Welcome to Animal House

Your delta tau chi name is Flounder. Tell me that doesn't fit the Jets to a tee. They've morphed from a Super Bowl contender into the NFL's version of Kent Dorfman...And "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son." Rex Ryan covers the fat angle here, but to me that's more about complacency than his weight problem. Ryan's bravado, challenges and bold proclamations worked in his first two seasons as head coach, but this year he couldn't get his players to back up the talk. He allowed things to spiral out of control, because he admittedly didn't have "the pulse" of the team. Ryan turned into the Kevin Bacon character screaming, "All is well!" This while the locker room was fractured and falling apart.

As for being drunk, the Jets have guzzled far too much of Ryan's Kool-Aid. When you're constantly being told you're the best, you can start to think you're better than you are. The Jets act and talk as if they've accomplished something, but the last time I checked their only Super Bowl appearance came in 1969 before most of the current roster was born. Joe Namath delivered on his guarantee...I'm still waiting for Ryan and company to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. And my guess is they won't be showing up on an "Eat Me" float in Indianapolis to grab it.

There's also plenty of stupid to go around here. From the Jets believing safety Eric Smith and right tackle Wayne Hunter were actually starting caliber players, to Ryan naming wide receiver Santonio Holmes a captain, to Brian Schottenheimer's play calling. Most off all though, the Jets as an organization failed to grasp that character is as important as talent. When highly respected locker room leaders like Tony Richardson, Shaun Ellis, and Jerricho Cotchery are shown the door, who's left to rally the troops when things go wrong? Who's left to keep a guy like Holmes in line when his selfish attitude begins to infect the rest of the team? In the end it falls on the head coach, and after this disaster of a season there's no doubt Ryan is on double secret probation.

The 15-Play Drive

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

1. Forget Tim Tebow, the direct line to God apparently belonged to Kyle Orton and the Chiefs Sunday. So how did a team with a new head coach and starting quarterback deal Green Bay its first loss since December, 19 of last year? The answer is G-O-D...Ground game, Orton and Defense. Kansas City rushed for 139-yards on 39-carries, which helped them hold the ball for more than 36-minutes. Orton directed an efficient passing attack, completing 23 of 31-attempts for 299-yards. He also avoided turning the ball over against a defense that leads the league in interceptions. Finally, the Chiefs defense frustrated Aaron Rodgers by using 5-defensive backs extensively. Rodgers looked confused at times as he completed less than 50-percent of his passes for just the third time in his career.

2. The Chiefs stunning upset of the Packers may not have earned Romeo Crennel the permanent head coaching gig in Kansas City, but as auditions go, Crennel hit a grand slam. With 3-vacancies already, and potentially another 3 or 4-jobs opening up, it's hard to believe Crennel won't get some serious consideration around the league.

3. In a week during which Jim Caldwell's job status was brought into question, it had to feel good to watch his Colts team respond with its first win of the season. Colts running back Donald Brown told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "We just wanted to get a win...We don't listen to what's going on...We can only control our effort."

4. Believe it or not, Brown had more yards on 1-carry than Titans running back Chris Johnson had for the entire game Sunday. As part of his 161-yard rushing performance, Brown ran for an 80-yard 4th quarter touchdown. Meanwhile, the underachieving Johnson was held to 55-yards on 15-carries. Following back to back games of 100-plus yards on the ground, Johnson has been held to a combined 78-yards on 26-carries the last 2-weeks. No coincidence Tennessee lost both of those games.

5. Tom Brady has taken on and beaten just about all possible opponents in his career, so it's fitting that he was able to overcome divine intervention Sunday. The Broncos didn't lose to the Patriots because of Tim Tebow. However, a Tebow led offense against a Brady led offense is like comparing a Mack truck to a Maserati. Even you Tebow disciples know who's going to win that race.

6. You're an embarrassment Santonio Holmes, and I'd highly recommend going into hiding until week-16. The Jets wide receiver cost his team three different times in their brutal 45-19 defeat at the hands of the Eagles. Following a 1st quarter reception, Holmes lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown to give Philly a 7-0 lead. Still trailing 7-0 later in the quarter, the Jets had the ball at the Eagles 14-yard line when Holmes allowed a Mark Sanchez pass to go directly through his hands. Asante Samuel grabbed the ball out of the air for an interception that ended the threat. And to quote George Costanza: "Now for the trifecta"...With his team behind 28-3 in the 2nd quarter, Holmes caught a 25-yard TD pass, then promptly acted like an idiot by standing on the ball and flapping his arms to earn a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

7. Raiders head coach Hue Jackson and defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan need a serious lesson in the art of taking away an opponents top receiver. I won't pretend to know what coverage they were using every play against the Lions Calvin Johnson, but I do know this...it didn't work. Johnson not only had 214-yards on 9-receptions, but with the game on the line he somehow got free for a 48-yard catch that set up his own 6-yard TD grab. Are you kidding me?

8. It's worth noting two of the league's most undisciplined teams didn't disappoint Sunday. The Lions and Raiders had a combined 19-penalties for 158-yards. In case you're wondering, or had money on the line, Oakland was flagged one more time than Detroit 10 to 9.

9. The Todd Collins Award of the week goes to Caleb Hanie. At this rate, we're going to rename the award in Hanie's honor. The Bears quarterback completed just 10 of 23-passes against the Seahawks for 111-yards with 1-TD and 3-INT's. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns. It doesn't take me transforming into Nostra-Lekas to see a UFL jersey with Hanie's name on it next season.

10. I never was a math wiz, but since the Redskins swept the season series from the Giants, doesn't that mean safety Antrel Rolle has to check his figures? Rolle said last week the Giants would beat the Redskins 99 out of 100-times. So what now...98 out of 100?

11. It's been over a month since Drew Brees threw for less than 300-yards. Sunday, he put up 412 and 5-touchdowns in the Saints 42-20 victory over the Vikings. In his last 5-games, Brees has 16-TD passes and 0-INT's. Aaron Rodgers...I think you've got some competition for MVP.

12. You can't say Arizona doesn't like working OT. That's 3-wins for the Cardinals in the extra session this year after they beat the Browns 20 to 17. Arizona's just the 9th team in NFL history to win 3-overtime games in the same season.

13. I still think Norv Turner's on borrowed time, but the Chargers offense was a thing of beauty Sunday night. San Diego piled up 415-yards and scored 34-points against the vaunted Baltimore defense. I've always said Turner is a terrific offensive coordinator, just not a very good head coach.

14. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh should not have to buy his brother, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, a Christmas present. Monday night's 20-3 victory against the Steelers was the gift that will keep on giving. By knocking off Pittsburgh, San Francisco allowed Baltimore to remain atop the AFC North. That's better than any stocking stuffer.

15. Get your quarterback out of the game before he gets killed Mike Tomlin. There was no reason for the Steelers head coach to have a gimpy and ineffective Ben Roethlisberger on the field late in the 4th quarter. Pittsburgh was down by 17, and Big Ben was a sitting duck.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-14 in the NFL...

1. Until further notice, Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan (a.k.a the Geico caveman) must demand not to be shown on television. With the amount of face time he receives, you'd think his defense is among the NFL's elite...instead, they're an embarrassment. Trailing by 12 in the 4th quarter Sunday night, the Giants put together 80 and 53-yard touchdown drives that took a combined 3-minutes and 53-seconds off the clock...or about the time it probably takes Ryan to devour an entire turkey. In the process, Dallas went from essentially locking up the NFC East to falling out of 1st place.

2. As much credit as Eli Manning deserves for the Giants comeback, they don't beat the Cowboys without the play of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. He led the team with 8-tackles, registered 2-sacks, forced a fumble and blocked the game tying field goal to seal the victory. Somebody tell Osi Umenyiora to take the rest of the season off...the more playing time Pierre-Paul gets, the better off the Giants will be.

3. You could see the horns growing out of running back Marion Barber's helmet in Denver Sunday, because he was absolutely the goat in the Bears overtime loss to the Broncos. With under 2-minutes to go in the 4th quarter, Chicago up by 3 and Denver out of timeouts, Barber inexcusably ran out of bounds on 2nd down to stop the clock. His gaffe not only allowed the Broncos to get the ball back, but gave them enough time to drive for a game tying field goal. Then in OT, with Chicago already in Robbie Gould field goal range, Barber lost a fumble at the Denver 33-yard line. The Broncos got a 51-yard Matt Prater field goal on the ensuing possession to win it 13-10, and send the Bears to their third straight loss. This wasn't Tebow magic...I'll call it Barber's blunders.

4. Once again Tim Tebow was Clark Kent for the first 3-quarters, and Superman afterwards. The Broncos QB has been performing that way for 8-games now...

Tebow in quarters 1 through 3: 38.7% 4.7-yards per attempt 5-TD's 1-INT

Tebow in the 4th quarter and OT: 60.9% 8.9-yards per attempt 6-TD's 1-INT

He's also thrown for over 200-more yards in the 4th quarter and OT then he has in the first 3-quarters this season. The trick for the Broncos is to find a way to get more Man of Steel out of him, and less mild mannered reporter.

5. If there were any doubts about the Texans ability to succeed with a third string rookie quarterback under center, and I'm sure there were, they can be put to rest for now. T.J. Yates proved Sunday he can handle the role of leading man. With Houston trailing Cincinnati 19-10 in the 4th quarter, Yates directed an 88-yard drive that resulted in a field goal. Then facing a 6-point deficit with 2:33 to go, Yates marched the Texans 80-yards in 13-plays, hooking up with wide receiver Kevin Walter for a 6-yard TD with just 2-seconds remaining. When asked about Yates performance, Walter told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "Nothing rattles him...He's very poised in the pocket and confident...I'm proud of him big time."

6. Is it just me, or did Yates have more friends and family in the stands than there were actual Bengals fans at Paul Brown Stadium?

7. I understand the officials aren't going to be perfect, but how about just being competent. How they missed Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy grabbing and twisting the facemask of Vikings QB Joe Webb on the game's final play Sunday I'll never know.

8. Head referee Jeff Triplette also gets a major thumbs down for his ridiculous personal foul call on London Fletcher. The Redskins linebacker hit a scrambling Tom Brady with a shoulder to the chest just as Brady began slide. Triplette threw the flag, claiming Fletcher used a forearm to the head. Get your eyes checked Jeff, or get a new job...that was an awful call.

9. Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is a monster...there's just no other way to put it. He's too fast for linebackers or safeties, and too big for cornerbacks. Sunday, Gronkowski set a new single season record for the most TD receptions by a tight end, as he caught his 14th and 15th of the year. He finished with 6-catches for 160-yards, often dragging multiple Redskins defenders with him or breaking tackles along the way. Gronkowski has quickly become the most dangerous weapon in the Patriots passing game, and yes that includes Wes Welker.

10. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Raiders QB Carson Palmer. In Oakland's 46-16 defeat at Green Bay, Palmer completed 24 of 42-passes for 245-yards with 1-touchdown and 4-interceptions. He's now been picked off a staggering 13-times in just 7-games. I know it's the holiday season, but Palmer is in far too giving a mood.

11. I'm not a big fan of the NFL's overemphasis on player safety, because I think the teeth have somewhat been taken out of the game, but Steelers linebacker James Harrison absolutely deserved his 1-game suspension. Harrison has been a repeat offender, and clearly delivered a helmet to helmet hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy. Smarten up James...your bank account and teammates with thank you.

12. Anybody else think there was no way in hell Ben Roethlisberger was coming back after suffering that left ankle injury? That was a gutty performance by Big Ben, although I'm not sure he really needed to be out there.

13. Throw the ball Jake Locker! The Titans rookie QB came off the bench and made some nice plays Sunday. However, on 3rd and goal at the Saints 5-yard line, and his team down 22-17, Locker took a sack on the game's final play. Even if nobody is open, you have to throw it there and hope for the best.

14. The Buccaneers have a self destruct button, and they're not afraid to use it. Tampa Bay built a 14-nothing lead in Jacksonville Sunday, then decided it was time to blow it up. Over the next 14-minutes, Tampa had a fumbled punt returned for a TD, allowed a 77-yard touchdown drive, fumbled in their own end zone for another Jaguars score, and were intercepted, which eventually led to Jacksonville's 4th touchdown of the quarter. That's the kind of epic meltdown that can get a coach on thin ice fired.

15. You want Jekyll and Hyde for week-14...I give you the Falcons. They were sleep walking through the first half in Carolina, and fell behind 23-7. Then turned the tables in the final two quarters, outscoring the Panthers 24-0 to pull out a 31-23 win. So how did they do it? Atlanta QB Matt Ryan joined me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, and said of the comeback: "Everybody stuck together...We talked alot about trying to chip our way back into the game...We started off really well in the 2nd half, and that really helped out."

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-13 in the NFL...

1. Plan-C was grade-A for the Texans on Sunday. In his first career start, rookie QB T.J. Yates completed 12 of 25-passes for 188-yards with a touchdown and more importantly 0-INT's in Houston's 17-10 win over Atlanta. After the victory, Yates joined me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, and made it clear that despite his lack of experience, the coaching staff hasn't gone ultra conservative: "Coach Kubiak made it a point that he wasn't going to cut back any of the offense, so we're just going to keep rolling like we have all season."

2. The biggest difference in the 9-2 Texans as compared to last season continues to be the defense. Houston was ranked 30th in total-D and gave up an average of 26.7-points per game during the 2010 regular season. This year, they're ranked 2nd, and are allowing just 15.8-points per game. And as they've suffered key injuries to offensive playmakers like Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub, the defense has gotten even stingier. During their 6-game winning streak, the Texans are surrendering a little over 10-points per game. As I said last week, if you're looking for a team MVP, look no further than defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

3. Does any quarterback make it look easier than Aaron Rodgers? After the Giants pulled even with the Packers at 35-35 with 58-seconds remaining, Rodgers moved the offense down the field faster than Brett Favre changes his mind about retirement.

1st and 10 at GB 20: Rodgers completes 24-yard pass to Jermichael Finley
1st and 10 at GB 44: Rodgers completes 27-yard pass to Jordy Nelson
1st and 10 at NYG 29: Packers lose a yard on Rodgers completion to Brandon Saine
2nd and 11 at NYG 30: Rodgers completes 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings

That's all it took...4-plays to set up Mason Crosby's game winning 30-yard field goal as time expired. The moral of the story is, if you leave Rodgers with enough time to beat you, he will every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

4. Happy Holidays Greg Jennings...You got a gift touchdown, and the officials should have overturned the call. The Packers wide receiver made a 20-yard TD catch in the 3rd quarter to give Green Bay a 28-17 lead, but in my mind he never fully secured the ball before it was knocked out of his hands by Prince Amukamara.

5. In a critical AFC North match up Sunday, the Bengals put on a clinic that I've entitled "Self Inflicted Wounds." On its first offensive possession of the game, Cincinnati moved from its own 37-yard line to the Pittsburgh 4, where on 3rd and goal QB Andy Dalton connected with tight end Jermaine Gresham for a touchdown. However, a false start penalty on rookie receiver A.J. Green nullified the TD. Dalton then threw an incompletion on 3rd and goal from the 9, setting up a short Mike Nugent field goal attempt. Nugent's kick was good, but a delay of game wiped it out, and from 33-yards away his next attempt was blocked. It was all downhill from there as the Bengals weren't competitive for the first time all season in a 35-7 loss to the Steelers.

6. You were unlucky, but you didn't do anything wrong Brian Urlacher. At the end of the 1st half against the Chiefs Sunday, the Bears linebacker knocked down a hail mary pass in the end zone, which is what defensive players are taught to do. Unfortunately for Urlacher, the ball went straight to Kansas City running back Dexter McCluster, who caught the deflection for a touchdown. What made the freak play even tougher to swallow for the Bears...It was the only TD they allowed all day as they fell to the Chiefs 10-3.

7. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Caleb Hanie. In a pathetic display, the Bears QB completed just 11 of 24-passes for 133-yards with 0-TD's and 3-INT's against Kansas City. Did Chicago lose Donovan McNabb's phone number or something?

8. Say what you want about Mark Sanchez, but the Jets quarterback continues to make big plays in the 4th quarter. Trailing the Redskins 16-13 with just over 6-minutes remaining, the Jets faced 3rd and 4 at the Washington 45-yard line. On the play, Sanchez avoided blitzing cornerback Kevin Barnes, and at the last possible moment completed a sidearm throw to running back Shonn Greene for 10-yards. Two plays later, Sanchez's 30-yard TD strike to wide receiver Santonio Holmes put the Jets in front for good.

9. There's a thin line between aggressive and stupid...The Lions still haven't figured that out. Despite the suspension of Ndamukong Suh, Detroit still took 11-penalties for 107-yards, including 3-personal fouls Sunday night in their 31-17 defeat at the hands of the Saints.

10. It took Dan Orlovsky exactly 1-start to throw for more yards than Curtis Painter had in any of his 8-starts for the Colts. Not to go overboard, but Orlovsky looked down right Manning like in dissecting the Patriots secondary for 353-yards with a pair of touchdowns. Indianapolis is now 0-12, but going winless doesn't seem like such a certainty anymore.

11. I realize he's put up big numbers against two of the league's worst run defenses, but Titans running back Chris Johnson looks as if he's gotten some of that quickness back. In Tennessee's first 9-games, Johnson averaged just over 56-yards rushing, and scored only 2-touchdowns. In their last 2-games, he's averaged more than 171-yards on the ground, and found the end zone twice against the Bills. If Johnson has truly found his form, he can be a major factor for a Titans team that's now in the thick of the AFC wildcard race.

12. Ever get the feeling Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour decides it's time for a quick exit when his team is getting blown out of the water. Seymour was ejected for throwing a punch in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Dolphins. Last season, Seymour was tossed for hitting Ben Roethlisberger in a game Pittsburgh dominated, beating Oakland 35 to 3. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think it's more than a coincidence.

13. Andy Reid can make all the excuses he wants for DeSean Jackson, but to quote Rocky Balboa's trainer Mickey Goldmill, (bet you didn't know his last name was Goldmill) Jackson is playing like "a bum." Jackson did his best invisible man impersonation in Seattle Thursday night, with just 4-receptions for 34-yards. He sees dollar signs this off season, but Jackson has clearly checked out on his team.

14. The next time Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett wants to ice a kicker, somebody needs to tell him to do it go the guy on the other team. Garrett called timeout just before Dan Bailey hit what would've been a game winning 49-yard field goal for Dallas. Bailey's next try was both short and left, sending the game to overtime where the Cardinals beat the Cowboys 19-13. I don't envy Garrett trying to explain what happened to Jerry Jones.

15. What does it mean when the Broncos are trailing in the 4th quarter? These days it means they've got you right where they want you. During their 6-1 run with Tim Tebow under center, Denver has overcome 4th quarter deficits 4-times. Their latest comeback came Sunday when they rallied to beat the Vikings 35-32. Following the win, I caught up with Broncos linebacker Mario Haggan, and he didn't hold back when it came to praising Tebow: "The criticism bounces off him...He's made of Teflon...When the 4th quarter comes you can look him in the eye and tell he's ready."

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-12 in the NFL...

1. I'm not sure which one was worse...Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson's idiotic TD celebration that cost his team 15-yards, or his drop on Buffalo's final drive that could've potentially gone for a touchdown.

2. That was a heck of a 4th quarter grab Plaxico Burress, and you probably saved the Jets season in the process. The 6'5 Burress needed every inch to haul in a one handed 18-yard reception on 3rd and 11 at the Bills 36-yard line. Had he not been able to make the catch, the Jets, who were trailing 24-21 at the time, would have been forced to attempt a 54-yard field goal.

3. I've defended Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh before as being a physical, aggressive player, but what he did Thanksgiving Day absolutely crossed the line. Suh's classless stomp on the arm of Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith warrants more than a 2-game suspension.

4. Like him or not, you have to feel for Matt Leinart. In what was probably his last opportunity to prove he can succeed in the NFL, Leinart couldn't even make it through 2-quarters before suffering a season ending shoulder injury. So it's onto plan C for the Texans, meaning rookie QB T.J. Yates. Houston defensive coordinator Wade Phillips joined me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, and when asked how the quarterback situation changed things, he responded with this: "Gary Kubiak told me I'm going to run today on 3rd down and long, so we've got to keep playing good defense." The addition of Phillips has been one of best off season moves made by any team, and his defense certainly delivered against Jacksonville with 7-sacks.

5. DeSean Jackson is a talented wide receiver, and I'm sure somebody will pay him when he hits free agency, but he's also developing a reputation as a selfish player. The latest example came Sunday against the Patriots. With his team trailing 21-10 late in the 2nd quarter, and facing 3rd and goal at the 4-yard line, Jackson shied away from contact on a ball he should've caught for a touchdown. He later dropped another TD pass, and was benched by head coach Andy Reid in the 4th quarter.

6. Tim Tebow hasn't totally converted me yet, but the Broncos defense certainly has. During Denver's 4-game winning streak, they're allowing an average of just 15-points per game, and have sacked opposing quarterbacks 12-times.

7. Chargers head coach Norv Turner is a dead man walking, which is why it's hard to explain his conservative play calling in overtime Sunday. With a 1st down on the Broncos 35-yard line, Turner acted as if his team was in chip shot field goal range. Following a pair of running plays that totaled 4-yards, San Diego ran it again. But when Mike Tolbert was stopped for a 4-yard loss, kicker Nick Novak was forced into a 53-yard field goal attempt, which sailed wide right. Turner's lack of aggressiveness cost his team, as Denver took advantage of outstanding field position to score on the ensuing possession.

8. Did the Rams learn nothing from their overtime loss to the Cardinals in week-9? Arizona rookie Patrick Peterson ended that game with a 99-yard punt return for a score. Yet instead of keeping the ball away from Peterson, or just kicking out of bounds Sunday, St. Louis gave him a chance to burn them again, and of course he did. Peterson returned a 3rd quarter punt 80-yards for a TD in the Cardinals 23-20 victory.

9. If you don't pressure Drew Brees, he will kill you. Monday night, Brees could have taken a seat and downed a bowl of gumbo during most of his attempts, because the Giants pass rush was missing in action for the second week in a row. Brees threw for 363-yards with 4-TD's and also ran for a score. In their last 2-games, the Giants have exactly 1-sack. And with Aaron Rodgers coming to town next week, things won't get any easier.

10. Maybe it's just me, but I'm guessing John Harbaugh's Thanksgiving turkey tasted just a little bit better than younger brother Jim's.

11. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Blaine Gabbert. Jacksonville's rookie QB completed just 13 of 29-passes for 136-yards with 0-TD's and 1-INT against Houston before being benched in favor of Luke McCown.

12. Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis didn't do Gabbert or his team any favors Sunday. With the game tied at 7 in the 2nd quarter, Lewis dropped an easy touchdown on 2nd and goal at the Texans 3-yard line. Jacksonville had to eventually settle for a field goal and a slim 10-7 lead.

13. Watching Tarvaris Jackson can drive you crazy. The Seahawks quarterback seemed to have no sense of down or distance late in the 4th quarter against the Redskins. Trailing 20 to 17 with over 2-minutes to go, Jackson completed a 2-yard pass on 3rd and 7 at his own 21-yard line. Then on 4th and 5, he didn't read blitz, held the ball too long, and was sacked. Jackson shows you flashes of ability from time to time, but the bottom line is Seattle still needs a starting QB.

14. It may not have looked like it, but Matt Hasselbeck's go ahead TD pass on 4th and goal against Tampa Bay was Tennessee's version of "the catch." Hasselbeck told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "That was the Montana to Dwight Clark play." Down 17-13 in the 4th quarter, the Titans went for it on 4th down at the Buccaneers 2-yard line. Hasselbeck rolled right, and when he couldn't find anybody open, shuffled back to his left where he spotted receiver Damian Williams in the back of the end zone.

15. At what point do Bengals fans put aside their hatred for owner Mike Brown, and support their team? Cincinnati is too good of a story with too many exciting young players for there to be as many empty seats as there were Sunday.

The 15-Play Drive

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

1. Reports of the Patriots demise were greatly exaggerated, and I'll take some of the blame for that. They're not the dominant team they were 6 or 7-years ago, but as New England showed against the Jets, they're still the class of the AFC East.

2.It wasn't "the stupidest thing in football history" as Jets head coach Rex Ryan claimed, but quarterback Mark Sanchez showed a major lack of situational awareness Sunday night. With 1:24 to go in the 1st half, and the Jets facing 3rd and goal from the Patriots 2-yard line, Sanchez called for a timeout. Only one problem...He left 17-seconds on the play clock instead of letting it run down to give Tom Brady less time to work with. When Sanchez scored on the next play, there was still 1:20 left until halftime. Brady promptly marched the Pats down the field, throwing an 18-yard TD pass to Rob Gronkowski with 9-seconds remaining.

3. Don't underestimate the impact of head coach Sean Payton's return to the sideline for the Saints. Tight end Jimmy Graham told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "It definitely made a difference. There were times we made some mistakes. To have him back, screaming in my face...To have him right there telling me what I did wrong, what I need to do...I definitely think it helped us."

4. What Atlanta head coach Mike Smith showed everyone Sunday in their loss to New Orleans is he has no real faith in his defense. Trailing 23-20 with over 4-minutes to go in the 4th quarter, Smith elected to onside kick rather than trust his defense to make a stop. Then in overtime, Smith had his offense go for it on 4th and inches from their own 29-yard line instead of punting the ball back to the Saints. Michael Turner was stopped for no gain, and for all intents and purposes, the game was over.

5. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has put together a terrific rookie season, but even the "Red Rifle" couldn't get the better of Dick LeBeau Sunday. In their 24-17 loss to the Steelers, Dalton was just 15 of 30-passing for 170-yards with 2-touchdowns and 2-interceptions. Since LeBeau returned as Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator in 2004, rookie QB's are 1-13 against the Steelers.

6. Is there a quarterback controversy in Arizona? With Kevin Kolb sidelined, 2nd year QB John Skelton has led the Cardinals to back to back victories, and threw for 315-yards with 3-TD's in their surprising 21-17 upset of the Eagles Sunday. Following the win, I asked head coach Ken Whisenhunt if Kolb is still the starting QB when he returns, and he responded with this: "Well Kevin is not playing because he's injured, and we've always had the policy that he'll go back to that role." That may be the policy, but with 2 of Arizona's 3-wins coming with Skelton under center, it won't be easy for Whisenhunt to sell the team on Kolb automatically regaining his starting job.

7. The Eagles bandwagon is officially empty. At 3-6, the "Dream Team" has no realistic shot at making the playoffs, and two of Philly's big ticket additions must share the blame. Nnamdi Asomugha has 3-interceptions this season, but he's been far from the shutdown cornerback they thought they were getting when they signed him to a 5-year 60-million dollar deal. Meanwhile, it's been over a month since defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins registered his last sack. Jenkins has shown flashes this season, but far too often he's been missing in action...And that's exactly where the Eagles will be come this post season...M-I-A.

8. If you took a bathroom break, or got up from the couch to open a new bag of chips, you missed the Giants 1-point 4th quarter lead in San Francisco turn into a 2-touchdown deficit. In exactly 1-minute and 1-second, the 49ers went from trailing 13-12 to leading 27 to 13. Follow along...

2nd and 4 at NYG 31: Alex Smith 31-yard TD pass to Vernon Davis. Smith would also hook up with Michael Crabree for the 2-point conversion.

David Akers kickoff: Da'Rel Scott return to the 11-yard line.

1st and 10: Brandon Jacobs 3-yard run.

2nd and 7: Eli Manning intercepted by Carlos Rogers.

1st and 10 at NYG 17: Kendall Hunter 17-yard TD run. Akers added the extra point.

Just like that the 49ers took control of the game, and gained the inside track to the number-2 seed in the NFC.

9. Detroit apparently wasn't paying attention when I made this point a few weeks ago, so for the Lions benefit I'll spell it out again...THERE IS NO REASON TO KICK THE BALL TO DEVIN HESTER...EVER!!! Hester's 82-yard punt return for a score Sunday was the 12th of his career. Giving him a chance to impact the game is the height of stupidity.

10. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Lions QB Matt Stafford. In their 37-13 loss to the Bears, Stafford completed 33 of 63-passes for 329-yards with a TD and 4-INT's, 2 of which were returned for touchdowns. And don't give me the fractured finger on his hand excuse. If anything, Stafford needs his eyesight checked after that performance.

11. It doesn't happen often Ray Lewis, but you and Jarrett Johnson came up very small in a big moment. Trailing 22-17 with under 3-minutes to go, Baltimore had a chance to get the ball back as Seattle lined up for a 3rd and 5 play at the Ravens 46-yard line. Tarvaris Jackson completed a short pass to Marshawn Lynch, who was a couple of yards short of the first down. However, Lynch eluded both Lewis and Johnson, turning it into an 8-yard gain. The Seahawks never faced a 3rd down again, and were able to run out the clock.

12. I'm not sure Tony Romo can play any better than he did against the Bills Sunday. Romo threw just 3-incompletions in 26-pass attempts. He finished the game with 270-yards, 3-TD's and 0-INT's. After the blowout win, I caught up with Cowboys wide receiver Laurent Robinson who said of Romo's performance: "That's like video game numbers there."

13. They have the same first name, but that's the only thing Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart have in common. If Schaub is truly out for the season, the Texans are in trouble. I realize Houston has overcome key injuries to Mario Williams and Andre Johnson, but losing Schaub would kill any chance they've got of reaching the Super Bowl. Leinart hasn't attempted a pass since 2009, when he threw 0-touchdowns and 3-interceptions for the Cardinals. In other words, the Texans just went from Picasso to an elementary school finger painter at the most important position.

14. In a league where passing numbers are off the charts this season, the Broncos offense is something out of the early 1940's. In their 17-10 win over the Chiefs, quarterback Tim Tebow completed just 2 of 8-passes for 69-yards and a touchdown. It was the first time a team won a game in which its QB attempted and completed so few passes since 1982 when the Patriots Steve Grogan went 2 of 5 for 13-yards in a 3-0 win against the Dolphins.

15. On the flip side of Tebow is Aaron Rodgers who's putting together a season for the ages. With 4-more TD passes Monday night, Rodgers is on pace to tie Tom Brady's single season record of 50. He leads all quarterbacks in rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdowns, and among starters is tied with Alex Smith for the fewest interceptions. If they want to get an early start, I think it's safe to engrave Rodgers' name on the MVP trophy.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-9 in the NFL...

1. If Tom Brady never sees the Giants again it won't be soon enough. Brady was as outwardly frustrated as I can remember seeing him during Sunday's 24-20 loss. He was pressured, beat up, and looked confused at times. The blueprint is out on how to beat the Pats, who are as vulnerable as they've ever been with a healthy Brady under center.

2. Let me end the argument right now...Eli Manning, who I've always considered a top-10 QB, is playing like an elite quarterback this season. Case closed.

3. Maybe he was thrown off by setting the clocks back, but Steelers safety Ryan Clark was about an hour late, and took a terrible angle on that game winning TD pass from Joe Flacco to Torrey Smith Sunday night.

4. In their first 3-home games this season, the Bills scored 38, 34 and 31. Sunday, the Jets held Buffalo to just 11-points. Jets all pro cornerback Darrelle Revis told me and Steve Torre on The Sunday Drive: "We just tried to disguise some things to get Ryan Fitzpatrick confused, and you could see that." I should say so...Fitzpatrick was just 15 of 31-passing for 191-yards with a garbage time touchdown and 2-interceptions.

5. Somebody tell Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to take off the Ryan Leaf mask, because Halloween is over. Rivers has now thrown more interceptions this season than he did all of last year. He was picked off 3-times by the Packers, who returned 2 of them for touchdowns. I'm not sure if he's injured or just trying to do too much, but 14-INT's through 8-games is pitiful.

6. It took until his third start, but the Broncos finally figured out how put together a game plan for Tim Tebow. They used a heavy dose of read option against the Raiders, and Tebow was far more effective than he had been up until Sunday. He threw for 124-yards with 2-TD's, and ran for 118-yards in Denver's 38-24 win at Oakland.

7. Where's your brain Aaron Curry? The Raiders linebacker shoved a scrambling Tim Tebow when he was already out of bounds Sunday to pick up an unnecessary roughness penalty early in the 4th quarter. What made the boneheaded play even worse...it was on 3rd and 20!

8. And then there was one...The Dolphins victory over the Chiefs Sunday left the Colts as the only winless team in football. Unlike Miami though, Indianapolis seems to be getting further away from claiming its first win of the season. The Colts have lost their last 3-games by an average of 32-points. I know they're not intentionally trying to "suck for Luck", but Indy hasn't shown a pulse since week-6.

9. I realize it's only early November, but the NFC West race is over. Not only are the 7-1 49ers going to win the division, there's a good chance they'll end up with a first round bye in the playoffs. So what's led to their stunning turnaround under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh?

Defense: San Francisco is allowing a league low 14.8-points per game and NFL best 70.8-yards rushing.

Frank Gore: He's the first running back in Niners history to rush for as least 100-yards in 5-consecutive games.

Alex Smith: Considered an absolute bust coming into the season, Smith has avoided mistakes with 10-touchdowns and just 2-interceptions while completing 64.1% of his passes.

10. He hasn't gotten the attention of fellow rookies Cam Newton or Andy Dalton, but Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is having a major impact in his first NFL season. Peterson's 99-yard punt return for a touchdown to beat the Rams in overtime made him the first player in league history have 3-punt returns for touchdowns in his first 8-games.

11. Every time Bears running back Matt Forte touches the ball, the price goes up. Forte is averaging nearly 5.5-yards per carry, and over 10-yards per reception. He's now rushed for more than 100-yards in 4 of 5-games, including Monday night's 133-yard performance against the Eagles. Yet with a base salary of $555,000, Forte makes less than the likes of fellow running backs Donald Brown, Danny Ware, and Derrick Ward. If Chicago doesn't pay him, I can think of a number of other teams that will. Think he might look good in a Patriots or Lions uniform?

12. A little precision goes a long way Michael Vick. With the Eagles trailing the Bears 30-24 and under 2-minutes to go in the 4th quarter Monday night, Vick's 4th and 10 pass to a wide open Jeremy Maclin was too high. Maclin made a terrific leaping catch, but fell to the ground afterwards causing him come up 1-yard short of a first down. Game over.

13. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Colts QB Curtis Painter. In Sunday's 31-7 loss to the Falcons, Painter completed just 13 of 27-passes for 98-yards with 0-TD's and 1-INT before being replaced by Dan Orlovsky.

14. Is Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan still willing to stake his reputation on John Beck and Rex Grossman? Through 8-games, the two have combined for 8-touchdowns, 13-interceptions and a completion percentage of 57.9. This is a quarterbacks league, and it's obvious to everyone except for Shanahan that the Redskins don't have one.

15. Any team that doesn't take the Bengals seriously at this point does so at its own peril. To me, Cincinnatti is San Francisco North. Like the Niners, the Bengals defense has been the key to their turnaround. Cincy is ranked 2nd in total-D, 2nd in rush defense, and they're allowing just 17.5-points per game. However, unlike the 49ers, the Bengals play in a quality division, and they'll be severely tested the next 2-weeks when they host the Steelers and visit the Ravens.