Week 14 Judgements: Chargers are Colts' recurring nightmare

1. Indianapolis should be worried about San Diego. Not only are the Chargers white-hot; they're the one club that matches up with the Colts. Moreover, they're not intimidated by Manning or playing in Indy or the Colts' unbeaten string. It was San Diego that ended a 13-game Colts' winning streak in 2005, and it happened in Indianapolis. It was the Chargers that eliminated them from the playoffs in 2007, again in Indianapolis, and it was San Diego that eliminated them in 2008. Dating back to 2005, the Chargers have beaten Indy four times in five tries, and the Colts better hope and pray they don't meet again next month.

2. I don't know if Dallas wins another game. I'm serious. The Cowboys absolutely, positively had to stop the bleeding Sunday, and they didn't. Now they go to New Orleans, and that's a loss. Washington? Nope. They shouldn't have beaten the Redskins three weeks ago. Finally, it's Philadelphia, and hasta La vista, Wade Phillips. When this team must win in December it can't ... even when it's home. Pathetic.

3. Yes, the New York Jets still have a shot to make it to the playoffs, and I'll tell you why: Their last two games are against Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and either ... or both ... could be resting starters.

4. Next time you want a big stop at the goal line call on San Diego's Brandon Siler. Over the last two seasons he has more tackles inside the 9 than any of his teammates, and he had two more Sunday -- stuffing Marion Barber twice at the goal line, including the second on fourth-and-1.

5. Washington's Jason Campbell shreds New Orleans for 367 yards passing, then Chris Redman throws for 303 against it. The Saints have a hole, and Campbell and Redman just exposed it. My question: What happens when these guys face an elite QB like Kurt Warner or Brett Favre?

6. Looks as if Michael Vick will do something down the stretch he hasn't most of this season -- play. The Eagles used him effectively against Atlanta, and Vick caused problems again Sunday night against the Giants. Make him a factor for the playoffs.

7. If the Defensive Player of the Year selection were held today, Green Bay's Charles Woodson would have my vote. The guy does more than make a raft of interceptions; he makes a zillion plays, too, batting down a Jay Cutler pass Sunday to end Chicago's slim comeback chances.

8. I can't believe anyone wonders if resting starters compromises the integrity of the game. Puh-leeze. You win, you earn the right to do whatever you want to get ready for the second season -- namely, the playoffs. So another club's playoff hopes may suffer if you don't play your best people. Too bad. Those teams should've won more games. That way they wouldn't have to depend on others.

9. So Dallas changes holders, and kicker Nick Folk still misses makeable field goals. The problem, Dallas, is not the holder. You need a new kicker.

10. The Indianapolis Colts are more than Peyton's Place. They're about an underrated defense, too, and if you don't believe me believe this: The Colts haven't allowed a touchdown this season after their offense committed a turnover.

11. Maybe Raheem Morris should have threatened to bolt the Bucs' locker room door if they didn't beat the New York Jets.

12. Washington's Brian Orakpo is making a late push for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and those four sacks against Oakland are the latest evidence. He has 11 for the season and should push Houston's Brian Cushing and Buffalo's Jairus Byrd for an award that could be as competitive as the league MVP.

13. The best example that things aren't what they used to be around New England is the cold war between Adalius Thomas and coach Bill Belichick. In the past, Thomas would have been corralled by one of the team's defensive leaders -- Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel -- and told to put a sock in comments critical of his head coach. But those guys are gone, and now there is no one but the head coach to sit on Thomas. So he does, and you see the results.

14. There's a lot of talk about Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers, and there should be. But how come Kurt Warner gets left out of the conversation? All the guy's done his last four starts is throw 12 TD passes and no interceptions. More important, he won all four.

15. Take it easy on the Rams' Keith Null. The learning curve for rookie quarterbacks is steep, and I'm not talking about Null. The three quarterbacks who were first-round picks in this year's draft each had five-interception games this fall.

Sez them ... or Rapid Reporters' Rewind

From Eric Gilmore in Oakland ... The Bruce Gradkowski Era could be over for this season. The Raiders’ quarterback suffered a torn MCL in his left knee and a partially torn MCL in his right. “I don’t count myself out,” said Gradkowski, 2-2 as a starter. “You never need surgery with MCLs. I’ll try to get back.” If and when he doesn’t it isn’t clear who will start. JaMarcus Russell replaced Gradkowski against Washington but was sacked six times, and coach Tom Cable said he considered replacing him with third-stringer Charlie Frye. The Raiders play Denver next.

From Carter Gaddis in Tampa Bay ... Three more debacles like the one Sunday vs. the Jets, and the Glazers might have to consider dumping Raheem Morris after one season. Of course, there's always this: Three more debacles like the one Sunday, and the Bucs may have first dibs on Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh.

From Jason Butt in Atlanta ... You're within a field goal, the home crowd is behind you and momentum is on your side. So why would you try a gimmick play out of a formation you don't run much? Better ask Atlanta's Mike Smith. The Falcons' decision to run the Wildcat on a fourth-quarter play that resulted in a 12-yard loss made no sense whatsoever. It put Chris Redman in a tough spot, and he responded by throwing an interception on the next snap. Falcons fans will point to that play as the one that changed the game.

From Jon Gallo in Baltimore ... There are few players more valuable to their teams than Ray Rice. The guy has been the most consistent player on an inconsistent Ravens team and, with three games left, needs only 148 yards receiving to become the fourth player in league history to rush for 1,000 yards AND have 800 yards receiving. "I love to compare [Rice] to himself," linebacker Ray Lewis said. "He is his own identity right now."

From Darren Wolfson in Minnesota ... Getting Antoine Winfield back from injury was huge. He made nine tackles, forced a fumble and dropped to do 10 pushups after missing an interception. In short, he played the run and pass to perfection.

From William Bendetson in New England ... It looks as if Jonathan Wilhite is a better fit at nickel, which is where some scouts felt he was best when he left college. His cover skills are better suited for a slot receiver. Plus, he can use speed to come off the edge to blitz.

Five things I like

1. Philip Rivers in December. The guy can't lose. He's 16-0, and that's just another reason -- sorry, Jared Allen -- to feel sorry for the Cincinnati Bengals. They play him next Sunday, and they play him in San Diego.

2. Johnathan Joseph's play vs. Sidney Rice. As our correspondent, Darren Wolfson, pointed out, Joseph "put on a clinic" against his former teammate. Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis once told me he thought Joseph was one of the top cornerbacks in the league, and he just might be right.

3. Kansas City's chances to end its 19-year sellout streak next weekend. The opponent? Cleveland. Next question.

4. DeSean Jackson making big plays. The buzz this season is about Tennessee running back Chris Johnson, and it's easy to see why: He has seven TDs of 50 or more yards. But Jackson has one more, and he missed last weekend's game because of a concussion.

5. Jonathan Vilma's fourth-down stop on Jason Snelling to end Atlanta's chances for an upset. A big-time play by a big-time player, and, yeah, the Saints got lucky. But good teams find ways to win.

Five things I don't

1. Denver winning the toss and deferring to Indianapolis. To beat the Colts you must get on top of them. So why in the world give Peyton Manning the ball? The Broncos did, the Colts scored and Denver never challenged again -- trailing the rest of the way.

2. Matt Cassel's receivers. The Chiefs entered Sunday's game leading the league in dropped passes with 37 and added three more -- including a Chris Chambers drop that would have put them in business at the Buffalo 2. Just a hunch, but Allstate won't be calling these guys for promos.

3. Anything about Randy Moss against Carolina. Maybe this was his way of responding to last week's home detention, but he flat-out stunk -- and that is not Randy Moss. I don't know if he quit. I just know he was dreadful.

4. Those holes in the New York Giants. The first time Philadelphia played them, it put up 30 first-half points. On Sunday it put up another 30 in the first half -- including two touchdowns on returns. Horrible. The G-Men have problems the size of Central Park, and I don't care if they make the playoffs; they go nowhere.

5. Ron Turner's future as offensive coordinator in Chicago. I feel for the guy, I really do. Chicago is and has been a running team, but when it acquired Jay Cutler the Bears thought they were Air Coryell. Sorry, they're not, and Turner will pay for it.

Just asking but ...

• Should Indianapolis or New Orleans sit its starters?

• Which of the 7-6 teams in the AFC makes the playoffs?

• When do the Cowboys win again?

• Time to have Joe Girardi teach Eli Manning to slide, too?

• Do you think Randy Moss quit?

Significant numbers

• 0 -- Kansas City points off three Buffalo turnovers

• 0 -- Dallas touchdowns in three of their past five games

• 1 -- Randy Moss catch

• 2 -- 100-yard rushers vs. Minnesota the past 60 games

• 3 -- Consecutive home games where Minnesota didn't score in the first quarter

• 15 -- First-half yards for Tampa Bay

• 510 -- Baltimore yardage, a franchise record

• 3-7 -- Dallas' December record under Wade Phillips

My top five

1. Indianapolis
2. New Orleans
3. Minnesota
4. San Diego
5. Arizona

My bottom five

32. St. Louis
31. Detroit
30. Tampa Bay
29. Cleveland
28. Kansas City

Next weekend's best games

Dallas at New Orleans ... Turn out the lights, the party is almost over

Cincinnati at San Diego ... Sorry, Cincy, but Bolts can't lose in December

Miami at Tennessee ... Titans not going to playoffs, but Fins might