I have a new pet peeve: Coaches leaving key starters in games long after they've been decided.

The Bears had Rex Grossman playing long into a blowout of the 49ers Sunday. The Panthers were throwing passes when they got the ball back trailing 35-14 with under two minutes left, and it was Jake Delhomme doing the throwing.

A couple of weeks ago, the Jaguars had Byron Leftwich in a game they led 41-0 over the New York Jets in the fourth quarter.

This is really a dumb trend. What's the purpose? If a quarterback or a key player gets hurt in that situation, the coaches will never hear the end of it.

Mop up time is for the backups. Be smart, guys. I'm tired of having a new pet peeve every Monday.

Quick hits

• The Eagles can talk all they want about how glad they are to be rid of Terrell Owens, but the one thing that stands out when watching the Eagles is they lack a playmaker down the field. They had big problems getting anybody open against the Jaguars on Sunday. Donovan McNabb often had time to throw the football, but could never find an open receiver, which led to his forcing the football. Owens might have been one big pain the ass, but he can get open. That's missing from the Eagles offense. "From and offensive standpoint, it's one of the worst games I've been involved in," McNabb said Sunday. It was horrible. It's hard to believe he has more passing yards than any quarterback in the league.

• I was impressed with the way Tony Romo played for Cowboys Sunday night. Romo has a Brett Favre-like quality to the way he plays. I had to admit when Saints coach Sean Payton, who was the Cowboys offensive coordinator last season, told me that he thought Romo could be a star in this league, I thought he was nuts. But Payton said he thought Romo could be a lot like Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Delhomme, two quarterbacks who went to Super Bowls after waiting for their chance. The Cowboys might not be Super ready this season, but Romo sure looks like he might be the guy for the long-term.

• In the two games that Mike Vick has played since he popped off about wanting to throw it more, he has been on fire. But more than the numbers, it's the way it's happening. Vick is making the reads. He's letting play develop before running out of the pocket. In the past, that was a curse for him. As one of his biggest critics in terms of his passing ability, I said that was the one thing that he had to change. It looks like that might finally be happening. Vick has seven touchdown passes the past two weeks. Has he arrived as a passer? He's getting there.

• If you're looking for a unit that is playing well, look at the Jaguars offensive line. Aside from the misstep in Houston a couple of weeks ago, they are really moving people off the ball and doing a good job protecting the quarterback. The left side with tackle Khalif Barnes and guard Vince Manuwai is playing extremely well. Manuwai, who becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season, has really elevated his play after an off season in 2005. The change from line coach Paul Boudreau to Andy Heck is a big reason why. According to Jaguars sources, Manuwai and Boudreau clashed to the point that it affected the way Manuwai played. "He was all over Vince," said the source. Now that Manuwai is back in the right mental state, he is really playing well. Barnes, in his second season, is making a push to go to the Pro Bowl.

The Denver Broncos are playing great defense, but not much is known about defensive coordinator Larry Coyer.

He doesn't seek the spotlight, isn't one of those look-at-me coaches and therefore remains a relative unknown.

So I asked Broncos defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban what Coyer is like.

"The guy is so intense," Ekuban said. "It's like he is strapping it on now at his old age. He loves the game. You see him in on the field during pregame and you can see it in his eyes that he's ready to go."

If that's true, Coyer's defense is a true reflection of his personality. They are an aggressive, swarming group.

Maybe it's time Coyer got his due. When coaching under Mike Shanahan, that's tough to do -- but if Coyer's defense keeps it up, that will change.

Tough is terrific -- to an extent

Sometimes a tough guy can be too tough for his own good.

That may be the case with Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich. He injured his left ankle three weeks ago in a loss to the Redskins, yet didn't notify the coaching staff until late last week.

Leftwich loves the game. And the joke is that it would take a bullet to get him out of there, but he has to be smart with his injuries. The coaches need to know.

Leftwich is questionable for Sunday's game with the Eagles, and if he can't start it would mean David Garrard would. There has been some speculation -- that's all it is -- that if Garrard plays the Jaguars are using the injury as an excuse to bench Leftwich.

That's way off base.

Leftwich is this team's quarterback when he is healthy. Don't think otherwise. Anybody who implies that he is not is wrong. Coach Jack Del Rio told me that Thursday afternoon.

Garrard took the snaps in practice Thursday, but Del Rio said it would be a game-time decision as to who starts. If Leftwich isn't healthy enough, Garrard will make his first start of 2005.

"I think if he was healthier we'd be seeing a different Byron," Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "Byron knows when you are playing in this league sometimes you have to play hurt. That's why he's been out there banged up, giving all that he has for his team and helping them win."

Quick hits

• There was a column in a Philadelphia newspaper this week basically saying that Andy Reid isn't tough enough on his players anymore. Eagles safety Brian Dawkins said that's not true. Dawkins said the media sees one side of Reid, the players see the other. And Dawkins insists there are still plenty of dressing-downs by Reid. "The media just doesn't see it," Dawkins said.

• We still aren't quite sure what to make of the New York Jets at 4-3, but I have to admit that their four victories so far are surprising to me. I didn't think this young team had it in them. And I wasn't sure about Eric Mangini as the coach. But so far, I've been wrong on both counts. Mangini has done a marvelous job with this team. Getting this group to 4-3, no matter who they have played, is impressive.

• The hard-luck season of Tampa Bay corner Brian Kelly is over since he was placed on the injured-reserve list this week with a foot injury. Kelly was looking for a new contract from the team, but that's unlikely now. He is expected to have surgery after playing just two games. When Kelly is healthy, he's one of the most underrated corners in the league. He never seems to get his due in large part because he plays opposite Ronde Barber. But Barber's big-play ability was made possible because Kelly can play man coverage. Kelly has one year left on his contract, but this cap figure in 2007 is about $4.4 million. The Bucs might be forced to let him go. If he rehabs, that will put a good corner on the market.

• Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas was suspended two games for reportedly testing positive for marijuana. But the way he's playing, that won't keep him from being a high first-round pick next spring. Thomas is a force in the Warren Sapp mold. If teams find out his pot issue was an isolated one, Thomas could be a top-10 pick.

• In yet another move that backs up my belief that big-hitting safeties can hurt a defense with their lack of coverage skills, the Seahawks are benching Michael Boulware and replacing him with Jordan Babineaux, a former nickel back. Boulware is a former college linebacker. Years ago, the move to NFL safety would have been an easy one. Now with teams spreading the defense out, it's tough to do. Coverage skills are imperative.

• I love the way Cardinals running back Edgerrin James said this week that he was warned about the Cardinals' offensive line issues. Yeah, but during training camp, James raved about that line to me. Maybe he was fooling himself. As it is, he isn't happy with the way things are going. Nobody can fault him for taking the money, but he had to know that it wouldn't have been the same as it was in Indy for one big reason: There's no Peyton Manning in Arizona.

If the Atlanta Falcons are to really make a Super Bowl push, they have to do something about corner Jason Webster.

He was torched in their 41-38 victory over the Steelers Sunday. Hines Ward made him look really bad, turning him around for several big catches. The Steelers picked on Webster all day, staying away from DeAngelo Hall.

Word is Webster is playing on a bad foot, but if he's out there he has to get the job done. Maybe the Falcons should sit him. He was pulled late in the game, replaced by Kevin Mathis.

"Jason had a rough day," said one Falcons coach. "It wasn't good, that's for sure."

The Falcons have rookie Jimmy Williams on the roster, and he has the tools to be a solid corner. Maybe it's time he goes into the lineup. It can't be any worse. ...

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a major issue -- and it's not their injury troubles.

Rather it's this: They always seem to play to the level of their competition.

Two weeks ago, just before their bye, they dominated the New York Jets 41-0, a hint that maybe that would change.

Against the Texans on Sunday we found out it hasn't. They lost 27-7 to the Texans in a game they had no business losing.

Forget the injuries -- and they've had plenty -- this team is still better than the Texans.

Yet after Fred Taylor fumbled as they were driving for the go-ahead score, the Texans made it 17-7 and the Jaguars wilted like a flower in the cold.

At 3-3, they can forget about catching the Colts in the AFC South. If they don't start playing better, they can forget the postseason too, which would be a major disappointment after their impressive 2-0 start.

Quick hits

• When Ben Roethlisberger went down against the Falcons, I thought he was dead. No, really. He took a helmet shot to the chin, and we all know he's had a lot of surgery done on his face after the motorcycle accident. When he didn't move for a while, I thought that was it. That was scary. As it turned out, it was a concussion. But since he suffered one of those in the accident, it has to be a concern to the Steelers brass. By the way, Roethlisberger was on fire before leaving the game. He was throwing as hard as I've seen him throw, his passes getting on his receivers in a hurry.
• If I was an NFL player, I wouldn't be a big fan of playing a regular-season game overseas. That can be trying on a team from a physical standpoint. The NFL owners are considering whether to play a handful of games in other countries in the next couple of years. The first would be in England. That's not a brutal trip for East Coast teams, but it's still as long as any in the league right now, including Miami to Seattle. When the Colts went to Japan last year, there was some theory on the team that they never recovered from that trip. In the regular season it would be even worse. It's a smart move for the NFL to try and grab some world interest, but if I was a player or a coach, it's not something I would want.
• When newly-signed safety Troy Vincent took over some plays from Adam Archuleta in the Redskins' base defense Sunday, it signaled what many of this space have known for a long time, which is that Archuleta is overrated. The Redskins paid him a lot of money as an unrestricted free agent, but he has been a major disappointment. Archuleta can't cover anybody, which is why he is a liability. There was some thinking that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who did a heck of a job with Blaine Bishop in Tennessee, was hiding his deficiencies in coverage.
• Wouldn't you have loved to have been a fly on the wall in Dan Snyder's box Sunday as his team fell to 2-5? He spent all that money and has nothing to show for it. Maybe he should give George Steinbrenner a call for some consolation.
• This might seem strange to say, but the Cincinnati Bengals really missed receiver Chris Henry during his suspension. Without Henry's speed outside, teams can roll coverage to Chad Johnson's side of the field. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is a good receiver, but he's not a speed guy. Cincinnati misses Henry in the worst way, but he's back this week from suspension and can play against the Atlanta Falcons.
• You have to feel for Cleveland corner Gary Baxter. He tore the patella tendon in both knees on one play in Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos. That's likely a one-year rehab at the least, and it could be the type of injury that ends his career. Two on one play? That's really freaky.

Pro Bowl voting started this week.

Are you kidding me? The World Series hasn't even started and fans can vote for Pro Bowl teams?

That doesn't make any sense. What the heck can we gather from six weeks of the NFL season? A player might be off to a slow start, and might not get a vote or two. A player might be off to a hot start, but then cool off and not deserve a vote.

What is the rush?

The fans shouldn't have a say-so in the voting anyway. It makes it a popularity contest, rather than giving the berth to players that deserve them. But allowing fan to vote in mid-October is foolish.

The best way to pick the Pro Bowl teams is to allow the coaches, scouts and general managers to pick them anyway. Leave out the players and the fans. The players vote with agendas, the fans vote for favorites.

I'm all for fan interaction, but allowing Pro Bowl voting before Halloween is absurd.

The Colts have struggled to stop the run this season, giving up 166.8 yards per game on the ground, the worst in the NFL. That's why they traded a second-round pick to get Anthony McFarland from the Bucs.

But how good is McFarland?

The talk in Tampa is that he hasn't played nearly as well as they expected. In fact, some think he's been a dog.

When Warren Sapp played next to him, McFarland was a power player who appeared to have the tools to become a Pro Bowl tackle. In the past two seasons, he hasn't played close to that level. He has four tackles this season.

Giving up second-round picks for a guy who has underachieved is risky, but if the Colts can get him to play to his abilities, then it will be a good move. If not, it will be a disaster.

They not only traded away a premium pick, but now they have to pay him huge salaries the next two seasons.

When will teams learn: One team's underachiever is usually the new team's underachiever?

Quick hits

Edgerrin James had 36 carries for 55 yards against the Bears. That's pathetic for two reasons. One is this: Why would a back that is having such a tough time getting yards get the ball that many times? The other is that it's painfully clear now that James was the beneficiary of playing in the Colts' system the first seven years of his career. He is a grinder. And grinders need space to run. There is little in Arizona. And even when there is space, James doesn't appear to have the burst to make yards. When he was signed last spring, I warned that it wasn't a good move. You don't pay backs at his age, without true breakaway speed, big money. The Cardinals did, and now what's playing out is the obvious. James was a product of the Colts system. He was a good back, not a great one -- even if the numbers say he was. The 36 carries is reason enough for the Cardinals to make a change at offensive coordinator with the firing of Keith Rowen Tuesday. They were way too conservative against the Bears, and it cost them...

...I like Denny Green. He's always open and candid. But I got the impression that his tirade after the loss to the Bears was more about deflecting the attention from what just took place to his tirade. And what had just taken place is this: His team choked. Therefore, it's on him...

...Don't you get the impression that Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is afraid to turn Jake Plummer loose? The Broncos defense has been outstanding, giving up one touchdown in five games, but at some point the Broncos have to score more points. For that to happen, the shackles have to come off Plummer. If not, then maybe Shanahan needs to go to Jay Cutler...

...One of the surprise units of the early going so far has to be the Saints offensive line. On paper, it's not that impressive. On the field, it is. Left tackle Jammal Brown, who moved from the right side, is an outstanding player. But the rest of the group entered the season with questions. Center Jeff Faine was waived by the Browns. Right tackle Jon Stinchcomb hadn't started a game in his first three seasons with the team. Right guard Jahri Evans is a rookie and left guard Jamar Nesbit had been released by two other teams in his career. "A lot of people doubted those guys because some of them had never played," Saints running back Deuce McAllister said. "They're doing a heck of a job." They're the reason the Saints have run the ball well and why Drew Brees is off to a hot start with the team...

...There was a lot of talk about teams trading a first-round pick to get Randy Moss from the Raiders. Teams should never trade first-round picks. Not only should that pick produce an impact player, but it's also cheap labor for six years. Trading away first-round picks is how you get your team in big trouble...

The mess at the end of the St. Louis-Seattle game is bound to get a close look by the league's competition committee next spring. The rule has loopholes.

Here's what happened. The Seahawks, who were out of timeouts, attempted to spike the football with four seconds left to attempt a game-winning field goal. As they did, one of their receivers failed to line up in the proper position, which is an illegal formation.

A flag was thrown as the ball was spiked, and the Rams started celebrating. They thought there was a 10-second runoff, which there is on some penalties in the final minutes and the offense is without a timeout, which would have ended the game.

As it stands, there was no 10-second runoff because the illegal formation penalty does not stop the clock. The play runs. So there was no runoff.

Josh Brown came out and nailed a 54-yard field goal to win it for Seattle, sending many wondering if the right call was made.

It was, but it leaves open a way to skirt the rule. If a team can't get lined up properly as it attempts to spike the ball, just make sure the center and quarterback do. If the formation is illegal, it won't matter. There is no 10-second runoff.

You can bet teams will start using t his loophole to their advantage once they figure it out. You can also bet the competition committee will change it next spring, something that mattered little to the Rams on Sunday.

Quick hits

When the Rams signed linebacker Will Witherspoon as a free agent, they weren't sure if he would play in the middle or on the outside, his position with the Carolina Panthers. They settled on the middle and Witherspoon has been outstanding. He was all over the field against the Seahawks on Sunday and has made a nice transition to the middle. He uses his speed and quickness to chase down runners and he's good in coverage. One Rams official said he thinks Witherspoon is playing as well as any linebacker in the NFC, with the exception of Chicago's Brian Urlacher...

...Say what you want about him, but give me Terrell Owens on my team. I'll deal with the repercussions. I want guys who show up to play. He does that. Owens' three touchdown catches are a reminder of how good he can be when given the chance...

...Matt Millen can smile. Roy Williams is the real deal. His 10-catch, 161-yard day shows how good a receiver he can be. But that doesn't offset the fact that Millen blew high first-round picks on Charles Rogers (cut) and Mike Williams (inactive) at the same position...

...Torry Holt is truly a great player. He had three touchdown catches against the Seahawks, the last a spectacular one to put the Rams up. He's also the fastest player to 10,000 receiving yards in league history. Yet for some reason Holt is never mentioned among the best in the league. It's always Owens, Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, Randy Moss and Marvin Harrison. Holt is right there with them. I've written that in the past here, but Sunday he confirmed that belief once again...

...There is no doubt in my mind the Raiders screwed up by not drafting Matt Leinart in April. They had a chance to get their franchise quarterback, but instead took Michael Huff. This isn't to disrespect Huff. He's going to be heck of a safety. But when you can get a player like Leinart, you have to take him. Now the Raiders are wondering who their quarterback of the future will be...

...When I'm wrong, I like to admit it. I was wrong about Drew Brees. I thought he was just a quarterback who benefited from playing with superior players around him in a system suited to his style. But he's showing with the Saints that he's much more than that. Brees came up big against the Eagles, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He's pretty good. So there, I was wrong. Eat that up, all you haters...

...Having said that, I was right about Philip Rivers. He's going to be a star. Forget the awkward motion. He knows where to go with the football. That's half the battle in the NFL...

...I love when commentators insist that Steve Smith is the most valuable player to his team than any other player in the league. Smith is a great player, and the Panthers should be thrilled he's on their roster, but more valuable than Tom Brady? Or Peyton Manning? Or Carson Palmer? Should I go on? Quarterbacks are the most valuable players to their team. Don't ever forget that.

...The Rams traded defensive end Anthony Hargrove to the Bills on Monday for a fifth-round pick. That is not a move the Rams really wanted to make. The kid just wore out his welcome, according to a team source. Hargrove has maturity issues that led to his going AWOL during a practice day earlier this season. That led to his subsequently being suspended for a game. He never returned to the lineup, even though he has pass-rush ability. Hargrove just never seemed to buy into what the Rams wanted to do. The sad thing is the coaches liked him. Maybe a change of scenery will do him some good...

...If we're going laud the Seahawks for trading to get Deion Branch this year, we have to rip them for the deal they gave fellow receiver Nate Burleson as a free agent. Burleson signed a seven-year, $49-million deal to pry him away from the Vikings. In five games, he has seven catches. He didn't catch a pass against the Rams on Sunday, while Branch had two touchdown catches.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt is a guy I consider to be one of the brightest offensive minds in the league.

So when he told me this week the Steelers offense is close to clicking, I believe him.

"We really are close," Whisenhunt said. "It's getting better. We had a good first half against the Chargers, but didn't have a lot of possessions in the second half. We couldn't get into a rhythm."

Whisenhunt said the offensive line has not played as well as expected and that has led to problems for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has seven interceptions and no touchdown passes.

It's also taking time for Roethlisberger to get comfortable again with his receivers. He missed the first game after an appendectomy and Hines Ward missed time with a hamstring problem.

"The timing has to come back," Whisenhunt said.

Whisenhunt said that Roethlisberger also has to get more settled in the pocket.

"After all he's been through he's just not as comfortable in the pocket as he's been," Whisenhunt said. "But I think that will get better as he plays more. We'll be okay. We've played pretty good defenses so far. I really don't think we're far off."

The Steelers play a Chiefs defense this week that is ranked fifth overall. But I get the feeling talking to Whisenhunt that the Steelers offense might be ready for their first big game.

There is talk in Cleveland that Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon might be in some trouble.

There is speculation that Carthon might have his play-calling duties taken from him, which is a demotion, although coach Romeo Crennel said there would be no change. One thought? If Carthon is in trouble, what about Crennel?

Wasn't this the year the Browns were expected to take a step forward?

In only his second season, Crennel's team is far from improved. And forget all that talk about how the loss of LeCharles Bentley on the first day of practice impacted this team. Even though Bentley is a good center, he's one player.

If the Browns regress this season, Crennel will be on the hot seat, regardless if this is only his second season. And from what some league sources have said, Crennel isn't as involved in a lot of things regarding this team as he should be.

The New England Patriots amaze me at how they constantly plug in guys to their offensive line and never seem to miss a beat.

This season they have tackle Ryan O'Callaghan starting at right tackle and the line has played well.

A year ago, they started rookie Logan Mankins at left guard all season and also started rookie tackle Nick Kazcur at times. They also played most of the season without starting center Dan Koppn, yet still won the division and won a playoff game.

Why are they able to do this? Line coach Dante Scarnecchia is one of the best in the NFL.

"Dante gets guys ready to play," Koppen said. "He's not afraid to put the young guys out there and just let them play."

O'Callaghan, a second-round pick from Cal, has been a pleasant surprise. He's done a good job in the run game and in pass protection.

No matter who the Patriots seem to put in the lineup, they always have a good line. They lose players like Damien Woody, Joe Andruzzi and others, yet they keep playing well.

It's time Dante Scarnecchia gets the due he deserves as a great line coach.

Quick hits

I love all the speculation that the Colts put Corey Simon on the non-football/illness list because he had an addiction to pain pills. Think about that for a second? Of all the teams in the league, isn't this the one that would have some sympathy for a guy with a pain-pill problem? A few years back, owner Jimmy Irsay went though a publicized battle with pill addiction. So he'd be sympathetic to Simon if he was having those types of issues. It's been reported that Simon has an issue with his joints, but that has not come out publicly. The Colts would no specify the reason he was placed on the non-football/illness list for privacy reason. But it's unlikely it's for the abuse of painkillers ...

... The fact that the Arizona Cardinals are exploring trade possibilities for left tackle Leonard Davis means the team is willing to give up on trying to sign him to a long-term extension. Davis, the best lineman on the team, is in the final year of his contract. The Cardinals wanted to see him play well this season before giving him a mega-deal. He's played okay, and that's not good enough. Cardinals sources said he simply doesn't have the desire to be a truly great tackle and he is seeking that kind of money. Davis is a good player, not a great one. The Cardinals needed him to be great this year. You would think in a contract year, his motivation would be to be great. But he hasn't played to that level yet. The problem with trading him is that he has a salary of $9 million this season. Good luck with that...

...You have to wonder if the career of Panthers middle linebacker Dan Morgan might be over. He will miss the rest of the season because of problems associated with a concussion he suffered in the first game this season. Morgan has had concussion issues in the past and when it's on-going it becomes a major worry for the player. If this is the end for Morgan, it's the end of what could have been a special career. He had the tools and the desire to be a great one, but injuries always seemed to slow him. Here's hoping he can make it back...

...So Daunte Culpepper is now okay with Joey Harrington starting? Want to bet Nick Saban made him say that? Culpepper worked his butt off to come back from major knee problems, and now he's on the bench. He isn't happy, no matter what he said publicly this week...

...Look for the Steelers to get first-round pick Santonio Holmes more involved in their passing game. Whisenhunt said he's coming on the past few weeks. They need him...

...Peyton Manning missed his first practice in his career due to the death of his grandmother. Think about that? We have a star quarterback taking part in every practice of his career. That's incredible. Then again, he's only missed one play for injury in his career, and that was for a broken jaw. Tough? He's plenty tough.

The Jaguars defense suffered a serious blow Monday when an MRI revealed that middle linebacker Mike Peterson will be lost for the year with a torn pectoral muscle.

Peterson, the emotional leader of the defense, was having a Pro Bowl type season playing behind John Henderson and Marcus Stroud. Losing him will force the Jaguars to do one of two things, either move outside linebacker Daryl Smith into the middle and play rookie Clint Ingram in his place or play Tony Gilbert in the middle and keep Smith in his spot.

Whatever the option, it will weaken a good defense. Peterson is an undersized linebacker, but in the Jaguars defense the two big tackles protect him enough to keep him free to run to the football. Smith and Gilbert do not have his quickness.

The shame in it is that Peterson was just starting to get some of the attention he deserved the past couple of years when he was shunned by Pro Bowl voters. He's a heck of a player. ...

The NFL has to do something about the field at Gillette Stadium.

The middle of the field would make a cow pasture look good. It's a mess, mainly because the stadium is shared with a professional soccer team.

Patriots owner Bob Kraft is one of the most powerful men in the NFL, a guy who had a lot to do with Roger Goodell being elected commissioner. He is a power broker, which might be why the Patriots can get away with having such a bad field.

Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare missed a field goal when he appeared to slip on the bad turf during the Patriots 20-10 victory over the Dolphins.

You can bet if that was somebody else's field, and his kicker missed, Pats coach Bill Belichick would be going wild.

The league needs to warn the Patriots about their field before someone gets hurt slipping on that cow pasture. ...

Quick hits

• The Jets need to play rookie Leon Washington in their backfield. He had 101 yards against the Jaguars Sunday, and showed a quick burst. Washington isn't big at 5-9, but he has quickness. Washington can be a Reggie Bush type of runner if the Jets allow him to be.

• There is no better run player than San Diego nose tackle Jamal Williams. He might not play on third down, but he sure is valuable on first and second down. He dominated Pittsburgh center Jeff Hartings Sunday night and Hartings is a pretty good player.

• Deuce McAllister has made a heck of a recovery from major knee surgery. McAllister has 380 rushing yards to rank him seventh in the league. He had 123 against the Bucs on Sunday. His 4.8 per-rush average is the highest of his career. When I saw McAllister this summer in camp, he told me he felt quicker than he had in years. Dropping 10 pounds really has helped him. All the talk about Reggie Bush cast McAllister aside, but he's showing he can still be a force in this league. It couldn't happen to a better guy.

• In 2003, the New Orleans Saints traded two first-round picks to move up in the first round to draft Georgia defensive tackle Jonathan Sullivan. In his three seasons with the team, he was always out of shape and never motivated. He drove coach Jim Haslett nuts. When Haslett was fired, new coach Sean Payton traded Sullivan to the Patriots. He was inactive for the first five games and then the Patriots let him go Monday. What a waste of talent. When Bill Belichick can't get the best out of you, you know you're in trouble.

• So is Daunte Culpepper having knee issues or shoulder issues? Or was he simply benched and the injury talk is a way to cover it up? We don't know for sure, but Culpepper is not happy about it. Reportedly, he got into an argument with Nick Saban last Friday. If that's the case, the locker room in Miami is a combustible situation.

• Terrell Owens would have been in his rights to rip Drew Bledsoe Sunday after the loss to the Eagles. Bledsoe was awful. The interceptions in the fourth quarter were bad, but what about the two sacks he took on the final drive? He held it and lost a ton of yards before the interference penalty bailed him out for a reprieve. A quarterback with his experience has to know he can't take sacks there. Get rid of the damn ball. More games like that and the Cowboys will turn to Tony Romo. But one thing about Bledsoe, just when you think he's ready to sit down, he bounced back with a big game.

One of the popular theories around the league is that Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis isn't the same linebacker he was a few years back, that age and injuries have slowed him.

No way.

Lewis was credited with 20 tackles by the Ravens staff in last Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers.

"He's playing fantastic," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. "It's easy for people to say that he's dropped off. Ask the running backs if he's the same Ray Lewis."

Lewis is much more comfortable playing in the middle in the 4-3, and it shows. He's also helped by being flanked by speedy linebacker Bart Scott and Adalius Thomas.

Lewis is still getting to the football as much as anybody. Don't believe all the talk that his game is slipping. Ryan insists he's as good as ever, which is not good news for the Ravens opponents. ...

When talking about dominant defenses this season, the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers get a lot of attention.

How about the Atlanta Falcons?

In four games, the defense has given up one offensive touchdown. They dominated the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, holding them to 187 total yards, had two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and sacked the quarterback five times.

They did all that without star defensive end John Abraham.

In watching them, the most impressive thing is their team speed. It is a fast defense, one that can get to the football.

Defensive end Patrick Kerney had three sacks and plays at a high level, while the addition of Grady Jackson is a major plus inside against the run.

Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell is doing a nice job with this group, a big turnaround from 2005 when they were one of the league's worst defenses. ...

Rex Grossman is getting a lot of attention. So is the Bears running game, which was impressive against Seattle last Sunday night.

But none of it happens without the five guys up front. And those five are off to a good start.

"They're an experienced group and they're playing well," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said.

They group includes left tackle Fred Miller, right tackle John Tait, left guard Ruben Brown, right guard Roberto Garza and center Olin Kreutz. They have 46 years of experience, making it the most-experienced line in the league.

Kreutz is one of the league's best at center, while Brown is a former Pro Bowl player. Tait and Miller aren't great players, but they are good, solid, veteran tackles. Garza is a fighter, whose perfect for what the Bears want to do.

"Those guys are the reason we're playing well," Grossman said. "They have a lot of experience, and that's key for this offense."

You bet it is.

Quick hits

• Here's hoping the Eagles fans take it easy on T.O. this week. Yeah, right. They're as brutal as it gets when it comes to player-hating. Expect some nastiness directed in the direction of No. 81 on the Cowboys.

• I thought it funny this week when Giants coach Tom Coughlin was asked if he would start Jeremy Shockey after his outburst two Sundays ago in Seattle. Coughlin is a lot of things, including tough on his players, but he isn't stupid. Of course, Shockey will start if he's healthy enough to do so. The Giants are 1-2 and need a victory over the Redskins this week in the worst way. They need Shockey to do that. So, yes, he will start. Coughlin needs him,

• The right side of the Ravens offensive line is shaky at best. Now the left side isn't as strong. They loss of left guard Edwin Mulitalo for the season with a torn triceps muscle is a tough one for the Ravens. Mulitalo is road grader who is needed for the run. He will be replaced by Jason Brown, a fourth-round pick in 2005. The Ravens, like so many teams, haven't received good line play, and this could make it a lot tougher to get the running game going.

• If you're looking for a Cardinals player other than safety Adrian Wilson who is playing at a high level, take a peek at middle linebacker Gerald Hayes. The Cardinals front office is raving about the way he's playing. It's too bad at 1-3, few are paying attention to the Cardinals. That defense is pretty good, but with the offense struggling, they're on the field way too long.

• It's only a matter of time before rookie Jerious Norwood starts to take carries away from Warrick Dunn. He is a big and explosive, which is an advantage over the smaller Dunn. When he ripped off that 78-yard touchdown run against the Cardinals last Sunday, he looked like a sprinter at the end of a 400-meter relay. Man, he has wheels.

• Sometimes, we get them right. Laurence Maroney is one of those times. Go back and ready my pre-draft coverage and you'll see how highly I thought of this kid. I said it would be only a matter of time before the Patriots put him into the lineup ahead of Corey Dillon. Is there any doubt who's the better runner now? Maroney is on his way to stardom.

• Keenan McCardell is right: The Chargers were way too conservative against the Ravens. And Marty Schottenheimer deserves the heat. It’s time to allow Philip Rivers a chance to throw the ball. When McCardell doesn't catch a pass and Antonio Gates only catches four, there's something wrong. Marty, it takes more than 13 points to win in the NFL most weeks. Your defense is good, but it's not that good.

• Look for the Jaguars to sit out defensive tackle Marcus Stroud this week, ending his streak of consecutive starts at 84. It's the right move. Stroud has been playing with a bad ankle and he's clearly lacking the power and burst he displayed in recent years. He also hurt his groin against the Redskins last week. His limitations had a lot to do with why the Jaguars were run on in that game. By sitting Stroud against the Jets, the Jaguars give him a three-week rest since they have a bye next week. Stroud is one of the toughest guys in the league, and he's really toughed it out since hurting that ankle during practice in Week 1. But it's time for him to sit down. The Jaguars need a healthy Marcus Stroud after the bye. Receiver Matt Jones is also likely going to miss this week's game with a groin injury that has moved to his hamstring.

• We hate to pile on guys, but the Cardinals will never be able to run the football with Alex Stepanovich as their starting center. He can't handle the power players at the point of attack. On one run against the Falcons last week, Grady Jackson was in the backfield to drop Edgerrin James for a 4-yard loss almost as soon as the snap was made. The Cardinals might be forced to make a change there, but they don't have a lot of options. There was talk of moving Reggie Wells from left guard to center and playing rookie Deuce Lutui at guard, but Lutui has not picked up the offense well enough.

• A personnel man I respect a great deal told me this week that Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson is the best football player in the country. He said he's an athletic freak since he can run a 4.4 forty at 6-5, 230 pounds. If Johnson enters the draft -- and there's no saying he will since his mother is pushing for him to stay in school -- he could be the first player taken. That would be something considering this is a quarterback-possessed league and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn will be in the draft.

• The Titans could be staring at an 0-16 season. Don't buy it? Look at their schedule and try and figure out where they'll win. Coach Jeff Fisher is in the final year of his contract, so is this the end? More likely, it's the end of general manager Floyd Reese. The two don't get along, and one will go after the season. With owner Bud Adams bringing in son-in-law Steve Underwood to run the business side of things, it would appear Reese is the one in trouble. When Underwood was announced at a press conference this summer, Reese wasn't in attendance. Fisher was. The Titans struggles shouldn't be a surprise. But how in the heck can a supposedly rebuilding team go out and spend big free-agent money on safety Chris Hope, receiver David Givens and linebacker David Thornton? They're relatively young players, but by the time the Titans are ready to win with Vince Young at quarterback, they'll be on the slope side of their careers.

• I love the perception that Terry Glenn, who is off to a great start, is a better receiver than Terrell Owens. Please. Glenn is a good receiver who is benefiting from having Owens starting opposite him. Glenn has speed, he always has, so when he gets single coverage, he will take advantage of it. Glenn is better because Owens is around. He's not better than Owens.

Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has always been a bad dude, but his latest misstep is inexcusable and the league has to do something in terms of discipline to send a message.

Haynseworth stomped on Cowboys center Andre Gurode during the Cowboys blowout of the Titans Sunday. He caused a cut on Gurode's face that required 30 stitches.

He could have killed him. That's the scary thing.

It's also why the NFL has to do something strong in terms of discipline. Some have called for real legal action to be taken, such as an arrest for assault. That's absurd. What's next, filing misdemeanor charges for personal fouls?

No, it's up to new commissioner Roger Goodell to send a strong message about this type of behavior. He needs to fine Haynseworth, but money isn't a big deal to these guys. So he needs to sit him down for a game or two or more.

Then again, it's Albert Haynesworth. He's so lazy, he won't mind sitting down.

The sad thing is he can be a great player. At times, when motivated, he's as good as any tackle in the league. Those times don't come around frequently enough.

I really like Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban as a coach. One day, he will win a Super Bowl.

But he made a major blunder Sunday when he tried to tie the game on a two-point conversion in the closing seconds by having Ronnie Brown throw a halfback pass.

Why put the biggest play of the game on a player doing something he isn't comfortable doing? Why not let Daunte Culpepper, the quarterback you traded for, throw a pass? Brown's pass fell incomplete and the Texans escaped with a 17-15 victory that dropped the Dolphins to 1-3 on the season.

Saban got too cute. That's not a good thing with the game on the line.

Quick hits

• Jaguars receiver Reggie Williams has finally come of age. After two seasons of below-average play, the former first-round pick has been good in 2006. He had five catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins Sunday. One of those touchdowns came on a play in which Sean Taylor blasted him, but he held on.
• The Falcons blew out the Cardinals, so Adrian Wilson's 99-yard interception return for a touchdown was overlooked. But that was a great play and it's the type of play that could finally give Wilson the due he deserves. He needs to go to the Pro Bowl. On that play, he stepped in front of Michel Vick's pass and he was gone. "He looked right at me," Wilson said. The Cardinals may be 1-3, but the defense has some good players. Wilson is the best.
• Speaking of Vick, he still has to throw the ball better. He ran for over 100 yards against the Cardinals, but one sequence summed up his quarterback play best. He ran for 34 yards, then followed that up by holding it too long and getting sacked, missing a wide-open Alge Crumpler with a low throw and then throwing into coverage. He has to improve as a passer someday. Doesn't he?
• Eric Mangini has done a nice job with the Jets. They're 2-2 and played close in both losses to the Pats and Colts. But he needs to learn situational coaching. With the score tied at 14 and his team facing a fourth-and-2 at the Colts 2, he should have kicked a field goal. Instead, he went for it and Chad Pennington was picked off. With time, Mangini will realize that going ahead is the proper thing in that situation.
• Is it me, or do the Bears look like they have 12 guys on defense at all times? It's scary when you consider they've added Mark Anderson, a rookie, to their front. He had two sacks Sunday night. Coming out of Alabama, he had that type of ability
• With the first pick in the April draft, the Oakland Raiders select Brady Quinn. Get that sentence ready for when it happens.