$.01--For all the statements made on Sunday, and there were quite a few, the biggest one to me was the Packers emphatic victory over the Cowboys. Green Bay had surrendered 76 points and 13 sacks in their past two games, but they completely dominated the heretofore surging Cowboys. The Packers defense turned up the pressure, sacking Tony Romo five times and consistently getting great pressure. Green Bay created turnovers and had none of their own, and allowed just an after-the-fact TD in their 17-7 triumph. The Packers were in very real peril of having their playoff aspirations snuffed out after two humbling losses, but with this win they killed two birds with one stone. Not only did they vault themselves back into playoff relevance, they also earned a tiebreaker with Dallas, which could wind up fighting for the same Wild Card spot. Charles Woodson played a game reminiscent of his Michigan days versus Ohio State, forcing two fumbles while bagging a sack and providing blanketing physical coverage. $.02--San Diego also made a big statement, beating up the Eagles to pull to a 1st place tie in the AFC West with the faltering Broncos. LaDanian Tomlinson turned back the clock a little, showing much better burst and more ability to finish his runs with power. But the most impressive thing for San Diego is their performance in the red zone at both ends. The Chargers defense held Philly to three David Akers field goals when the Eagles had 1st and goal on three drives, while the offense went a perfect 5-for-5 with four TDs and a field goal in their red zone visits. That had been a recurring issue during the Bolts? early season struggles, and with those woes apparently remedied, San Diego is now looking like the team I thought they?d be when I forecast a 14-2 record. This victory sets up a winner-take-all AFC West matchup in Denver next Sunday, though even with a loss the Chargers schedule sets up very nicely for a near-certain playoff berth. $.03--Another statement was made by the downtrodden teams. Tampa Bay valiantly fought against Miami, losing on a last-second FG. St. Louis gave the undefeated Saints all they could handle, with Steven Jackson strapping the team on his wide shoulders and the Rams defense doing a relatively good job slowing down Drew Brees & Co. and having a shot at the win. Washington, losers of five of their last six, upended the Broncos thanks to a strange fake field goal and hard running by backup RB Ladell Betts. Tennessee annihilated Buffalo behind Chris Johnson and another solid game-manager performance from Vince Young, winning their third in a row while sending the Bills to a finger-pointing cellar. Even the Lions played reasonably well in their loss to Minnesota, keeping the game within reach most of the day despite having six defensive starters leave the game due to injuries. All season we?ve been talking about the stark dichotomy between the haves and have-nots, but for one weekend anyways, the gap closed considerably. Nobody is happier for that than the bookmakers, who have taken a beating this year thanks to predictable lopsided slaughterings. $.04--The Thursday night affair was an unmitigated disaster for the Bears, and there are plenty of fingers to point. I think one finger that isn?t getting enough wagging is the lack of veteran mentorship and leadership on the Chicago offense. This team is screaming for a savvy veteran backup QB, someone to serve as a sounding board and support system for Jay Cutler, similar to what Jon Kitna has done for Tony Romo. Cutler is not a great leader, and far too often he spends his sideline time either brooding alone or joking around with teammates, not focusing on how he could get better. He badly needs someone to push his buttons and keep his head right, showing him where he could improve. It?s an extra imperative when the head coach is focused almost completely on his defense and the offensive coordinator isn?t a great teacher. But it?s even more pronounced at wide receiver, where the Bears feature converted CB Devin Hester and two guys (Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett) with zero career catches entering the season. This group runs terrible routes and freelances too often, as well as failing to run hard all the time and being abysmal blockers. With no veteran to show them the ropes or tell them why they?re not getting open or how to plant and cut with sound footwork, there has been no visible improvement throughout the season. By comparison, look at the wonders Torry Holt has done in Jacksonville with Mike Sims-Walker and Mike Thomas, two greenhorn wideouts that have become significantly better as the season progresses. Chicago screams out for a player like Holt or Amani Toomer or Laveraneus Coles, a beyond-his-prime vet that can still function as a secondary weapon but can also teach the young talent how to play in the NFL. All three of those guys were affordable free agents last summer, and the Bears are paying the price for not stepping to the table. $.05--Highlight of the day goes to Arizona safety Adrian Wilson for his impressive game-sealing INT of Matt Hasselbeck?s shovel pass near the goal line. It was a bit of a broken play, and Wilson correctly picked up on Hasselbeck?s intentions. His diving snare sealed the win and all but sealed the NFC West for the Cardinals, who now hold a two-game lead with a rediscovered running attack. Kurt Warner shook off a sluggish start, and the offensive line that helped Beanie Wells run so well also kept Warner?s uniform spotless. When that happens and the opportunistic, aggressive defense led by Wilson are playing well, this Arizona team is as good as any in the NFC. Gut-check comeback wins like this one have been few and far between for this franchise, and in winning five of their last six the Cardinals have announced their presence with authority. $.06--5 quickies: 1. There were audible screams at Buffalo Wild Wings when Mo Jones-Drew took a knee at the one instead of scoring the winning TD against the Jets. How big is fantasy football? I counted at least 15 patrons with laptops, constantly checking their fantasy teams, and the guy next to me at the bar borrowed my Droid phone three times to check his team. 2. After watching Bruce Gradkowski inject some life and potency to the Oakland offense, there is no valid reason why Coach Cable should reinsert JaMarcus Russell at QB. Gradkowski?s INTs were not his fault, though it?s hard to blame the Oakland wideouts for being surprised that the pass was actually where they wanted it. 3. I never thought I?d say this, but the Bengals were clearly the more physical team in their battle with the Steelers. It was an ugly game with no offensive TDs and many crushing hits and forced mistakes, i.e. Pittsburgh Steelers football. But once again the Bengals did it better. Trust me folks, they are not a fluke. 4. Matt Stafford won over a lot of Lions fans with his toughness and never-say-die spirit despite taking a major beating in the loss to Minnesota. In 54 dropbacks, Stafford got hit on 34 of them. He kept his chin up and never lost his poise, continuing to sling good throws despite the constant pounding. His leadership and tenacity scored major points in the locker room and the message boards, not to mention the Vikings locker room. 5. Brian Westbrook?s second concussion in three weeks is a real cause for concern. The Eagles have LeSean McCoy to fill in, and the rookie is proving capable, but he?s not the dynamic playmaker that Westbrook is. The greater concern is for Westbrook?s health, which has been an ongoing concern for years. $.07--The New England-Indianapolis game developed into an instant classic, with the Colts coming from behind for an amazingly improbable victory. The Indianapolis defense held tough despite being ravaged by injuries, and with Peyton Manning in charge they are never out of a game. His masterful performance changed my (non-existent) MVP vote, and Manning is having his best year ever, one of the greatest years by any pro athlete ever. If nothing else, Peyton put an end to all the asinine ?quienes mas macho?? debates with Tom Brady. Still, this was just one game in the standings, and if/when they meet again in January, this outcome will mean next to nothing. The sooner the talking heads realize this, the better off we?ll all be. There will be very little difference between the #1 seed and the #6 seed in the AFC playoffs this year. Of course no other team has a Peyton Manning... $.08-- Non-football thought of the week--I must have struck a chord with my whining about the ability to smoke in public places in Michigan, as I received several emails of empathetic disbelief from all over the country. My fair state is in a state of economic catastrophe, yet for thousands of us who revile secondhand smoke, we?re discouraged from spending money in restaurants and bars. I loathe coming home smelling like I just spent three hours inside a burning building, the food tastes worse, and my eyes take a day or two to recover from the haze. Michigan needs to step into the modern era and do what so many other states have done: ban smoking in all public places. For you Michigan smokers who protest, consider this: your health insurance costs will decrease, and you just might get a hook-up with a non-smoker that you never would have had before. $.09--6 college quickies: 1. Georgia Tech is the quietest 10-1 team ever. Consider that if Texas and Cincinnati each lose (which could happen), the Yellow Jackets might be playing for the national title despite almost zero national media coverage. They should beat Clemson for the ACC title and will not be an easy BCS opponent with their throwback offense and disciplined, talent-laden defense. 2. This USC team is the epitome of what happens when you recruit nothing but blue-chip athletes. They sorely lack anyone for whom football didn?t come easy, early. Those type of players are great when it?s going well, but tend to stumble badly when really tested--just as these Trojans have all year. 3. Much is being made of Charlie Weis having the same winning percentage as the ingloriously deposed Bob Davie and Ty Willingham at Notre Dame. What that says to me is that the coach really doesn?t matter anymore at Notre Dame; the program is simply no longer a national power, and not even Knute Rockne rising from the grave is going to change that. It?s an academically restrictive, low-enrollment school in an impoverished small city with poor weather, and the national reputation and NFL pipeline have both withered to insignificance. That is not just Charlie Weis? fault. 4. Maybe I?m just a bitter Lions fan, but if Matt Millen would have put half the acumen he shows as a college analyst into his drafting duties, the Detroit Lions would be a perennial playoff team and not the perennial doormat. 5. Daniel Passafiume of Hanover College caught 25 passes on Saturday, breaking an NCAA record held by Jerry Rice. I don?t know how impressive the feat is, considering he netted just 153 yards on those 25 catches, though he did score twice. Hanover lost the D-III game 42-28 to Franklin College, another Indiana school that happens to be where I lived from 1984-86. I?m writing this proudly wearing a Franklin College hat. Go Grizzlies! 6. TCU answered any lingering questions about their BCS legitimacy by walloping a very good Utah team 55-28. This is the same Utah team that spanked Georgia in a BCS bowl last year. The Horned Frogs? improved offense this year makes them the best non-BCS conference team of the BCS era...and that still isn?t good enough to earn a berth in the national title game. $.10: Scouting Report--Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State. 6?6?, 284 pounds, 4.7ish 40. Positives: Tremendous size/speed/strength package and he?s comfortable with his body. Great base strength to hold at the point of attack, rarely gets moved backwards. Outstanding quickness for his size, consistently dictates the action by forcing the blocker to react to his movement. Good at using his hands and arms to shed blocks. Maintains excellent pad level and consistently gets strong leverage. Good tackler, wraps strong and keeps his head up. Shows good awareness and quick reaction to screens and cutbacks. Has a polished barrage of pass rush moves, can go inside or outside with speed or power. Fast in pursuit with decent closing speed, and he does a good job of staying in control while chasing. Good balance, great knees and feet to stay with plays even when blocked. Good football IQ. Solid locker room leader. Father was Craig ?Ironhead? Heyward, former NFL running back, and stepfather played at Wisconsin, so he?s been brought up around the game a la Larry Fitzgerald. Negatives: Strictly a 3-4 DE in the NFL; lacks burst around the edge and speed to play DE, too upright and not bulky enough to play full-time DT in 4-3 fronts. Can be too eager to just tie up blockers and let his mates make the plays--makes him a great teammate but could cause disappointment if drafted high (think Chris Long). Will get caught in the interior trash when the runner or QB bounces outside. Has had some issues with shorter, fireplug-type guards against the run. Has been surrounded by loads of talent that is often quite superior to the offense they are facing, has not been asked to do a lot by himself; that doesn?t mean he can?t, it means he hasn?t done it yet. NFL Comparison: A taller, quicker Tyson Jackson from last year?s draft, or a lighter Richard Seymour. Forecast: Just a junior, Heyward has continued to improve and impress scouts with his playmaking knack and rare physical attributes. Not as fast or explosive as the elite edge rushers, but much like Tyson Jackson last year, Heyward?s all-around play elevates his stock. He?s more highly regarded by scouts than most media pundits at this point, but that will change. Surefire 1st rounder, probably in the 10-20 overall range.