What about Bob?

1. Bears (7-0) (1): Bears beat up on the jayvee team dressed in 49ers’ uniforms. Up next Miami at home. Chalk up another ‘W.’

2. Colts (7-0) (2): Broncos had given up only three TDs all season, but Peyton Manning throw for that many to keep Colts’ perfect season alive.

3. Patriots (6-1) (4): Starting to get that unbeatable look again.

4. Giants (5-2) (5): Big Blue has won four straight thanks to much-improved defense, Eli Manning’s arm and Tiki Barber’s legs.

5. Broncos (5-2) (3): Broncos offense finally comes alive under Jake Plummer, but defense goes belly-up in shootout loss to Colts.

6. Chargers (5-2) (8): Bolts manhandle upstart Rams behind more LaDainian Tomlinson brilliance.

7. Ravens (5-2) (10): Brian Billick’s in charge of the offense now, but it’s the turnover-happy defense that sets the tone against Saints.

8. Falcons (5-2) (12): Amazing what Michael Vick can do when he sits back in the pocket and throws darts.

9. Saints (5-2) (7): Early-season emotion disappears at home against Ravens, as Drew Brees throws three picks and Reggie Bush tweaks and ankle.

10. Cowboys (4-3) (14): Bill Parcells goes to Tony Romo, and Cowboys are back in business after rout of Panthers in Carolina.

11. Panthers (4-4) (9): Wasn’t this defense supposed to be better? And don’t look now, but Jake Delhomme looks average. At best.

12. Vikings (4-3) (11): Patriots show Vikes just how far they have to go.

13. Seahawks (4-3) (6): Seneca Wallace nearly pulls off comeback in KC in first NFL start, but just falls short.

14. Bengals (4-3) (13): After huge home loss to Atlanta, it doesn’t get any easier. Bengals are Baltimore, home to
San Diego, then at New Orleans.

15. Jaguars (4-3) (15): After David Garrard once again rescues Jags, you wonder about Byron Leftwich’s long-term future in Jacksonville.

16. Eagles (4-4) (16): After 4-1 start, Eagles are wondering if the wheels have come off.

17. Chiefs (4-3) (20): Larry Johnson is a fantasy football player’s dream.

18. Rams (4-3) (17): It’s back to reality after blowout loss in San Diego. Could be more in the offing. Up next: home to Chiefs, at Seattle, at Carolina.

19. Jets (4-4) (18): Wonder if Chad Pennington’s pass to Chris Baker is ruled a touchdown if Jets-Browns was at the Meadowlands.

20. Buccaneers (2-5) (21): No Matt Bryant miracle finish this time. Bucs succumb to Giants’ D in swirling winds at Meadowlands.

21. Steelers (2-5) (19): The champs are just about done.

22. Titans (2-5) (25): Round 1 goes to Vince Young, who lets Texans fans see what might have been.

23. Redskins (2-5) (22): It’s Mark Brunell or bust, as ‘Skins comes off bye to host revived Cowboys.

24. Packers (3-4) (27): So this is why Brett Favre came back. Pack shows modest improvement as Favre smokes reeling Cards.

25. Raiders (2-5) (31): Raiders pummel reeling champs and continue climbing out of Black Hole.

26. Browns (2-5) (29): Browns follow up offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon’s resignation/firing with solid effort against Jets.

27. Texans (2-5) (24): Titans send David Carr to the bench as Gary Kubiak loses patience with sacks and turnovers.

28. Bills (2-5) (23): Bills need to find out if J.P. Losman is the answer.

29. Dolphins (1-6) (28): Season from hell continues at Chicago.

30. 49ers (2-5) (26): Take it from the 49ers. The Dolphins are in for a long afternoon against the Bears.

31. Lions (1-6) (30): Great news for Lions fans on Sunday. They didn’t lose. Then again, they didn’t play.

32. Cardinals (1-7) (32): tick … tick … tick … the Dennis Green watch continues.

Another Sunday, another win for a New York team.

Covered Giants-Bucs on Sunday, so that makes it 8-0 for Giants and Jets combined in games I've attended this season.

Jets lose in Cleveland, so now it's 1-6 for Jets/Giants in games I haven't been at.

Covering Texans at Giants on Sunday. Unless Giants completely collapse, that should send the Bob G. factor to 9-0.

Real test would then come following week: Bears at Jints.

Giants personnel director Jerry Reese has caught on to the act. We chatted before first two Giants wins, and he noticed the team won both. Reese now seeks me out to shake hands before every game.

Maybe I should start charging for this stuff.

:)

Not sure quite what this means - if anything - but I've covered seven games this season involving either the Giants or Jets. The combined record of the New York teams in those games: 7-0.

Combined record of Giants and Jets without me in attendance: 1-5.

Weird.

Maybe it's being around Staple and Rock that's leading to all those wins.

Saw Jets beat Titans, Bills and Lions.

Saw Giants beat Eagles, Redskins, Falcons and Cowboys.

For what it's worth, covering Giants-Bucs this weekend.

. . .

What's a more important invention, the wheel or EZPass? Or is it the iPod? Or Seinfeld re-runs? Can't live without any of 'em . . .

Why is Staple so fascinated with music only the lunatic fringe of this country listens to? What's the deal, Grunge Boy? . . .

I see Rock giving shoutouts to Erik Boland now . . . As one reader asked: Who's Erik Boland? . . . Diligent Newsday sportswriter who graces us with his presence at Giants Stadium on football Sundays, that's who . . .

Ran into Notre Dame Charlie Weis on the set of Cold Pizza a few days ago, when he was in NYC promoting his new book. Weis told me he was uncomfortable writing about the book - "I haven't won anything yet," he says - but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to help special needs kids like his own. The proceeds will go toward helping the children . . .

btw, Weis knows he can't pull the Mr. Big-Time stuff on me. I knew him when he was an unpaid special assignments flak for Bill Parcells back in the late '80s . . .

btw, I think Weis is one of the best football coaches on the planet . . .

Tony Romo is in, and Bill Parcells is out.

That's my hunch, as the quarterback controversy in Dallas rages in the wake of Tuna's decision to start Romo over veteran Drew Bledsoe after Bledsoe's horrid first-half interception helped sink the Cowboys against the Giants on Monday night.

My gut feeling is that Parcells is gone at the end of the season, having had enough of his return and once and for all calling it a career. As for Romo, I suspect you'll see much the same as you did on Monday night, when he threw three second-half picks against the Giants in what had been a close game at halftime (12-7 New York).

Romo just does not look ready, even if his mobility is better than Bledsoe's. Heck, Parcells' mobility might be better than Bledsoe's. It might be different with a week's worth of practices under his belt, but Romo starts off at Carolina and at Washington. The Panthers' pass rush is nearly as good as the Giants, and even if the Redskins appear out of it, they play like a different team when the other guys have stars on their helmets. Especially at home.

Jerry Jones indicated a preference for Bledsoe, simply because it gives the Cowboys a better chance than the untested Romo. We suspected all along that the Jones-Parcells relationship would fray, and it appears it's doing just that. Once Jones brought in Terrell Owens, a side show unto himself, Parcells seemed like a guy no longer in control.

On Monday night, Tuna coached like a fan. He made the popular decision to bring in Romo, but the better call would have been to keep Bledsoe in there, even with all his faults. Hey, 12-7 is anyone's game. A few minutes after Romo threw his first pass - an interception - the Giants were on their way to a rout.

1. Bears (6-0) (1): Bears come off bye and face weak 49ers at home, so unbeaten season rolls on.

2. Colts (6-0) (2): Booger McFarland trade shores up run defense, as Colts stomp Redskins.

3. Broncos (5-1) (3): Defense has allowed just two TDs all season, providing cover for Jake Plummer’s erratic performance.

4. Patriots (5-1) (6): Starting to look like champions again.

5. Giants (4-2 (11): After wobbly start, Giants have won three in a row and look like the team everyone expected.

6. Seahawks (4-2) (4): It all comes down to Matt Hasselbeck’s right knee.

7. Saints (5-1) (9): Drew Brees for MVP.

8. Chargers (4-2) (5): Defense gets manhandled in KC by Larry Johnson & Co.

9. Panthers (4-3) (8): Four-game winning streak snapped in Cincy.

10. Ravens (4-2) (10): It’s Brian Billick or bust. Head coach takes over play-calling from Jim Fassel and puts his neck on the line.

11. Vikings (4-2) (18): Brad Childress making an early run for coach of the year after impressive road win at defending NFC champion Seattle.

12. Falcons (4-2) (14): Michael Vick decides to play quarterback, not running back, and throws 4 TDs in shootout win over Steelers.

13. Bengals (4-2) (15): New flavor of the month in Cincinnati: vanilla. No more wild antics for Chad Johnson, according to head coach Marvin Lewis.

14. Cowboys (3-3) (13): After brutal loss to Giants at home, Bill Parcells now has a quarterback controversy on his hands.

15. Jaguars (3-3) (7): Byron Leftwich limps into Houston with bum ankle, and limps out with blowout loss to Texans.

16. Eagles (4-3) (12): All three Eagles losses have come on last play of the game. Ouch.

17. Rams (4-2) (16): Rams comes off bye to face angry Chargers team ready for bounce-back after losing to Chiefs.

18. Jets (4-3) (19): Improved Jets can get to 5-3 at the bye with win over Cleveland. Schedule is pretty easy after that, too.

19. Steelers (2-4) (17): Big Ben’s year from hell continues. Motorcycle accident. Appendix surgery. Now he gets KO’d on vicious hit in loss to Falcons.

20. Chiefs (3-3) (21): Not a bad start, considering Herm Edwards hasn’t had his starting quarterback almost the entire season.

21. Buccaneers (2-4) (22): Matt Bryant’s buries 62-yard field goal as Bucs rally past stunned Eagles.

22. Redskins (2-5) (20): Has the magic left Joe Gibbs?

23. Bills (2-5) (24): Did you expect anything different?

24. Texans (2-4) (31): David Carr finally erupts in the passing game, and defense pummels Byron Leftwich.

25. Titans (1-5) (25): Vince Young era continues against Texans at home.

26. 49ers (2-4) (26): Alex Smith, say hello to Brian Urlacher. Mediocre Niners at unbeaten Bears this weekend.

27. Packers (2-4) (28): Just like the old days for Brett Favre in Miami.

28. Dolphins (1-6) (29): Nick Saban now pointing fingers at his players.

29. Browns (1-5) (27): Time to start thinking how Brady Quinn might look in a Browns uniform. In the meantime, Maurice Carthon gets the boot.

30. Lions (1-6) (30): In a few days, Tigers World Series run will be over, and the spotlight returns to hideous Lions.

31. Raiders (1-5) (32): Ten more wins, and the Raiders can think playoffs. Hee-hee.

32. Cardinals (1-6) (23): You lose to the last-ranked Raiders, then you’ve hit bottom. No wonder Edgerrin James is re-thinking his decision to leave Indy.

News flash: An FBI official in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is still under investigation, told The Associated Press that a Milwaukee man acknowledged posting the phony stadium threat as part of a "writing duel" with a man from the Brownsville, Texas, area to see who could post the scariest threat.

The threat, dated Oct. 12, appeared on the web site "The Friend Society," which links to various online forums and off-color cartoons. Its author, identified in the message as "javness," said trucks would deliver radiological bombs Sunday to stadiums in Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Cleveland, Oakland, Calif., and the New York City area, and that Osama bin Laden would claim responsibility.

I really hope this guy serves some time for this idiotic, ill-conceived and just plain stupid Internet threat. What in the world was he thinking? In today's times, you just don't joke about things like setting off dirty bombs at NFL stadiums. Moron.

Whatever happened to drunken fans as the biggest danger on an NFL Sunday?

Tiki Barber has every right to think about retiring, even though he's only 31 and is atop the leader board in rushing. But it does seem a little curious that he'd be forthcoming now, just a few days before a huge game against the Cowboys.

Barber has clearly seen the ravages of time fell other great running backs - three of them this year, in fact: Curtis Martin, Priest Holmes and Marshall Faulk. My hunch is that none of those guys will be playing again. So Barber doesn't want to go out on anyone's terms but his own. Good for him.

I'm just not sure I'd admit it so readily now, even though he's been thinking about it for the last couple years. Will it affect his teammates? Will it affect his game? Well, clearly he's been thinking about it before now, so it hasn't had any negative effect on his performance.

We'll see how it plays out, and my suspicion is his teammates will accept whatever Barber decides. The guy has been through a pounding over his career, and it won't get any easier ... unless Tom Coughlin decides to give Brandon Jacobs a few more carries to keep Barber fresher.

But that isn't likely to happen either. If you're Coughlin, you have to keep feeding Barber the ball, because he does something good just about every time he touches it.

Thanks to Tommy Rock for the shout-out. Always good to see this earnest young man in action on the Jets' beat. Will bond some more with Artie Staple tomorrow and see what's what in Giant land.

Adios.

Matt Leinart has a good game against a great defense, and all of a sudden the Cardinals have found the answer at quarterback. Can we please let this guy play a few games before putting him into Canton?

Maybe it's being around Parcells all these years, because he's always preaching patience when evaluating players. But he's right. You've got to give this time, and one nice game on Monday Night Football is just not enough to draw any definitive conclusions.

So enough with the Leinart hyperbole, okay?

1. Bears (6-0) (1): Bears nearly blow it against awful Cardinals, but defense and special teams overcome Rex Grossman’s four INTs.

2. Colts (5-0) (2): After bye week, Indy gets break in schedule by hosting slumping Redskins. But that run defense is still a problem.

3. Broncos (4-1) (3): Know your enemy. Mike Shanahan sure does. He not only knows the Al Davis’ Raiders, he owns them.

4. Seahawks (4-1) (4): Seahawks get away with one in St. Louis.

5. Chargers (4-1) (6): Philip Rivers torches the 49ers and shows fellow QB Alex Smith how it’s done.

6. Patriots (4-1) (7): Pats come off bye and visit AFC East rival Bills, who nearly upset New England in Week 1.

7. Jaguars (3-2) (11): You can almost pencil in a “w” on Sunday: Jags at terrible Texans.

8. Panthers (4-2) (12): Did someone say the Panthers are in trouble? After 0-2 start, that’s four straight with win at Baltimore.

9. Saints (5-1) (14): The surprise team of the season keeps rolling on, this time getting past a very good Eagles team at the Superdome.

10. Ravens (4-2) (5): Ravens offense was struggling with Steve McNair. It was just as bad when he went out with neck injury against Panthers. Now Jim Fassel takes the hit, as Brian Billick takes over play-calling

11. Giants (3-2) (15): Two straight wins at Jints on upswing. They hold off Falcons’ vaunted running attack and sack Mike Vick seven times.

12. Eagles (4-2) (10): Letdown after T.O. Bowl? You bet. Eagles took Saints lightly and paid the price. .

13. Cowboys (3-2) (13): T.O. catches three TDs as Cowboys route Texans at home. Now comes the hard part: Home to the Giants, at Carolina, at Washington.

14. Falcons (3-2) (8): This team is just too inconsistent for its own good. Awesome one week, mediocre the next.

15. Bengals (3-2) (9): After red-hot start, including huge win over AFC North rival Steelers, Bengals have dropped two straight after losing previously winless Tampa.

16. Rams (4-2) (16): Greatest Show on Turf starting to return, but it’s not quite enough against Seahawks. Defense lets down badly in second half. .

17. Steelers (2-3) (17): Steelers are 1-0. That’s the logic of Bill Cowher, who said before Sunday’s demolition of Kansas City that the Steelers were 0-0.

18. Vikings (3-2) (18): Post bye week matchup at Seattle could be tough.

19. Jets (3-3) (20): Jets have to sweat it out in fourth quarter before beating dreadful Dolphins. .

20. Redskins (2-4) (19): This team is in big trouble. Loss at home to winless Titans could very well sink their season – and send Joe Gibbs back to retirement.

21. Chiefs (2-3) (22): Larry Johnson was miffed that the Steelers traded away their pick to Chiefs in 2002 and took Troy Polamalu instead of him. So much for revenge. Johnson had 26 rushing yards and was flagged for unnecessary roughness after dragging Polamalu down by the hair after an interception.

22. Buccaneers (1-4) (26): Bruce Gradkowski does just enough to win, and Bucs’ defense holds off Carson Palmer & Co. for first win.

23. Cardinals (1-5) (23): Matt Leinart has terrific showing against Bears’ ferocious defense, but Cards blow it anyway. QBs coac Mike Kruczek now takes over as offensive coordinator in wake of meltdown.

24. Bills (2-4) (21): Losing to Chicago is one thing. Losing to winless Lions is quite another.

25. Titans (1-5) (28): Vince Young keeps getting better, and Titans finally get a win to show for it.

26. 49ers (2-4) (24): Mike Nolan’s reputation as a defensive guru is taking a huge hit after another blowout loss.

27. Browns (1-4) (25): Only way Browns keep it close Sunday against Denver is if Broncos aren’t ready.

28. Packers (1-4) (27): Packers-Dolphins once meant Favre-Marino. Now it’s Favre-Harrington, and it’s just not the same.

29. Dolphins (1-5) (30): What a mess.

30. Lions (1-5) (31): Lions get first win, so it must be time for another contract extension for Matt Millen.

31. Texans (1-4) (28): Texans might have to pull the plug on David Carr one of these days.

32. Raiders (0-5) (32): At least Jerry Porter doesn’t have to see any of this nonsense for a while. He’s suspended a month as Raiders lose another.

In the Georgia Dome, waiting for kickoff of Giants-Falcons, sitting next to Newsday colleague Arthur Staple in the press box. Does it get any better than this? . . .

Former Falcons tackle Bob Whitfield has every right to be bitter about the way things ended in Atlanta. But he picked a bad time to gripe about it this week, when he referred to Falcons GM Rich McKay with a profane first name that rhymes with Rich. And kicker Jay Feely may have reason to feel he got a raw deal from the Falcons during contract negotiations last year, but the bottom line is he got more money from the Giants. If both guys wanted to do their complaining, they should have waited until after the game. Whitfield should remember that he’s one Luke Petitgout back spasm away from having to block John Abraham, and Feely could very well line up for an important kick in his old building . . .

With the Lions 0-5 and going nowhere fast, there is increasing heat on team president and general manager Matt Millen. League sources tell us there’s a good chance Millen will be fired after the season if significant improvement isn’t shown. One GM said he can’t understand why Millen has had so many chances, since virtually no other prominent executive with such a poor track record is still employed. Another thing going against Millen: Team sources tell us he has signed off on every key move made by new coach Rod Marinelli, including the release of former first-round receiver Charles Rogers, the trade of quarterback Joey Harrington to the Dolphins, and the lack of playing time for another first-round receiver, Mike Williams . . .

The Ravens are struggling on offense, and it’s starting to show. They couldn’t mount a comeback against tough Denver team on Monday night, and now they go up against tough Panthers team in Baltimore. A lot on the line for former Giants offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, whose future as a head coach is tied directly to the Ravens’ performance. Steve McNair still getting used to his receivers, and Derrick Mason is starting to complain about not getting the ball enough . . .

Fellow blogger Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger is a fun read. Am I allowed to say that? . . .

.

Can the Jets bounce back from 41-0? We’ll see on Sunday, but the view on Wednesday looked pretty encouraging.

Got a chance to look in on Tom Rock’s team this afternoon, and the mood seemed just right. Players did as their new, young coach instructed: Obey the five-second rule and forget about the mauling in Jacksonville and concentrate all attention on the Dolphins.

Pete Kendall was asked a couple questions about Jacksonville and offered a few more explanations about what went wrong, but then requested his questioners to please ask about Miami. Laveranues Coles, who complained about not being used more, was all smiles and said he was speaking from emotion and won’t dare second-guess his coach. “He’s the general,” Coles says.

What is it about Jacksonville that brings out the worst in the Jets? Last year, Chad Pennington’s season went up in smoke. So did Jay Fiedler’s – and maybe his career. And remember 2002, when the Jets lost in Jacksonville 28-3? Vinny Testaverde was awful that game, and Chad Pennington replaced him in the second half. That game turned out to be a huge turning point, because Pennington remained as the Jets’ starter, and he led the team to the playoffs.

Don’t expect 41-0 to be a precursor to another playoff run, but we don’t expect it to ruin the Jets’ season either. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see this team with a 4-3 record two weeks from now.

1. Bears (5-0) (1): Shades of ’85.

2. Colts (5-0) (2): Close call against the Jets. Close call against the Titans. Can they keep getting away with this?

3. Broncos (3-1) (5): Most underrated defense in the NFL.

4. Seahawks (3-1) (4): Mike Holmgren gave Seahawks an entire week off to rest up. Let’s see if it works
when ‘Hawks face red-hot Rams.

5. Ravens (4-1) (3): Loss in Denver snaps four-game win streak. Won’t be easy this week either. Home to Carolina.

6. Chargers (3-1) (9): Philip Rivers beats Ben Roethlisberger. After only four NFL starts, the kid looks pretty good.

7. Patriots (4-1) (6): Pats already enjoy two-game lead in AFC East after beating reeling Dolphins.

8. Falcons (3-1) (7): After a bye week, it’s home to the Giants.

9. Bengals (3-1) (8): Bengals try to recover from mauling against Pats by beating winless Bucs in Tampa.

10. Eagles (4-1) (12): Delightful win for Eagles over T.O.’s Cowboys. Donovan McNabb dominates, and T.O. fizzles.

11. Jaguars (3-2) (10): Bounce-back? Try trounce-back. Jags recover from OT loss at Washington by thumping Jets, 41-0.

12. Panthers (3-2) (14): That’s three in a row and counting for Super Bowl favorites.

13. Cowboys (2-2) (11): Drew Bledsoe was dreadful in Philly, but Bill Parcells is sticking by his QB … for now.

14. Saints (4-1) (16): Can this keep up? Saints still lead in NFC South, but can they beat the surging Eagles this week?

15. Giants (2-2) (17): Giants right the ship with dominant win over Redskins.

16. Rams (4-1) (19): Are they for real? Rams find out Sunday at home against defending NFC champion Seattle.

17. Steelers (1-3) (13): It’s not just Big Ben. It’s the running game. It’s the defense, too.

18. Vikings (3-2) (21): Only a furious comeback prevents embarrassment in Detroit.

19. Redskins (2-3) (15): After two straight impressive wins, ‘Skins are awful in losing to Giants.

20. Jets (2-3) (18): Good news about a 41-0 loss. It only counts once.

21. Bills (2-3) (20): Good news about playing the Bears. It only counts once. Better news about playing Bears. They don’t play them again.

22. Chiefs (2-2) (22): Chiefs still waiting to see if Trent Green will play again this season.

23. Cardinals (1-4) (24): Matt Leinart era debuts, but it’s another ‘L’ for Denny Green & Co.

24. 49ers (2-3) (25): Niners win braggin’ rights in Bay Area by beating Raiders. Whoop-de-do.

25. Browns (1-4) (26): Browns make it respectable against Panthers, but offensive line woes continue as Julius Peppers wreaks havoc on Cleveland offense.

26. Buccaneers (0-4) (23): Bruce Gradkowski does a decent job against Saints, but not good enough for Bucs’
first win.

27. Packers (1-4) (27): Favre nearly rallies Packers in fourth quarter, but late fumble kills Pack’s chances.

28. Titans (0-5) (31): No moral victories in the NFL, but a one-point loss on the road to the Colts comes close.

29. Texans (1-3) (28): Texans have unenviable task of visiting Cowboys after Dallas loses to Philly. Did you say bounce-back?

30. Dolphins (1-4) (29): Joey Harrington to the rescue! Sure.

31. Lions (0-5) (30): Tigers’ playoff success makes Lions look even worse.

32. Raiders (0-4) (32): Trade deadline is next Tuesday. Do you keep Randy Moss and Jerry Porter?

Ranking, team, record, last week's ranking, comment

1. Bears (4-0) (3): After smacking the defending NFC champs at home, is there any doubt that this is now the most complete team in the game?
2. Colts (4-0) (1): Peyton Manning has to pull off yet another miracle finish to get past the pesky Jets. Colts still can’t stop the run.
3. Ravens (4-0) (6): Steve McNair for MVP? You can make the case.
4. Seahawks (3-1) (2): Even if Shaun Alexander was in the lineup, we suspect the Bears still would have smoked the ‘Hawks.
5. Broncos (2-1) (8): How good are the Broncos? We’ll find out Monday night, when they host the unbeaten Ravens.
6. Patriots (3-1) (14): One thing’s for sure: Bill Belichick almost never loses two games in a row. Huge win at Cincy as Laurence Maroney shines.
7. Falcons (3-1) (9): Red zone offense a problem, but ball-hawking defense is not.
8. Bengals (3-1) (5): Bengals follow up inspiring win over defending Super Bowl champs with lame performance at home against Pats.
9. Chargers (2-1) (7): Offense bogs down against Ray Lewis & Co.
10. Jaguars (2-2) (4): Byron Leftwich gets Jags into OT, but they lose heartbreaker.
11. Cowboys (2-1) (11): T.O. makes it back from finger injury and controversy over accidental overdose of pain medication, and Cowboys roll past Titans.
12. Eagles (3-1) (12): Takes a while for the Birds to get going, but they pour it on with second-half rout of Packers. They lose receivers Donte Stallworth and Reggie Brown in the process, though.
13. Steelers (1-2) (10): Another tough for Steelers coming off bye: at San Diego on Sunday night. We’ll see if Big Ben is up to the task.
14. Panthers (2-2) (15): Holding off Saints proves tougher than expected, but Panthers now within a game of division lead after 0-2 start.
15. Redskins (2-2) (21): Redskins rally from 0-2 start with impressive home win over Jags. No more quarterback controversy, as Mark Brunell shines a second straight game.
16. Saints (3-1) (16): Back to earth for Saints a week after dramatic homecoming win at Superdome.
17. Giants (1-2) (13): Season on the brink? Not quite, but it’s pretty close. Home to surging Washington on Sunday.
18. Jets (2-2) (19): Near miss against Colts, as Eric Mangini invites first second-guess of his career. Fourth and goal? Kick the field goal.
19. Rams (3-1) (18): Greatest Show on Turf might not be over after all, especially when awful Lions are the opponent.
20. Bills (2-2) (20): This team is better than expected. Home win over Vikings latest evidence.
21. Vikings (2-2) (17): Until the Vikes start scoring touchdowns, they’re an incomplete team.
22. Chiefs (1-2) (23): Chiefs stomp all over 49ers and take the heat off Herm Edwards’ conservative offense.
23. Bucs (0-3) (22): Life without Chris Simms begins at New Orleans on Sunday.
24. Cardinals (1-3) (24): Matt Leinart era is under way. Don’t expect miracles.
25. 49ers (1-3) (25): This team just cannot win on the road.
26. Browns (1-3) (28): Browns rally nicely in second half against Oakland.
27. Packers (1-3) (27): Brett Favre leaves game against Eagles with splitting headache. No wonder.
28. Texans (1-3) (30): Gary Kubiak finally gets first win, and Mario Williams finally gets first sack.
29. Dolphins (1-3) (26): Even after dreadful start, Nick Saban sticks by Daunte Culpepper.
30. Lions (0-4) (31): Offensive coordinator Mike Martz returns to St. Louis, only to see his old team start putting up points like the old days.
31. Titans (0-4) (29): Albert Haynesworth gets unprecedented five-game suspension for stomping on Andre Gurode’s helmetless head. What a moron.
32. Raiders (0-3) (32): Raiders are falling into the Black Hole.

End it

Terrell Owens didn’t score a touchdown in his return from finger surgery, but you’d better believe his presence makes all the difference in the world for the Cowboys’ offense. Dallas’ 45-point explosion against Tennessee the latest example. Can’t wait to see what happens when T.O. goes back to Philly next week . . .

Steve McNair might be the biggest difference maker in the NFL this season. Another comeback win, this time over the previously unbeaten Chargers. He’s making Brian Billick and Jim Fassel loo like they know what they’re doing . . .

Albert Haynesworth is a nut. How do you step on a guy’s head when his helmet isn’t even on? Haynesworth deserves not only a huge fine, but a suspension . . .

Kurt Warner just will not get it done in Arizona, so Dennis Green might as well go to Matt Leinart on a permanent basis and call it a rebuilding season . . .

Edgerrin James is making the Colts look like they’re smart for not re-signing him to a megabucks contract. The guy just has too much mileage. Doesn’t help that the Cardinals’ offensive line is average . . .

You have to start thinking of the Jets in terms of being a legitimate teams. Two wins over awful Tennessee and average Buffalo are fine, but a near-win over Indy means this team is capable of playing with anyone . . .

That said, there's no way Eric Mangini should have gone for it on 4th and goal late in the third quarter. Got to kick the field goal there. Chadwick is intercepted, and the game changes right there . . .

Think Herman Edwards isn’t breathing a sigh of relief getting his first win in Kansas City? . . .

Don’t be surprised if Trent Green doesn’t come back for several more weeks because of his concussion. He might even miss the rest of the season . . .

Nice to see Nick Saban has things under control in Miami. After solid performance in second half of last season, Saban still waiting for his first win this year. When you can’t beat Houston, you’ve got issues . . .

Saints were better than expected against Panthers, but still, it was asking a lot for them to follow such an emotional win last week at the Superdome with a win on the road in Carolina . . .

At 2-2, Panthers are back in business . . .

I really like Patriots rookie running back Laurence Maroney. He runs hard, he runs fast, and he makes really good reads on his cuts . . .