Faceoff: Eli's stock on rise, Chad's on wane? London? Linehan?
CBS Sports.com pro football writers Pete Prisco and Clark Judge face off weekly throughout the season.
Eli Manning or Philip Rivers?
Pete Prisco
Clark Judge
That's not quite the easy question it was a year ago, is it? I like both quarterbacks, always have and always will. They're both smart passers who know where to go with the football. But right now, I'd take Manning. I think he's elevated his game to a new level. He's playing with confidence and he's making good throws. You can see he gets it a lot better than he did his first couple of seasons. Rivers hasn't played as well this season as he did a year ago, but some of that has to do with not having outside receivers who can make plays down the field. He's still a quality player, and getting Chris Chambers will help his passing numbers. But Manning is the real deal. He won't be as good as his brother, but he's moving to the next level just underneath Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and a few others.
It's a toss up. Manning is evolving into the quarterback the Giants envisioned when they mortgaged the future for him. I always believed he needed a change in coaching, and maybe hiring quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer was the key. Me? I like the play-calling of Kevin Gilbride, too. Anyway, Manning is improved, and he's a perfect fit for that club. Rivers, of course, made the Pro Bowl in his first year of starting, and he's ideally suited to the Chargers. He doesn't have to make the downfield plays Manning does because he has the luxury of handing off to the best back in the game. Rivers is more accurate but doesn't make as many big plays. I call it a draw.
Who is more stubborn -- Eric Mangini for staying with Chad Pennington or Cam Cameron for not playing John Beck?
Pete Prisco
Clark Judge
How about both? Mangini made the decision this week to stick with a struggling Pennington, while the Dolphins will continue to play Cleo Lemon. It's tough to pick which one is being the most stubborn. But my pick is probably Cameron. At least Pennington has done something in the past. Lemon isn't the Dolphins' long-term answer. That would be Beck. So they need to get him in there since their season is lost. Beck is 26 years old, so it makes sense to play him now. If I were Mangini, I'd go to Kellen Clemens, too. Of the two, Cameron is being the more stubborn.
Cameron. I don't know what the Dolphins are playing for at this point, which means it's the ideal time to play your quarterback of the future. Young players improve only by playing, so play the guy. The Jets at least can convince themselves they have a shot at respectability. They played Philly tight last weekend and hung with Baltimore, Buffalo and the Giants. Personally, I'd pull the plug on Pennington now, but Mangini wants to boost the guy's confidence by letting him dissect Cincinnati's defense. Fair enough. I don't know why Cameron is staying with Cleo Lemon. He's not the future; Beck is. So give the guy a chance. It will only help him -- and the Dolphins -- next season.
Is Rams coach Scott Linehan on the hot seat?
Pete Prisco
Clark Judge
The Rams have said he is not, but it's hard to think he isn't if they continue to struggle to win. I don't think he should be. Linehan has always been a good offensive mind, and I still think he's one of the better ones in the league. The problem he's having is he's trying to run an offense behind a line that isn't good enough. The quarterbacks take way too many hits and face way too much pressure. He's played without running back Steven Jackson and quarterback Marc Bulger and had several key injuries up front, including Orlando Pace gone for the season. That's too much to overcome. He needs a mulligan for this year and should stick around for 2008.
Not yet, but stay tuned. Linehan is only in his second season, and he has a built-in explanation for the collapse of the Rams. The offensive line is so crippled it looks like an audition for the ER in Grey's Anatomy; quarterback Marc Bulger has been hurt; so have the wide receivers; and running back Steven Jackson is out. There are a lot of key players missing games, and that will turn your season inside out. Of course, injuries are part of the game, so it's always intriguing to see how people adjust. Some guys can do it; the Rams have not. I think Linehan has another year to turn this thing around. But if he fails then it's adios.
Should the NFL play a Super Bowl in London as Roger Goodell mentioned?
Pete Prisco
Clark Judge
No. The NFL should reward fans in the United States. I know the league is big on expanding the product overseas, but do not put the Super Bowl in a foreign country. That is the biggest one-game sporting event in the world, and it should be played on American soil. Play all the regular-season games you want overseas, but don't put the Super Bowl there. That game can be a big boost to a city's economy, so keep it in the States. If there is a need for more Super cities, move it around some more. There's no way Americans should be forced to travel abroad to watch the biggest game of their biggest sport. Let's hope this never happens.
No. I'm old-school on this, but I believe you take care of your customers, and your customers are fans who go to the games, watch it weekly and buy your NFL-authorized paraphernalia. I know what the league is doing: It doesn't want to be left behind by the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball in taking its product overseas, but if that's the case, take the Pro Bowl to London. Every year we're told how much the Super Bowl means to local economies. So why are we trying to boost the economy of London instead of, say, New Orleans? Shouldn't the league pump its money there first? If the game goes to London it could -- and maybe should -- be interpreted as a sign the league takes its fans here for granted.
That's not quite the easy question it was a year ago, is it? I like both quarterbacks, always have and always will. They're both smart passers who know where to go with the football. But right now, I'd take Manning. I think he's elevated his game to a new level. He's playing with confidence and he's making good throws. You can see he gets it a lot better than he did his first couple of seasons. Rivers hasn't played as well this season as he did a year ago, but some of that has to do with not having outside receivers who can make plays down the field. He's still a quality player, and getting Chris Chambers will help his passing numbers. But Manning is the real deal. He won't be as good as his brother, but he's moving to the next level just underneath Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and a few others. 
It's a toss up. Manning is evolving into the quarterback the Giants envisioned when they mortgaged the future for him. I always believed he needed a change in coaching, and maybe hiring quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer was the key. Me? I like the play-calling of Kevin Gilbride, too. Anyway, Manning is improved, and he's a perfect fit for that club. Rivers, of course, made the Pro Bowl in his first year of starting, and he's ideally suited to the Chargers. He doesn't have to make the downfield plays Manning does because he has the luxury of handing off to the best back in the game. Rivers is more accurate but doesn't make as many big plays. I call it a draw. 
