Week 11 Judgements: Duck and cover, Donovan -- feathers will fly

1. Get ready for another week of target practice in Philadelphia, with Donovan McNabb the target. The Eagles' tie with Cincinnati was a devastating setback, and McNabb should suffer the consequences: His four turnovers cost the Eagles what should've been an easy win.

2. I appreciate referee Scott Green's honesty, but he infuriated zillions of bettors by confessing that he blew the conclusion of the San Diego-Pittsburgh game. In saying that he should've allowed a last-second touchdown, Green basically admitted that anyone who bet the Steelers to beat the five-point spread should've won. But they didn't, and they didn't because Green's crew screwed the pooch. "We should've let the play go in the end," he said of a Troy Polamalu TD. "It was misinterpreted. Instead of killing the play we should've let the play go through." I'd scratch that spring vacation in Pittsburgh, Scott.

3. I'll tell you why all is not lost for San Diego: Because in spite of the 410 yards the Chargers hemorrhaged on defense, they actually made progress -- producing a goal-line stand, stuffing a third-and-1 and coming up with four sacks. It's a start, Ron Rivera. Now the Chargers need to finish a game.

4. I don't know if the Cowboys are going to the playoffs, but Jerry Jones was right about one thing: Having Tony Romo and Terence Newman back for the Washington game made a difference. The Cowboys couldn't have won without them, and, yes, I loved that third-down shovel pass to Miles Austin, too.

5. I expect the usual caterwauling about the NFL overtime system after the Jets' defeat of New England. Yeah, I'd like to see it changed ... but to this: Instead of having kickoffs from the 30, make it the 35 or 40 so you make a club drive the length of the field. And that's it, folks. The college system is not an option, for two reasons: 1) It turns a football game into a home-run hitting contest, and B) it takes special-teams standouts like Brian Mitchell and Steve Tasker and renders them useless. That's not football.

6. I love it. Each of the league's four rookie coaches is 6-4 and in playoff contention.

7. I'm telling you, don't forget about Tampa Bay for the playoffs. Jon Gruden has the Bucs rolling, and, fortunately, came to his senses with Jeff Garcia. Now, they get a healthy Cadillac Williams back for the stretch run, and that is "almost like Christmas," Gruden said. Sorry, Jon, but I'll take Christmas.

8. I don't know how Mike Shanahan is doing it, but if the Broncos win the AFC West he can point to the last two weeks as the springboard: Denver won back-to-back road games the hard way ... with fourth-quarter comebacks.

9. Is it just me, or does it seem as if there are more people angry this year with the officiating? Include Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin, who opened his news conference by announcing he would not comment on the officiating. Uh, he just did. Tomlin was ticked with the disparity in calls in Sunday's game with San Diego. Pittsburgh had 13 penalties; the Bolts had two.

10. This is all you need to know about how bulletproof the Giants have become: They ran over, around and through Baltimore, the league's best run defense, for 207 yards and turned Joe Flacco into the Ravens' leading rusher. If you can run and defend the run, you go far in the playoffs. The Giants will go far.

11. I can't remember a season with so many deserving candidates for Defensive Player of the Year. The latest to make a case for runner-up to Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth: Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison. He rushes the pocket. He tackles the ball. And he produced his first interception of the season Sunday, stopping a sure San Diego scoring drive at the end of the first half.

12. Uh, how come nobody asks if the St. Louis Rams have quit? The past three games they've been outscored 99-10 in the first half. Whatever Jim Haslett is using for a pregame speech, I'd junk it.

13. Yes, that was a terrific catch by Randy Moss last week, but what about that pass? Matt Cassel threw the ball in the only spot where it couldn't be deflected ... and on the run, no less. Great throw. Great catch. Great game.

14. Best catch Sunday wasn't by a wide receiver; it was Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu's one-handed interception of a Philip Rivers pass. I have no idea how he kept the ball from hitting the ground, but I'm asking David Tyree.

15. Let's see, the Raiders take the play-calling from offensive coordinator Gregg Knapp and in two weeks produce no offensive touchdowns. Just lose, baby.

Just asking but ...

• Eli or Peyton?

• What's the over/under on a crowd count for the Dec. 28 finale between Cincinnati and Kansas City?

• What are the chances of a Jets-Giants Super Bowl?

• Who wins the NFC North -- Minnesota, Green Bay or Chicago?

• Time to start taking Indianapolis seriously again as a playoff contender?

Five things I like

1. Marc Trestman in the Grey Cup. The former NFL offensive coordinator has the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL championship game in his first trial as a head coach. Beautiful. Good things should happen to good people. Memo to Al Davis: Put the guy on the short list for your next head coach. Not only is he competent, he enjoyed working in Oakland. Don't ask me why. He just did.

2. Dallas feeding Marion Barber in the fourth quarter. It's about time, guys. He ran eight times against the Redskins the first time these two met; he carried it 14 times in the fourth quarter on Sunday, including 10 on the last drive.

3. What Giants' center Shaun O'Hara said after Big Blue's latest conquest: "It's still us against the world. Just maybe not as many people on that world side."

4. The play of Tennessee's Chris Carr. Usually, he's making plays on kick returns, but he was pressed into duty as a cornerback against Jacksonville after Eric King bowed out with a fractured forearm and produced a critical fourth-quarter interception. "He stepped in and played like a starter," Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard said.

5. Kurt Warner's MVP chances. He's taking the Arizona Cardinals to the playoffs, for crying out loud, and I thought there was a better chance of Vince Vaughn winning an Oscar.

Five things I don't

1. Detroit's insistence on starting Daunte Culpepper. I mentioned it here last week, and I'll mention again: Dumb, dumb, dumb. This is what happens when a head coach thinks he has to win to keep his job, but face the facts, Rod Marinelli: It's over. Now let's see Drew Stanton.

2. Donovan McNabb not knowing about overtimes, and he wasn't alone. Several of his teammates didn't know, either. How is that possible?

3. Jack Del Rio's future in Jacksonville. It's one thing to pick a fight with linebacker Mike Peterson; it's another to sink in the standings. He better start winning ... and now.

4. Brett Favre's chances of playing errorless ball next weekend against Tennessee. I know the Titans are hurt at cornerback. I also know they force turnovers. Lots of them.

5. Philadelphia's chance of making the playoffs. There are games along the way you should win, and Sunday's contest with Cincinnati was one of them. The Eagles didn't. They will pay for it.

Numbers, numbers, numbers

0 -- Philadelphia conversions of three third-and-1 situations.
1 -- First-half touchdowns by Oakland ...this year.
3 -- Straight 200-yard games for the Giants' rushing attack.
3 -- Straight games with a sack by David Ball.
10 -- Philadelphia receivers with catches.
10 -- Number of Jacksonville punts, a franchise record
262 -- Carolina yards rushing, a team record.
1988 -- Last time Kansas City failed to beat an NFC team in one season.
13-0 -- Pittsburgh at home vs. San Diego in the regular season.

Next weekend's three best games

N.Y. Jets at Tennessee ... Favre vs. Collins in the AARP Bowl.

N.Y. Giants at Arizona ... Let's see Warner throw for 300 against these guys.

New England at Miami ... Just a hunch: The Pats practice for "the Wildcat."

My top five

1. Tennessee
2. N.Y. Giants
3. Carolina
4. Pittsburgh
5. Tampa Bay

My bottom five

32. Detroit
31. Cincinnati
30. Kansas City
29. St. Louis
28. Oakland