1 at the Lions 17-yard line with just under 12-minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. The Vikings are up 20-17, decide to go for it, and give the ball to Toby Gerhart? No...I'm not kidding.

9. Maybe it's fitting the last time the Lions were 3-0, the number-1 song in the country was Upside Down by Diana Ross. In case you're wondering, that was 1980.

10. Minnesota blew its third straight double digit second half lead, but don't blame defensive end Jared Allen. I have the feeling Lions LT Jeff Backus will be having nightmares about Allen, who had 6-tackles and 3-sacks in the loss.

11. You want a week-3 to forget...I give you Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie. He was flagged 4-times for 46-yards, lost a fumble that led to a Raiders touchdown, and left the game with what's believed to be a bruised lung. With an assist from The Shirelles, "Mama said there'd be days like this."

12. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Kerry Collins. The Colts QB completed just 13 of 29-passes for 93-yards before being forced out of Sunday night's loss to the Steelers with a possible concussion.

13. Repeat after me Corey Peters...watch the ball! With Tampa Bay clinging to a 3-point lead late in the 4th quarter, and facing 4th and inches at the Atlanta 44, the Falcons defensive tackle jumped offside. The penalty sealed the victory for the Buccaneers, who put a stop to their 5-game losing streak against the Falcons.

14. That's some balanced offense you've got there Mike Martz. 3-games into the season, the Bears have attempted 127-passes and 51-runs.

15. It doesn't always look pretty, but from what I've seen Browns QB Colt McCoy is a winner. After spending most of the day struggling against the Dolphins, he connected on 9 of 13-passes for 75-yards including the go ahead 14-yard TD strike to Mohamed Massaquoi with 43-seconds remaining. You can stop looking Cleveland...you've found your quarterback.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-2 in the NFL...

1. They can both say otherwise, but beating the Eagles in Michael Vick's return to Atlanta had to have some special significance for Falcons QB Matt Ryan and owner Arthur Blank. Along those lines, I respect Dan Reeves, but can't buy his claim that, "When Mike really needed them, the Falcons turned their back on Vick." I look at it this way...Vick let the Falcons organization down...not the other way around.

2. For all the Michael Vick talk, the best Mike on the field Sunday night was Michael Turner. The Falcons don't win that game without his 114-yards rushing, and go-ahead 3-yard TD run with under 5-minutes remaining.

3. Anybody else get the feeling that this is just going to be one of those years for the Chiefs? In the span of 2-weeks, they've lost one of their best defensive players, safety Eric Berry, and one of their top offensive players, running back Jamaal Charles to injury. On top of that, they've dropped their first 2-games by a combined score of 89 to 10. Let me put it this way...Chiefs head coach Todd Haley has a better chance of winning a popularity contest than Kansas City does of making the playoffs.

4. It doesn't erase his history of late game flops, but let's be fair...that was a gutsy effort by Cowboys QB Tony Romo Sunday. After suffering a fractured rib, he hit on 12 of 16-passes for 201-yards and 2-TD's in the Cowboys 27-24 overtime victory against the 49ers. Had his name been Favre instead of Romo, it would have been considered a legendary performance.

5. Count Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings as impressed with the play of Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton. I spoke with Jennings on the Sunday Drive after Green Bay's 30-23 win in Carolina, and he used words like "special" and "he's going to be a good one" to describe the number-1 overall pick in the draft.

6. Bills cornerback Da'Norris Searcy's first ever NFL stat is one I'm sure he'll never forget. The 22-year old out of North Carolina hadn't recorded so much as a tackle yet, when he intercepted Jason Campbell's last second desperation pass in the end zone to seal Buffalo's 38-35 comeback victory over Oakland. And yes...referee Mike Carey got the call right.

7. Gut wrenching loss for the Raiders, but liked what I heard from 1st year head coach Hue Jackson afterwards. When asked if a short week, and cross country travel had left his team tired, he responded with a no excuses attitude, "This is the NFL...We pay guys to make plays!"

8. You can't throw a better pass than Saints QB Drew Brees did on that 79-yard TD strike to Devery Henderson. In my best Marisa Tomei from My Cousin Vinny, Brees was "dead on balls accurate."

9. Ok I admit it, the Colts are in serious trouble. Losing at Houston is one thing, but falling to the Browns in your own building is entirely another. I thought they'd be around 7-9 without Peyton Manning. Watching them the last 2-weeks, 3-13 seems like a distinct possibility.

10. Is it possible Tom Brady could have gaudier numbers than he did during his MVP season a year ago? Through 2-weeks he's thrown for 940-yards while completing 71.6% of his passes with 7-touchdowns and 1-interception. I'd say while it's early, the answer is yes.

11. That tremor you felt yesterday afternoon was Patriots 325-pound defensive tackle Vince Wilfork rumbling 28-yards down the field after his first career interception. I'm sure in Wilfork's mind, he was moving like Usain Bolt.

12. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Luke McCown. Jacksonville's current starting quarterback, and I emphasize current, completed just 6 of 19-passes for 59-yards with 0-TD's and 4-INT's in the Jaguars 32-3 loss to the Jets.

13. It's 4th and 1 at the Broncos 36-yard line, the Bengals are trailing 24-22 with a little over 3-minutes remaining, and the play call from offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is a rollout right for rookie QB Andy Dalton? Did he not realize Cedric Benson is still on the team?

14. If this isn't Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde then I don't know what is. The Ravens went from harassing the Steeelers into 7-turnovers and allowing only 7-points in their week-1 blowout win, to giving up 432-total yards in Sunday's hard to explain 26-13 loss at the Titans. Keep in mind Tennessee scored just 14-points and had under 300-yards of offense in their season opener against Jacksonville.

15. Those are some nimble feet you have there Tony Scheffler. The Lions tight end did a little soft shoe to avoid Chiefs safety Kendrick Lewis on the way to a 36-yard TD reception Sunday. And if you're not impressed by Detroit yet, consider this...the last time they had a 45-point margin of victory came in 1957...in the NFL Title game.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-1 in the NFL...

1. Unless Darelle Revis has the power of invisibility, Tony Romo should have seen that Revis was all over Dez Bryant on that key 4th quarter interception Sunday night. Romo has become the ultimate tease...Just when you think he's figured things out, he provides you with further evidence that he's not a big time quarterback.

2. I'm not ready to put Cam Newton into the Hall of Fame, but what he did against the Cardinals was extremely impressive. Look past the numbers, and what stood out was Newton's poise and composure. He never looked panicked. For a rookie making his starting debut, that's saying something.

3. Who needs Todd Heap? In their 35-7 blowout win over the Steelers, Ravens young tight-ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta combined for 7-catches, 104-yards and a touchdown.

4. Caught up with Bears wide-receiver Roy Williams following their impressive victory against the Falcons, and he told me he loves watching the Chicago defense...So much so in fact that he said, "That's why I have them as my fantasy team D!" Wonder if he'd drop them in his fantasy league if they started struggling?

5. Gave Brian Urlacher my game ball on the Sunday Drive for his 10-tackle, 1-interception, and 1-fumble return for a TD performance versus Atlanta. Listening to his post game comments though, you would've thought the Bears linebacker had a rough afternoon, "Tired in the 1st half, and used alot of energy in the pre game." If that's tired, I'd hate to see what he does when he's well rested.

6. I'm still waiting for someone to cover Bengals wide-receiver AJ Green. On his go ahead 41-yard TD reception against the Browns in the 4th quarter, Green was left alone. Cleveland's defensive gaffe gave Cincinnati the lead for good. That by the way was Green's only catch of the game. Up until then, he'd been shutout by Joe Haden.

7. To say Tim Hightower carried the load for the Redskins Sunday would be an understatement. Hightower had 25 of the team's 26-carries in their win over the Giants, with Roy Helu getting the ball once.

8. Here's the reality of the Colts without Peyton Manning...Once they fall behind by double digits, the game's over. When is the last time you thought that about Indianapolis?

9. The 49ers Ted Ginn will always be a bust as a wide-receiver, but as a special teamer, he can be deadly. After Seattle pulled within 2-points late in the 4th quarter, Ginn single handedly put the Seahawks away with a kick off return for a touchdown, followed by a punt return for a score...all in the span 59-seconds.

10. You've got to wrap up Sean Weatherspoon. The Falcons linebacker more or less tried to push Bears running back Matt Forte on Forte's 56-yard TD reception..

11. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Donovan McNabb. In his Vikings debut, McNabb was a train wreck. He completed just 7 of 15-passes for 39-yards with a touchdown and an interception. Don't get too comfortable on the bench Christian Ponder.

12. Be honest Lions fans...You can't tell me you weren't holding your breath after Matt Stafford came limping off the field. It was just a cramp, so back away from the edge of that bridge now.

13. Darren Sproles will be more productive for the Saints than Reggie Bush ever was. In the Thursday night season opener, Sproles showed how dangerous he can be with 7-receptions for 75-yards, 2-runs for 7-yards, and 2-punt returns for 92-yards, including a 72-yard TD. Reggie who?

14. How's this for some brutal truth from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin..."We got handled in all 3-phases. Don't like it. We accept it, and we'll respond accordingly." Tomlin was as angry as I've ever seen him Sunday. 7-turnovers and a 28-point loss to your division rival will do that to you.

15. What a difference a year makes. When the team's met a season ago, the Chiefs ran for 274-yards in their 13-10 overtime win against the Bills. Sunday, Buffalo held Kansas City to 108-yards rushing. It helps to build a big lead, but it's also clear the additions of Marcell Dareus and Nick Barnett have made Buffalo's defense no pushover.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on the NFL preseason...

1. The auto industry isn't the only thing making a comeback in Detroit. If Matt Stafford can make it through the season in one piece and their secondary can hold up, the Lions have a real shot to compete for a wildcard. They've outscored the opposition 98 to 41 this preseason.

2. I still think they're the class of the NFC East, but I have more faith right now in the economy than the Eagles offensive line and linebackers.

3. Anybody seen Tiki Barber?

4. The Colts front office clearly took a look at the film of their two games with the Titans last season before signing Kerry Collins. His combined numbers against the Indy defense...56 of 78 passing for 544-yards with 5-touchdowns and 0-interceptions.

5. While trying not to break my cardinal rule of overreacting to preseason performances, it's hard to ignore what Steelers wide-receiver Antonio Brown is doing. His 4-reception, 137-yard, 2-TD effort against the Falcons was extremely impressive. Brown's potential emergence to go along with Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Heath Miller, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jerricho Cotchery, could make the Steelers passing game one of the league's best.

6. In a division that includes receivers like DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, the Giants secondary woes are even more pronounced. After cornerback Terrell Thomas was lost for the season, safety Antrel Rolle told me this week on Mad Dog Radio, "Honestly, I don't know what to do. I still don't know how to handle it at this point, but I'm going have to try to find a way. I have to. We have to as a defense."

7. I understand the theory, but in practice reviewing every scoring play is going to get old in a hurry. Officials need to make the distinction between what is debatable, and what's not. They've already taken a second look at too many scoring plays that were clearly touchdowns in real speed.

8. Welcome to the NFL Jim Harbaugh. Now go find yourself a quarterback. If you didn't already know, the preseason has once again confirmed that Alex Smith can't play.

9. Chiefs head coach Todd Haley needs to have his head examined if he really thinks the Ravens were running up the score on his team last week. Baltimore did nothing wrong. Haley should have directed his anger at his own players, who couldn't make a stop. This wasn't exactly Joe Flacco against Kansas City's 3rd team defense.

10. If Roger Goodell won't be suspending Buccaneers cornerback Aquib Talib or Titans receiver Kenny Britt for their off-season "issues", then it's clear he won't be punishing anyone for their lockout transgressions. Could it be that Goodell is going soft? Next thing you know the commissioner will actually let the players tackle each other without a fine.

11. By no means has he been great, but the Panthers shouldn't hesitate to start Cam Newton once the regular season begins. Carolina is going to be a last place team. Might as well let Newton learn on the fly.

12. Money comes first, but I don't think Larry Fitzgerald would've jumped at signing long term with the Cardinals if he didn't believe in QB Kevin Kolb.

13. Did it shock anyone that the Raiders grabbed Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft? The organization that loves the 40-time was likely blown away by his 4.36. My personal opinion on Pryor, he's a project at QB. Nothing more.

14. 42-pass attempts in 2-quarters against the Steelers for Matt Ryan...Who's calling plays for the Falcons now, Mike Martz?

15. With the teams set to square off Monday night, and again in week sixteen, I like the fact that there's been some trash talk between the Jets and Giants. The bottom line on these two organizations, the Giants have a more significant history...the Jets are more relevant right now.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on the abbreviated off-season...

1. You can't win the Lombardi trophy in July, but the Eagles took a giant step in that direction with their trade for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and signings of Nnamdi Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins, and Jason Babin.

2. No head coach will have more pressure on him than Andy Reid. He's won everything but the Super Bowl. It's championship or bust this season.

3. The Cardinals overpaid for Kevin Kolb. They were bidding against themselves.

4. He'll never admit it, but Bill Belichick is going for it now. He wouldn't have brought in the likes of Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco otherwise.

5. Mike Shanahan's really staking his reputation on Rex Grossman and John Beck? That's like Kevin Costner staking his reputation on Water World.

6. If the lockout proved anything, it's that football is a business. You can't fault Shaun Ellis or Steve Smith for signing with division rivals. There is no real loyalty, and that works both ways.

7. I don't blame Chris Johnson for holding out. The Titans look cheap here. Johnson is an elite running back, has easily outplayed his contract, and is no 1-year wonder. Pay the man!

8. The Saints didn't get the same headlines as the Eagles, but I love what GM Mickey Loomis has done with this team. They're as good as anyone in the NFC, including the Packers.

9. I can understand why he doesn't want to play another down for the Bengals, but Carson Palmer looks spoiled and petty with the act he's pulling. Palmer needs to realize, he's a very average quarterback these days.

10. Why do I have the feeling the Cleveland Browns are headed for a year that'll be worse than the final season of Entourage.

11. Memo to members of the Tim Tebow fan club...John Elway and John Fox didn't draft him. They don't have to justify selecting Tebow in the 1st round by playing him when he's not ready. Tebow is a project. Give it time.

12. If I had any faith in Norv Turner as a head coach, I could easily see the Chargers coming out of the AFC. However...I don't.

13. There was a better chance of the Giants resigning Tiki Barber than the team actually trading Osi Umenyiora.

14. Chris Carter should be in the Hall of Fame, but his claim that Calvin Johnson isn't an elite wide-receiver is laughable.

15. Count me as an enemy of the new kick-off rules. Players like Leon Washington, Josh Cribbs and Brad Smith are being marginalized.