Jets @ Broncos, 8:20PM ET, Thursday
Tim Tebow will have a hard time winning another game this season in which he only completes two passes, especially this one tonight against the Jets. I know – I’m going out on a limb with that statement. I fully expect an angry Rex Ryan defense to shut Tebow down but then again, who knows? Maybe Tebow has another surprise up his sleeve. Denver’s defense is certainly good enough to keep this one close and if Mark Sanchez starts turning the ball over and making boneheaded decisions, the Broncos are certainly capable of pulling off the upset.

Eagles @ Giants, 8:20PM ET, Sunday
Last week I saw a team in Philadelphia completely give up. But they always seem to give the Giants problems, especially in New York. If Vince Young (assuming he plays for the injured Michael Vick) comes out motivated, then there’s no reason the Eagles can’t pull off the upset. But Eli Manning is playing some of the best football of his career and Philadelphia’s defense has looked lost under coordinator Juan Castillo. This game could really go either way. The G-Men could roll to an easy victory and keep Dallas at bay in the division, or Philly could surprise and turn the NFC East completely on its head.

Bengals @ Ravens, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The Ravens have been playing up or down to their competition all year. One week they’re beating the Steelers (twice), Texans and Jets, while the next they’re losing to the Jaguars and Seahawks, or nearly losing at home to the Cardinals. Thus, it’ll be interesting to see how Baltimore comes out for this one. The Ravens blew it by not showing up last Sunday in Seattle and while Cincinnati is banged up, the Bengals have been competitive all season (as evidence in their 6-3 record). Will the real Ravens show up or will they view Cincinnati as an inferior opponent and once again take their foot off the gas?

Chargers @ Bears, 4:15PM ET, Sunday
The Chargers’ loss last week to the Raiders was pretty jarring, even for an underachieving San Diego bunch. Oakland has been competitive all year but the Raiders were banged up on both sides of the ball, were without Darren McFadden and were playing on the road. The Chargers needed to win that game. Instead, they lost for the fourth week in a row and now they have to travel to Chicago to play a red-hot Bears team playing with a ton of confidence right now. With Oakland in Minnesota this Sunday, it’s entirely feasible that the Bolts could be staring at a two-game deficit in the AFC West with six games to go. Philip Rivers has to step up at some point and stop making so many mistakes.

Titans @ Falcons, 4:15PM ET, Sunday
Here are the Falcons’ next five games: home against Tennessee and Minnesota, on the road against Houston and Carolina, and then back home against Jacksonville. There’s no reason Atlanta can’t be 10-4 when it travels to New Orleans for a Week 16 rematch against the Saints, but at some point its offense needs to put it all together. Matt Ryan has to be better, offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has to be better and Roddy White definitely has to be better. Julio Jones or no Julio Jones, this Falcon offense has too much talent to be this inconsistent. There’s not a doubt in my mind that if Atlanta doesn’t play to its absolute full potential that Tennessee could win this Sunday. The Titans have an extra spring in their step following the news of Matt Schaub’s season-ending injury and their defense could definitely shut the Falcons down if it plays as well as it did last Sunday in Carolina.

Cowboys @ Redskins, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The Giants sometimes have trouble with the Eagles so this is a prime opportunity for the Cowboys to pick up a big road win and then sit back and see if Philly can knock off New York on Sunday night. If that happens, both New York and Dallas would be 6-4 atop the NFC East. But the ‘Boys can’t get caught looking ahead. The Redskins have been abysmal offensively over the past month but Rex Grossman nearly led Washington to a win in Dallas earlier this season. Of course, that was when the Cowboys couldn’t even snap the ball and had several no-names at receiver, but still – take heed Dallas.

Bucs @ Packers, 1:00PM ET Sunday
Does anyone else feel as though the Packers are flying under the radar? I realize that’s hard to do at 9-0 but nobody is talking about this team. Between Tim Tebow, Rex Ryan, and daily updates on the Dallas Cowboys (for whatever reason), the national media outlets barely talk about the Pack. And it’s almost like they do a drive-bye segment when they do. Green Bay has a very realistic shot at going undefeated although this is a prime letdown game coming up on Sunday. Tampa Bay has played like crap-o-la the past three weeks and the Packers are coming off a short week having played on Monday night. Still, the Bucs lack the firepower necessary to keep pace so I don’t see Green Bay stumbling at home this week.

Cardinals @ 49ers, 4:05PM ET, Sunday
Considering Arizona has won the last two weeks, this game is a little more interesting than some would think. I don’t expect the Niners to lose at home but they are playing a 3-6 Cardinals team one week after flexing their muscles against the Giants. And with a trip to Baltimore coming next Sunday, this is a prime letdown situation for San Francisco. Don’t be surprised if Arizona keeps it close this weekend.

Chiefs @ Patriots, 8:30PM ET, Monday
The last time the Patriots played a backup quarterback on national television, Matt Flynn nearly led the Packers to an upset victory on Sunday night football last year. I don’t envision Tyler Palko beating the Patriots but you never know. Sometimes a new guy takes the controls and all of a sudden things start coming together. I’m assuming New England will run away with it on Monday night but crazier things have happened.

Raiders @ Vikings, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
This is a little early to say this but technically the Raiders do control their own destiny in the AFC West. They hold a one game lead over the hapless Chargers, the red-hot, Tim Tebow-led Broncos, and the pitiful Chiefs. But lose this weekend in Minnesota and Oakland opens the door for one, if not all of those teams to sneak back through. The Vikings are coming off a short week in which Green Bay blasted them 45-7, but it’s not like they don’t have talent. Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen can still make life miserable for teams if opponents aren’t careful. This is a game the Raiders need to have.

Bills @ Dolphins, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
At 5-4 the Bills certainly aren’t on life support but if the Jets win tonight in Denver and New England mops the floor with Kansas City on Monday night like everyone presumes, then Buffalo could be in real trouble if it loses this Sunday. Miami is coming off back-to-back wins but it’s not like Matt Moore is keeping defensive coordinators up at night. The Bills are still the better team in this matchup but nobody doubts that they could lose. Especially not with the way they’ve played the past two weeks. Chan Gailey’s team is being smacked in the face with adversity. Let’s see how the Bills respond.

Panthers @ Lions, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The Lions can’t lose this game. The Panthers are a competitive 2-7 but they’re 2-7 nonetheless. Cam Newton has kept Carolina in most games but the defense is overmatched every week. Hopefully for Detroit’s sake Matthew Stafford sheds those Kurt Warner-esq gloves that he was wearing last week and doesn’t turn the ball over like he did versus Chicago. (Four times to be exact.) With the Packers sitting at 9-0, the Bears sitting at 6-3, and a loss to the 5-4 Falcons already on their record, the Lions can ill-afford to lose a home game to an inferior Carolina team.

Jaguars @ Browns, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The offensive explosion that comes from this game might be too much for people to handle. Best to wear a lot of sunscreen and protect your eyes if you’ll be attending this major conference battle. Also, bring an umbrella. Because Colt McCoy and Blaine Gabbert will be making it rain all day…

Seahawks @ Rams, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
Imagine if the Seattle team that beat the Giants, the Ravens and nearly beat the Falcons showed up every week. Then maybe the 49ers wouldn’t be able to clinch the NFC West in Week freaking 11. Ah, well. I completely expect Seattle to lose this week in St. Louis and that statement has nothing to do with the Rams (who are just plain bad). I just don’t expect Pete Carroll’s squad to get up for a game against a 2-7 opponent when it just beat the Ravens at home. And that’s ridiculous when you consider the Seahawks are only 3-6 themselves.

DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING…

- “If only the Rams could now somehow beat the Saints on Sunday, this would be the greatest sports weekend EVER,” uttered the random St. Louis fan on Friday night after the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in Game 7 of the World Series. How do the previously winless Rams defeat a team in the Saints that just racked up 62 points on the Colts? Well, that’s pretty easy. When you can’t stop Steven Jackson even though you know he’s going to get the ball every down, you lose two turnovers over on your side of the field, and you don’t protect your quarterback, you’re going to lose to most opponents regardless of whether or not they have any wins. The Rams won this game because of Jackson and their defense, which sacked Drew Brees six times and returned one of his passes for a game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter. Chris Long absolutely abused Charles Brown, who should have been given more help because he clearly needed it. The Rams clearly haven’t checked out and they’ll continue to fight every Sunday. That was apparent for anyone who saw Jackson flip out on his offensive line late in the second half following yet another false start penalty. What a sweet first win this was for a city that is on cloud nine right now.

- It’s not really shocking that the 2-6 Panthers lost another game. But considering whom they were playing and given that they were 3.5-point home favorites, it was a little surprising to see Carolina go down in flames to Minnesota on Sunday. Christian Ponder’s 102.7 passer rating and 8.4 yards per attempt were both season-highs for the Vikings, who apparently just should have started the kid from Week 1 and bypassed acquiring Donovan McNabb altogether. Ponder threw for 236 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-28 passing while earning his first career win thanks in large part to Olindo Mare’s inability to hit a 31-yard chip shot. The miss, which came with under a minute left to play, cost the Panthers an opportunity to force overtime. Good thing Carolina GM Marty Hurney spent so much money on Mare this offseason. Dude was totally worth it.

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM…

- Tebowmania was rather short lived. One week after fueling a fourth-quarter comeback in an 18-15 win over the Dolphins, Tebow and the Broncos were absolutely embarrassed by the Lions in a 45-10 rout at Sports Authority Champs Dick’s Sporting Goods Field at Mile High. Tebow did nothing to silence the nearly 4 billion people who think he can’t throw, can’t be a NFL-caliber quarterback, and can’t buckle his chinstrap without having assistance. Thanks to his longer-than-necessary windup, he was sacked seven times and single-handedly accounted for 14 Detroit points off turnovers. He fumbled three times on the day and was intercepted once, which was returned 100 yards by Chris Houston for a Lions’ touchdown. Thanks to Eric Decker (six receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD), who is used to saving quarterbacks coming from the University of Minnesota, Tebow’s stat line was much better than his performance on the field. While he did throw for one touchdown and rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries, he was simply brutal.

- The blueprint to beating the Saints is still pretty clear: Generate pressure on Drew Brees using four down linemen and create turnovers. The Cowboys accomplished this when they ruined the Saints’ perfect season in Week 15 of 2009, and the Browns also did it last year when they forced four turnovers and produced three sacks in a 30-17 Week 7 shocker at the Superdome. It’s easier said than done to bring the heat with only four linemen and force the Saints to turn the ball over. But the Rams once again proved today that limiting Brees’ effectiveness isn’t rocket science.

- The Patriots may have cost themselves home field advantage in the playoffs. While the Steelers played inspired football, New England was flat from the start. Bill Belichick has to do something about his secondary, which is incredibly thin and hemorrhaging yards at the moment. It’s hard for Tom Brady and the explosive Pats’ offense to score when they don’t have the ball. The defense couldn’t get off the field as the New England offense only held the ball for three plays in the first quarter. While they certainly didn’t get blown out, there weren’t a lot of positives to be taken from this game for Belichick and Co. They’ll just have to regroup and start fresh on Monday, especially considering they’re now tied with the Bills again in the AFC East.

– Once again Pete Carroll has me completely befuddled. Tarvaris Jackson was healthy enough to start today against Cincinnati. In fact, he was even named the starter in the pre-game. But who trots onto the field for Seattle’s first possession? Well Charlie Whitehurst, of course. Why announce that Jackson is starting and then play Whitehurst instead? Who did Carroll think he was fooling? The Bengals don’t care if they’re going up against Jackson or Whitehurst. First of all, both quarterbacks are pretty brutal so it’s not like Cincinnati is going to be thrown for a loop if one is announced as the starter and the other one winds up playing. Secondly, the Bengals likely prepared for both quarterbacks during the week so Pistol Pete fooled nobody with his little switch-a-roo (if that was his intention, to deceive, that is). Either way, Carroll continues to pay for his decision to not bring back Matt Hasselbeck this offseason. Why anyone would think Jackson is a starter or Whitehurst was worth a third-round pick is beyond me. (Not that Carroll had anything to do with acquiring Whitehurst.) The Jets didn’t even have to give up a third-rounder for Santonio Holmes and he was a former Super Bowl MVP for cribb’s sake.

- As much as I hate to say it because I’ve rooted for the kid since he was a freshman at Texas, I don’t think Colt McCoy is the long-term answer for the Browns. That might be an overreaction on my part, but he continues to struggle with downfield throws and passes outside the numbers. He was 22-of-34 for 241 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Niners today, which certainly isn’t bad. Not when you consider the Browns didn’t have a running game because of injuries and considering San Francisco’s defense has played exceptionally well all season. But what happens when the Browns get deeper into November and December and they have to trust that McCoy will beat the Steelers and Ravens in nasty weather with limited arm-strength? As I’ve written many times on this site, McCoy is the prototypical West Coast Offense quarterback in that he’s accurate and makes good decisions with the football (for the most part). But as Phil Simms has lamented over the course of his broadcast career, Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks can make all of the throws. I realize that doesn’t fit Trent Dilfer but Trent Dilfer also played for a team whose defense was one of the best the NFL has ever seen. The last time I checked, Cleveland’s defense isn’t exactly on the same level as the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Thus, at some point Mike Holmgren will have to make a decision about whether or not McCoy is the franchise’s best option under center.

- The Dolphins, who were winless coming into the day, mind you, held a 17-10 lead after three quarters and decided to get conservative in the fourth. Why? They’re winless. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain by pressing their foot firmly to the floor and staying aggressive. Instead, the Miami coaching staff decided to play soft in coverage in hopes of avoiding the big play and the Giants scored 10 unanswered points in the final quarter to win the game. This game affirms what everyone already knew: That the Dolphins don’t have the right men in place to lead this team on the field.

- It’s pretty telling that Javon Ringer received almost all of the Titans’ fourth-quarter snaps today against the Colts. Maybe that’s because Ringer fought for his 60 yards on 14 carries while Chris Johnson often gave up on half of his 14 runs when he knew he wasn’t going to break a big one. Sunday marked the fourth time in seven weeks that Johnson failed to rush for at least 50 yards and the sixth time in seven weeks that he failed to rush for even 55 yards. Mike Munchak said in his post-game presser that the Titans would use a backfield committee going forward, which is smart. If Johnson isn’t going to raise his level of production, then he shouldn’t play over more-willing runners like Ringer. Johnson and the Titans have seemingly flipped roles. Now it’s the team that isn’t getting what they deserve.

- With their 30-27 loss to the Ravens on Sunday, the Cardinals have now blown second-half leads in losses to the Redskins, Seahawks, Giants, and now Baltimore. Kevin Kolb did some good things despite being constantly under pressure today. He hit Larry Fitzgerald on a 66-yard competition and scrambled to find Early Doucet for a touchdown to give Arizona a 24-3 lead late in the second quarter. But Kolb remains awfully inconsistent – too inconsistent for a quarterback that the Cardinals surrendered draft picks and a ton of money in order to acquire from Philadelphia. Arizona paid too big of a price for him to play like Rex Grossman.

- Cam Newton completes 22 of 35 pass attempts for 290 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions, runs for a team-high 53 yards and the Panthers still find a way to lose. Thanks, defense!

- The Redskins were extremely banged up offensively coming into their game with the Bills on Sunday. But it takes some effort not to score a single point against Buffalo’s suspect defense. The Skins had a field goal blocked in the second quarter and despite marching into Buffalo territory twice in the fourth quarter, they didn’t produce a score. John Beck completed 20 of his 33 pass attempts for 208 yards but his day was marred by several poor underthrows and interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter. Suddenly Mike Shanahan’s coveted running game has disappeared as well. The Skins amassed just 26 yards on 12 carries. Yikes.

“CHAMPIONSHIP”…

- The Steelers’ 25-17 win over the Patriots on Sunday doesn’t mean that Pittsburgh is now on a crash course for the Super Bowl again. It does not mean that they’re the best team in their conference or even in their own division. But given their struggles over the years with spread teams like New England and Green Bay, this was a signature win for the Steelers and one that could propel them to big things in the second half. Make no mistake: they dominated the Patriots in all facets today. Ben Roethlisberger (365 yards, 2 TDs) absolutely shredded New England’s secondary and while Tom Brady did complete 69% of his passes and threw for two scores, Pittsburgh’s defense held him to under 200 yards passing. Given the Ravens’ struggles the past two weeks, the Steelers suddenly look very powerful again in the AFC North.

- Think the Lions were a little steamed coming into day? My God, man. Forty-five points, 376 total yards, two defensive touchdowns, seven sacks and a cure for Athlete’s Foot later and suddenly Detroit has everyone’s attention again. Granted, Tim Tebow did hand them the game on a silver platter but the ’85 Bears weren’t beating the Lions on this day. Jim Schwartz still has to figure out how to plug his leaky run defense but there’s really nothing for him or any Lion fan to complain about right now. It had to be a great sight watching Matthew Stafford throw for three touchdowns after he hobbled off the field at the end of the game last week. What a day for the silver and Honolulu blue.

- For my weekly filling of crow I’d like a serving of Andy Dalton and a side of humiliation, please. This morning I wrote that the rookie would struggle in a rough Seattle environment (rough, ha!) and all he did was throw for two touchdowns in a 34-12 rout of the hapless Seahawks. The Bengals, who once again played well defensively and on special teams, are now 5-2 and 3-1 on the road. That’s impressive considering many people felt they wouldn’t win five games all year and seeing as how a rookie quarterback has already led them to three wins on the road. It’ll be interesting to see how Cincy plays in back-to-back games against the Steelers and Ravens next month.

- In less than a week the Ravens have gone from being Super Bowl contenders to a team that couldn’t beat the Jaguars and had to mount a massive comeback in order to beat the one-win Cardinals. But at least a) they did win the game today and b) Joe Flacco rebounded from a brutal start to finish 31-of-51 for 336 yards. It was also good to see Ray Rice (three touchdowns) receive 25 touches, although the Ravens could certainly still boost his opportunities. Baltimore needs to cut down on the mistakes (the Ravens were flagged 11 times for 99 yards on Sunday) but at least it didn’t suffer back-to-back losses against two teams that will probably be picking in the top 10 next April.

- The Niners’ plan for victory is pretty simple these days, isn’t it? Put the game on the defense’s shoulders, give the ball to Frank Gore 25-plus times and don’t let Alex Smith do anything to ruin the game. That approach will work for the regular season but it’ll be interesting to see how the Niners fare when they reach the postseason and Smith has to throw the ball to beat teams.

- It wasn’t all good for the Texans on Sunday but they did what they had to do against an inferior Jacksonville team. They only allowed rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert to complete 33 percent of his passes and held Maurice Jones-Drew (18 carries, 63 yards) in check. They also rode Arian Foster (33 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD) to another victory without much need for Andre Johnson, who should be back next week. With Cleveland and another match with Jacksonville coming up, Houston is in a good spot to increase its lead over Tennessee in the AFC South.

- What in God’s name can you say about the Giants at this point? Everyone left them for dead at the start of the year because of the amount of injuries they had on both sides of the ball. Then they beat the Eagles on the road as a 9-point underdog and jumped out to a small lead in the NFC East. Then they needed a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Cardinals, they lost to the Seahawks at home, needed a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Bills, and then needed yet another fourth-quarter rally to beat winless Miami on Sunday. Do you laud them for their resiliency or hammer them for constantly playing down to their competition? I want to say the Patriots will crush them next Sunday but knowing the Giants they’ll probably win a nail-bitter. I just can’t figure them out.

- With the Patriots having a tough go of things in Pittsburgh, the Bills did exactly what they needed to today: Beat a bad Washington team in order to keep the heat on New England in the AFC East. The Bills out-gained the Redskins 390-178 in total yards, forced two turnovers and rushed for 138 yards as a team. Ryan Fitzpatrick also completed 21-of-27 passes for 262 yards while Fred Jackson rushed for 120 yards on 26 carries. Outside of their two turnovers on the day, this was win was about as perfect as they come for Buffalo, which finally showed up defensively.

DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING…

- There were certainly plenty of people who saw the Lions going down to Dallas and beating a sub par Cowboys team. But did anyone seem them getting down by 24 points and having to rally for the second straight week on the road? This team is legit and I can’t wait to see how they’ll fare in a couple weeks when they play the Packers. The best part about seeing the Lions go 4-0 is that I know Tom “Killer” Kowalski is watching somewhere. Killer had been the Lions beat writer for MLive.com over the last two decades before abruptly passing away in his home before the season started. Him and I worked together at WDFN in Detroit and while he’s greatly missed, there’s no way he’s missing Lions mania right now. They’re finally doing it, Killer…

- When I previewed Week 4 on Thursday I wrote about how Sunday’s trip to Cincinnati was going to be a good test for the Bills, even though they were playing a 1-2 Bengals team. I wrote that because the Bills were coming off an emotional win against the Patriots and now had to travel to play a team they were expected to beat. I even told my father that this was the day the Bills lose their first game. When they took a 17-3 lead I was ready to eat my words but in a blink of an eye, the Bengals were kicking a game-winning field goal to improve to 2-2 on the season. The Bills are a good young team but they’re not good enough to overlook any opponent.

- You know, it’s rather amazing. The lockout was supposed to hurt teams with new coaching staffs and yet the 49ers are 3-1 under Jim Harbaugh and could have very easily been 4-0 had they not collapsed against Dallas in Week 2. It’s a long season but what a great job he’s done so far making the transition from Stanford to the pros. When they were down 23-3 today in Philadelphia, the Niners could have easily packed it in. But they didn’t and I think that’s a testament to Harbaugh. What a great day for comebacks and what a great win for San Fran.

- Cam Newton almost threw for 400 yards again – and against Chicago, no less. I thought he would struggle against the Bears’ Tampa 2 and he did throw a pick-six early in the game. But man-oh-man is he an athletic marvel. At this point I guess I should stop including him in the “Didn’t See that Coming” section, but I continue to be amazed at what this kid can do so early in his career.

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM…

- Hey Rex Ryan, your old defense is a lot better than your current one right now. That’s back-to-back weeks your team has lost by double-digits and you haven’t even played the Patriots yet. Not good.

- For as much respect as he deserved playing in the second half of that San Francisco game two weeks ago despite suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung, Tony Romo equally deserves to be vilified today. There’s no reason why Dallas didn’t beat Detroit but 30 points after building a 27-3 lead. But Romo virtually gave the game away on his own. Those interceptions he threw were pathetic. PATHETIC. All of Canada can smell his wretchedness today.

- Hey Rob Ryan, what do you think of Calvin Johnson now? When asked about trying to defend Megatron earlier this week, Ryan said: “We work against better receivers with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. They are probably two of the premier receivers in football, but this guy is right there. He’s almost that good. He’s excellent.” He’s almost that good? No, he’s in the top 5 – if not the top 2. For those wondering, Johnson finished with eight catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions’ come-from-behind victory today in Dallas. He also caught the game-winner in the closing minutes. Pfff, almost that good. Please…

- Kevin Kolb needs to start earning that five-year, $63 million contract he signed in the offseason. The Cardinals have lost their last three games despite having the ball in the closing minutes with a chance to win in all three. That reflects poorly on the quarterback. Kolb took four sacks (including an inexcusable one on the Cards’ last possession), threw more interceptions (1) than touchdowns (0), and lost a fumble in Arizona’s loss to New York on Sunday. Derek Anderson could have done that.

- How the hell was that Victor Cruz play not a fumble? He may have given himself up but he didn’t slide feet-first or kneel on the ball, thus prompting an end-of-the-play whistle. He stumbled, wasn’t touched by a defender, and then flipped the ball forward as the Cardinals jumped on it. That was a fumble and it proved the difference in the game. That said, I liked what Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt said following the loss. In a nutshell, he said that the game should have never came down to that play and he was right. The Cards were up by 10 with just over five minutes remaining in the game. They should have won without needing that play to be ruled a fumble.

- The Broncos lost 49-23 today and neither Tim Tebow nor Brady Quinn took a snap. Kyle Orton may have thrown three touchdown passes but he also tossed a very Tony Romo-like three interceptions as well. He was brutal and the Broncos weren’t going to mount some massive comeback, so why didn’t John Fox take a look at Tebow or Quinn? If he’s not going to play either of them in a rout, when is he going to play them? It’s mind-boggling.

- How much more of a beating can Ben Roethlisberger continue to take? Last year he played through a broken foot and now he may have broken the other one. He’s a tough dude but the guy can’t play with two bad wheels. Pittsburgh has got to fix its offensive line.

- Hello David Garrard? This is the Miami Dolphins…

- I’m sorry but Michael Vick seems like the same arrogant, immature person to me. Did you hear his comments to the media following the Eagles’ inexcusable choke-job to the 49ers today? “Do I really have to answer that question?” Yeah Mike, you do. And drop the attitude while you’re at it.

- The Eagles are example No. 501 that stockpiling a bunch of free agents in the offseason doesn’t always lead to cohesion and victories. And don’t expect this team to figure things out soon. Andy Reid has a real mess on his hands.

- A tale of two NFC teams: The Packers take a 28-17 lead at halftime, score a touchdown midway through the third quarter to make the game 35-17, and then keep their foot on the pedal. Final score? Packers 49, Broncos 23. The Falcons build a 27-7 lead early in the third quarter, largely using the hurry up offense with Matt Ryan and by staying balanced offensively. But almost immediately after Matt Bryant’s 50-yard field goal with 13:40 left in the third, the Falcons go into prevent mode defensively and try to run the clock out offensively. In other words, they not only take their foot off the pedal but they completely get off the highway and take the scenic route home. Final score? Falcons 30, Seahawks 28. And if Pete Carroll doesn’t foolishly attempt a 61-yard filed goal in the closing seconds, Atlanta is 1-3 on the year instead of 2-2.

- Speaking of Pete Carroll: What on earth was he thinking attempting a 61-yarder with 13 seconds remaining instead of going for it on 4th and 8 from Atlanta’s 43-yard-line? I realize that converting a 4th and 8 isn’t easy. But I like my odds of getting a first down better than I do of Steven Hauschka kicking a freaking 61-yarder. I don’t care if he was booting them from that range in warm ups: All kickers hit from that range in warm ups. It’s no surprise the kick wasn’t even close to going through the uprights.

- I don’t know what offense was more inept this weekend: the Browns or Ohio State’s.

- So much for the Rams winning the NFC West. They’ll be lucky to win four games at this rate.

CHAMPIONSHIP…

- Aaron Rodgers looks like he’s playing against a bunch of Pop Warner kids every Sunday. Several times today I said to myself, “Shame on that Aaron Rodgers. Look at him throwing all of those touchdown passes on that poor Pop Warner team. He ought to be embarrassed.” It’s amazing that Green Bay can go from Brett Favre to this guy and other franchises go decades without finding one decent quarterback.

- Call it lucky, controversial or whatever, but give Eli Manning and the Giants credit for mounting that fourth quarter comeback in Arizona today. It’s not easy to play a physical divisional game on the road last week and then turn around and fly cross-country seven days later. But the G-Men did. They’re certainly tougher than their NFC East rivals, the Eagles.

- Do you think the Ravens’ defense was fired up to play their former coordinator Rex Ryan tonight? And follow up question: Do you think the Ravens took their wake up call against the Titans two weeks ago seriously? Destroying an 0-4 Rams team is one thing. Destroying a good Jets team is quite another. Baltimore looks goooood.

- Granted, Tarvaris Jackson actually played well on Sunday but tell me why again the Seahawks didn’t need Matt Hasselbeck? The 36-year-old is on pace for 4,608 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Clearly the man still has plenty left in the tank.

- What are the Patriots now, 687-0 after a loss? They were impressive today. The Raiders are competitive and it’s never easy for any team to fly cross-country and win. (And not only look good doing it.) But that’s what the Pats did. They always take losses seriously and it shows when they win the following week.

- That, right there, is the signature win that the Texans have been searching for. No, the Steelers haven’t looked great this season but they’re still the Steelers. Losing Andre Johnson was a killer but guys like Arian Foster stepped up. This is the Texans year to finally claim the AFC South, but they need to keep playing hard for 16 weeks. Hopefully for they’re sake Tennessee continues to play well so that Houston is pushed from here on out. This isn’t a team that needs to cruise into the playoffs and then go one-and-down because they weren’t challenged. Keep them focused, Gary Kubiak.

- Bengal fans had to have appreciated what Andy Dalton did in the second half today. After a rough first half, the rookie completed 11 of 16 passes for 182 yards in the second. On the Bengals’ game-winning drive, he connected on 3 of 4 passes for 46 yards and converted a third down by using his legs. Big win for the young pup.

DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING…

- Raise your hand if you had the Bills sitting atop the AFC East standings alone after Week 3. I can hear someone right now: “Actually, I did call the Bills being 3-0.” LIAR! Nobody had the Bills at 3-0 because that would mean they would have had to beat the Patriots at home in Week 3 and pfff, like that was going to happen. Well, it did happen. Not unlike last Sunday against the Raiders, the Bill spotted the Patriots a 21-0 lead and then proceeded to storm back, intercepting Tom Brady four times as Ryan Fitzpatrick led the comeback of all comebacks. And what a great decision by Chan Gailey at the end. He knew with the score tied 31-31 and the Bills well within field goal range that he could bleed the clock, kick the field goal and leave Brady with no time to respond. Outstanding coaching move. Outstanding game. Outstanding win.

- I definitely thought the Giants would keep things closer than the 9-points that Vegas gave them heading into Philly, but wow. Didn’t see an outright win coming. With most of his receivers out due to various injuries, Eli Manning had one of the better games of his career. You really have to hand it to the Giants, who were playing on a short week and who have been banged up all year. Instead of lying down like many expected, they took the fight to the Eagles’ front doorsteps and then delivered a knockout in the fourth quarter. I don’t care if Michael Vick stays in this game or not: The Eagles weren’t winning it.

- What do you mean Cam Newton didn’t throw for 400 yards? See, total bust. Just like everyone predicted…

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM…

- Funny how Bart Scott once said that the Patriots “couldn’t stop a nose bleed,” because the same thing could be said about the Jets’ defense today. What a horrendous display of tackling by Rex Ryan’s veteran-laden squad. Hey Rex, did you not think that the Raiders would feature Darren McFadden? As if they were going to dress him and have him just hang out on the sidelines? Horrible effort by the J.E.T.S today, who got beat by a better-than-average Oakland team and, quite frankly, by themselves. Antonio Cromartie will love watching himself on film tomorrow: the corner was flagged four times for 46 yards on the day.

- The Patriots had a 21-0 lead, Tom Brady threw four touchdowns and Wes Welker caught 16 freaking passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. And New England still lost. In a weird way, this defeat will probably serve Bill Belichick and his team well down the road, but man this one is going to sting all week.

- Sounds like Mikey Vick is a little frustrated these days. He should be. After boastfully saying in preseason that, “You can’t design a defense to stop me,” he’s gotten his ass handed to him in back-to-back weeks and has had to watch from the sidelines (or locker room) as his team loses. Last week he suffered a concussion versus his former team, the Falcons, and in the Eagles’ loss to the Giants on Sunday, he broke his non-throwing hand. Following the loss, Vick spouted off about how the refs “have got to do their jobs,” which was in reference to him getting hit all the time. He also said, “I don’t know why I don’t get the 15-yard flags like everybody else does.” Sorry, but I have zero sympathy for Vick. I watched both of the Eagles’ games the last two weeks and I didn’t see anything that wasn’t flagged that should have been. I understand his frustration but he’s not struggling because of the refs. The Eagles aren’t 1-2 because of the refs. Everyone knew the Eagles’ offensive line was a major question mark heading into the season and their defense is being exploited on the ground. The “Dream Team” was ready to hold up the Lombardi Trophy before it even took the field and now that things haven’t started the way they wanted, they just have to man up and stop beating themselves. That includes Vick, who has played sloppy football the last two weeks.

- My best friend Doug (a huge Bears fan), sent me this text during the second half of the Green Bay-Chicago game: “Here’s the offensive approach for the Bears: First down, sack for negative 5-8 yards. Second down, run for 0-to-negative-3 yards. Third down, incomplete pass with Jay Cutler head shake.” Fantastic. Lovie Smith had a chat with Mike Martz last year about incorporating the run more into his game plan and it looks like Smith might have to have that little sit-down again. How can Matt Forte only finish with nine carries? Blasphemy.

- News Flash: The Atlanta Falcons aren’t very good. That’s not to say they won’t figure it out eventually, but right now they’re getting completely exposed. The defense actually played well today in Tampa, but Matt Ryan took another massive beating thanks to an offensive line that has resembled one of those big revolving doors that you see at the front of nice hotels. They’re horrible right now, particularly left tackle Sam Baker. Ryan turned the ball over 67 times today but it’s the Jay Cutler affect: If a quarterback only has a millisecond to throw, he’s going to make mistakes. Of course, for the second week in a row the only time the Falcons moved the ball was when they went with the no huddle in the fourth quarter. Maybe it’s time to take the controls out of Mike Mularkey’s hands and put them into Matt Ryan’s. Just a thought.

- The Chargers, a 14.5-point home favorite, barely squeaked by a Kansas City Chiefs team that had been outscored 89-6 in their first two games. Philip Rivers has now thrown two interceptions in all three of San Diego’s games this season, which is noteworthy when you consider his highest interception total for a season is 15. Honestly, if the Raiders and Chargers were to play tomorrow at a neutral site, I wouldn’t hesitate to predict an Oakland victory. Even though they’re 2-1, the Bolts are off to a rather Bolt-like slow start to the season.

- Poor Rams. A lot of people were predicting them to win the NFC West this year but thanks to poor play and a brutal schedule, they’re 0-3 and look lost. For the third straight week, an opponent has returned a Sam Bradford fumble for a touchdown. How does that happen three times in a year, nevertheless in three straight weeks?

- Look, playing in Seattle is like playing on another planet: I don’t care how bad the Seahawks are. But how do the Cardinals lose to a team whose head coach is playing for a top-5 pick next season? (Oh, he’s not? Then you tell me why Pete Carroll is sticking with Tarvaris Jackson.) The NFC West is ripe for the taking and if the Cardinals can avoid beating themselves like they did today, they have a good shot to make the playoffs. But if Kevin Kolb (who threw two costly interceptions) can’t take over games like this, then Arizona will have a golden opportunity slip through its fingers.

- The Dolphins’ red zone woes continued in another ugly loss for Tony Sparano. It’s not his fault that his team absolutely loses its mind when it gets inside the 20, or that Reggie Bush can’t hang onto the ball, or that Chad Henne is his quarterback because the front office failed to land Kyle Orton in the offseason. But somebody has to pay in Miami and it’s going to be the head coach. The only question now is when Sparano is going to get the axe.

- Hey Chris Johnson, can the Titans demand a portion of your contract back if you continue to play like crap because you held out the entire preseason? No? Okay, just checking. I know you were criminally underpaid in your first three seasons but the Titans did pay you. You can start playing again.

- Sunday marked the third time in as many weeks that the Vikings thoroughly outplayed their opponent in the first half only come out after halftime and choke on applesauce. Word to the wise, Bill Musgrave: If you’re going to go for it on fourth-and-1 instead of taking a chip shot field goal, then at least hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson. I know Toby Gerhart is a big boy but you’ve got to dance with the partner that took you.

- What a frustrating loss for the Texans, who once again failed to drive the final nail in the coffin when it had an opponent on the ropes. Houston looked so good in the first half and well into the third quarter, but it allowed Drew Brees to take over in the second half. The Texans will certainly take a 2-1 start and I’m not going to suggest that they had this game in the bag. No way. Still, they at least had a great chance of pulling off the upset and just like many times before, they failed to come up big in the end.

“CHAMPIONSHIP…”

- It’s amazing. The Bears’ defense usually does a fantastic job taking away the big play, as it did again today versus the Packers. But Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay still managed to score 27 points despite not taking many chances downfield. That’s the difference between teams like the Packers, whom beat the Bears 27-17 on Sunday, and the Falcons, who wilted in Chicago during an ugly Week 1 loss. I point that out because a lot of people were high on the Falcons’ offense coming into the season and yet, games like this prove that no team in the NFC is in Green Bay’s class yet outside of maybe New Orleans. The Packers still have some issues to iron out on defense but their offense has been in midseason form since its first possession of Week 1.

- I know the Bucs just got a huge monkey off their backs today, but nobody is beating the Saints in that division this year. New Orleans has issues on defense but when Drew Brees and that offense gets revved up, it’s like watching someone paint a masterpiece. For those scoring at home, the Saints have now scored 30 points or more in each of their first two games. As I predicted at the start of the season, I like the chances of their being a repeat of opening night in the NFC Championship Game.

- The Raiders are one lousy half in Buffalo from being 3-0 on the season. Any offense that can do that to Rex Ryan’s defense deserves big-time respect and as long as Darren McFadden can stay healthy, don’t think for a second he couldn’t contend for the MVP award. (I would have put the Raiders in the “Didn’t See that Coming” section but I actually predicted them to at least cover the spread today.)

- Anyone think the Ravens were pissed off about their effort last week in Tennessee? Holy domination, Batman. Torrey Smith became the first rookie to score three touchdowns in the same quarter, Joe Flacco threw for a career-high 389 yards, and the defense racked up 11 quarterback hits and five sacks on Sam Bradford. Unfortunately for them they won’t get to play a banged up St. Louis team every week but imagine if Baltimore would at least give that kind of effort every Sunday.

- What a game by Bucs’ middle linebacker Mason Foster, who started and called the defensive plays today while Quincy Black was out with an ankle injury. Foster was a man-child against the run and took down Matt Ryan on a huge sack in the third quarter. Might want to keep the kid on the field, Raheem Morris.

- Nice finish for Colt McCoy. He didn’t have a great game but he was nine of 13 for 80 yards on the Browns’ final drive, which concluded with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Massquoi (who made an excellent leaping catch) with 43 seconds remaining. The West Coast Kid continues to make strides.

- Today was an important win for the Lions and not just because it got them to 3-0 on the season. They played awful in the first half against the Vikings but they showed a little character in bouncing back and earning a hard-fought 26-23 win. This is the type of victory that will serve a young team like Detroit all season. Because they believe they can win now, no matter what the circumstance. The Vikings aren’t world-beaters by any means but still, it was a great win for the Lions. And by the way, that Calvin Johnson guy is pretty s.i.c.k.

It’s pretty funny to watch commentators and writers overreact to week one of the NFL. It happens every year, and this year we had Warren Sapp calling the Steelers “old and slow” after they got whipped on opening day by the Baltimore Ravens.

I guess Sapp can ask Pete Carroll what he thinks of the Steelers after they handled his Seahawks 24-0 today in Pittsburgh.

Beating on the hapless Seahawks doesn’t make the Steelers a lock to repeat as AFC champs, but I think they’re still a team to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, what the hell is Pete Carroll doing in Seattle? Tarvaris Jackson? Really? They’re paying you almost $7 million per season for that?

DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING…

- According to every NFL analyst in America, there was a better chance of Cam Newton putting his pants on backwards than resembling anything even close to a quarterback. But lo and behold the kid can play a little. He completed 24-of-37 passes for 422 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, setting a record for most passing yards in a NFL debut. He also rushed eight times for 18 yards and scored on the goal line in the Panthers’ 28-21 loss the Cardinals. Thanks to Newton, Steve Smith looked rejuvenated after spending a year in NFL hell last season. Obviously the former Auburn product isn’t going to throw for 400-plus yards every week but even his biggest critics have to be impressed with how he performed in his debut. And hey, the young man even put his pants on straight, too.

- The Steelers, the Falcons and the Chiefs: What are three teams who apparently forgot that the preseason was only four weeks long, Alex? Give credit where credit is due – the Ravens, Bears and Bills were dominate on Sunday. But it’s not like any of those teams used black magic to fool the Steelers, Falcons and Chiefs, who were absolutely shocked that they had to suit up today. Those three teams, who all won their divisions a year ago, mind you, managed to make flying to the moon look easier than playing football.

- Speaking of the Bills, this team isn’t a pushover any more. Forty-one points on the road? Good grief, man. Ryan Fitzpatrick is just good enough to be dangerous and they have some offensive weapons in Steve Johnson, Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. Given how bad the offensive line looked in preseason, Chan Gailey has to be thrilled with his team’s performance. And the best part about the Bills today? They acted as if they expected that outcome. I dare say they were fun to watch.

- Not many people had the Bengals beating the Browns in Cleveland today, which is why they wind up in the “DIDN”T SEE THAT COMING” section. But I’m telling you, if Andy Dalton can play mistake free and just mange games in his first year, Cincinnati won’t be as bad as everyone expects.

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM…

- Tell me Pete Caroll isn’t playing to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes this season. I want to see him look someone in the face and tell them Tarvaris Jackson is a starting quarterback in the National Football League.

- Nobody told me it was Halloween today at Solider Field. It was cute the way Atlanta’s entire offensive line dressed up like revolving doors.

- Atlanta HC Mike Smith has received praise over the years for resting his veterans throughout the week so that they’re fresh on Sundays. But maybe if those vets practiced more they would actually know how to tackle somebody. The Falcons’ defenders might as well have ushered Matt Forte and Devin Hester to the end zone like they were walking bridesmaids down the aisle of a wedding. Because they had zero interest in tackling either player today.

- Wait, I’m not done with the Falcons. During the game, I watched Roddy White run directly into the backfield at the snap, turn around, and run right back to the same sideline in order to catch a pass for a 1-yard loss. I hope for the Falcons’ sake White ran the wrong route because if that was actually how the play was designed then this team is in for a long year with Mike Mularkey at the controls. I want to know who that play was supposed to fool: the Bears, or Falcon fans for believing their team actually employs an offensive coordinator.

- Jim Brown couldn’t have run behind the Giants’ offensive line today.

- Methinks this could be the second straight season Donovan McNabb will be benched for his ineffective play. How the Vikings managed to keep things close in San Diego despite McNabb only throwing for 39 yards is beyond me.

- Fort knox wouldn’t have stood upright behind the Steelers’ offensive line today.

- If anyone questions whether or not Peyton Manning has been one of the best on-field generals this game has ever seen, pop in the film of the Colts’ loss to the Texans on Sunday. Outside of Reggie Wayne’s ridiculous touchdown grab, there was nothing positive about Indy’s offense on Sunday. The Colts looked absolutely befuddled without Manning calling the shots. It’s simply a different team.

- A.J. Green’s touchdown may wind up going down as the easiest score in NFL history. Hey Cleveland defense, this isn’t T-ball. The officials don’t ask if everyone is ready before play can begin. Break the huddle and get into position so you don’t allow opponents to walk into the end zone.

- How long before Cleveland fans start ramping up the complaints that Mike Holmgren should have stayed at No. 6 last April and taken Julio Jones? Greg Little: 1 catch for 12 yards today in his debut.

- Speaking of the Browns: at no point should this team ever be 6.5-point favorites over anyone. Ever.

- Pretty slick of Mike Munchak and the Titans to give everyone the impression that Chris Johnson was going to be a big part of their offense in Week 1. After holding out throughout the preseason, the Titans barely used Johnson but because of Munchak’s deceiving words, the Jaguars still had to game plan for him anyway. Of course, that strategy did absolutely nothing to help the Titans on the scoreboard, but it was slick nonetheless.

- Mostly because of their ridiculous first-half schedule, the Rams were already in for a bumpy ride this season. And that was before Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson suffered injuries right out of the gates.

- Hey Carolina, next time a player suffers an Achilles’ injury, give him time to actually recover. If Jon Beason is lost for the season, and he may very well be, the Panthers have nobody to blame but themselves.

- Talk about adding injury to insult: Eric Berry’s knee injury could be serious. The Chiefs’ secondary is in for a long year.

“CHAMPIONSHIP…”

- This was the game that Raven fans have been waiting to see for a while out of their team. A good Pittsburgh squad came to town and instead of Baltimore toying with them for a couple of quarters and losing in the end, the Ravens beat the Steelers’ ass up and down the field. Joe Flacco threw some of the best passes of his career and Ray Rice played like a man trying to prove a point against a defense that has shut him down over the years. If the Ravens play with this kind of consistency every week, they’re going to be tough to beat.

- Pass me some of that Lions Kool-Aid because damn it that stuff tastes fantastic. Detroit fans have waited a long time to see their team dominate anyone on the road like the Lions did today against the Bucs. And who was responsible for the majority of their success? Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew and Jahvid Best – four players that should help transform this team into a contender soon (if not very soon).

- I’m not going to ramble on about the Texans’ victory because it came against a downtrodden Indianapolis team that’s about to suffer its worst season in over a decade. But I will say this: The Texans are the clear favorites to win the AFC South with Peyton Manning out of the way. They showed up today and did exactly what they were supposed to in crushing the will of a team that has tormented them for years. Now let’s see them play with that same fire every week.

- The Eagles house more weapons than the United States’ military. On every play Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy could take one to the house. The only drawback to Philly’s offense is its O-line, but otherwise this team looks every bit as good as people thought they would in preseason.

- On Sunday, the Bears’ defense resembled the same unit that took them to the Super Bowl back in 2006. They were relentless, they swarmed to the football, and they pressured Matt Ryan for all four quarters. Everyone expects the Bears to drop off this season after reaching the NFC Championship Game a year ago. But if they play as well throughout the season as they did today, then it’s going to be a battle royal in the NFC North this year.

- Courage this: Jay Cutler is now 22-0 in his career in games when he finishes with a 100-plus passer rating. His offensive line is still shaky but the dude played his ass off today and didn’t give his critics much to write about.

- Cedric Benson rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries against the Browns. And he was in jail last week.

- The answer is “yes,” as in yes Mario Williams can play linebacker.

- Bruce Gradkowski is a terrible starter but man can that guy come off the bench and lead come-from-behind victories. I swear his record as a reliever is 44-0.

- Don’t be fooled by his overall stat line: Michael Vick was incredible this afternoon in St. Louis. The Eagles’ offensive line has little to no cohesion but Vick still managed to dazzle. How pumped do you think he’s going to be next Sunday night to play on his old carpet in Atlanta? And he’ll deserve to play well there, too. It’s not like he screwed that franchise out of millions of dollars and precise time by making them watch Joey Harrington play quarterback for a full season. No, yeah Mike, you deserve this moment…

- Hey, there’s Beanie Wells!

- Granted, it came against a shaky Carolina defense but the Cardinals couldn’t have asked for a better debut out of Kevin Kolb (18-of-27, 309 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs).

- The most underrated defense in the league? Jacksonville. The additions that team made in the offseason have already paid dividends.

- Wade Phillips is going to face bigger challenges than Kerry Collins in the upcoming months, but he’s already made a difference for Houston’s defense.

- Dating back to last season, for the first time in 17 weeks C.J. Spiller actually showed glimpses of the special player he was at Clemson.

- Congrats on your first win, Jim Harbaugh. They don’t get much easier than that.

- Rex Grossman: 21-of-34 passing for 305 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. Maybe wily ‘ol Mike Shanahan does know what he’s doing. Nah, he’s still bat-sh*t crazy…

How low can the NCAA and BCS sink these days?

Today we learned that the BCS stripped USC of its 2004 national title, vacating the results of the 2005 Orange Bowl where USC crushed Oklahoma. The BCS also vacated the Trojans participation in the 2006 Rose Bowl that decided the national championship for the 2005 season. Remember that game? Vince Young turned in one of the greatest performances in college football history as Texas knocked off USC, 41-38. According to the NCAA and the BCS, that game never happened.

The NCAA has become a joke (the BCS has always been a joke). The entire college football system has been hijacked by big conferences and universities looking to cash in and keep all the money for themselves through the BCS farce, and then you have the NCAA enforcing a code of ethics developed for a society that looks more like 1950s America than the real world of today.

I’m an Ohio State fan, so I’ve never been a fan of USC, but it’s appalling to see this title stripped away. One idiot on the team was taking money, and suddenly the accomplishments of a great team are nullified by the fools running college athletics. USC may have failed to uncover the problem, but it’s not like assistant coaches were handing Reggie Bush thousands of dollars.

You might say that a severe penalty is in order, but why punish all the college kids who played on that team? Why punish the fans? Why stain the memory of a great season, and then a year later a great game where Vince Young and Texas beat a team many considered to be the best of all time until that night?

If you’re looking for a way to punish the crime, why not follow the money? That’s what college football is all about these days. Instead of forfeiting the game, why not have USC forfeit the millions of dollars paid to them by the BCS that year? The kids never saw a dime of that money, yet they’re the ones getting punished. If you want to prevent this behavior, penalties in the millions of dollars will get the attention of the USC athletic department and the University president.

As for the coaches, punish them as well! In the case of USC, perhaps there wasn’t enough evidence to ban Pete Carroll from coaching for several years, but if he or his assistants were directly implicated, then the NCAA could have suspended them and/or fined them. I understand that Pete Carroll left for the NFL, but he could have been prevented from attending any college football games and interacting with any college football program for a number of years.

In the Jim Tressel case, he should be punished going forward so that he can’t cash in at another university, and Ohio State should lose the money it received for the Sugar Bowl.

Money talks. The big schools have pointed to things like tradition and education as reasons we shouldn’t have a playoff system, and then they play musical chairs with conference memberships and add championship games all while throwing tradition out the window. Nothing matters more than the money . . .

College football needs a complete overhaul, from a playoff system to an examination of all the idiotic rules governing the conduct of “student athletes.” But it needs to start by going after the money, hitting schools where it hurts, and it needs to stop the absurdity of erasing the past every time some dumb kid gets caught accepting money, cars or tattoos from a booster or agent.