Vikings running back Adrian Peterson missed practice on Friday because of an illness. He is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears. "It's a concern today. He's sick, but that's it," Minnesota coach Brad Childress said.

The scoreboard is where games are officially won and lost, but they are largely decided by the team that wins the battles of yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards lost, first downs, and turnovers. For this reason, I created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which team truly controls the game: (2x Yards per pass) + (2x Yards per carry) + (.5 First downs) - (Penalty yards/10) - (2.5 Turnovers) - (Opposing Team's Trench Counter) Click here for more information on the Trench Counter For the 2009 season, our weekly team rankings will be based solely off this formula. 1. New Orleans Saints: 10.7 After a one week intermission, the Saints have reclaimed the top spot with their 38-7 (+16.4 Trench Counter) thrashing of the Buccaneers. The Saints rushed for 183 yards and two Mike Bell touchdowns while keeping rookie Josh Freeman to a 33.1 passer rating day. 2. Indianapolis Colts: 9.6 I love the balance of the Colts air game these days; Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne and Tom Santi each had 80 or more yards on Sunday. That trio of course doesn't include Dallas Clark, who was held by the Baltimore linebackers to his lowest reception output (one reception) since Opening Night of 2008 against Chicago. He did, however, score a touchdown with that lone reception. 3. New England Patriots: 9.0 The Jets neutralized Randy Moss again on Sunday, but having Wes Welker healthy in the rematch made all the difference, as he caught 15 balls for 192 yards. He is projected to finish the season with an astonishing 126 receptions. 4. Minnesota Vikings: 7.2 Brett Favre had a near perfect, 22-for-25, four TD, zero interception day, but somehow his 141.7 passer rating wasn't as good as Tavaris Jackson's 144.3 during his own eight attempts. While Adrian Peterson rushed for a pedestrian 82 yards on 24 carries, Minnesota's defense held Justin Forsett to nine yards on nine carries. 5. Green Bay Packers: 7.2 With Sunday's win, the Packers improved to 3-0 when Greg Jennings has over 100 yards receiving. 6. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6.8 Super Bowl teams don't lose to the Chiefs under any circumstances, but there were enough flukish occurrences to excuse the loss. Hines Ward finished with over 100 yards for the fourth time this season and 24th for his career; the veteran receiver has never had five 100 yard games in a single season. 7. New York Giants: 4.4 The difference between the 2009 Giants and the 2008 edition continues to be on the ground, where they averaged just 2.4 yards per rush on Sunday and were fortunately bailed out by Eli Manning's 384 yards. 8. San Diego Chargers: 4.4 The Chargers have now won five in a row since the 23-34 loss at home on Monday night to Denver in Week 6. They host Kansas City this week and then travel to Cleveland the next, which should assure them of traveling to Dallas in an attempt to extend the streak in Week 14 to eight games. 9. Cincinnati Bengals: 3.5 Bernard Scott filled in very well for the injured Cedric Benson, rushing for 119 yards on 21 carries (5.7 average), but the Bengals gave up 10 points in just a matter of seconds in the 4th quarter. Cincinnati is now 0-10 while playing in Oakland. 10. Philadelphia Eagles: 3.3 LeSean McCoy proved himself to be more than adequate in replacing Brian Westbrook, rushing for a career high 99 yards during his second 20 rushing attempt game. 11. Dallas Cowboys: 3.3 The Cowboys were just 3-for-11 on 3rd down, while allowing Washington to convert seven of their 15 opportunities. Dallas is ranked 17th in 3rd down percentage this season, down from their ninth rank showing in 2008. They are ranked 12th defensively in 3rd down situations, which isn't too significantly off of their eighth ranked finish a season ago. 12. Baltimore Ravens: 2.5 The Ravens returned the Colts ground game to the anemic 3.0 yards per rush version, but they gave up 9.6 yards per Peyton Manning pass (in spite of the two interceptions). Most importantly, the Ravens went 0-for-4 in the red zone. 13. Denver Broncos: 1.7 Denver is just barely hanging on the positive side of the Trench Counter. The Broncos rushed for 6.8 yards per carry against San Diego, but were 0-for-4 in the red zone and were -3 in turnover differential. 14. Arizona Cardinals: 1.6 The Cardinals suddenly have a potent running game, which will be an invaluable element they were missing in the playoffs last season. Tim Hightower and Benie Wells rushed for 110 yards and 74 yards respectively, while the team combined for a 6.1 yards per carry average. 15. Houston Texans: 1.6 The Texans desperately needed a win in their rare national television appearance on Monday, but were undone by LenDale White's second touchdown of the season and two 50-yarders from Rob Bironas. 16. Jacksonville Jaguars: 0.7 With three consecutive victories, the Jaguars now are in second place all by themselves behind the Colts in the AFC South despite a -36 season point differential. 17. San Francisco 49ers: 0.0 I don't believe it is necessarily a coincidence as much as a symptom of playing behind, but Veron Davis has scored seven of his eight touchdowns and 470 of his 601 yards during San Francisco losses. 18. Miami Dolphins: -0.1 This third act of Ricky Williams' career has been nothing short of extraordinary. He is rushing for a 5.3 yards per carry average, which beats out his 4.8 per carry average when he led the NFL in yards with 1,853 during the 2002 season. 19. Atlanta Falcons: -0.3 With Michael Turner shelved, Matt Ryan kept Atlanta in the game and took care of the ball for the first time since Week 3 by not throwing a single interception. 20. Washington Redskins: -0.5 The Redskins will limp out the rest of the season, or at least the next week or so with Rock Cartwight getting carries at running back. He averaged a respectable 5.2 yards per carry and also caught seven balls for 73 yards in Washington's loss at Dallas on Sunday. 21. New York Jets: -1.5 Thomas Jones rushed for 421 yards and five TDs on 74 attempts in October, while behind held to 282 yards and one TD on 69 November attempts. 22. Seattle Seahawks: -1.9 I have continuously liked Seattle as a sleeper, but they realistically needed to get a win either at Arizona or Minnesota (more importantly Arizona because of the potential NFC West tiebreaker) to have a realistic playoff shot. They could very conceivably run the table over their final six (at St. Louis, 49ers, at Houston, Buccaneers, at Green Bay, Titans) and finish 9-7, but they would need a ton of help from the teams who play Arizona including Detroit in Week 15 and St. Louis in Week 16. 23: Carolina Panthers: -2.4 DeAngelo Williams continued another late season surge by rushing for a season-best 9.4 yards per carry, but the Panthers still lost 17-24 to Miami at home. 24. Buffalo Bills: -2.4 The Bills had to travel to a sparse Jacksonville Stadium to get their first legitimate Terrell Owens spotting, as the receiver caught nine balls for 197 yards including a 98-yard TD. 25. Chicago Bears: -2.7 Matt Forte's sophomore struggles remain ubiquitous, particularly in light of Kahlil Bell's 81 yards on four carries. 26. Tennessee Titans: -4.9 Vince Young now has a 95.5 passer rating during the month of November, all wins for Tennessee. 27. Kansas City Chiefs: -5.1 Despite the Dwayne Bowe suspension, Matt Cassel had his best game in a Kansas City uniform in Sunday's overtime win over Pittsburgh, finishing with a 100.4 passer rating. 28. Detroit Lions: -8.6 Matthew Stafford had his first 100+ passer rating game in Sunday's thrilling victory against Cleveland. He is now 2-6 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. 29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -8.8 With Tampa Bay's decision to fire defensive coordinator Jim Bates, they have hired and fired coordinators on both sides of the ball since September. Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik will need to begin making lasting decisions if they want to stick around long term. 30. St. Louis Rams: -9.8 Steven Jackson continues to perform admirably for a Rams team going nowhere fast; he extended his 100-yard game streak to four in Sunday's 21-13 loss to Arizona. Jackson must feel a lot like Russell Hammond when he looks around that St. Louis locker room. 31. Oakland Raiders: -13.4 Bruce Gradkowski won't win any style points, but his 73.5 passer rating kept the Raiders in the game to setup their miraculous comeback victory over the Bengals. Two of Oakland's three victories have come against likely playoff teams. 32. Cleveland Browns: -15.1 Whether Brady Quinn is dating Alica Sacramone or can take a punch better than Jimmy Clausen, I'm not entirely sure, but he did have an excellent 21-for-33, 304 yards, four TD, zero interception game on Sunday, albeit against a porous Detroit defense.

$.01 -- The early games produced quite a few thrilling finishes, none more surprising than the Chiefs' shocking overtime upset of the Steelers. I've been a frequent critic of both quarterback Matt Cassel and coach Todd Haley, but both were on top of their respective games on Sunday. The halftime adjustments Haley made to the offense, which did nothing at all in the first half, fundamentally changed how Pittsburgh's defense played them, effectively neutering the Steelers' attacking ways. Cassel showed great footwork and nice touch, holding the safeties with his eyes and delivering strikes in the face of pressure. You can see the Chiefs growing into something respectable, getting legit NFL contributions from what many believe are just marginal NFL players -- see Andy Studebaker's long interception return or Lance Long's great 30-yard catch. They still are no threat to challenge for the AFC West yet, but they're a lot closer now than they were six weeks ago. Props to Haley for not giving up on his team and to Cassel for rebounding from a dreadful first half to lead his team to a stunning upset, one that leaves the defending champs in real danger of missing the playoffs, especially if Big Ben's bell is rung as bad as it looked. Note to Mike Tomlin: you just might want to use some more proven defenders on kick coverage units. $.02 -- Brett Favre was almost perfect, as was the Minnesota defense in their 35-9 pounding of Seattle that wasn't nearly that close of a contest. Normally playing from behind means a team racks up yards, if not points, but Seattle could muster just eight first downs and four rushing yards on 12 carries -- one of which gained nine yards. Matt Hasselbeck completed a lot of passes, but the Vikings quickly squelched any running and eliminated the downfield looks. A lot of fans don't enjoy one-sided bombardments, but I must say it's also a real treat to watch a finely oiled machine firing on all cylinders. Minnesota had every facet of the game working in near perfect rhythm. Even Tarvaris Jackson put up a 144.3 quarterback rating in his quarter of relief, actually besting Favre's rating. It reminded me of watching the Showtime Lakers running the floor, hitting shots from all over the frontcourt while the other team struggled to chuck something up before the shot clock expired. $.03 -- In a game that virtually nobody saw, either on TV or in person, Cleveland and Detroit played an entertaining shootout. It's impossible for Detroit to take much from the victory other than two things. First, they're moving in the right direction and learning how to win, but they're still a long ways away from beating anyone that's any good at all. Cleveland's heretofore moribund offense lit them up, and it took a controversial (but correct) pass interference call to keep the game alive and put the Lions in position to win. Second, Matt Stafford is a legit franchise quarterback. For the second week in a row, Stafford won over a bar full of skeptical, hardened Lions fans with his toughness, composure, and leadership. The rookie threw the winning touchdown one play after getting rocked on his desperation heave, unable to lift his left arm above his shoulder. As one Lions fan proclaimed, "We haven't had a quarterback that would come back after a hit like that since, uh, forever." As for the Browns, don't get too excited over Brady Quinn quadrupling his normal output. Detroit's atrocious secondary was far more responsible for Cleveland's big day than anything the Browns did most of the day. The Browns have some defensive problems of their own, namely some continuing breakdowns and lack of communication between the safeties and corners. They just exhibit the body language and demeanor of a unit with no respect for themselves or their coach, and major changes need to happen. $.04 -- New Orleans bounced back from their surprising struggle with the lowly Rams last week, putting a whipping on the lowlier Bucs. I must admit I thought they might be in trouble after Tampa Bay jumped to an early lead (great throw, Josh Freeman!), but the Saints responded like a great team should. Once again, the Saints won without having Drew Brees have an awesome day. Sure he threw for three touchdowns, but the Saints rushed for nearly as many yards (183) as Brees netted passing (187). Three more sacks, three more interceptions, consistently good coverage and almost no YAC allowed -- the New Orleans defense more than held their own. The good folks at Football Outsiders like to hammer home the point that blowing out inferior opponents is a better sign of a great team than winning a lot of close games. Give the Saints the checkmark for greatness. $.05 -- San Diego seized the day, and the AFC West, by humiliating Denver 32-3. The Chargers have won five in a row and look better every week, while the Broncos degenerated into a punchless, penalty-plagued group that could do almost nothing right in dropping their fourth in a row. Chris Simms (rightly) got the quick hook, but that didn't solve their myriad problems. Knowshon Moreno's red zone fumble produced the only positive that Broncos fans could possibly glean from this abomination: Brandon Marshall, team leader. His firebrand intensity stood out amongst a sea of apathetic long faces, and his in-your-face confrontation with Moreno following the hard-luck fumble was the only pulse any Bronco showed all day. This Denver ship is sinking fast and hard, but you cannot blame Brandon Marshall. $.06 -- Don't look now, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are currently the #5 seed in the AFC playoff race. Winners of three in a row, the Jaguars have to be the most unassuming potential playoff team in recent memory. But don't bet against them making it either; they essentially control their own fate with home games against Houston and Miami in Week 13 and 14. Win those two and then take care of business in Cleveland in the finale and they might not even need to win any other games. That's a good thing for the Jaguars, who have won those three in a row by a total of eight points, all against non-playoff teams. Hey, it might be winning ugly, but it's still winning... $.07 -- Five quick hits: 1. There are growing whispers that Antonio Pierce has played his last game for the Giants. That's almost certainly true if they fail to make the playoffs. They will be able to replace him on the field -- his coverage is terrible and he's not as quick as he used to be -- but they'll sorely miss his leadership, signal-calling, and film breakdown. 2. They could not be more physically different, but every time I hear Perry Fewell mentioned as the Bills coach, I cannot help but think of alt-rocker Perry Farrell. Jane says he's going down the mountain to Lollapalooza. 3. Little in life is more humiliating than having to eat your words before they're even on the plate yet. I did a podcast last Thursday where we lauded the Panthers, even going so far as to give them a real good chance to make the playoffs. Less than four hours later, there was Ricky Williams making me and my compatriots look asinine. Yet another reason why I do not gamble on football. 4. As much as Cowboys fans are going to complain about the ugliness of their victory over the Redskins, you have to give them this: these are the types of games that Tony Romo has seldom won. And props to me for nailing the prediction that Sean Suisham's lack of clutch kicking would cost the Ethnic Slurs. 5. Somebody please teach Mark Sanchez how to throw the ball away before Jets fans break his arm on purpose, rather than watch him toss even more ridiculously awful interceptions. $.08 -- Non-football thought of the week: I'm not a patient person, certainly not enough of one to camp out to stand in line for pretty much anything. So it really astonished me this past week when two separate events drew major lines and overnight campers. The first was for Sarah Palin's first book signing in Grand Rapids, MI, where a crowd estimated at 600 people started to form a line at 8PM the night before a 6PM event. That's right, people actually waited 22 hours in 45 degree weather to get a book signed and a 10-second interaction with Ms. Palin. The other event of mass hysteria was something called "New Moon," which is apparently an extraordinarily popular book made into a movie, though I'd never heard of it. Throngs of women staked out spots in theaters for midnight showings, many of them going back for more. And more, as a local radio station interviewed three 30-something hausfraus that hadn't left the theater since four hours before the first midnight showing. This interview took place at 4:30 PM the next afternoon. Regardless of your political leanings or obsessive fandom, I just cannot fathom standing in line for 22 hours to meet anyone. Nor can I understand the need to jump with the lemmings and fanboys to see the premiere showing of anything. I have actually done it once; back in 1988 I camped overnight, then cut the first half of school the next day to score Guns N Roses tickets. Perhaps I learned my lesson from it, as the concert was lousy. Axl was not sharp, Steven Adler couldn't keep the rhythm, and some pothead threw up spaghetti-o's on my shoes. $.09 -- 5 College Quickies: 1. Who would ever have thought that a game between Temple and Ohio would be for a conference championship and a better bowl berth? That's the case for Friday's tilt. Normally I would pull for the perennially downtrodden Owls, but in my six years in Athens the Bobcats won exactly seven D-1A games, five of them in my last year. Go Ohio! 2. Here in Michigan there is much coveting of LSU coach Les Miles to take over the beleaguered Wolverine program. I hope Michigan fans caught Miles' complete botching of the final 40 seconds of the LSU/Ole Miss game before they get their hopes too high. That inexcusable clock mismanagement likely cost the Tigers millions, as they fall from a second-tier bowl in Florida to a minor Christmas-week bowl in a remote locale, likely against a non-BCS conference school that will treat the game like the biggest ever for its program. 3. Speaking of lower tier bowls, one of those is poised to hit the jackpot: Oklahoma vs. USC. I can see the hype now ... the best game ever between a 6-6 team and a 7-5 team that both started the season in the top five! 4. With the SEC now proven to be no better below Florida and Alabama than any other conference, I'd think long and hard about giving the Florida/Alabama loser an at-large BCS bowl berth, especially if it's the Gators. Florida will be the only SEC East team with more than six wins over FCS schools, yet they barely eked out wins over Tennessee and South Carolina and needed divine intervention from the refs to beat an Arkansas team that wasn't even close to beating any other ranked teams. Boise State might play a cupcake schedule too, but at least they're always impressive in victory. 5. It's unlikely Al Groh survives another major disappointment at Virginia, which means a chance for an up-and-comer to transform the Hoos into the next Cincinnati. UVA is a great school in a great location for recruiting the hotbeds of metro DC, Pennsylvania, and the 360 (that's Norfolk/VA Beach), and the alumni aren't shy about spending $$ to upgrade facilities or support the program. $.10 -- Scouting Report: Taylor Price, WR, Ohio University. 6'2", 210, 4.30 40. Positives: Strongly built blazer with elite speed. Decent height and he plays tall. Plays more physical than most "speed" guys, uses his hands and forearms a lot to create space. Quick burst off the line, gets to full speed quickly. Has a rare extra gear in the open field. Decent route runner, drives out of his cuts. Willing and adequate blocker. Good hands, will reach out and snatch the ball from the air. Good footwork on the sidelines, consistently sticks both feet down. Has PR/KR ability and was an exceptional punt blocker in HS. Negatives: Double-catches a lot of balls. Doesn't set up his speed well; has only one gear while running his routes. Likes to jaw and can be taken off his game with yapping, though he has improved in that area. Had a knee injury early in 2009 but appears recovered. Has not run complex route trees or lots of read routes. Must work on getting cleaner releases and staying patient against zone coverage. Not the most creative runner with the ball, just runs as fast as he can. Has a habit of leaving his feet to make the catch even when the throw is low. NFL Comparison: Jeremy Maclin/Patrick Crayton Forecast: Price is a legit blazer with good size and decent production at a mid-major program. His size/speed package will turn heads in workouts, and game film reveals a more finished product than former Bobcat Mike Mitchell, another athletic marvel who went in the 2nd round last draft. I don't expect Price to go before the top of the fourth round, but his speed means he could go as high as about #60 overall. I dig into the draft question mailbag, coming Friday. Turkey day picks will be posted early Wednesday so that I can mash some potatoes and stuff that bird! Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com

The Minnesota Vikings have extended the contract of Head Coach Brad Childress. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ?My family and I are very fortunate to be a part of the Minnesota Vikings organization,? Childress said. ?I value the opportunity to continue to lead this team over the next several years as we work toward our ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl for our passionate fans everywhere.? The Vikings have improved steadily during the four seasons Childress has led the team, winning the NFC North in 2008 and starting 8-1 in 2009. The Division title in 2008 was the first for the Vikings since 2000. During Childress? tenure, the team has been successful on and off the field, raising the level of community involvement to include every player on the roster in 2008, sending 9 different players to the Pro Bowl and having 12 different players earn NFC Player of the Week awards. Childress is in his 32nd season of coaching overall and 12th season in the NFL. ?Brad has done a tremendous job leading this football team and we value the positive environment he has created for the Minnesota Vikings on and off the field,? said Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf. ?He has continued to positively impact this team and create a strong foundation for future success.?

The Vikings and head coach Brad Childress are nearing an agreement on a contract extension, according to a source. Childress has one year left on his contract with Minnesota. He had been a maligned figure in Minnesota, but he has enjoyed success this season after successfully bringing Brett Favre out of retirement.

Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield will not play against the Lions because of an injured right foot. Winfield has missed Minnesota's last two games and was hoping to be ready coming out of the team's off week. "I've been out the last couple of days running on it, testing it," Winfield said on Friday. "It's good going forward but I still have a little problem cutting. But I would say next week I should be OK." The Vikings host the Seahawks next week.

Brett Favre is back from the Vikings' bye week, saying he believes his pulled groin will be fine, according to an Associated Press report. Favre was hurt during practice two weeks ago and aggravated the injury in pregame warmups at Green Bay on November 1. Favre said Wednesday the injury bothered him during the Packers game, but ?not as bad? as he feared it might. He says he was concerned mostly because he?d never had the problem before.

$.01--All the hubbub surrounding Brett Favre?s return to Green Bay met expectations, as the Packer legend picked apart his old team for four TDs in the Vikings road win. Favre appeared somewhat invigorated by the challenge, and his new teammates clearly wanted to help make it a triumphant return. He also proved that the departed QB has the advantage over the defense he practiced against for years, instead of said defense knowing how to blunt his attack--a very common misconception. As far as the off-field histrionics, it?s really time for Packers fans to enter the modern age. Yes, Brett Favre was a legend that delivered your beloved franchise from years of slogging in an irrelevant quagmire. Yes, Green Bay is indeed different than any other pro sports city, thanks to its small size and community feeling. But this is the 21st century, years after Michael Jordan bolted the Bulls team he rescued from similar straits and returned to face the home team with a statue of himself outside the building. The fans cheered him as if he never left. Allen Iverson, who was embraced every bit as much by Philly fanatics as Favre was in Cheeseland, pouted his way off the Sixers, yet was given a hero?s welcome upon his return. I understand that none of the local legends that changed teams late while still being perfectly viable players (Joe Montana also fits the bill) wound up on fierce divisional rivals, but the closest example of that is Marcus Allen going from the Raiders to the Chiefs. While not given a warm reception, many stood and cheered the Raider great upon his return, understanding the business aspect of the game. It was Al Davis? fault he left, not Marcus Allen?s. Green Bay fans would be wise to remember it was not Favre?s decision to leave town either. $.02--The New York Giants are in real trouble after getting pasted by the Eagles. Three losses in a row, and each loss has been progressively more ugly. Their upcoming schedule looks brutal: all of the next five opponents are above .500, which is apparently a problem for the Giants, who netted four of their five wins against teams with a combined five wins thus far. Their pass defense is inept, and new Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan appears tone deaf as to when to dial up blitzes. Their vaunted O-line has not opened holes in the run game like in years past, and Eli Manning doesn?t appear comfortable behind them anymore. It?s way too early to write off such a talented, veteran, battle-tested team, but the G-Men are already looking up in the division at the Cowboys and Eagles. Their game against Atlanta in Week 11 could very well be for the final NFC Wild Card spot. Tom Coughlin is an excellent coach, but he?s really got his work cut out for him with this group. $.03--I have been a long-time critic of 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, dating back to his Maryland days. In fact, I gained loads of credibility in scouting circles for taking the unique position that he would turn into a major NFL flop. And to this point Davis has been a far better pitchman for Under Armor than he has been football player, though that finally appears to be changing. Davis has come alive with the return of Alex Smith (another bust-in-waiting, though lots of people called that one) at quarterback. Some 49ers fans with long memories have been quick to remind me of my negativity towards Davis, but it?s misguided. Though I don?t relish being proven wrong, it never bothers me personally when a player doesn?t quit in the face of adversity and succeeds. Congratulations to you, Mr. Davis, for finally getting it together. Too bad the team isn?t responding in kind. It might be a comfort to some fans that it took a gadget halfback pass for mighty Indy to get the comeback win, but the cold reality is that San Francisco is 3-4 and quickly falling out of playoff contention after a promising start. $.04--This hyper-protection of the quarterbacks has got to change. It should absolutely be a 15-yard penalty to hit the QB in the head at any time, but why is it almost never called when an offensive lineman goes high on a blitzing LB? Or it?s not a penalty when a safety leads with his helmet into the head of a receiver? In the Detroit/St. Louis game, Julian Peterson was (rightly) flagged for striking Marc Bulger in the head. But on the very same play: Peterson was face-masked, Sammie Hill got head-slapped, Dewayne White took a forearm to the throat while being chop-blocked, and William James got flattened on an illegal pick. You cannot tell me none of the officials saw any of those infractions. If the NFL is serious about protecting its players, it must protect them all equally and not single out the quarterbacks for special attention. $.05-- Highlight of the week goes to Ravens rookie Ladarius Webb, for his touchdown return of the opening kickoff of the second half in Baltimore?s romp over previously unbeaten Denver. I joked at halftime that the Broncos had the Ravens right where they wanted them--trailing 6-0, as Denver has mastered the second half domination this year. Webb make quick work of that, essentially icing the game with his 95-yard scamper that knocked out any hope Denver had of seizing momentum and establishing their ball control offense. The Ravens sorely needed the spark, coming off a three-game losing streak and getting a bye week to stew about it. That return might very well have salvaged the season for Baltimore. $.06--With the Rams win over Detroit and Tennessee pounding Jacksonville, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now the only team without a win. That begs the question: who will they beat? A look at the remaining schedule does not show promise; the two most beatable teams, Carolina and Miami, both looked pretty good in notching impressive wins on Sunday, and Tampa must travel to both. The Bucs draw Green Bay next weekend, a Packers team coming off Favreapalooza and with major (though improving) OL issues and little run game. If they can?t pull that one off, Tampa will have all their goose eggs in one basket: the visiting New York Jets in Week 14. That battle of rookie QBs and rookie coaches is the only remaining game where the Bucs won?t be at least one touchdown underdogs, and that?s assuming the Jets don?t do better than 2-2 between now and then. Keep in mind these Bucs were 9-3 and cruising towards a playoff bye at that point last year. It can all go away very quickly. $.07--5 quickies: 1. Memo to Jack Del Rio: when you?ve got a running back with 177 yards on eight carries and a QB that is struggling, just maybe you should think about getting Mo Jones-Drew the ball a few more times, even down by two touchdowns. 2. Derek Anderson?s 1st down passing numbers over the last three games: 9-for-25, 52 yards, 2 INTs. One of the completions was a 19-yarder that Mohammad Massaquoi promptly fumbled away. If I?m Brady Quinn?s agent I am screaming at the league to look into unfair practice in keeping DA in over him. The only justification Eric Mangini has is saving the Browns from paying Quinn?s incentives, and that?s highly illegal. 3. What was the point of dredging up the allegations that Raiders coach Tom Cable might be abusive to women? If the police found no reason to back the allegations, ESPN (and others) should have accepted that and left well enough alone. Enough with the irrelevant hatchet jobs already! 4. Jairus Byrd is having one hell of an impact in Buffalo?s injury-ravaged secondary. The rookie 2nd rounder from Oregon has tied an NFL record with at least two INTs in three consecutive games. Not bad for a guy that certain high-profile draftniks openly questioned Buffalo for taking in the 2nd round. 5. Real nice to see Ted Ginn Jr. come up big for the Dolphins after a very trying week in which he lost his starting WR job and ran with the scout team. It would have been very easy for him to sulk or mentally check out. Instead, he ran back two kicks for TDs and pulled his team out of the AFC East basement. $.08--Non-football thought of the week--I used to relish Daylight Savings Time, the changing of the clocks that signified longer nights. It also used to provide me an extra hour of sleep, most often used to recover from a long Halloween night of partying or coming off the sugar buzz of eating 272 Tootsie Rolls. But now I have a 4-year old and a 13-month old, and that extra hour of sleep means nothing to them. Instead, it meant that my son charges into the bedroom at 5:45 AM, not 6:45, and my decision to relish in the moment of watching USC get whipped quickly turned into the dreaded drool of regret into the cold other side of the pillow. At least the Lions/Rams game and Browns/Bears games were both nap-worthy! $.09--5 Random College Quickies: 1. I find it fascinating that in a season of such great disparity in the NFL between the haves and have-nots, the formerly disparate college football ranks have become so muddled. There are no real elite teams this year, and the difference between the 15th-best team (say, USC) and the 65th-best team (say, Michigan State) is thinner than ever before. Parity didn?t disappear; it just dropped down from the NFL to the NCAA. 2. A season of great promise in Ann Arbor has come to a crashing thud. This Michigan team simply cannot lose to this Illinois team, certainly not 38-13 to an Illini squad that hadn?t scored half that many points against a FBS opponent this year. With the ongoing rules violations investigations, RichRod really doesn?t need a stinker like this one. 3. Don?t look now, but Duke controls its own destiny in the ACC Coastal. If they beat Georgia Tech and Miami, a Blue Devils team that got soundly beaten by Richmond could wind up in a BCS Bowl. I doubt it happens, but that it?s still possible heading into November tells you just how far Duke football has come. 4. Speaking of those Richmond Spiders, I?ve had a chance to see three of their games this year. The Spiders are ranked #1 in the FCS, and without hesitation I would estimate they could make bowl eligibility if they played in any FBS conference. They?re easily better than any team in the Sun Belt Conference. 5. If neither of them makes a BCS Bowl game, some bowl organizer would be very wise to match up Boise State and TCU on New Year?s Day. And with Oregon whipping USC, the only team to beat them--Boise State--absolutely belongs in the BCS even though the rest of the Broncos? schedule is poor. $.10-- Scouting Report--Taylor Mays, S, USC. 6?3?, 235, 4.32 (est.) 40. Positives: Incredible physical specimen with outstanding measurables for the position. Built like a linebacker with the speed and agility (in drills) of a running back. Big-time hitter. Enthusiastic in run support. Keeps the run play in front of him and excels at cleaning up the tackle. Outstanding closing speed against the run. Doesn?t get fooled by play action very often. Gets to the sideline quickly when playing single high deep. Decent, not great, ball skills; tends to play the receiver and not the ball, but he has excellent timing with his hits and uses his length well. Well-respected in the locker room and a team leader in the weight room and practice field. His father played in the NFL, good pedigree. Negatives: Much more an elite athlete than great football player at this point. Lacks the ability to flip his hips and change direction in coverage. Speed is very straight-line. Gets caught up in traffic too easily for a player of his size. Often takes poor pursuit angles and arrives a step or two later than he could against the run. Has little feel for what receivers are trying to do in routes. Prefers to hit rather than tackle. Leads with his head way too often, will take penalties and rack up fines in the NFL unless he changes his ways, not to mention the injury risk. Is used to playing much deeper at the snap than any NFL scheme deploys, must learn to make quicker decisions closer to the line. NFL Comparison: Sean Taylor, Aaron Rouse Forecast: His athleticism is off the charts and Mays has a well-earned reputation as an intimidating hitter. But his lack of instincts and stiffness are real drawbacks that get overlooked too readily. Will be a top 15 pick, but fairly high bust potential. Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com Catch me every Monday at 5:05 ET, 2:05 PT with Papa Joe Chevalier at papajoetalk.com

Vikings fullback Naufahu Tahi didn't play on Sunday because he was injured in a wrestling match with Adrian Peterson. Sources told FOX Sports of the incident. Peterson and Tahi were wrestling Saturday in the team's locker room when the fullback injured the area around his eye.

The Vikings were winners in Brett Favre's return to Lambeau Field on Sunday, highlighting the action in Week 8. We will calculate each team's Trench Counter*. Philadelphia 40, N.Y. Giants 17 Team Trench Counter: Eagles +12.1, Giants -12.1 The Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) soared to a dominant win over the New York Giants (5-3) at Lincoln Financial Field. Donovan McNabb threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns, while rookie LeSean McCoy filled in for the injured Brian Westbrook (concussion) with 82 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. McNabb hooked up with three receivers for scores -- DeSean Jackson (three catches for 78 yards), Brent Celek (four for 64) and Jeremy Maclin (four for 47). Eli Manning and the Giants struggled for the third straight week after opening the season with five straight wins. Manning went 20-for-39 with 222 yards, one touchdown and two costly interceptions. The Eagles held Brandon Jacobs to 86 yards on 20 carries while taking control of the game with a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Miami 30, N.Y. Jets 25 Team Trench Counter: Dolphins +16.4, Jets -16.4 Ted Ginn Jr. didn't make an impact as a receiver, but did plenty to lead the Miami Dolphins (3-4) past the New York Jets (4-4) on Sunday afternoon. Ginn tallied 299 return yards, while bringing two all the way back for touchdowns. Chad Henne was steady, going 12-for-21 with 112 yards and a score. The Jets limited Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown to just 54 combined yards, but Jason Taylor added to the scoring with a 48-yard fumble return for seven points. Mark Sanchez played well, throwing for 265 yards and two touchdowns, but the Jets couldn't overcome their shortcomings on special teams. Thomas Jones ran for 102 yards on 27 carries and Sanchez scrambled four times for a total of six yards and a touchdown. Tight end Dustin Keller led New York in receiving with eight catches for 76 yards and a score. After opening the season with three wins, the Jets have lost four of their last five games. Indianapolis 18, San Francisco 14 Team Trench Counter: Colts +4.2, 49ers -4.2 The Indianapolis Colts (7-0) won their 16th straight regular-season game with a narrow win over the San Francisco 49ers (3-4) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Peyton Manning didn't throw a touchdown pass, but tallied 347 yards on 31 completions. Joseph Addai, carrying the full rushing load with Donald Brown out, rushed for 62 yards and threw a touchdown strike to Reggie Wayne in the fourth quarter. Wayne had a career-high 12 catches for 147 yards in the win. Alex Smith, who was named San Francisco's starter after a strong second half in Week 7, went 19-for-32 with 198 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Frank Gore broke a 64-yard run in the first quarter that gave the 49ers a brief 7-0 lead on the road. Rookie Michael Crabtree led the team with six catches for 81 yards, while tight end Vernon Davis continued to his streak with an 8-yard touchdown reception in the second period. St. Louis 17, Detroit 10 Team Trench Counter: Rams +12, Lions -12 The St. Louis Rams (1-7) won their first game of the season over the Detroit Lions (1-6) on Sunday. Marc Bulger struggled, but kicker Josh Brown threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Fells in the second quarter. Steven Jackson was the team's offensive star. He rushed for 149 yards and a score on 22 carries against Detroit's defense. Matt Stafford, in his return from a right knee injury, had 168 passing yards and an interception. Maurice Morris (14 carries for 63 yards) and Kevin Smith (16 touches for 45 yards) did well for the Lions on the ground, but the latter left the game with a shoulder injury. Dallas 38, Seattle 17 Team Trench Counter: Cowboys +10.1, Seahawks -10.1 Tony Romo had a great afternoon as the Dallas Cowboys (5-2) kept pace with the Eagles thanks to a win over the Seattle Seahawks (2-5). Romo threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns, while Marion Barber and Felix Jones combined to rush for 92 yards and a score. Romo connected with Miles Austin (five catches for 61 yards), Sam Hurd (one for 36) and Roy Williams (two for 19) for scores. Romo completed passes to ten different receivers in the victory. Matt Hasselbeck went 22-for-39 with 249 yards and two touchdowns, but the Seahawks struggled on the ground. Julius Jones had 56 yards on 15 carries, while Edgerrin James managed just 17 yards on six touches. Nate Burleson led Seattle with six catches for 89 yards. Deion Branch and Justin Griffith were on the receiving end of Hasselbeck's touchdown tosses. Chicago 30, Cleveland 6 Team Trench Counter: Bears +22, Browns -22 The Chicago Bears (4-3) got a much-needed win over the struggling Cleveland Browns (1-7) on Sunday. Jay Cutler had 225 yards and an interception, but Matt Forte and Chicago's defense carried the bulk of the scoring load. Forte recorded 90 yards and two touchdowns, while Bears cornerback Charles Tillman returned an interception 21 yards for a score in the fourth quarter. Derek Anderson was horrid again, going 6-for-17 for 76 yards and two interceptions. Browns coach Eric Mangini did an about face once again, pulling Anderson for Brady Quinn late in the second half. He attempted just three passes. Jamal Lewis (16 carries for 69 yards), Josh Cribbs (six tries for 28 yards) and Jerome Harrison (five attempts for 19 yards) handled the rushing load for the Browns. Houston 31, Buffalo 10 Team Trench Counter: Texans +10.1, Bills -10.1 The Houston Texans (5-3) leaned on Ryan Moats in their win over the Buffalo Bills (3-5). Moats had 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns, which allowed the Texans to overcome Matt Schaub's rough afternoon. The quarterback threw two interceptions to go along with 268 yards. Andre Johnson led the team in receiving with six catches for 63 yards as they lost tight end Owen Daniels for the season with a knee injury. Ryan Fitzpatrick struggled just as much as Schaub, going 15-for-23 with 117 yards and two interceptions. Marshawn Lynch (43 yards), Terrell Owens (29 yards and a score) and Fred Jackson (28 yards) carried the ball a total of 19 times. Owens, who scored the team's only touchdown, also led the Bills in receiving with five catches for 39 yards. Baltimore 30, Denver 7 Team Trench Counter: Ravens +2.5, Broncos -2.5 The Baltimore Ravens (4-3) handed the Denver Broncos (6-1) their first loss of the season on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. It was a balanced effort as Joe Flacco had 175 passing yards and a touchdown, Ray Rice ran for 84 yards and a score and Lardarius Webb returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Kyle Orton went 23-for-37 yards with 152 yards, but he didn't find the end zone. Rookie Knowshon Moreno had 39 yards and a touchdown, but also lost a fumble. Denver surrendered 292 total yards to Baltimore after their defense guided them to six wins to begin the season. Tennessee 30, Jacksonville 13 Team Trench Counter: Titans +0.9, Jaguars -0.9 Vince Young looked good as the Tennessee Titans (1-6) recorded their first win of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) on Sunday. Young went 15-for-18 with 125 yards and a touchdown, while rushing 30 yards on 12 attempts. Chris Johnson excelled as well, rushing for 228 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Maurice Jones-Drew, who said that the Jaguars were the NFL's best team last week, had 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns to nearly match Johnson's output. However, Jones-Drew's teammates weren't able to assist him against the previously winless Titans. David Garrard went 14-for-27 with 139 yards and two interceptions. San Diego 24, Oakland 16 Team Trench Counter: Chargers +11.5, Raiders -11.5 The San Diego Chargers (4-3) had just enough to get past the Oakland Raiders (2-6) at Qualcomm Stadium. Philip Rivers had 249 yards, one touchdown and an interception against the division rival. LaDainian Tomlinson had his best game of the season, rushing for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Vincent Jackson led San Diego in receiving with 103 yards and a score. JaMarcus Russell wasn't as bad as we've seen, but was just 14-for-22 with 109 yards and an interception. Justin Fargas led the Raiders offensively, rushing 18 times for 59 yards and a touchdown. Oakland has lost five of their last six games. Carolina 34, Arizona 21 Team Trench Counter: Panthers +9.1, Cardinals -9.1 The Carolina Panthers (3-4) rode their superb rushing attack to a win over the Arizona Cardinals (4-3) on Sunday afternoon. DeAngelo Williams rushed for 158 yards, including a 77-yard scamper, and Jonathan Stewart tallied 87 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals reeling defense. Jake Delhomme attempted just 14 passes, completing seven for 90 yards and a touchdown. It marked the first game in 2009 that Delhomme hasn't tossed an interception. Kurt Warner posted 242 yards and two touchdowns, but also tossed five interceptions. Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers returned one of the interceptions 13 yards for a score in the second quarter. Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower combined to rush for 86 yards and a score, while Larry Fitzgerald led Arizona in receiving with six catches for 66 yards. Minnesota 38, Green Bay 26 Team Trench Counter: Vikings -1.8, Packers +1.8 Brett Favre was victorious in his return to Lambeau Field as the Minnesota Vikings (7-1) defeated the Green Bay Packers (4-3). Favre went 17-for-28 with 244 yards and four touchdowns against his former team after he received boos during the pregame introductions. Adrian Peterson rushed for 97 yards and score, while Percy Harvin (84 yards), Bernard Berrian (47 yards), Visanthe Shiancoe (12 yards) and Jeff Dugan (two yards) caught touchdown passes from Favre. Aaron Rodgers pitched well against the man he replaced, throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns. However, Green Bay's transitioning defense wasn't able to stop Favre at his old stomping grounds. Rodgers added 52 rushing yards on five scrambles, while Ryan Grant managed just 30 yards on ten attempts. Greg Jennings was Rodgers' favorite target; he had eight receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. *Explaining The Trench Counter