Plaxico Burress doesn't believe that his actions have been a distraction to the Giants this season, and admitted that he has made mistakes because he is "human". "Like I said, I am human," Burress said after practice on Wednesday. "I have made some mistakes. I haven't made the best of decisions, I am aware of that, and I am the first one to look myself in the mirror, be honest with myself and say that. But as far as me going out and playing hard, I am going to keep going out and competing. Like I said, I just keep going out and doing what is asked of me on the football field, and in whatever that role may be I hope I go out and fulfill it." Fellow receiver Amani Toomer disagreed with Burress. "I'll be interested to see because I think that it's still a distraction," Toomer said. "It affects our team."

Osi Umenyiora claims that he could have returned to the field for the Giants this season despite tearing the meniscus in his left knee on Aug. 24. "I got off crutches about a week and half, two weeks ago," Umenyiora said Tuesday. "I'm doing some jogging, some light drills. I'm progressing pretty well, and I'm a little bit ahead of schedule." He could end up being ready to play near the end of the season, but he can't play until next year because the Giants placed him on the injured reserve.

Lawrence Taylor believes that wide receiver Plaxico Burress has put himself above the Giants this season. "You've got to realize that it's all right to be an individual," Taylor told the Daily News. "I'm all for being an individual. You do your thing. But you're still not above the team. When it starts to disrupt the team, then you have to revisit it and look at it and see if you're doing it right." Taylor had his share of run-ins with Coach Bill Parcells during his playing days but claims he never crossed the line. "We may have had a conflict, not of personalities, but between the way I wanted to do something and the way he wanted to do something, but the rules are the rules," Taylor said. "And on Sunday, I planned on playing. I was going to pretty much try to get away with as much as I could, but I knew when you crossed the line."

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, RealGM executive editor Christopher Reina created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which teams truly control 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 2008 season, our weekly team rankings will be based solely off this formula. 1. New York Giants: 9.4 The defending-champions stand alone with the NFL?s second-best record and have regained the lead spot. The Giants have topped this list in three of the last four weeks. 2. Philadelphia Eagles: 9.4 Even after their win against the Falcons, the Eagles still sit at the bottom of their division. The Dolphins, No. 6 on the list, are the only other last-place team in the top-fifteen. 3. Washington Redskins: 7.7 The Redskins hold the third spot and are also the third NFC East team on the list. After allowing the Lions to hang close for longer than expected, Washington hosts Pittsburgh in a primetime battle this Monday night. 4. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7.4 The Steelers, who held the top spot after Week 7, fall to fourth after losing to the Giants at Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon. 5. Tennessee Titans: 6.1 The Titans quieted a majority of their critics on Monday night with an impressive win over the Colts. Nearly midway through their season, they lead the AFC South by an astounding four games. 6. Miami Dolphins: 4.4 The Dolphins are one of only two teams, along with the Vikings, in the top-fifteen with a losing record. Miami can thank their Week 3 (26.6), Week 5 (15.3) and Week 8 (11.6) TC totals. 7. Carolina Panthers: 4.3 Carolina moved into first in the NFC South with a big win over the Cardinals and can now enjoy their bye-week before traveling to Oakland. 8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4.0 The Buccaneers moved down after a listless four-point loss to the Cowboys, but they could sky-rocket up the rankings with the Chiefs coming up. 9. Minnesota Vikings: 3.3 The Vikings needed a week off after their debacle against the Bears in Week Seven. 10. Baltimore Ravens: 2.6 Baltimore?s dismantling of the Raiders allowed them to move up three spots. They?ll have a chance to continue surging against the hot-and-cold Browns on Sunday. 11. Atlanta Falcons: 2.4 Matt Ryan didn?t back down to his hometown Eagles in Philadelphia, but the Falcons lost and slid down five spots. 12. Dallas Cowboys: 2.1 The Cowboys stay put thanks to a tough, but impressive, win over the Buccaneers. Is Tony Romo that good, or could Brad Johnson be that bad in Wade Phillips? downfield offense? 13. Chicago Bears: 1.7 The Bears actually moved up two spots on their bye-week. What more can you ask for? 14. New England Patriots: 1.4 Bill Belichick has figured out a way to win even when Matt Cassel struggles. That?s bad news for the rest of the AFC. 15. Buffalo Bills: 1.3 Buffalo looked bad against Miami, and will have no relief with the rival Jets on the docket. This isn?t a time for the Bills to stumble; the Patriots have rallied to tie for the AFC East lead. 16. Houston Texans: 0.6 The Texans feasted on the Bengals and have quietly won three-consecutive games. They?ll face the Vikings on Sunday, a matchup much tougher than Cincinnati. 17. Arizona Cardinals: 0.6 The Cardinals lost a tough one to the Panthers, but still have a two-game lead in the dreadful NFC West. 18. San Diego Chargers: 0.5 Philip Rivers still leads the NFL in quarterback rating, 107.8, but the San Diego defense simply can?t stop anyone. They are allowing nearly 25 points per game. 19. New York Jets: 0.5 The Jets were lucky to have escaped their game against the Chiefs will a win on Sunday. Brett Favre needs to make better decisions if this team is going to challenge for a playoff spot. 20. Green Bay Packers: 0.0 After some rest, the Packers will travel to Tennessee. 21. New Orleans Saints: -0.2 The Saints needed a victory in London badly, and got it in a shootout with the Chargers. Drew Brees (2,563) has almost 500 more yards than any other quarterback in the league. 22. Denver Broncos: -2.4 After their bye-week, the Broncos will host the surging Dolphins. We?ll have to see which Denver team shows up. 23. San Francisco 49ers: -2.6 Mike Singletary has brought his no-nonsense approach to the 49ers in just one short week. Can Shaun Hill help resurrect the team?s struggling offense? 24. Indianapolis Colts: -2.8 Peyton Manning?s sub par season continues. He threw a pair of interceptions against the Titans, one coming in the fourth quarter as he looked to drive the Colts down field and get back into the game. 25. Jacksonville Jaguars: -3.2 After a tough loss, the Jaguars have the horrid Bengals on the schedule. If Cincinnati?s porous defense and abysmal offense don?t cure Jacksonville, nothing will. 26. Cleveland Browns: -4.1 Cleveland?s win against the Jaguars in Jacksonville could help turn their season around, but they?ll have to knock off the Ravens this weekend to reach .500 and move up in these rankings. 27. Seattle Seahawks: -6.8 Seneca Wallace turned in a strong performance for the Seahawks against the struggling 49ers. Was it a sign of things to come in Seattle, or has San Francisco become that bad? 28. Oakland Raiders: -8.4 Oakland remains exactly where they were one week ago despite a demoralizing 29-10 loss to the Ravens in Baltimore. 29. Kansas City Chiefs: -9.1 Tyler Thigpen had his best start in Week Eight as the Chiefs almost upset the Jets. Their -0.3 TC was their second-best best of the year. 30. St. Louis Rams: -9.7 The Rams were close to beating the Patriots this weekend, but all they came away with was a -7 TC in a seven-point loss. 31. Detroit Lions: -10.5 Detroit was just a fraction of a point away from remaining last in back-to-back weeks. They?ll battle the Bears, who they posted their third-best TC of the season against (-8.8) in Week Five, at Solider Field on Sunday. 32. Cincinnati Bengals: -10.6 The Bengals move into the basement after the Rams and Lions took turns occupying it in recent weeks. They play the Jaguars this weekend with the chance to either slide up or pad their ?lead?.

Cowboys' tight end Jason Witten has learned that medical tests performed Monday revealed he suffered a fractured rib, according to team sources. But the team's leading receiver refuses to rule himself out of Sunday's showdown against the Giants and has informed the coaching staff he will try to play through the injury, according to a report by ESPN.com on Tuesday.

The Steelers claim they knew the Giants were going to run with Brandon Jacobs on fourth-and-1 at the goal line early in the second quarter. The goal-line stand, during which Jacobs failed on three successive plays to get in from the 1, temporarily preserved Pittsburgh's 7-3 lead, and several Steelers are crediting the lips of Giants' quarterback Eli Manning. "I was watching Eli's lips the whole time, and I saw him say, '32,' so I went over and tried to tell everyone, 'It's right here,' and we stopped it," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "That was a big play in the game." In hearing "32," Keisel figured the Giants would run the ball behind right guard Chris Snee. "I'm guessing it's the 2-drop, which is right off center-guard," Keisel said. "And that's the play they ran and we stopped them. I'm proud of our defense. Our defense played their tails off." New York challenged the call on fourth down, believing that Jacobs had scored, but the ruling was upheld. "I was in," Jacobs said. "I guess they didn't get the right [TV] angle [on the replay]. We were playing against 11 people and -- what -- 16 people to be honest with you," a reference to the officiating crew.

Chances are you saw a majority of the thirteen games played on Sunday in the NFL?s Week Eight, but there is no need to worry if you weren?t watching all the action. RealGM is here to help summarize all that went down as NFL teams took the field in the final full weekend of October. We will also calculate each team?s Trench Counter*. Philadelphia 27, Atlanta 14 Team Trench Counter: Eagles +13.6, Falcons -13.6 The Philadelphia Eagles (4-3) allowed the Atlanta Falcons (4-3) to take a 7-0 lead but rallied to win relatively easily at Lincoln Financial Field. Donovan McNabb went 19-for-34 with 253 passing yards and had 25 rushing yards and a touchdown, his first since 2006, in the victory. Brian Westbrook, who was returning from a pair of fractured ribs, starred for the Eagles. He had 209 total yards (167 rushing and 42 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns against Atlanta. Rookie Matt Ryan, who is a native of the Philadelphia area, went 23-for-33 with 277 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Roddy White continues to be Ryan?s favorite target; he caught eight passes for 113 yards and two scores in the loss. Michael Turner had some troubles against the Eagles? rush defense, tallying just 58 yards on seventeen carries (including a 22-yard run). N.Y. Jets 28, Kansas City 24 Team Trench Counter: Jets +0.3, Chiefs -0.3 Brett Favre tossed a ton of interceptions, but the New York Jets (4-3) were still able to down the struggling Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) on Sunday. Favre went 28-for-40 with 290 yards, two touchdowns, and the three aforementioned picks. Laveranues Coles (7 catches, 64 yards) and Leon Washington (3 catches, 34 yards) were the beneficiaries of Favre?s touchdown strikes. Washington and Thomas Jones combined to rush for 121 yards and two scores in the win while New York?s defense sacked Tyler Thigpen four times. Thigpen played well for Kansas City, going 25-for-35 with 280 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith combined to tally 60 rushing yards on sixteen carries in the absence of the suspended Larry Johnson. Dwayne Bowe caught six passes for 102 yards while Tony Gonzalez and Mark Bradley connected with Thigpen in the end zone. Chiefs' rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers intercepted Favre twice, the first takeaways of his career. New Orleans 37, San Diego 32 Team Trench Counter: Saints +5.4, Chargers -5.4 The New Orleans Saints (4-4) defeated the San Diego Chargers (3-5) on Sunday at London?s Wembley Stadium. Drew Brees went 30-for-41 with 339 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, as the Saints won without Reggie Bush. Deuce McAllister had 55 rushing yards and a touchdown on eighteen attempts while Pierre Thomas added 28 yards in the win. Brees ran into his own end zone for a safety with less than ten seconds left on the clock in a strategic move by coach Sean Payton that paid off. Philip Rivers was nearly as good as Brees, but an interception ended up costing the Chargers. Rivers went 25-for-40 with 341 yards, three touchdowns, and the turnover. LaDainian Tomlinson, who said during the week that San Diego needed to run more, rushed for 105 yards on nineteen carries in the loss. He also caught five passes for 65 yards and a score while Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson also had receiving touchdowns overseas. New England 23, St. Louis 16 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +7, Rams -7 Matt Cassel struggled, but the New England Patriots (5-2) still knocked off the St. Louis Rams (2-5) at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. Cassel went 21-for-33 with 267 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the victory while Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis combined to rush for 76 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Randy Moss, who appears to finally be gelling well with Cassel, caught seven passes for 102 yards. New England's defense was able to break through and sack Marc Bulger four times. Bulger went 18-for-34 with 301 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Without Steven Jackson, who sat out with a thigh injury, Antonio Pittman ran for 83 yards on nineteen carries. Rookie receiver Donnie Avery had a career day, catching six passes for 163 yards and scoring in the loss. The loss ended a two-game win streak for the Rams, who began the season with four-straight losses. Miami 25, Buffalo 16 Team Trench Counter: Dolphins +11.6, Bills -11.6 The Miami Dolphins (3-4) notched a key win over a divisional rival on Sunday after downing the Buffalo Bills (5-2) in South Beach. Chad Pennington went 22-for-30 with 314 yards and a touchdown while Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 59 rushing yards and a score in the victory. Ted Ginn Jr. enjoyed a spectacular afternoon, catching seven passes for 175 yards against the stifling Buffalo secondary. Trent Edwards went 21-for-35 with 227 yards and an interception since a majority of the Bills' offense came on the ground. Marshawn Lynch had 61 yards and a touchdown, and Fred Jackson added another 41 yards in the loss. Lee Evans had another big day, catching seven passes for 116 yards, but he wasn?t able to find the end zone. The Bills lost three fumbles, stalling drives on multiple occasions. With the loss, the Bills are now tied with the Patriots for first-place in the AFC East. Washington 25, Detroit 17 Team Trench Counter: Redskins +10.4, Lions -10.4 The Washington Redskins (6-2) defeated the Detroit Lions (0-7) in a surprisingly close battle at Ford Field on Sunday. Jason Campbell went 23-for-28 with 328 yards and a touchdown while Clinton Portis rushed for 126 yards on twenty-four carries. Shaun Alexander, who made his Redskins' debut on Week Seven against Cleveland, had just 11 yards on six carries. Santana Moss caught nine passes for 140 yards and a score and also ran a punt back 80 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Dan Orlovsky, making his third-straight start for the winless Lions, went 21-for-35 with 223 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Rudi Johnson and Kevin Smith had just 33 yards and a touchdown between them while Orlovsky added 17 yards on a pair of carries himself. Shaun McDonald caught five passes for 68 yards while Calvin Johnson grabbed four balls for 57 yards and a touchdown. Johnson has now caught four touchdowns in his last five games. Dallas 13, Tampa Bay 9 Team Trench Counter: Cowboys +2.4, Buccaneers -2.4 The Dallas Cowboys (5-3) got back on track Sunday against the Tampa Buccaneers (5-3) in a very hard fought game. Brad Johnson went 19-for-33 with 122 yards and a touchdown in the win while Marion Barber carried the ball twenty-five times for 71 yards. Terrell Owens led the Cowboys in receiving with five catches for 33 yards. After Johnson threw three interceptions in Week Seven?s loss to the Rams, Wade Phillips limited him to immediate throws against Tampa Bay. Jeff Garcia went 27-for-43 with 227 yards in the loss, failing to throw a touchdown after a huge game against the Seahawks last Sunday night. The Dallas defense limited Earnest Graham, who rushed seventeen times, for just 42 yards. Running back Clifton Smith caught just one pass for 13 yards and lost a fumble, the only turnover of the game. Carolina 27, Arizona 23 Team Trench Counter: Panthers +7.3, Cardinals -7.3 The Carolina Panthers (6-2) outlasted the Arizona Cardinals (4-3) at Bank of American Stadium this weekend. Jake Delhomme went 20-for-28 with 248 yards and two touchdowns in the win while DeAngelo Williams exploded for 108 rushing yards and a score, as well. Jonathan Stewart had just 10 yards on eight carries against Arizona. Steve Smith was the beneficiary of both of Delhomme?s touchdown strikes as he caught five passes for 117 yards to move the Panthers into first place in the NFC South. Kurt Warner aired it out once again, going 35-for-49 with 381 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Edgerrin James, who complained this week about his lack of touches, ran for 17 yards on seven carries and lost a fumble in the defeat. Larry Fitzgerald caught seven passes from Warner for 115 yards, and Anquan Boldin, who returned for the first time since fracturing his sinus in Week Four against the Jets, grabbed nine balls for 63 yards and two trips to the end zone. Baltimore 29, Oakland 10 Team Trench Counter: Ravens +6.4, Raiders -6.4 The Baltimore Ravens (4-3) jumped out to a 19-0 lead against the Oakland Raiders (2-5) on Sunday and never looked back. Rookie Joe Flacco went 12-for-24 with 140 yards and a touchdown, a 70-yard strike to Demetrius Williams in the second quarter. Flacco also ran in a 12-yard score in the fourth that put the game away for good. Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le?Ron McClain helped Baltimore dominate on the ground, rushing for 154 yards and scoring a touchdown against Oakland?s defense. JaMarcus Russell was 15-for-33 with 228 yards, a touchdown, and an interception for the Raiders. Without Darren McFadden, Oakland struggled on the ground. Justin Fargas and Michael Bush combined to run for just 32 yards on seventeen carries in the loss. Rookie receiver Chaz Schilens had the best game of his young career against the Ravens, catching three passes for 76 yards. Russell was sacked four times while Flacco went untouched. Houston 35, Cincinnati 6 Team Trench Counter: Texans +18.4, Bengals -18.4 The Cincinnati Bengals (0-8) remain winless after getting beaten soundly by the Houston Texans (3-4) at Reliant Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Matt Schaub went 24-for-28 with 280 yards and three touchdowns while rookie Steve Slaton had 53 yards and a touchdown on fifteen carries in the victory. Schaub hooked up with Kevin Walter (five catches for 70 yards) twice and David Anderson (two catches for 28 yards) once in the end zone while connecting with Andre Johnson on eleven occasions for 143 yards. Jacoby Jones got the Texans on the board with a 73-yard punt return early in the first quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick struggled once again, going 20-for-32 with 155 yards and a pair of interceptions in the team?s eighth-straight loss. Cedric Benson had 49 rushing yards, while Fitzpatrick added 42 yards on seven carries himself. T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad ?Ocho Cinco? Johnson combined for thirteen receptions and 98 receiving yards, but couldn?t reach the end zone against Houston. In addition to his two interceptions, Fitzpatrick also lost a fumble as he accounted for all of Cincinnati?s turnovers. Cleveland 23, Jacksonville 17 Team Trench Counter: Browns +5.4, Jaguars -5.4 The Cleveland Browns (3-4) are just one win away from .500 after holding off the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) in Florida on Sunday afternoon. Derek Anderson went 14-for-27 with 246 yards and a touchdown while Jamal Lewis had one of his best games of the season with 81 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Braylon Edwards caught two passes for 64 yards while tight end Steven Heiden, who was filling in for Kellen Winslow, led the team with three receptions for 73 yards. Donte Stallworth, who had three catches for just 13 yards, was the recipient of Anderson?s only touchdown pass. David Garrard, who had a very Garrard-like stat line, went 25-for-42 with 283 yards and two touchdowns in the close loss. Garrard added 59 rushing yards on seven carries while Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor had just 53 yards between them. Matt Jones led Jacksonville with eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown, including a 35-yard reception that kept the Jaguars? hopes alive in the final seconds. Seattle 34, San Francisco 13 Team Trench Counter: Seahawks +4.7, 49ers -4.7 Seneca Wallace improved mightily over his performance against the Buccaneers last Sunday as he led the Seattle Seahawks (2-5) to an emphatic win over the San Francisco 49ers (2-6) at Candlestick Park. Wallace went 15-for-25 with 222 yards and two touchdowns, both connections with fullback Leonard Weaver, who had four catches for 116 yards. Maurice Morris and Weaver had problems on the ground, combining for 29 yards on thirteen carries, but Seahawks got all they needed on offense. J.T. O?Sullivan went 13-for-21 with 131 yards and an interception and was benched by new coach Mike Singletary after his eleventh fumble of the season. Shaun Hill replaced O?Sullivan and went 15-for-23 with 173 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Hill also rushed for twenty yards on two carries while Frank Gore added 94 yards on the ground and 65 receiving yards in the team?s fifth-straight loss. Seattle managed to record five sacks en route to their first win in four tries. N.Y. Giants 21, Pittsburgh 14 Team Trench Counter: Giants +7.8, Steelers -7.8 The New York Giants (6-1) scored twelve points in the fourth quarter on their way to a comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Heinz Field. Eli Manning went 19-for-32 with 199 yards and a touchdown, while Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward had 84 rushing yards on thirty-one carries in the difficult win. Kevin Boss, who had four catches for 34 yards, was the recipient of Manning?s only scoring pass. Plaxico Burress, who was held out of the starting lineup after missing a treatment for his injured neck on Saturday, had just three catches for 15 yards. Ben Roethlisberger had his worst game of the season, going 13-for-29 with 189 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions against New York?s ball-hawking defense. The Steelers were without Santonio Holmes, who was deactivated for the game after being arrested for drug possession last week. Mewelde Moore continued his hot streak in relief of the injured Willie Parker, running for 84 yards and a touchdown. Nate Washington caught just one pass, a 65-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Rookie Limas Sweed caught three balls for 28 yards in just his second appearance. Tennessee 31, Indianapolis 21 Team Trench Counter: Titans +3.1, Colts -3.1 The Tennessee Titans (7-0) remained unbeaten on Monday night after an impressive win over the rival Indianapolis Colts (3-4). Kerry Collins was more than good enough, going 24-for-37 with 193 yards, while Chris Johnson and LenDale White took care of business on the ground. Johnson had 77 yards and a touchdown and White added two scores and thirteen yards in the victory. Tennessee's defense also pestered Peyton Manning, forcing two interceptions. Manning went 26-for-41 with 223 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Dominic Rhodes had 70 yards on seventeen carries, and Chad Simpson added 23 yards on four carries in the absence of Joseph Addai. Dallas Clark broke out, catching seven passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns, but the Colts struggled in key situations and couldn't stop the Titans' attack in the second half. Indianapolis led 14-6 midway through the third, but Tennessee rallied to score 25-straight points en route to victory. *Explaining The Trench Counter

Giants' wide receiver Plaxico Burress did not start the team's game against the Steelers on Sunday afternoon because he missed treatments for a neck injury. New York's Domenik Hixon started in his place. The Giants reportedly considered suspending Burress but opted to hold him out of the starting lineup instead. Burress caught one pass for two yards in the first half against Pittsburgh.

Giants' wide receiver Plaxico Burress was fined $45,000 by the NFL on Friday for verbally abusing an official and tossing a ball into the stands during last weekend?s game against the 49ers, according to an Associated Press report.

Giants' wide receiver Plaxico Burress visited the hospital on Thursday to have tests on his sore shoulder. Burress has no broken bones, but his availability for Sunday's game against the Steelers isn't certain. "He is still very sore, still stiff," Coughlin said. When asked whether Burress would practice Friday, Coughlin said, "We?ll see."