According to Tom Curran of NBC Sports, Tom Brady could start the 2009 NFL Season on the Pats’ PUP list.

But the timing just doesn’t work for the Patriots to allow Cassel to leave. Even though Brady went the aggressive route by having his reconstructive surgery relatively early (many doctors recommend waiting for the MCL to heal on its own before going in to repair the ACL), the infection that began near the repaired MCL required six weeks of antibiotics and irrigation. The significant scar tissue that built up during that period still had not been removed as of last week, leaving Brady with limited range of motion. Until the scar tissue comes out (and a two-to-three week period of recovery from that process is observed) and range of motion improves, a productive rehab can’t begin. With the start of training camp seven months away and the season opener nine months out, Brady may wind up beginning the 2009 season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Players placed on that list are eligible to begin playing in Week 6.

There’s really no decision to be made – the Patriots have to pony up and tag Cassel. If they don’t, they could wind up forcing Brady (or Tom could force himself) back onto the field too soon and then disaster could strike again. But if they tag and pay Cassel, the team can go into next season with more security at quarterback.

The Pats’ decision on what to do with Tom Brady won’t be made over the next few months. The decision will be made over the course of the next year. If Brady is placed on the PUP list, the team can watch Cassel play for another six weeks. If he progresses, then maybe it’s time to move into the Cassel era. If he digresses or is sub par, then Brady can step him – fully healthy – and resume his starting quarterback duties.

I think both quarterbacks will be on New England’s roster next season. And this is exactly why the Pats never spend big on free agents – so that they have the cap room when they need it (i.e. like right now).

The New England Patriots have quite the decision to make regarding quarterback Matt Cassel, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. They could allow the young signal caller to walk, franchise tag him and keep him, franchise tag him and trade him or re-sign him and ship multiple Super Bowl winner Tom Brady elsewhere. (The last option I discussed in more detail a couple weeks ago.)

NationalFootballPost.com writer Mike Lombardi recently provided some insight on which way the Pats are leaning:

NationalFootballPost.com writer Mike Lombardi, speaking on Inside the NFL, said the Patriots will place the franchise tag on Matt Cassel.

“The Patriots are way too smart, and I’ve talked to people in the organization,” Lombardi said. The former Raiders GM worked under Bill Belichick in Cleveland. While this may just be informed speculation, it’s the likely move. Cassel is a huge asset and the Patriots can either work out a short-term contract or trade him after using the tag.

I agree with Rotoworld.com – the Patriots will likely tag Cassel and then figure out what their next move is. Maybe the team will know more about Brady’s recovery and whether or not he’s going to be ready next season. If Brady continues to recover slowly (which seems to be the current notion), than maybe the Pats will eventually make Cassel their long-term answer and deal Brady in the offseason.

This will be one the best storylines this offseason.

At the end of the year, it’s always interesting to look back at all that has happened in the world of sports over the last 12 months. 2008 brought us a host of compelling sports stories, including the culmination of the Patriots’ (unsuccessful) quest for perfection, a Bejing Olympics that featured incredible accomplishments by the likes of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and the Redeem Team, and, of course, Brett Favre’s unretirement, which managed to hold the sports news cycle hostage for a solid month or more.

As is our tradition, we’ve once again broken our Year End Sports Review into three sections. The first is “What We Learned,� a list that’s packed with a number of impressive feats. And when there are feats, inevitably there are also failures.

Don’t miss the other two parts: “What We Already Knewâ€� and “What We Think Might Happen.â€�

The New England Patriots weren’t so perfect after all.

After rolling through the 2007 regular season unscathed, the Patriots entered the 2008 Super Bowl as overwhelming favorites to roll over the pesky, but seemingly inferior New York Giants. The Pats were just one win away from staking their claim as the best football team in NFL history. But thanks to a dominating Giants’ defensive line, an improbable catch by David Tyree, and a virtually mistake-free performance by Eli Manning, the unbeatable New England Patriots were beat. It’ll go down as one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, and considering Tom Brady’s season-ending injury in 2008 cost the Pats a chance for redemption, it seems that many have forgotten how New England stood just one win away from perfection. – Anthony Stalter

Michael Phelps is part fish.

Eight gold medals in one Olympiad? No problem. Michael Phelps made the seemingly impossible look (relatively) easy en route to one of the most – if not the most – impressive Olympic performances ever. Phelps had to swim all four strokes, compete in both sprint and endurance races, and deal with the constant media attention and pressure that came along with his quest. Sure, NBC turned up the hype, but what Phelps accomplished is simply incredible. – John Paulsen

Usain Bolt is part cheetah.

First, Usain Bolt made Jamaica proud by setting a new world record (9.69) in the 100-meter sprint. Then, he broke the 12 year-old 200-meter world record with a time of 19.30 seconds. He showboated during the first race but cleaned up his act to win the second race in a professional manner. Some even say that Usain Bolt – not Michael Phelps – was the biggest story to come out of the Bejing Olympics. – JP

The Big 12 has the best quarterbacks in the nation.

The Big 12 housed some of the best quarterbacks in all of college football in 2008. Texas’s Colt McCoy, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, Missouri’s Chase Daniel and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell were all considered Heisman candidates at least at one point during the season, while McCoy and Bradford are still in the running. Amazingly, Bradford and McCoy aren’t done; both will return in 2008. And although they don’t receive as much attention as the top signal callers in the conference, Kansas’s Todd Reesing and Baylor’s Robert Griffin certainly turned heads this year as well. In fact, the highly versatile Griffin is only a freshman and could make the Bears a very dangerous team for years to come. – AS

- There are new photos of Cal pole vaulting hottie Allison Stokke. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

- The Love of Sports compiles the top 10 images from the 2008 college football season. [The Love of Sports]

- TMZ is reporting that Tom Brady is engaged. Sorry, ladies! [Deadspin]

- Former Bronco Matt Lepsis says he practiced and played while high. [Larry Brown Sports]

- Top football recruit, Jamarcus McFarland, chose Oklahoma over Texas, even though he went to much wilder parties on his recruiting trip to Texas. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

- East Coast Bias has its own luxury tax proposal for MLB. [East Coast Bias]

- Yardbarker has a video of Rasheed Wallace and a few other Pistons as they do a funny rendition of “Jingle Bells.” [Yardbarker]

- Dwyane Wade steps in and helps a family buy a new house after they accidentally burned their old one down. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

The majority of people who read the title of this post probably uttered one of two things to themselves:

1) “What? Stop trying to stir the pot by throwing crap against the wall in efforts to see if it sticks. Moron…�

OR…

2) “You don’t part ways with a three-time Super Bowl champion just because Matt Cassel has had one decent season. Moron…�

For those of you that fit into one of the above categories, I don’t blame you for having those thoughts – or calling me a moron. But just take a moment and think about the situation for a second, because the idea isn’t that far-fetched.

There currently is no timetable set for Brady’s return after having season-ending knee surgery earlier this year. He might not even be ready to play at the start of next season, which leaves the Patriots in a tough predicament. Do they allow Cassel to leave via free agency next offseason and risk going into 2009 with hopes Brady is ready to play? Or do they allow Cassel to walk, sign a veteran who’ll play for the minimum and hold Brady’s spot until he’s ready to start again?

Or do they sign a much younger (and now experienced) Matt Cassel, trade Brady for multiple draft picks (which could be used to get younger on defense) and head into a new era with a new quarterback? Brady is 32 and while guys like Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia have proven that quarterbacks can still be highly efficient past their 35th birthday, there’s no guarantee that Tom will ever be as effective as he was before the knee surgery.

Whether the Patriots or their fan base want to admit it, the team faces major questions this offseason. And while it might be ludicrous to think about parting ways with a Super Bowl MVP quarterback, Cassel has proven that he can step into Bill Belichick’s offensive system and succeed.

Comment fodder: You’re in charge of the Patriots next offseason. Do you allow Cassel to walk and remain loyal to the man that got you multiple titles this decade? Or in the wake of Brady’s season-ending injury, would you start preparing for the future with Cassel?

With the Jets’ 24-14 loss to the 49ers coupled with the Dolphins’ 16-3 win over the Bills and the Patriots’ narrow 24-21 victory over the Seahawks, the AFC East is now up for grabs with all three teams sitting at 8-5.

If the season ended today, the Jets would still claim first place because they have the best division record at 3-1. But they currently have the same conference record as the Dolphins do at 6-4 and the Jets still have to play Miami and Buffalo, although both games are at home.

Even though they’re still technically in the best shape, the Jets have just suffered two ugly defeats. Miami has won six of their last seven games and arguably has the easiest remaining schedule as they host the 49ers next week before finishing at the Chiefs and Jets to end the season. New England’s remaining schedule isn’t too daunting either, as the Pats travel to Oakland next week, host the Cardinals in Week 16 and end the season at Buffalo.

It’s amazing to think that this division is so wide open given that just three weeks ago many were talking about the Jets being a possible Super Bowl contender after they beat the Titans. Granted, all of that talk was incredibly premature, but it’s crazy to think that a Tom Brady-less Patriots and a Dolphins team coming off a 1-15 season have just as much of a chance to win the division as a Jets team that looked like world beaters just two weeks ago.

Comment fodder: Who wins the division? None of the three teams have a very difficult schedule, so it might come down to home field advantage. The Jets have two more home games left, while the Pats and Dolphins each have one apiece. I still think New York wins the AFC East, but it’s going to be interesting over the next three weeks.

Coming off two 400-plus yard passing games, the mainstream media was ready to crown Matt Cassel MVP of the world and anoint him the next Tom Brady. But as the Pittsburgh Steelers proved in their 33-10 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, maybe everyone should relax and let the rest of the season plays out before we start getting Cassel’s bust ready for Canton.

Cassel was just 19 of 39 for 169 yards and turned the ball over four times in the second half, which aided Pittsburgh in scoring 30 unanswered points. I’m not suggesting that Cassel’s previous two games were flukes (he isn’t the only quarterback who Pittsburgh has made look silly over the years), but again, let’s wait until he beats more tough defenses before saying he’s the second coming of Tom Brady.

This was an impressive win by the Steelers, although Cassel served up plenty of scoring opportunities with his turnoveritis. Still, Pittsburgh continues to win despite issues on the offensive line, and it’s a credit to Mike Tomlin and Dick Lebeau for coming up with outstanding defensive schemes week in and week out.

With everyone concentrating on the Titans and Jets this season, the Steelers are one of those teams flying under the radar in the AFC. They have a fantastic matchup coming up with the Ravens in two weeks.

RealClearSports.com ranks the top 10 seasons by a backup quarterback.

#3 Tom Brady, 2001 New England Patriots

Patriots 2001 Record Without Brady as Starter: 0-2

Patriots 2001 Record With Brady as Starter: 14-3

By now everyone’s heard the story: split time with Drew Henson while at Michigan, selected by the Patriots with the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, took over for Drew Bledsoe in Week 2 of the 2001 campaign, went 11-3 the rest of the regular season, pulled off the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, was named the MVP in that game and now, seven years later, he has three rings, a league MVP award and is dating a supermodel.

#1 Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams

Rams Before Warner: 4-12 in 1998

Rams 1999 Record With Warner as Starter: 16-3

In 1998, Kurt Warner was signed by the Rams and was sent to NFL Europe. In 1999 he was brought in as the backup to Trent Green. But when Green was injured in the third preseason game, Warner had to step in. No one gave the Rams a shot with a 28-year-old quarterback who had never taken a snap in the NFL. But Warner and the Rams surprised everyone with their “Greatest Show On Turf�. It took Warner no time to get acclimated to the system. He became the first quarterback to throw for 3 touchdowns in each of his first three NFL games. Warner won the NFL MVP that year as he threw for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns. In Super Bowl XXXIV Warner threw for a Super Bowl record 414 yards as the Rams beat the Titans, 23-16, and Warner was named the MVP.

The reason the site did this piece was because of Matt Cassel, who currently has the Pats at 6-3.

The NFL is mixed bag of emotions every week in terms of how teams play from Sunday to Sunday, but it’s fair to at least take an early look at the contenders and pretenders.

Below is a midseason power ranking of all 32 teams. Along with a ranking, each team gets slapped with a “contender,� “pretender,� or “What time does April’s draft start?� label as well.

We’re heading into Week 9. I fully expect that these rankings will mean absolutely nothing by Week 10, but screw it – let’s have some fun.

Midseason Power Rankings

1. Tennessee Titans (6-0)
It’s kind of hard not to rank the only undefeated team left in the NFL at the No. 1 spot, but the Titans also deserve it. Their offense isn’t flashy outside of Rookie of the Year Candidate RB Chris Johnson, but QB Kerry Collins has provided enough savvy veteran play to allow the defense to win ballgames. And speaking of the defense, it might be the most clutch unit in the NFL season.
Midseason Status: Contender

2. New York Giants (6-1)
What the hell happened in Cleveland two weeks ago? Eli Manning looked like…well…he looked like Eli Manning pre-postseason 2007 and the defense clearly had no idea how to stop Derek Anderson and that high-powered Browns’ offense (read the sarcasm please). Still, the defending champs have four things going for them right now that make them the best team in the NFL: A quarterback, a running game, a defense that gets after the quarterback and they can win on the road.
Midseason Status: Contender

3. New England Patriots (5-2)
People are just going to think I’m putting the Pats this high because they’re the Pats. But the reason why I’m putting the Pats this high is because Bill Belichick is on a mission to prove people wrong. And once he sets his sites on proving people wrong, nothing can stop him. Not even Tom Brady on the sideline.
Midseason Status: Contender

4. Carolina Panthers (6-2)
Their win against Arizona in Week 8 was unimpressive to say the least, but good teams find ways to win even when they don’t play that well. I think this team has a ton of fraud in them, but it’s hard to argue with how well the defense is playing and how much of a different team they are with Jake Delhomme under center. If they can keep running the ball as well as they have, Carolina will win the NFC South.
Midseason Status: Contender

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
The Steelers should have beaten the Giants last Sunday – plain and simple. They had control of the game but a botched snap and some failed protection for Ben Roethlisberger cost them a win. I still think the offensive line is going to be an issue all season, but every time you think Pittsburgh is going to take a step back and start stumbling, they prove that they can win tight games with key players on the sidelines.
Midseason Status: Contender

Forbes.com complied a list of the worst NFL choke jobs of all time.

Super Bowl XLII
New England finished the 2007 season with the league’s first-ever 16-0 regular-season record. Quarterback Tom Brady threw 50 touchdowns and receiver Randy Moss caught 23 of them–both league bests–to help the Patriots score a record 582 points. But despite their seasonal excellence, the Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII by three points to the underdog New York Giants. With most of the scoring in the fourth quarter, the Giants’ Plaxico Burress caught a 13-yard pass from Eli Manning for the final score of the 17-14 game.

The Comeback
In 1993, the Houston Oilers choked so badly the game got its own nickname. “The Comeback” saw the Buffalo Bills recover from a 35-3 deficit in the third quarter to beat the Oilers in overtime. True to its name, the 32-point comeback remains the biggest in NFL history. The Oilers management fired the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach the next day.

Super Bowl XXV
In 1991, near the close of Super Bowl XXV, the Buffalo Bills trailed the New York Giants 20-19. A two-minute drive down the field by Bills quarterback Jim Kelly had set up kicker Scott Norwood for a 47-yard field goal attempt. Norwood kicked it wide right, lost the game and became the only kicker in history to have missed a last-second field goal when a Super Bowl was on the line.

Usually we as fans think about what a great win it was for the Giants in last year’s Super Bowl, or what an amazing comeback it was for the Bills in ’93. But you forget that you can go the other way with it too and note how bad the Pats choked after a 16-0 season or how the Oilers couldn’t hold onto a 35-3 lead. It’s kind of interesting to think about.

The New England Patriots are apparently unhappy with what doctors quarterback Tom Brady has chosen to do his knee surgery.

The Patriots, as an organization, are upset with the situation because they were clear that they wanted Brady’s surgery done under the direction of doctors of their choosing in Boston, sources told ESPN.

Instead, Brady opted to have the surgery in California by a doctor his family preferred, and now there are major problems. Brady was supposed to be back in New England by now, but a timeline for his return remains unclear.

According to the Herald, Brady is on a six-week course of intravenously administered antibiotics, and is still having follow-up exams at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles, where the surgery took place.

If the infection is not brought under control, the patellar tendon graft used to replace Brady’s anterior cruciate ligament could become compromised, according to the Herald’s report. If that happens, he will have to undergo another surgery on the ACL. That would reset the clock on his rehabilitation.

Two schools of thought:

1. The Patriots are paying Brady millions of dollars and therefore, almost have the right to tell him what doctors should be operating on his $60 million knee.

2. It’s Brady’s knee. If he wants the operation to be done by Bert and Ernie, than he has every right to get his ass down to Sesame Street whenever he damn well pleases.

Either way, this isn’t good that every week it seems he’s have more “clean up� procedures done. This has to be absolutely freaking out the Patriots.

For those of you who sat through the Patriots’ 41-7 massacre of the Broncos on Monday night, you may have witnessed a man on a mission.

This man is out to prove a point. This man wants doubters to eat their words. This man wants to destroy everything and everyone in his path, including those he refers to as friends.

That man is none other than Bill Belichick.

No doubt pissed off at not only his team’s effort in a nationally televised beat down in San Diego on Sunday Night Football two weeks ago, but also everyone who has said anything even remotely negative about him or the Patriots, Belichick decided to personally destroy Mike Shanahan (a so-called friend) and the Broncos on Monday night.

At one point during the game, New England had a comfortable 34-7 fourth quarter lead, but apparently that wasn’t enough for Belichick. So he instructed Matt Cassel to run the no-huddle just to stick it to anyone that has deemed the Pats dead without Tom Brady. New England eventually capped the rout with a go-F-yourself-world-touchdown with less than five minutes remaining to go up 41-7.

Now, I have no problem with Belichick running the no-huddle. And if Shanahan or the Broncos players had an issue with it, than maybe they should learn to freaking tackle somebody instead of trying to play touch football with their opponents.

But it’s laughable that the ESPN announcers suggested that Belichick just wanted to get Cassel more experience running the no-huddle. That might have been true on the surface, but deep down the real reason Belichick did it is because he wants everyone to know that the Patriots are still here. They’re not going anywhere and they’re still one of the elite teams in the AFC – even without Brady.

Bill Belichick is on a mission again folks, and the Denver Broncos were just the first victim. Hide the women and children.

Usually sacks are kept track of statistically by the guys who are the sacker, not the sack-ee. In today’s NFL, that means guys like Aaron Kampman, John Abraham and Justin Tuck. But when you think about it, that’s a lot of punishment on the guys who are being brought down to the ground, usually with 300 pounds or more on top of them. Ouch. Here is a list of the active leaders in the “sacked� department:

1. Brett Favre, New York Jets (451)—Well, if you play the game long enough, this is sure to happen, right? Still, Favre paid the price in 1996, the year he led the Packers to a Super Bowl title, hitting the ground a career high 40 times.

2. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles (309)—In a full season, McNabb is typically brought down 35-40 times, and mainly because he’s mobile, meaning he’s being chased. Still, I bet he’s still seeing stars from that game last season in which the Giants sacked him 12 times.

3. Kerry Collins, Tennessee Titans (306)—At 36, this is another example of longevity. But when you hang in the pocket for as long as Collins does sometimes, this is bound to happen.

4. Jon Kitna, Detroit Lions (302)—Kitna played a few years in Seattle and a few years in Cincinnati before signing with Detroit before the 2006 season. He was welcomed with a sieve for an offensive line, taking 63 sacks in 2006 and 51 in 2007. Again, ouch.

5. David Carr, New York Giants (262)—Here is where this gets a little painful even to write about. David Carr has only been in the NFL since 2002, the first year of the expansion Houston Texans. That year, Carr broke an NFL record by being sacked 76 times. With 249 total sacks in 5 seasons, Carr has enjoyed the view from the sidelines in Carolina and now in New York (Giants), as a backup.

6. Trent Green, St. Louis Rams (255)—And we wonder why the guy has struggled to get on the field due to concussions. This is one of those sad truths about playing in the NFL.

7. Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks (237)—Chunky Soup sure doesn’t help Hasselbeck or McNabb get away from a pass rush.

8. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals (223)—Fantasy owners don’t care about this number. They only care about the Arena League type numbers Warner keeps putting up, even now at the age of 37.

9. Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams (215)—It’s a sure sign that the mighty Rams have fallen when a guy like Bulger hits the ground 49 times, as he did in 2006.

10. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (203)—The only one that New England fans remember is number 203, the one that knocked Mr. Brady out for the 2008 season in the opener last month.

Source: Pro Football Reference

It was amazing to watch the Patriots play the Chargers on Sunday night. New England is a completely different team without Tom Brady under center. And while that’s not an earth-shattering revelation, it’s something that shouldn’t be downplayed as much as it has at this point in the season.

This was a team that went 16-0 last year and outside of a few close calls, it steamrolled opponents on a weekly basis. Had they beaten the Giants in the Super Bowl, an argument could have been made that the 2007 New England Patriots were the greatest team in NFL history.

But as evidence by San Diego’s 30-10 rout on Sunday night, the Patriots are falling incredibly fast from their high perch. Even at 3-2, they’re not true postseason contenders. Not with Matt Cassel under center. And that’s not a knock on Cassel per se – it’s just reality. He’s an inexperienced player trying to lead an experienced team that is so used to having their quarterback know where he’s going to throw on every play and relying on him to make plays when things go haywire.

Without Brady, teams don’t fear the Patriots like they did last year. They don’t respect they’re swagger anymore and with each loss, you know Randy Moss is itching closer and closer to tanking it. It appears that not even Bill Belichick can save this team and it’s hard to hold that against him considering he doesn’t have his quarterback.

New England’s players and coaches have done a nice job trying to convince everybody that they’re fine without Brady – that they can win just as they did last year. But with Denver, Indianapolis, Buffalo and the Jets coming up over the next month and a half, the Patriots have a tough road to stay in the playoff hunt. Save for a Matt Cassel breakout performance, this team is in major trouble. And it’s amazing how fast a team can fall from grace after losing just one player. Even if that player is Tom Brady.

Irrelevant side note that means nothing: It was funny to hear Al Michaels essentially make a reference to gambling at the end of the game. The Patriots called a timeout so that they could run one more play in the red zone with two seconds remaining and while the game was already in the books with the Chargers up 30-10, Michaels noted that, “there are a few people very interested in this play here.�

Michaels said that because the over/under on the game was 45. Had the Patriots scored a touchdown, the total would have gone over. The only reason why his comments were interesting because the media is usually so hush-hush about the world of gambling. Maybe Al had some T.J. Duckett’s riding on the under? Al…you dog you.

Need something to do besides those TPS reports that are due Friday by Noon? SPORTSNET.ca has compiled a photo gallery of all the hot wives/girlfriends of professional athletes and asks you to rank them 1-14.

Here are some of the candidates for your ranking pleasure:

Jessica Simpson (Girlfriend of Tony Romo)
Brandi Garnett (Wife of Kevin Garnett)
Gisele Bundchen (Girlfriend of Tom Brady)
Elisa Cuthbert (Girlfriend of Dion Phaneuf)
Brooklyn Decker (Fiancée of Andy Roddick)
Hillary Duff (Girlfriend of Mike Comrie)
Carmella Decesare (Wife of Jeff Garcia)
Rachel Hunter (Fiancée of Jarret Stoll)
Ashley Judd (Wife of Dario Franchitti)
Kim Kardashian (Girlfriend of Reggie Bush)
Adrianna Lima (Girlfriend of Mario Jaric)
Eva Longoria (Wife of Tony Parker)

I went to vote but then I got lost in Carmella Decesare’s brea…personality.

Is the AFC still the NFL’s dominant conference? Probably not. The reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants reside in the NFC. Two of the AFC’s best players (New England Patriots QB Tom Brady, San Diego Chargers LB Shawne Merriman) are lost for the entire season. And the NFC is 4-2 vs. the AFC in interconference play after two weeks of the season.

The NFC has not had a winning record against the AFC since 1995. Last season, the conferences were even (32-32) in head-to-head competition for the first time since 2001. And entering last season’s Super Bowl, the AFC had won six of the last seven title games.

Improved offensive play is a big reason why the NFC is flourishing once again, as 13 of the 16 NFC teams are averaging 20 or more points per game this season. A few star players in the conference have successfully returned from injury this season. Donovan McKnabb is healthy, rejuvenated, and the Philadelphia Eagles are once again one of the top scoring teams in the league. And Jake Delhomme has brought his signature enthusiasm and gunslinger personality back to the undefeated Carolina Panthers after missing all of last season due to ligament-replacement surgery in his right elbow.

Scoring has been a staple in the AFC, thanks largely to the play of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Historically, the AFC has always been considered “the conference of the quarterback, “and on most Sundays they will have more first-round starting quarterbacks than their NFC rivals. But Brady’s season-ending knee injury and the struggles of Carson Palmer have hurt the QB quality in the AFC.

Typically, the NFC has been a conference that features strong defenses and solid running games. But that philosophy could be changing, as some NFC teams are copying the AFC formula: basing their success on the play from the quarterback position. The statistical numbers do not lie; Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, and Drew Brees are all having hot starts to their seasons. The passing numbers haven’t been this good in the NFC since the Kurt Warner era in St. Louis. And during this recent AFC’s domination, Brett Favre and McKnabb have been only premier quarterbacks the NFC had to offer in competition.

The supremacy of the AFC could be ending this season, as the gap seems to be closing between the two conferences. Perhaps now the NFC will get the respect it deserves.

When you think of passing touchdowns, you think guys like Peyton Manning and Brett Favre and Tom Brady, right? Who else do you think of? Hmm, you have to knock your head a bit, don’t you? Well, we’ve come to the rescue with a list of the active Top 10 in that category…..

1. Brett Favre, New York Jets (445)—Well sure, if you start every game since 1992, you’re going to put up numbers like this. But it’s not all longevity—because Number 4 has had 30 or more TD passes in eight different seasons. And by now, we forgive him for that yes-no-yes-no-yes-no-yes act of this past summer.

2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts (308)—If he stays healthy, there’s no reason to believe that Manning won’t eventually pass Favre. Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne don’t hurt his game, but Manning could complete passes to you and me if he had to.

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (197)—Brady is out for 2008 after breaking Manning’s NFL single-season record in 2007 with 50 TD passes. But it wasn’t like Brady was a slouch before that—his only season with less than 23 TD passes was 2001, the year he took over for Drew Bledsoe.

4. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles (175)—McNabb never seems to be 100% healthy, but regardless, he still manages to have huge games frequently. Well, at least when Osi Umenyiora isn’t knocking him down six times in a game.

5. Kerry Collins, Tennessee Titans (175)—Collins might have his best chance ever of winning a Super Bowl ring this season, as he has taken over for the mentally and physically injured Vince Young. We won’t even count that debacle with the Giants against Baltimore in 2001.

6. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals (156)—When you look at the big picture, it’s a wonder that robo-Warner doesn’t have twice as many TD passes. But injuries and backup status with various teams has contributed to that fact. Now, at 37, he’s the starter again in Arizona and flinging balls all over the field.

7. Jon Kitna, Detroit Lions (151)—Forget about the fact that Kitna plays for the hapless Lions. He had 23 TDs with Seattle in 1999 and 26 with the Bengals in 2003. He’s no pretender.

8. Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Bucs (150)—No matter what kind of numbers he puts up or what kind of leadership he displays on the field, Jeff Garcia seems to earn zero respect.

9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks (143)—Is Matt Hasselbeck really only 33? He’s dealt with injury, but he’s shown that he’s a better QB when he has a decent running game to complement the passing attack.

10. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (138)—In any season in which Brees started all or almost every game, he’s never had less than 24 touchdown passes. The guy is a solid QB—but more than that, he’s a very smart and talented football player.

Source: Pro Football Reference

Have you noticed people on the streets lately with more spring in their step, exchanging high-fives with one another, or smiling in your direction? No, they’re not trying to flirt with you. They’re probably a fan of an AFC team that doesn’t play in New England.

A story came out this week that George Lampman was taking advantage of the season-ending injury suffered by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to earn some money. He owns a silk-screening printing company in Pittsburgh and decided to unveil a t-shirt lauding Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard’s hit on Brady that knocked him out for the year. For $19.99, you can become an honorary member of the Pollard fan club with a commemorative t-shirt.

Not so fast football fans. Do not plan a traditional Irish funeral just yet for the Patriots. No need to sprinkle dirt over the casket and raise your glass in honor to of the end of their legacy. It’s too early to count the Pats out of the hunt for the Super Bowl.

We have talked ad nauseam about the impact of Brady’s injury on the balance of power in the AFC, but I can give three reasons not to give up on the Patriots just yet: Bill Belichick, the offense, and their schedule.

Coach Belichick is masterful in managing games on both sides of the ball and should be able to create a game plan to mi